Intuition

At dusk, the Grangua brothers moved their suitcases into the Class D trainees' observation area.

The furnishings in the observation area were plain and simple, more like a prison cell than an apartment—this was housing prepared for all students with credit ratings of D or below. Falling into this rating usually meant one was unsuited to communal life.

Calvin set down his luggage and lightly brushed the surface of the bedside table. A thick layer of dust coated it.

"You shouldn't have gone looking for trouble with that girl," Calvin said softly.

"I wasn't planning to cause her trouble." Shawn seemed to be in high spirits. He tossed aside his luggage and lunged onto his bed in a single stride. "I only wanted to follow her and see what she was doing, but she spotted me... Did you see her expression then? Oh, you couldn't have—you were standing behind her the whole time."

Calvin said nothing, merely watching Shawn quietly.

"You don't believe me?" Shawn blinked. "I really wasn't lying this time. I never planned to show myself. She was the one who ran first, then made a huge scene without knowing what was what."

"The Third District United Government has recently been competing with AHgAs for custody of Jane Hesta. Did you know?"

"I did. I looked it up yesterday." Shawn lowered his gaze halfway, still grinning. "...I know what you want to say. I'll restrain myself."

Calvin glanced at Shawn.

"You'd better."

After nightfall, Hesta sat at her desk doing crafts. Her window was open, and the cool night breeze kept stirring her short hair, carrying the fresh scent of the distant woods.

She had completely rearranged the room. The bed that had originally stood by the window had been moved to the other end of the room. The wooden side table and rug Mrs. Lavette had given her were placed directly beneath the window. If someone sat in the green cast-iron chair, they would find this spot offered the best view in the entire room.

To make room for the semicircular side table, Hesta had placed her desk in the corner. Scraps of cardstock and various tools were scattered across it now, while a paper rose with a wire stem had begun to take shape.

Her expression was so focused that it was as though this were the most important, most magnificent undertaking in the world.

A sudden knock sounded at the door.

"Come in."

Liz pushed the door open and entered.

She had just finished bathing. A towel hung around her neck, and water still dripped from her half-dry hair.

"What are you making?" Liz curiously looked over Hesta's room. She first noticed the side table beneath the window, then the double-sided jacquard rug, white with small round green patterns, and finally the glass bell jar and folded paper rose on the desk.

Liz suddenly recalled the passage Hesta had read to her the night before and softly drew in a breath.

"...God, you really love Edgar."

Hesta did not answer, looking somewhat embarrassed. She rose and stood in front of the glass cover, asking quietly, "Are we leaving?"

"Yes, I came over to tell you I'm done washing up." Liz smiled. "You can get ready. Once I go back and change, I can take you to the gym downstairs."

"Okay." Hesta fell silent for a moment. "...What do I need to prepare?"

"Hahaha, just bring yourself." Liz replied. "You don't need to do anything today. Just go have a look and play around a little."

Ten minutes later, the two appeared in the gym on the second floor.

Hesta had expected the place to be packed at this hour, but when they arrived, it was just the two of them. Liz led Hesta around the strength-training area, demonstrating how to use each machine before having Hesta try it herself.

After trying several bench presses at half her body weight, Hesta felt a little drained. She got up and walked around the gym to rest, fanning herself with both hands. "Is it always this empty here?"

"No, this is usually when it's busiest." Liz handed her a bottle of water. "Today is the day the freshmen's Second Awakening Special Training begins, so a lot of people applied to go to the training grounds for the follow-up combat exercises."

Hesta suddenly remembered how Ligo had abruptly opened the door last night and told them to keep it down.

"The special training Ligo mentioned yesterday was this?"

"Right."

"Can I go watch?"

"Not yet." Liz answered with a smile. "Only first-year students and above are eligible."

"How long does the special training last?"

"That depends on the student. For some, it only takes a few hours. For others... they have to endure about seven days."

"Afterward, can they use Bullet Time freely?" Hesta asked. "Are there any restrictions?"

"There are..." Liz looked at Hesta. "But why did you suddenly think to ask about that?"

Hesta frowned slightly. "...I think Shawn will come looking for trouble with me again."

"You don't need to be afraid," Liz said seriously. "If he violates the restraining order again to trouble you, he'll face imprisonment directly. The base means what it says."

When Hesta did not respond, Liz sighed. "All right, I know these promises sound very hollow coming from me—"

"Was it a coincidence?" Hesta suddenly asked. "Not long after I triggered the alarm, you arrived immediately."

"Yes and no," Liz answered, raising her right hand. "The chip in our arms can determine our geographic coordinates within the Habitable Zone and some basic information. Since I'm your assistant, I receive an alert whenever you have an abnormally high heart rate outside training hours. I happened to be nearby that afternoon, so after hearing the fire alarm, I came right over."

"...I see."

"So you can absolutely trust that the base can guarantee your safety. Whenever you're trapped in a state of panic and unease, someone is always on their way to you." Liz raised her arm and flexed her muscles. "And I know Shawn's capabilities. His main strengths are intelligence gathering and data analysis. With his close-combat skills, I could take on ten of him by myself."

By then, Liz had finally made Hesta laugh. Yet she could clearly sense that the shadow in Hesta's eyes had not faded.

Liz was somewhat puzzled. She got up and sat beside Hesta. "You still seem worried."

"Yes." Hesta nodded.

"Would you be willing to tell me about it?"

Hesta fell into thought. She tried to arrange her words, but did not know where to begin. For some reason, Shawn's insight into how she had filled out the questionnaire made her deeply uncomfortable, especially after Liz told her that Shawn came from Hekla, a wasteland similar to Duanming Alley.

Shawn was like a mirror, suddenly reflecting her childhood in Duanming Alley. In that place shrouded in death, plunder, and decay, constant vigilance and fear of the outside world had been part of everyday life. After entering Saint Anne Abbey, those shadows had briefly faded, but the survival instinct rooted deep in her bones had been almost completely awakened by Shawn's appearance.

Just as Shawn had recognized Hesta at a glance, Hesta had recognized him at a glance. She knew this kind of greeting and stalking. She knew people like Shawn. She firmly believed that these rules and regulations could not hold him back. He would appear again, whenever he wanted.

Liz, who came from Askia, could not understand this intuition. Otherwise, she would not have asked why Hesta was still worried.

Thanks to Shao Kan Dian Ba, Chi Huo Shi Lu Zhi Jiu for the monthly vote~