"You’re too loud."

Ymir snarled as her ears wiggled and she stretched her right hand forward catching the arrow mid- flight between her index and middle finger.

With the arrow merely inches from her face, the girl smiled and then–

Snap!

Just by gesturing, the head of the arrow broke under the pressure of her fingers.

Dean exhaled sharply, letting out a breath of relief. This girl was crazy but she was also quite competent.

Tossing the arrow aside. Ymir spoke, "Again..," doing so without taking off the blindfold.

"But, you nearly–"

"Again," she repeated with more steel in her tone.

Dean moved back slowly and took another breath. This was to release the tension in his muscles.

This girl was testing him, and pushing him to take this seriously. He didn’t understand why but he appreciated it.

Moving slower. Dean made sure to take his time to string the arrow properly.

Focusing his mind on the apple.While he adjusted his body to keep down the panic and nervousness.

He might not be able to hurt her due to her reflexes but the truth was that. It wasn’t about her. This was a step forward for him.

Steadying his hands and aim, he let the arrow loose. The projectile stayed true to its course and hit the apple dead centre, knocking it off her head.

"Yes...," Dean pumped his fist excitedly as if he’d won the lottery.

After taking off the blindfold, Ymir picked up the apple, pulling out the arrow from it.

"I am a genius," she praised herself. "Teaching a noodle hand how to be useful on the first day,"

Dean laughed. She was right. If she didn’t push him, he wouldn’t have gotten this down.

"Thank you," Dean said even as he was walking back.

"I didn’t hear that." Ymir said as her ears wiggled.

"I said thank you," Dean repeated louder, well aware she was teasing him.

Ymir smiled. "Next is a moving target. She said while she gestured to a herd of sheep-like creatures eating on the grassland.

Dean nodded but something about this clicked to him.

Archery was just a means to an end. Even for Ymir. This was about control. How good arrows could move straight without imbalance.

If he could control the resonance link between his anger and Ash just like those arrows. Pay attention to his spikes when hurt, he wouldn’t have another incident again.

After a few more minutes of practice, and a few unfortunate sheep. The session shifted into something else entirely. It was now like a class.

But being taught about control by a beautiful, blue eyed, ginger haired, werewolf was a bargain Dean would take every day of the week.

After packing up and arranging the range area, Ymir looked at him. "Cafeteria?"

Dean paused for a second then remembered the conversation he had with Astrea earlier.

"Yeah, let’s go," he replied while pulling up his back pack.

They walked through the grass land towards the massive portal-like exit of the Flux zone.

<><><>

Dean walked through the hall passage to the cafeteria with a spring in his step. Feeling lighter like he just finished his first ever yoga session.

Going round a corner, he noticed two boys approaching him fast, as their fingers turned into claws instantly with a sharp clicking sound.

Surprised, Dean was about to retreat before the boys came any closer.

"Hey, I told you to wait for me, dumbass," Ymir’s voice came from around the corner and instantly, the boys veered away from Dean with claws retracted.

Ymir placed a hand on Dean’s shoulder as the two boys walked past, giving Ymir a small nod.

With their sudden change of direction due to Ymir. Dean let out a relieved sigh. This was getting dangerous. His eyes followed the boys before looking forward.

"What?" Ymir asked.

"I’m hungry," Dean smiled. "That apple still with you?"

"You knocked it down...remember?"

The Duo walked into the cafeteria together and the place was packed.

So much so, that instantly they entered, heads turned in their direction.

The cute werewolf healer and the bottom ranked Gray. Of course people looked. And they didn’t do it with subtlety.

The ginger haired Ymir, could care less. She walked straight to the food line and everyone there, was clearing a path as she approached.

She was a sophomore top student, and of course, she wouldn’t need to pay for a meal.

Dean on the other hand, looked around for someone and after a few seconds, he spotted her in her normal spot.

Her head was down, supposedly buried in a book or pretended to. Raising her head in a timely manner, she saw him.

Astrea waved him over with a gesture and a smile on her rosy red lips.

Dean couldn’t help but blink. ’That’s new,’ he thought. Only this morning, she acted like she didn’t hear him or even want him around.

Moving closer to Ymir, Dean whispered in her ear. "I’ve to see my friend."

She stopped walking and looked at him. Before her eyes moved to Astrea’s direction, where he gestured to.

"Yeah," Ymir said. "Whatever." She completed without looking at him.

Just as Dean turned towards Astrea’s direction. The eyes of the women met for a second.

Ymir continued what she was doing and while Dean moved to Astrea’s table. The whispers grew louder.

"Is this guy for real?" A sophomore boy with orange eyes said.

"Did he just walk away from the Argent queen?" A girl said with an undertone of disbelief.

"And to a Vermith," another girl added quickly.

"Who is this guyyy," the first boy asked with admiration in his voice.

Others murmured but amidst this. Dean sat across from Astrea. The girl had a particular expression that looked like she was satisfied.

Almost like she had won something.

"Thought you fluked." Astrea said.

"Almost did, but you waved," Dean replied.

"I did?" Astrea rolled her eyes.

Dean looked at the notes and different types of texts on her table before he looked around.

"Where is your shadow?"

Astrea raised a brow. "Shadow? Raenar doesn’t attend this academy."

"Huh?.. so we calling The Truman, Raenar now?"

"Ohh... Andre you mean?" Astrea expression became a bit darker. "He’s doing his own research."

Dean nodded. He just found out that her original vampire support system was Raenar.

’Time to dig further," he thought.

"So what great discoveries have you made," Dean reached for the book and pulled it from her to himself.

Astrea glared at him with a soft hiss that showed her fangs. Before they retracted then her expression softened.

"Nothing new, just that the accounts from my family archives don’t tally with the ones here."

"Ohh," Dean was surprised.

"Yeah.. The Coalition wasn’t as peaceful as Mr. Richard made it seem."

Dean raised an eyebrow. "So...politics?"

"Always.." Astrea answered.

They talked for a few more minutes as Dean only listened. Making sure she was comfortable.

And for the first time, he noticed just how unguarded she was, talking about what truly interests her in the politics of each House and history.

The more they talked, the longer the room watched. Some still looked with confusion while some others were impressed.

Dean took the opportunity as he asked what he really wanted to know.

"C’mon you have such knowledge on history but yet your family didn’t allow you attend their own academy?"

Astrea paused. Her eyes moving to Dean and then to Ymir that was somewhere to the right.

"Just be direct," her voice became sterner.

"Okay... tell me why a vampire noble is at Franseint academy."

Astrea leaned back, as her red eyes flicked at him.

"Only if you tell me why you chose archery,"

Dean shrugged at how she was still playing around his question.

"Archery seems useful,"

"Is that so. Or it’s just the Argent,"

Dean’s eyes narrowed. There it was. The real reason behind the question.

"She runs the club and–"

"She’s a werewolf," Astrea intercepted like been a werewolf was a taboo.

"And you’re a vampire," Dean paused. "And yet, you’re here."

Dean changed the topic again. "So why’re you here, Miss Vermith?" the edges of his lips arched into a sly smile.

There was a moment of silence between them and it was obvious to Astrea, she couldn’t get out of this one without giving Dean something.

"it was my family’s decision," Astrea finally let out with a deep sigh. "I had no choice."

Dean’s eyes narrowed. "But why...? You were number one."

"Don’t wanna talk about it, Gray," Astrea said as she placed her hand on her necklace that glowed with her eyes.

"But it makes no se–"

"Give it a rest," Astrea’s voice was sharp and intentional. And an aura spiked around her.

Everyone in the room felt the shift in her verge pressure for a fraction of a second, like gravity grew stronger in the cafeteria. Attempting to force the weak to their knees.

Ymir who was eating at the side, raised her head slowly, not very affected by it.

But Dean felt it first and the pressure would have suffocated him if his Sage Circuit perk didn’t kick in to expel her verge pressure.

The cafeteria returned to normal, but Dean didn’t move.

He’d felt that before. Not the power... the slip.

The moment control breaks. And shit just goes south.

’She’s just like me,’ he thought

The only difference was that. If she lost it... it wouldn’t be just one person in harms way.