As Leo pestered Oliver with his exaggerated arguments, Akira tuned out the back-and-forth between the two. Eventually one of them would get tired, though if he had to bet, it would definitely be Oliver who gets burnt out first, Leo was persistent to the point it was beyond annoying.

  Akira let his gaze drift away from Leo’s antics, shifting his focus back to the marketplace. The bustling streets, the scent of sizzling food, the towering castle in the distance, it was all part of a new world he was still trying to understand.

  However each attempt at understanding something had only led to more questions, even answers had given him new issues.

  The black-haired youth remained within his peripheral vision, still lingering just far enough to avoid direct confrontation but close enough to listen.

  His closed eyes and that constant, unreadable smile grated on Akira’s nerves. It was the kind of expression that belonged to someone who already knew the outcome of a game before it had even started.

  Akira’s thoughts were interrupted by the sound of heavy footsteps approaching, slapping across the stone floor.

  Leo was jogging back, a triumphant grin plastered across his face, and in his hand, skewered on a thin wooden stick was a line of chunks of roasted meat still dripping with juices and a sort of dark brown sauce glazing them.

  “You…” Akira blinked, his voice flat. “You actually got him to buy it for you?”

  Puffing out his chest, Leo bit into the skewer with exaggerated satisfaction. “Hehehe, never doubt me Akira. Persuasion is an art, and I am a master of it.” Tearing another bite from the skewer, savoring the taste with an exaggerated groan of delight, Leo looked at Akira. “Mmm… you have no idea how good this is.” He waved the half-eaten skewer in front of Akira’s face, smirking. “You know, if you show me your Trait I might consider-”

  Not even letting Leo finish, Akira shot him a deadpan glare. “No.”

  Leo let out an exaggerated sigh, shaking his head as if deeply disappointed. “You’re missing out. Man, this is heaven.” He took another dramatic bite, making sure to chew as obnoxiously as possible.

  “By the way Leo, you showed me your Epithet, but you never told me about your Selection Trial.” Akira said, looking forward as they walked.

  For a brief moment, Leo’s exaggerated chewing slowed, and his grin faltered, just a fraction. It was subtle, but Akira caught it.

  “Oh, that? It was nothing too fancy.” Leo replied, waving the skewer in the air as if brushing off the subject. “I passed, obviously. Just a bit of running around and fighting. Nothing too much. I guess I’m just good at what I do, y’know?” He took another exaggerated bite, clearly trying to shift the conversation away from the more serious aspects.

  Akira’s silver eyes narrowed, unimpressed with the lack of detail. "Nothing too fancy?" He repeated, his tone flat. "You know, that's not exactly a full answer."

  Leo shrugged nonchalantly, still chewing. "You don’t get to know all the ugly bits. A guy's gotta keep some mystery about him, right?"

  Akira snorted, his expression softening just slightly in amusement. "I thought you were the type to show off every chance you get." He couldn't help but needle Leo a bit, enjoying the rare moment of seeing Leo try to be mysterious and nonchalant.

  His grin returned, though it was a bit strained this time. "Well, some things are better left to the imagination." He wiped his mouth dramatically with the back of his hand and flashed Akira a wink. "Anyway, we all have our secrets. You’re not exactly an open book either, knowing you, Akira might not even be your actual name."

  An awkward silence followed between the two of them before Akria finally opened his mouth.

  Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

  “No, that much is true.” Akira said, his step not wavering.

  Leo blinked, clearly caught off guard by the casualness in Akira’s voice. For a moment, he stopped chewing, his eyes narrowing as he tried to process what Akira had just said. He opened his mouth to respond but hesitated, unsure of how to approach the unexpected honesty.

  Akira, however, had already moved on.

  He felt a weight on his shoulder, Akira turned to see what it was.

  It was Leonidas placing his hand on his shoulder. “Well, it’s at least good to know you’re actually Akira.”

  Akira didn’t flinch at the sudden contact, though the weight of Leo’s hand on his shoulder felt strangely heavy. He met Leo’s eyes with a cool, calculating gaze. Leo’s grin was wide, but there was something more genuine about it now, less teasing and more… understanding?

  He moved Leo’s hand off of his shoulder as they continued walking, not far behind the group.

  …

  It’s already the fifth day here.

  Akira looked around, it was still dark, the sun had yet to rise. His silver eyes glowed softly in the soft moon-light that filtered through the high windows as his gaze fell over Leonidas who was sprawled out, deep in an untroubled sleep without a care of the world. We’ve only been sparring and eating, no more explanations or anything like that as of yet.

  The days had been spent in this routine, with little to no further explanation or guidance as of to what they could expect in the FIrst Trial. They’d been left to their own devices, and Akira had taken advantage of the time, slipping away to the inner city whenever Leo tried to drag him into more sparring.

  It was easy to avoid Leo, there were few Hatchlings who ventured into the city anyway, as they had nothing in order to buy stuff. The perfect place to roam without interference.

  The initial excitement of the new arrivals had begun to wear off, replaced with simmering tension beneath the surface. After all, there were only two days left before the First Trial, not counting this one, and while by no means were they obligated to do it, it still felt heavy. Some even making it as clear as possible that they wanted to stay here.

  Alliances started setting in stone, making it clear who was on who’s side. Naturally there were neutral parties or people who simply went with the flow and talked to whoever and did whatever like Leo, or others who hid in the shadows like Akira and the black haired youth.

  Akira pushed the thought aside and stood up. He had no interest in wasting the day doing something like sparring, he was interested in learning more about the inner city, he had gotten pretty close to the castle yesterday yet the curfew Hatchlings had forced him to turn back.

  As he made his way through the barracks towards the exit, careful not to wake anybody, a voice cut through the early morning quiet.

  "Awake already, Akira?"

  Oliver.

  The boy stopped, his tousled black hair resting over his eyes as he glanced toward the barracks exit, where the man stood, arms crossed. His presence alone was heavy enough to make Akira weary, the man’s navy blue eyes shimmered in the soft light of danger.

  "I could say the same to you. What brings you here at such an hour?" Akira replied smoothly, watching Oliver carefully.

  “You won’t be able to go out to the inner city freely from today onwards.” Oliver didn’t bother satisfying Akira’s curiosity.

  The simple statement felt like a warning, yet it lacked the forceful tone one might expect from someone accustomed to giving orders. Instead, it was calm, almost knowing, as if Oliver already anticipated what Akira’s response would be.

  “Why is that?” Akira asked, the word barely above a whisper, his tone flat but probing.

  “Simple.” Oliver replied with a faint smile, his eyes unreadable. “Today, the Hatchlings begin arms training after breakfast. It’s mandatory. The caretakers and I will choose the weapons that suit you best and start your training. Well, don't sweat it too much, the decision of what weapon you pick in the end is yours.”

  “Don’t worry, I plan on being back before breakfast.” Akira’s eyes narrowed, locking in with the man’s deep, dark blue eyes.

  Oliver didn’t waver, staring back for a few seconds before moving out of the doorway slightly, leaving enough room for the boy to pass through. “Feel free.”

  Akira didn't need to be told twice. He stepped past Oliver without hesitation, though he was keenly aware of the man’s unwavering gaze lingering on his back.

  The morning air was crisp and cool as Akira jogged through the dimly lit streets of the inner city. He had been using this opportunity to train his stamina, though it didn’t show much improvement, even being to run one more second could mean life or death in some situations.

  Moving swiftly through the streets, his footsteps lightly slapped as he navigated the familiar paths he’d been exploring over the past few nights. He kept an ear out for any early risers, guards or merchants setting up shop.

  Starting mandatory weapon training huh. I guess that’s something to look forward to.