Chapter 31 sneak peek! Coming tomorrow!

IDGAF if this week was a hell hole. I AM bringing Chapter 31 to Patreon tomorrow, and Chapter 21 to Public Release Monday. Look forward to it! It might be a little less developed than I want even for a rough since it wasn't exactly my main focus this week (if you don't know why that is, I envy you), but it's coming!

For now, enjoy this sneak peek!

*****

They got changed without much chatter, and this time Viv didn’t cave when Logan tried to convince her to take the crutch into the sub-basement. Instead she moved with as much confidence as she’d had all day, striding out on the combat area at the head of their little group, hair in a curling tail at the back of her head, thin chin up. There were more wide-eyed looks from the class this time—likely taking in the boniness of her arms and legs that her uniform had done a fair job of disguising all morning—but Dent, nor any of the sub-instructors, so much as blinked at her entrance. In fact, class got started with so little fanfare that for a moment Rei was legitimately concerned Viv’s situation had been overlooked when they began splitting off into their different Type-groups.

Then he saw the Bishop pull Viv aside and—in a carrying voice that was just shy of being obviously loud—explained she’d be spending the first half of the session working on building her endurance back up by doing laps around combat area…

… with her Device called.

Rei couldn’t find Aria, but he did manage to catch Logan’s eye over on Field 6, and the pair traded concerned frowns. If Viv saw any cause for worry, though, she didn’t show it, because with a snapped salute and a “Yes, ma’am!” she jogged out of the Duelist’s group towards the nearest wall, pausing only to shake her legs out a little.

Then she summoned Gemela, and Rei finally understood what Dent had been after.

The response from the class was actually a bit more subdued than he expected, but that gasps—and a few yelps of “What the hell??”—came regardless. As Viv began to run—newly improved armor gleaming in the sub-basement lighting and silvery eyes trailing their lines of afterglow from her skull-like faceplate—the head of every student followed her for the first lap. The sub-instructors—none of whom had again so much as blinked at Gemela’s new appearance—actually allowed for the distraction, each keeping a careful watch of their respective groups until Viv had finished that initial loop.

‘Yes. Take a good look. Get it over with,’ Rei realized they were silently telling the class.

At least until all six of them brought everyone’s collective attention back to their own training with echoing barks of “Eyes forward, Cadets!”

1-A settled alarmingly quickly. People kept turning to watch Viv as she passed by them, but only for the first dozen or so laps. After that, she seemed to become old news, with no one but the likes of Truant and Selleck continuing to watch her that Rei could see. If anything, he felt like more of his fellow first years had brought their attention around to him than were paying attention to Viv anymore, and Rei felt heat climb into his neck and cheeks while Bretz explained the afternoon’s schedule.

One thing was true about the Galens Institute—had been true since day one. No student who wore the griffin on their arm—or chest, presently—was an idiot. You couldn’t be, and get into the Institute.

Yuuuup… Cat’s officially out of the bag, Rei thought to himself as he sighed internally, barely hearing the Second Lieutenant finish the day’s run down and order them to pair off for warmups.