Page 164 of Interion

“Exactly. You're a descendant with a powerful last name, Kyller. Anyone who hears your last name will think twice before doing anything against you. But for me, it's different. Zois means nothing in Interion, and there's no one to protect me but myself. I know you've been attacked at the academy because of your genetics, but believe me, that's nothing compared to life outside. Beyond the inner walls, things get rough. I didn't approach you because I've managed to fly under the radar—I was lucky enough to look more Interian than Drutes. But if I'd become your friend when you were still a target, your attackers would've turned on me, and I don't know how bad things would've gotten. Probably very bad. And I don't want to end up like my parents.”

“What happened to them?” I asked right away.

“My mother was a Drutes half-breed and my father was Interian. They both died when I was nine, during an anti-Drutes attack. They were closing up the market where they worked when it happened. My father died defending her.”

“I'm sorry, Hiro.” I stared at my hands, feeling awful after hearing that.

“After they died, my grandparents took care of me—they were already elderly and frail. Our family was never rich. We lost everything in the old purges and ended up living in a shack near the outer wall.” He paused and took a deep breath, as if trying to collect his thoughts. “Anyway, you don't need to know the whole story. What I'm trying to say is that we're poor, Kyller.

“Even though they could barely manage, they raised me in poverty. When I turned twelve, I started working at a human bakery—it was the only place that would take me. I chop wood at dawn to feed the ovens and wake up early to bake bread and keep the place running. Now I can afford a house for them in the human neighborhood, and we're accepted there, even though I have descendant features. I'm the family's sole provider, and if I get into trouble, I'll lose my job or my scholarship at the academy—and then they'll have nothing. I can't afford to get into trouble. If I get expelled from the academy for fighting, my grandparents end up in poverty. If I die, they end up in poverty. If I get marked somehow and can't land a decent salary after graduation, guess what? They end up in poverty! And you? You've always smelled like trouble to me. Call me a coward if you want—I don't care, as long as my grandparents have food in their stomachs every day.”

Now I felt bad for questioning him. Hiro's reasons were solid, and I understood. Breno had gotten into more scrapes than I could count on my fingers because of me, but his last name always saved him. The Lutieve lineage carried the future of Interion's blockers. But Zois? Hiro was absolutely right.

“I understand. When you put it that way, you shouldn't even be talking to me right now.”

“I know,” he said, a dimple appearing as a half-smile tugged at his cheek. “After Aish showed up, some things changed. I heard Amperian women don't like cowardly men.”

I stared at him in horror, and still not quite believing the absurdity coming out of his mouth, I raised my hand. Without thinking, I smacked the back of his head. Hiro burst out laughing and backed away, rubbing the sore spot.

“For a Drutes, you don't hit very hard,” he said, laughing.

“What is going through your head?” I asked, circling him while Kiara watched us in confusion. “You're risking your life and your family's lives over a woman?” I shouted.

Luckily, there were only two students nearby, and they were busy with a sword match.

“She's not just a woman. She's the woman!” he joked, raising his hands to defend himself.

“I thought there was a limit to stupidity, but congratulations, Hiro!”

“Thank you,” he said, giving a little bow. Then he looked at me and smiled in that very Hiro way of his. “At first, it was to impress Aish, but then my reasons changed.” He scratched Kiara's head and looked at me cheerfully. “Now I'm by your side because I want to be, Kay. Because I'm tired of pretending I don't care. I don't want to spend my life hiding, and I've discovered that I like who I am when I'm with you, Breno, and Aish. We're in our last semester, and I got a letter from the army. They want me to join the troops and offered me a good salary. Not much can go wrong now, and I'm ready to deal with anyone who has a problem with that.”

Finally, he threw the stick one more time, winked at me, and left without saying goodbye.

“That's so stupid,” I muttered, watching him go.

At that moment, something hard, rough, and wet hit my face, catching me off guard. It fell into my lap and I picked it up to examine it. It was a slobbery piece of stick.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Kiara snort indignantly—I'd driven away her new friend.

Δ

“I need you all to be quiet and listen carefully,” Zion said from atop the ring.

It was Monday, the start of the afternoon training session, and he'd asked us to gather there. We quickly lined up in rows, watching him in expectant silence—we knew this would be about the final tests.

“The test field has already been chosen.” Some students whistled in approval while others, like me, shuddered at the challenge. “This year's test will simulate a typical day in the forest, and like the other tests, your gifts will be nullified by power blockers. The idea is to see how you'd react in a wild environment, since that's where the armies operate. You'll start at the edge of a circular area covered by a protective shield—nothing gets in, no lamias, nothing that could interfere with your performance. You'll have three days to reach the center of the region, where a helicopter will be waiting. You'll be armed only with the knowledge and natural skills you learned at the academy. You can also choose one weapon to bring—but only one.”

Around me, the students were stunned. I'd heard about this type of test before—every year they rotated the location and format. Sometimes it took place in forest clearings; other years, it turned into an open tournament in the new arena outside the walls. There was also the chance it could be a competition with various combat and weapons categories, but the field test had always been the hardest.

Lorena raised her hand beside me, and Zion nodded for her to speak.

“The only objective is to reach the center?” she asked hopefully. I heard Adrian and Naoki booing from the other side—Lorena should've known by now that nothing was ever easy.

“No. Forty vials of incandescent substance will be scattered across the terrain. Since there are twenty of you, the objective is to arrive at the center with at least one vial. Final rankings will be based on who arrives first and who has the most vials. Anyone who arrives empty-handed will be eliminated and fail—they'll have to retake the test the following year.”

I shuddered at the thought. If I stayed another year at this academy, I'd completely lose it. Zion gave me what seemed like a reassuring look, and I could've sworn I heard a “You'll make it” through the bond.

“Fighting for possession of the vials is permitted, as is theft. You're free to do whatever it takes to achieve the objective, as long as you don't use your weapons against each other. The only prohibition is murder—you'll pay with your own life if you cross that line.”