Layla stood by Tia’s boxes, feeling like she was some type of scarecrow in the middle of a busy street. The other potentials that had not taken part in the fighting stared at her in varying degrees of intensity. Some looks were just curious, while others held dismissiveness. As though Layla was nothing but a dirt clod for which they could stomp along their paths. 

The latter typically coming from the individuals in primary color robes. Those Layla ignored. She didn’t want to be caught up in whatever petty political games the sectarians and elder families engaged in. 

Layla honestly thought she won by a fluke. Enough skilled people could have taken her down. That was something she had learned well in the slice. A lesson of humility. That particular scenario was not winnable. She would not speak of the number of times she had repeated that simulation before she came to the conclusion. 

It had been evident in hindsight. No simulation had been frivolous. Layla should have known there was a no-win scenario when it was one against an endless horde of small green humanoids. They had just been so weak and the size of a small child carrying wooden clubs. The bastards talked a lot of shit, too, not that it had affected her emotions any.

Nothing had inside that programmed piece of reality. 

Layla had wanted to show her superiority to the foul-mouth cretans. The pointed eared bastards had died in droves. She had danced into their mists, dealing critical blows with her dual-bladed naginata. A strange weapon, that one. The dual blades delt death at every twist and thrust. She had enjoyed the weapon. 

Alas, no matter how long she fought or how well her weapon slayed the enemies, she was always washed away by their unending tide. Now that she thought about it. That simulation had been the odd one out. Why had she wanted to show superiority? That was outside her normal reactions in the simulation. Layla couldn't recall any other simulation where her judgment may have been compromised. 

That singular focus was still there, the lack of emotional response clear in her mind, but yet she had chosen to repeat that simulation time and time again because of their goading. That had probably been a trap. She shrugged. The lesson had been learned, and the mistake had not been repeated afterward. Retreat when faced against an overwhelming force when possible.

Regardless, the win had been lucky. Luck that she had met the three people she had. All independents, as Oliver called them. It had been a risk to trust them, but it had paid off. 

There were undoubtedly more potentials who could have challenged her. She figured that if a team of similarly skilled individuals like the blonde girl in white at the end would have ganged up on her… well, she wouldn’t have gotten out of the fight without some injuries, at least.

The approaching footsteps broke Layla out of her contemplations. Tai, along with Oliver and Oliviana, was walking towards her. Oliver's injured ankle appeared to be perfectly fine now. This place must have some impressive healing capabilities. That made sense, she supposed. They wouldn’t have had a ridiculous battle like that without being able to heal the students afterward.

Oliviana walked as boldly as ever, but her face looked uncertain. She wasn’t surprised by the girl's look. Layla gave her a smirk and a wink. Oliviana responded with a crooked grin, but she could tell the girl had actually been worried about Layla holding some type of grudge about their fight. Layla wasn’t that petty. There could only be one after all. 

The thought stabbing into her gut. There could only be one. She took a deep breath. 

Could I have laid down? No. I couldn’t have done that. I wouldn’t have chosen the situation, but I did need to test myself. I just wish it wouldn’t have come with a target for my back.  

She decided that there was nothing she could do about it now. She absolutely didn’t want the spotlight, but after she fleeced Atom for most of the credits he’d won off her misery. Layla thought it was a fair trade. Layla didn’t know why the bastard was so stingy. He was a god thingy, for crying out loud. How did he not have like a bazillion credits or something? 

Layla looked at her new possible friends. She thought they were friends. She didn’t know anything about them other than they had found common ground and stayed true to the pact until the end, just like they had agreed on. That was already more than Layla could say for any of her previous attempts to make friends when Jogen and her were younger. Both are a little less street smart and trusting then. 

Her stomach made a complaining grumble, letting her know that she had yet to eat breakfast. “Hey guys. Do you think we could get breakfast before the tour starts? I’m starving.”

~~~

Layla began working on her fourth plate of sausage and eggs. The hint of sweetness and sage sending her taste buds into euphoric bliss. She ignored the faces of her companions. Her heavenly experience could not be dissuaded. 

 

“Where does she put it all?” Tia said. Her fork pushing around a half-eaten piece of fruit. 

 

“Clearly she has a void where her stomach should be.” Oliver commented offhandedly. His voice full of amusement. 

 

Layla finished off the plate before deciding that her hunger was satiated for the moment. Looking up, she saw that everyone was looking at her for some reason. 

 

“What?” She said, confused at the trio's looks of disgusted aww. 

 

Layla observed that Oliviana had attempted three plates of exactly what she had eaten. The girl was holding her stomach. Her tanned skin was pale as if she might blow chunks if she ate another bite. 

 

Points for the attempt.  

 

Layla assumed it must have been some type of self-imposed competition Oliviana had dreamed up. She couldn’t think of any other reason why the girl would eat to the point of getting sick. The girl was grown, so she could do whatever she wanted, she supposed. 

The increased need for food had surprised even Layla. She’d never eaten that much food in a single day, possibly two, in her entire life. Her hunger was almost nonexistent before her forced transformation. Layla was sure it was just a side effect of the additional muscle mass. 

Not that anyone could see her fit body under the baggy robes she wore. Each of her companions in more of a slim, tailored fit garb. Almost everyone she had encountered was dressed similarly, making her homeless look both dated and hideous. 

Surprisingly most people looked at her hair instead of her robes. The blue with veins of red interspersed throughout her head was a very stand-out feature. She hadn’t had a chance to get it trimmed since her vacation to the slice. At some point, she had cut off the white during her time there. Layla hadn’t really noticed the appearance of her natural hair color. The reemergence not really making the cut of odd things currently going on with her life. 

Tugging on her single braid, she looked at her hair. The glossy blue color always made her feel an odd sense of happiness. The pale white of the Golar locals had never suited her, but it had been worth the protection it brought. The dark skin people were not pleasant to outsiders, at least in the less affluent areas she had lived in. 

 

“That is quite the interesting color. Is it natural?” Oliver enquired. 

 

Layla looked up at his voice, “What? Oh my hair. Yep.” 

 

“I don’t believe I’ve ever met anyone with naturally blue hair. Where are you from? What is the story of Miss Layla Breezwalker, solo warrior queen of this years class of potentials.” 

 

His questions felt harmless but still gave her pause. Her origins were a mystery. She realized that the need to solve it had been muted. Still present but no longer a driving force in her mind. 

Shrugging, Layla decided she would share a little, “I Don’t know. My parents were killed when I was around eight while we were on Golar. Can’t remember much of anything before that.” She looked away from her companions. Watching the potentials and academy staff go about their business. The site of the utter normalcy of it all leaving her emotions in a cathartic state. 

 

Chuckling darkly, she continued, “You assume that someone would have came looking for me. I mean, surely I had more family somewhere. It felt like I had more family at the time… No one ever showed up though. A friend found me living in the alleyway where… it happened.” She huffed and let the morose feeling go. “We lived on the streets for several years before we were in a position to get a stable place to live. Stuff happened and now I’m here. Not much else to tell besides that.”

 

Oliver and Oliviana shared a look before he turned back to her, “It seems we have similar fates. We also lost our family at a young age but we had family friends who stepped in to help us through it. I can’t imagine what you been through. That must have been hard Layla. I know we aren’t overly familiar with each other as of yet, but I appreciate you sharing about yourself. In this environment and this place specifically. It is easier to form alliances than it is to form a bond of friendship. I for one prefer the latter and hope we can grow to a point where you will consider us friends.” 

Layla gazed at the man for a long moment. This was a new beginning. It was surreal that people were already coming into her life. Their motivations are unknown at the moment, but their actions so far promising a potential bond of friendship. 

 

Gazing over at Oliviana, she said, “Talkative bastard isn’t he.” 

 

The tanned black-haired beauty snorted before laughing out loud, “You wouldn’t believe the flowery garbo that comes out of his mouth.” 

 

Oliver’s hand flying up to his forehead as though the insult would cause him to faint like a damsel. He waved his hand at her in a dismissive way. His inner diva emphasized by the color sequenced nail polish. 

 

“Both of you… barbarians clearly can’t respect well spoken and refined individual such as myself.” His pompous manner skewed by the edges of a smile creeping onto his face. 

 

“Here here. So what about you Tia?” He said, ignoring Layla and Oliviana’s laughter. 

 

The girl jerked. Her cheeks burning at the sudden attention. “What about me?” 

 

“Come now. Surely you have some tragic background. The need for answers and vengeance motivating you to seek power.” Oliver's hand stretched out above him as though he would seize power from the ether right then and there. 

 

“And dramatic.” Layla sniped, but Oliver ignored her. 

 

Tia smiled but shook her black locks from side to side, “Sorry Oliver. Aside from my parents being a little over protective. My life was super boring. The most exciting thing to happen to me was that free for all.” 

 

“ That’s fine dear. You will even us out. My fashion sense and sophisticated refinement combined with your voice of reason will certainly do this group some good.” 

 

He doesn’t know about our little pain junky just yet. Aren’t we all just a bunch of weirdos? Oliviana is picking her nose. Oliver is more feminine than me. And me, a blue-haired orphan with no memories and a follower to a sadistic flop of a deity.

 

The thought made her laugh. Oliver was offended, of course. His assumption that his words had caused her humor. She didn’t correct him. 

Checking the time on her wrist unit, she stood up and placed her tray on a conveyer belt label dirty. Walking back over, she said, “Weird that the lifts are in the cafeteria. You guys want to go outside and wait on our guide? I really want to see what the Academy campus looks like.” 

They all nodded and went to put away their dirty trays. The looks from the rest of their class never stopped. Mohawk and his gang glared balefully at her as she walked by, but when Layla looked their way, they instantly averted their hostile looks. She would have to watch them. They didn’t look like the type to let things go. 

Honestly, there was more hostility, or maybe envy pointed her way than she felt comfortable with. Layla wasn’t used to the attention. The limelight was certainly not a positive thing to have in a place like this. 

She sighed as she pushed open the large door to the cafeteria and was immediately assaulted by a ball of fire in the sky. Her eyes adjusted from the stark contrast of being underground most of the morning. The sky was clear, though. The air was clean of sweaty potentials. 

She looked around and gaped. It was like she had been transported back in time. The smaller buildings was constructed of wood. Roofs of red ceramic tile were decorated with various beasts of stone. The larger buildings made of dark grey stone which she assumed where academic due to there enormous size and the abnormally spaced windows. 

Layla thought this place was ancient. There wasn’t a spec of technology anywhere. Several students carried slates, but aside from that, the area gave the feel of a place frozen in time. It was sort of a shock to see. Even in the baren trash heap of a city she lived in on Golar, there were various bots or drones going about there tasks. 

“Whats the deal with the absence of tech?” She asked when Oliver walked up beside her. 

He scrunched up his face. His confusion plane, “Do you not know anything about this place?” 

“I didn’t chose this place. I was offered a spot.” She furrowed her brow. Yes, she had agreed way too quickly, hadn’t she? Layla shrugged and let it go. I’m here now, so whatever. 

“That’s quite odd given that millions upon millions apply to NAA. I’m not saying you didn’t deserve it mind you. You’re a monster. But to randomly join the most prestigious Ascendant Academy is very irregular. Who offered you a spot?” Oliver said before he drank from a bottle he produced from somewhere. 

Layla saw that he was trying to be casual about the inquiry, but she could tell that the man was intrigued. Trying to figure me out, huh? 

She had already given the man her life story, so she said, “Some cat eye’d chick with oddly colored hair. She was pretty nice. Gave me some big speech about potentials and death blah blah. Now that I think about it. I’m certain she manipulated me.” Layla scratched her chin as she considered the encounter. “Yeahhh. That tea was pretty sketch.” Layla snorted. “Anyway, she said her name was Dory and was on the admissions committee.” 

Oliver began choking on his drink. His eyes bulging out of his head. 

“You okay man?” She slapped him on his back in concern. The guy really needed to be more careful about drinking water. She read somewhere that a spoon full of that stuff could kill you. 

Oliver wiped his mouth after his choking fit subsided. He looked over at Layla. His face fully cycling between aww and disbelief before finally settling on doubt. “Planes girl. You had me going there for a second. Your benefactor was one of the seven companions. Ridiculous.” Then he chuckled, shaking his head. 

He didn’t believe her, it seemed. Who the hell are the seven companions? Actually, she didn’t really care. She figured it was for the better he thought she was joking. If she had told him she got the offer in the Citadel of Radiance, he would probably pass out given his outburst of Dory’s name. Layla wouldn’t be dissuading him of that. She might not have been supposed to tell anyone. Not that she had been commanded to do otherwise, but she doubted that very few were ever even allowed in that mountain parading as a building. She shuttered, just thinking about the size. There was just something about being beside something so colossal that freaked her out. 

She supposed Dory might be famous though, she was a Mantle after all. Layla hadn’t really ever paid attention to their names. They just… were, and you didn’t want to be involved in anything that had to do with their god club, the Council. 

Layla hadn’t been interested in religion. Gods existed, and they did god stuff. They had undoubtedly never paid her rent or bought her food when she was hungry. Why would she be interested in knowing or worshiping them? 

Ascendents were the ones you had to watch out for anyway. They didn’t stay in the magical castle of shiny. No, they actively messed with people's lives. Mostly on a whim if she didn’t miss her guess. Destroying people's lives because they woke up on the wrong side of the bed. 

Layla took note of the flame burning just a little bit higher in her mind as an additional log plopped down on the ethereal fire that was her rage. She was surprised to see that it had not diminished given the possible untold years she had spent in the slice. When she contemplated more though. She realized that until justice had been served for Jogen the flame would burn on. 

A woman in a tight fitting gray robe approached their group. A medallion with a fire drop ruby hung around her neck. It was something Layla had seen on several student. Most of the students walking around in this area and the same clothing and medallion. There were other students in different color robs with purple and green gemmed medallions as well but they seem to be leading groups of gray robed students to various different areas. 

Layla figured it must be some type of rank but it hadn’t been explained to them yet. 

“Hello potentials. My name is Neophyte Nami, I’ll be guiding you today. You look to have a sufficient number of students together. Would you like to start now?” 

Looking behind her the rest gave a nod and the group was off to see their new home for the foreseeable future.