Inside of the Student Lounges in the Year 5 building, one of the Serpent Society’s many hideouts housed an important meeting.

Three men were in the room, and the center was Noctis Dyingbird.

Noctis’s posture was relaxed, but the relaxation was deceptive. Everything about him suggested danger in many forms. Beside him, standing near the walls on opposite sides of the chamber, were two other Serpents.

The first was tall and broad, with deep brown skin and a lean but powerful frame that made it obvious he was in the Specialist Class Group.

His hair was cut short and styled back close to the scalp, and he wore fitted dark clothing that showed the lines of his shoulders and arms without being showy about it.

He was calm, collected and certainly just as dangerous as Noctis.

The second guy was thinner with pale skin and silver hair falling long over one side of his face. He leaned casually against the wall, a casual demeanor in his personality.

A pair of narrow glasses sat low on his nose, and his eyes behind them were keen. He looked highly intelligent, suggesting he was an Enchanter.

Their discussion had been ongoing for some time already.

"The movement outside is getting noisier," the broad one said. "People are talking too openly. That could be dangerous. If our associates outside can’t keep their mouth shut then our plans might be blown before they’re even set fully in motion."

The silver-haired hummed, adjusting his glasses. "The Inter-Class Competitions are coming. Attention will be directed towards that. As we know, the competition is broadcasted to the outside world."

Noctis rested one elbow on the arm of his seat and said nothing for a moment, his eyes half-lidded in thought. Then he answered calmly.

"We shouldn’t worry about attention," he said. "It will come sooner or later. And our associates know well to silence any noise, Rattlesnake."

The darker guy narrowed his eyes, agreeing silently.

"Like you said, the Academy’s stupid circus will give us the opening we need to transport the products," he continued. "The deals are in place. A few of the right people have already been approached. Some are ambitious. Some are afraid. Either way, they’re useful."

Rattlesnake exhaled quietly. "And the government?"

Noctis appeared exhausted by that word. "There are people in the government who understand leverage. They know where power eventually settles. They will aid us if they think we are the ones likely to rise."

The silver-haired Serpent, Viper, looked away toward the darkened corner of the room. "If they decide the academy is worth protecting instead, all of that changes."

"It won’t," Noctis said.

The certainty in his voice made the room go still for a beat. He tilted his head slightly, one finger tapping once against the chair’s armrest.

"The Academy is a machine," he continued. "A machine that we will soon prove has been faulty since the beginning of time. When no one else can deny that, we will destroy the Academy, and then we’ll destroy the government."

The chamber quieted again after that.

It did not stay quiet for long. The door at the rear opened, and one of the lower members stepped inside, bowing his head quickly before speaking.

"Clevus is here."

Noctis turned.

The loose strand of hair by his face brushed aside as his expression hardened a little. Clevus stumbled into the room, looking just disorganized, annoying Noctis just by his presence.

"W-what’s happening?" he asked, glancing from Noctis to the two men by the wall and then back again.

Noctis’s eyes fixed on him. "Why haven’t you been able to copy Lancet’s powers yet?"

Clevus froze for a second, then gulped. He rubbed the back of his neck, his eyes darting away for just a second before he forced himself to answer.

Clevus immediately began to sweat, wringing his hands together. "I’ve been trying! I really have! But the kid is... he’s slippery. He’s incredibly dodgy and nimble. And it’s gotten even worse after Hebthej!"

Noctis stared at him, eyes completely bland. "Just how hard is it to get your junior to shake your hand, Clevus?"

Clevus opened his mouth, then shut it again.

Noctis turned fully and closed the distance between them. Once he was near enough, the Serpent leader loomed over Clevus, and the difference in their physical statures became terrifyingly apparent.

He almost towered over the lanky Summoner, his broad arms were visible from Clevus’s sides, and his face casted a dark shadow that made Clevus shrink back.

"We all know Lancet isn’t being truthful about how his powers work," Noctis said. "He’s hiding a great deal. And the only way we find out what he knows is by studying you after you’ve gained his powers."

"I... I understand, Lord Cobra," Clevus stammered, taking a clumsy half-step backward. "I’ll ambush him. Or, or maybe I can bump into him during the cafeteria rush—"

Noctis’s eyes darkened, chilling the entire room with his aura. "You think you’re untouchable because you possess this unique power. You really think that because you can steal the gifts of others, you are special."

Noctis leaned down, his face inches from Clevus’s sweating forehead. "But at your core, you are just a thief. If I cut off your hands right this second, you will be utterly powerless for the rest of your life."

Clevus went visibly pale. His shoulders tensed. His breath caught and stayed there for a second too long.

Noctis watched him with a heartgripping look. "Everyone works in this Society," he continued. "Every Serpent proves why he deserves a place among us. You have been enjoying your promotion a little too much. You have started to believe that it protects you."

He leaned in slightly. "Do not forget, Clevus: no matter how high you climb, you can still fall. It just takes one... push."

Clevus’s lips parted, but no words came out at first. He looked like he wanted to apologize and defend himself at the same time, which only made him look more pathetic in the face of Noctis’s calm.

"I’m sorry!" he rushed out, his voice cracking. "I will up my strategy! I will become much more confrontational. In fact... I think he believes he’s escaped me, but I have a plan. I have him right where I want him. Just give me one more chance."

Noctis squinted, his cold eyes analyzing the pathetic display before him. Finally, he straightened up. "Don’t fail us."

Clevus bowed too fast, glanced once at the two men by the wall, then scurried toward the door with the stiff, awkward haste of someone desperate to leave before his humiliation could deepen.

He paused only long enough to promise, "You’ll get results," before slipping out of the room.

The door shut behind him, filling the room with a silence heavier than the one before.

Rattlesnake pushed himself away from the wall and walked forward a few steps, his gaze remaining on the closed door before turning toward Noctis.

"What now?" he asked.

Noctis looked at him without expression. "If Lancet knows who I am," he said, "it is safe to assume that he knows you two."

Rattlesnake’s jaw tightened slightly. Viper lifted his eyes to the ceiling thoughtfully.

Noctis walked slowly toward the center of the room, stopping where a single, stark ray of white light filtered down through a ventilation grate in the ceiling.

"We have to be exceedingly careful now. Lancet is no longer just a potential asset; he has become a threat." Noctis slowly extended his right hand into the sharp column of light.

As the illumination hit his skin, the flesh, muscle, and bone began to shift, turning completely translucent, until it looked as though his hand had vanished into thin air.

"And if you can’t convince an asset to join you..." Noctis murmured, clenching his invisible fist. "You eliminate the threat."