Warm sun filtered through gauzy curtains, casting pale beams across unfamiliar sheets.

  Eve stirred slowly, her body aching and her head thick with fog. She blinked up at the ceiling, foreign and softly lit, then looked around.

  Unfamiliar room. Unfamiliar bed.

  She sat up slowly, the bnkets pooling around her waist, and immediately felt the weight of a too-big shirt slipping off her shoulder.

  A shirt.

  Not hers.

  Panic gripped her chest for a beat. She touched her temples, trying to recall the night before. The club. The drinks. The music. Rowan. Selene.

  The fragments came in fshes—some vivid, others smeared by haze.

  But this room... it wasn’t cold. It wasn’t sterile. It didn’t feel like the medical facilities she’d woken up in before. It was airy, soft, and surprisingly warm. Personal.

  Still, the question clung to her chest like static.

  Where am I?

  She gnced around and spotted her phone and a half-full gss of water on the nightstand. She reached for the water first, taking a cautious sip. It wasn’t quite room temperature—it hadn’t been sitting out that long. Refreshing, and necessary. Her throat felt like sandpaper.

  Next, she picked up her phone. The screen lit up: 06:34 AM.

  Eve sat on the edge of the bed and cradled her head in her hands for a moment, groaning softly.

  Then she looked to the door on the far side of the room.

  Curiosity stirred with the confusion. She pushed herself up, feet touching the warm floor, and padded slowly toward the door.

  She sheepishly stepped into a hallway she didn’t recognize, quiet and warmly lit. As she moved further, the space opened into a rge, airy kitchen and living area bathed in sunlight pouring through wide windows.

  The room was clean but lived-in—modern in its finishes, but scattered with signs of life. Books y in uneven piles along the floor, some open with bookmarks wedged halfway through. Equipment she didn’t recognize sat on the nearby table. And near the wall...

  Weapons?

  Her pulse picked up again. Whose pce was this?

  She stepped quietly toward the sink, spotting a gss and heading toward it instinctively for more water.

  That’s when she saw him.

  A tall figure stood at the counter, back half-turned as he scooped coffee grounds into a filter. Tousled bck hair.

  He looked up. So did she.

  Their eyes locked for a long beat of silence.

  Levi was the first to speak.

  "You're awake," he said simply. "Want some coffee?"

  Eve stood frozen in pce, stunned. She looked down at herself—at the oversized shirt draped over her body, covering only to her thighs. Her face flushed.

  "Ummm... what happened?" she asked, her voice small.

  She tugged down on the hem of the shirt as she spoke, cheeks burning as she waited for an answer.

  Levi set the spoon down beside the filter and turned fully toward her, coffee forgotten for the moment.

  "You don’t remember anything?" he asked.

  She gave the faintest shake of her head.

  His voice was calm, steady, though something flickered in his eyes. "I found you outside Club Helix. You were... not in great shape. Someone had their hands on you."

  Eve’s breath caught.

  "I got you out of there," Levi continued. "You couldn’t get into your pce. Said you lost your keycard. So... I brought you here."

  Eve blinked slowly. She lowered her gaze for a moment, then looked back up at him.

  "Did I... do anything stupid?"

  Levi’s eyes softened, just slightly. "No."

  A silence stretched between them, quiet but charged.

  Then Levi turned back to the coffee pot.

  Eve, still flustered, hesitated. Her heart was hammering. "Umm... what about my clothes?"

  Levi paused mid-reach for the mug. "You, uh... kind of puked on them," he said carefully. "So I gave you a shirt. They should be dry by now. I’ll go grab them."

  Eve groaned and immediately covered her face with her hands. "I’m so sorry for the hassle."

  Levi gnced over his shoulder and, to her surprise, gave a cool smile—something softer than she’d ever seen from him.

  It made something flutter sharply in her chest.

  He was... very handsome. And that only made the heat rise to her cheeks more.

  Just then, Levi returned, a small bundle of neatly folded clothes in his hand. He pced them on the edge of the couch without a word, then turned back toward the kitchen.

  Eve gnced at them, then cleared her throat, trying to ground herself. “Can I, um… maybe freshen up somewhere?”

  Levi nodded and motioned down the hall. “Bathroom’s just past the bookshelves—door on the right.”

  She grabbed her clothes and moved past him quickly, the oversized shirt brushing against her thighs, trying not to think about how surreal it all felt.

  Once out of sight, Levi turned back to the coffee pot, the smile fading slightly from his face. His jaw tightened as he stared at the slow drip of dark liquid filling the pot. That knot in his chest hadn’t fully loosened since the night before.

  From the hallway, the bathroom door clicked shut.

  Inside, Eve leaned over the sink, bracing herself on the cool counter as she stared at her reflection in the mirror.

  Her head was still fuzzy, her skin flushed, and her eyes... tired. She turned on the water and spshed her face, trying to chase away the remnants of the previous night. It helped a little, but not enough.

  As she dried her face with a soft towel, her mind spiralled.

  What had she done? Had she embarrassed herself in front of Levi? Had she said something stupid—something she couldn’t take back? Her stomach turned at the memory of the club, the voices in the bathroom, the way she’d felt so out of pce. Shit. Rowan. Where did he go? She shook her head, thinking she must have wandered off from him. Maybe he didn’t even realize she was gone. She pressed her hand against her forehead, embarrassed about how she lost control of the night and the way she must have behaved.

  The shirt she wore, the clean clothes in her arms—everything about this was unfamiliar.

  She pressed her palms into her eyes. "Get it together," she whispered to herself.

  Levi had seen her like this. Vulnerable. Unravelled.

  And he still brought her here.

  That made something ache in her chest she couldn’t name.

  She quickly got dressed, pulling on her clean clothes and trying to tame her hair with her fingers. She stepped out of the bathroom and wandered back out into the kitchen, where Levi stood at the counter, sipping from his mug.

  She spotted a second mug already set out for her, a quiet gesture that made her throat tighten again.

  Before he could say anything, Eve blurted, "Thank you. I’m so sorry for all the hassle, seriously. I— I didn’t mean to be so..." she gestured vaguely, then shook her head. "Is this the way out?"

  She didn’t wait for an answer—just offered a sheepish, grateful smile and began backing toward the door, doing her best not to trip over her own feet. "Really—thank you again," she added, voice rushed, her cheeks still warm. She pointed toward the exit, trying to mask the panic behind her eyes. "I’ll, uh... see you around?"

  Levi blinked, clearly caught off guard by her hasty retreat, but didn’t stop her. By the time the door clicked shut behind her, she was already halfway down the hallway, her heart racing.

  Levi stood motionless; the second coffee mug still untouched on the counter.

  And then the apartment fell silent again.

  Eve crossed the campus with her heart pounding and her thoughts racing. She kept her head down, arms crossed, her pace brisk despite the ache still pulsing behind her eyes. The morning sun had fully risen now, casting long golden beams over the Academy walkways—but she didn’t see any of it.

  Every few steps, her mind fshed with fragments from the night before: Selene’s smirk, the fshing lights of the club, the moment she realized Rowan was nowhere near her.

  And Levi. His calm voice. His arm around her. The second mug.

  She groaned under her breath and shook her head, cheeks still flushed with embarrassment. A few cadets passed by, chatting casually, giving her only a gnce—but even that made her stomach twist.

  She just needed to get back to her room. To breathe. To forget. Or at least to figure out what came next.

  A few hours ter—after chasing down a staff assistant to issue her a new keycard and dodging as many questions as she could—Eve finally sat in her apartment again.

  She had just taken a shower. Her hair was still damp, the ends dripping onto the towel she had wrapped snugly around herself. She sat on the edge of her bed, head heavy, limbs sluggish. The effects of the night still clung to her like a fog.

  The clock read 09:23 AM.

  She groaned.

  She was due at the arena.

  With a sigh, she stood and shuffled to the wardrobe, peeling off the towel and pulling on her uniform with slow, reluctant movements. Her motions felt robotic—shirt, pants, boots. She brushed her wet hair back into a quick braid and stared at herself in the mirror above her desk.

  Not quite put together. But presentable enough.

  She grabbed her bag and headed for the door, the dull throb in her head pulsing in rhythm with each step.

  Whatever waited for her at the arena, she wasn’t ready.

  But she was going anyway.

  Crossing campus, Eve made a quick detour to the familiar little coffee shop tucked beneath the admin tower. The line was short—thankfully. Her head still pulsed, and her stomach begged for something solid.

  She grabbed a strawberry muffin and a lemon iced tea, her usual fallback when she needed energy but couldn’t stomach much else. The chill of the drink was a welcome relief against the lingering fog in her system.

  With the muffin in hand and iced tea tucked into the side pocket of her bag, she exhaled and stepped back out into the sunlit path toward the arena.

  When she arrived, the arena was already in full swing. The sound of weapons cshing and energy surging through the training air made her wince as she walked toward the eastern section—her usual training spot. Her body ached, her head throbbed, and she still hadn’t checked her phone since leaving Levi’s apartment.

  She hadn’t expected to walk into a full unit already assembled—and least of all, High Commander Revan standing in the centre of the field.

  Her steps faltered. Her stomach dropped.

  Arel caught her eye across the formation, a confused smile on her face as she subtly gestured at her own phone like: Seriously? Why didn’t you answer?

  The rest of the unit stood at attention.

  Commander Revan turned slowly to face her; expression unreadable.

  "Well, Miss Adams," he said, his tone clipped but calm. "Nice of you to join us this fine morning."

  Eve froze for a second, muffin still in hand, before hastily tucking it into her bag. She straightened her posture, walking the remaining steps toward the group with as much composure as she could summon.

  "Apologies, sir," she said quickly, the words dry in her mouth.

  Commander Revan’s eyes scanned her from head to toe. "I trust you’ve recovered well enough to train?"

  Eve nodded, not trusting herself to say more without her voice cracking.

  He turned away without comment, addressing the rest of the group. "Today’s exercise is a composite scenario. Real-world stress simution, mixed-team format. You will adapt quickly, or you will fail publicly."

  Eve’s stomach twisted further.

  Arel gave her a faint, encouraging look, but Eve didn’t meet it. She kept her eyes forward.

  She had walked into a storm. And now she had to survive it.

  The unit dispersed into their assigned squads, moving with precision as instructors barked out roles and parameters. Eve stood stiffly at the edge until Arel jogged over, tugging lightly on her sleeve.

  "You're with me today," she whispered, giving Eve a small, reassuring smile. "Don’t worry—I’ve got your back."

  Before Eve could respond, another voice cut in.

  "Her back won’t help if she can’t stay on her feet."

  Eve turned to find Selene already suited up, arms crossed, a thin smile on her face.

  Arel’s jaw tightened, but she said nothing. Instead, she gently nudged Eve toward their station.

  Eve bit her tongue, face flushed, and focused on the mission briefing scrolling across the nearby holoscreen. Her pulse pounded. The simution hadn’t even started yet, and already she felt like she was on the verge of drowning.

  As the squad moved to the start zone, a countdown appeared above the arena’s hologrid. The air vibrated with mounting tension.

  Revan’s voice rang out across the field, crisp and amplified. "Scenario live in three."

  Eve flexed her fingers, pulse thudding in her ears.

  "Two."

  Arel leaned in just enough to whisper, "Stick close. Eyes up. Trust your gut."

  "One."

  The environment around them shimmered—and in a fsh, the ft arena floor transformed into a dense, shifting ndscape. Jagged ruins. Smoke. Echoes of distant explosions.

  Eve stumbled slightly on the uneven terrain. Energy surged from the ground, feeding the simution’s realism.

  They were in it now.

  The mission had begun.

  The simution was brutal.

  Designed not just to challenge—but to press, to expose, to break down. Explosive pulses erupted in bursts from crumbling walls. Visibility was low. Echoes of scripted enemy movement skittered through the wreckage. Communication breakdowns. Team separation.

  And amid it all, Eve struggled to hold her own. She fought hard, kept moving, kept her bde steady and reflexes sharp. But it wasn’t enough.

  The pressure mounted. Her limbs trembled with strain. Her energy—what little she could feel—remained locked somewhere unreachable inside her.

  A bst knocked her off bance, nding her hard against the fractured floor. She scrambled up again, jaw clenched, pushing herself forward. Trying. Still trying.

  But it wasn’t enough.

  Just before the final objective was issued, the simution cut.

  The world froze. Then dissolved.

  A low chime echoed through the space, and Revan’s voice called out. "Simution terminated."

  Confused murmurs rippled through the group.

  Eve stood in the centre of the zone, panting and scraped, her eyes widening as she turned to find Revan already stepping forward, his towering figure cutting a path through the static field.

  He stopped in front of her. Towering. Silent.

  Then he said it.

  "We need to do something about this."

  His tone was colder than before. Measured, but unyielding.

  Without another word, he turned and dismissed the unit. "You’re all dismissed. We’ll reassess another time."

  The group broke away slowly, tension thick in the air.

  Selene passed Eve with a scowl sharp enough to cut, saying nothing—but her contempt was clear.

  Eve stood frozen in pce, heat rising to her face as shame crept through her chest.

  She caught sight of Levi standing off to the side, speaking quietly with Revan—too far to hear, but their eyes flicked toward her.

  She quickly looked away, cheeks burning all over again. Embarrassment from the simution. From the night before. From everything.

  Arel appeared beside her a moment ter, gently pcing a hand on her arm. "Hey," she said softly. "What happened? Why were you te?"

  Eve swallowed hard and forced herself to meet her friend's eyes, guilt pressing down like weight on her chest. She didn’t know where to begin.

  Arel didn’t press her. She just offered a gentle nudge toward the arena exit.

  "Come on," she said softly. "Let’s get out of here. Take a break, yeah?"

  It was around 1 p.m. when they left the training grounds, slipping through one of the side exits. Arel led the way to a quiet café tucked near the edge of campus—a warm, sunlit pce with pnts in the windows and soft music pying.

  They grabbed a booth by the window. Eve sank into her seat, burying her hands in her face.

  "God..." she groaned. "I made a complete mess of everything."

  Arel gave her a look—half sympathetic, half curious—but let her speak first.

  Eve took a breath and began to recount the night before. The fog. The club. The embarrassment. The confusion. She didn’t leave anything out.

  And Arel listened. Every word.

  When Eve finally paused, Arel let the silence linger just long enough for the weight to settle.

  Then, she let out a soft, breathy ugh.

  Eve looked up, startled. "You’re ughing?"

  Arel grinned; her eyes warm. "Not at you. Just… gods, Eve. You really don’t do anything halfway, huh?"

  Despite herself, Eve let out a tired ugh. "I guess not."

  "You had a rough night, yeah," Arel said, reaching for her drink. "But you’re here. In one piece. That’s what matters."

  She nudged the fkeberry bun on Eve’s pte—a warm, spiral-shaped pastry filled with a sweet-tart violet mash and dusted with sweetroot sugar. The soft yers fked apart at the edges, a comforting Caelux favourite meant to settle nerves and soothe heavy mornings. "Eat. Then you can keep beating yourself up. But not before."

  Eve blinked, touched by the gesture, and took the bun with a quiet, grateful smile.

  Arel leaned in with a grin, lowering her voice just enough to add a pyful edge. "So... Levi’s apartment, huh?"

  She winked.

  Eve groaned and buried her face in her hands again. "Please don’t make it sound like that."

  Arel chuckled, sipping her drink. "Who knew Levi was quite the knight-in-shining-armour type?"

  Eve exhaled, cheeks still burning. "Now I can never face him again. I don’t know what to do."

  Arel gnced down at her phone just as a notification pinged through. Her brows lifted.

  "Well, you’re going to have to get over that fast," she said, sliding her phone across the table so Eve could see. "Because we’re all going on a trip to Thaloréa tonight."

  Eve stared at her, blinking. "Wait—what?"

  The news hit her with a mix of surprise and a creeping sense of dread.

  The girls parted ways shortly after, both needing time to prepare. Arel offered one st encouraging smile as she waved Eve off. "Pack the essentials for at least four days," she said. "Meet at the Academy gates by 8 p.m. sharp. Don’t be te this time."

  Eve nodded, still a little dazed, and turned toward her dorm.

  As she walked, the weight of the day—and everything else—pressed on her chest again. But this time, there was a flicker of something else in the mix.

  Movement. Change.

  Something new was coming. And ready or not, she was going with it.