The gossip in Class 1-A drowned out the ambient hum of the ventilation.
The Misfits (Lack, Borg, Olan, Kip) occupied the back row, blending into the shadows like dust bunnies.
The Elites (Knox, Lyra) occupied the front, vibrating with social anxiety.
"I heard she’s from Sector 158," Fione whispered to Jenny, leaning over her desk. "Sorelia University. That’s where the High Nobles go."
"I heard her father just got promoted to the High Synod," Knox corrected, adjusting his tie until it threatened to strangle him. "She is not just a student. She is a diplomat."
The doors opened. They didn't just open; they swung wide with a slow, dramatic weight, as if the hinges were afraid to squeak.
A girl walked in.
She wore the standard uniform, but on her, it looked like haute couture. Her hair was silver, shimmering like polished glass. Floating around her were three diamond-shaped Prisms.
Rain (Mirror).
[Transfer Student Profile] Name: Rain Origin: Sorelia University (Sector 158) Background: High Nobility (God Faction). Wealthy. Ability: Reflection / Mirror.
She glided past the Misfits without acknowledging their biological existence. She walked past Knox, who nodded respectfully.
She took a seat in the centre of the room. She placed a silk handkerchief on the desk, put her bag down, and checked her reflection in one of her floating prisms.
"Flawless," she whispered.
Oh, I hate her already, the Light Devil gagged in Lack's mind. She smells like money and arrogance. Throw an eraser at her, kid. Do it. Calculations suggest a 90% chance of a funny noise.
"Don't," Lack muttered.
But the door wasn't done.
A second figure walked in. This entrance was quieter. There was no pomp, only a heavy, respectful silence.
Sarah (Moon).
She wore a heavy cloak over her uniform. She looked tired, her eyes holding the dead weight of a girl who had been force-fed a God and survived.
She didn't look at the Elites. She walked straight to the back row and sat next to Lack.
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"Morning, Captain," Sarah whispered, opening her book.
"Morning, Sarah," Lack smiled. "Welcome to the circus."
Suddenly, the air pressure dropped. The scent of vanilla and ozone filled the room.
Vice Principal Melody materialised on the podium in a flash of pink cosmic light.
"Good morning, my little disasters!" Melody chirped. "Welcome to our new friends! We have Rain, who brings class to this dungeon, and Sarah, who brings... well, trauma. But we love character development!"
Rain stood up and curtsied. A perfect 45-degree angle. "It is an honour, Vice Principal. I hope the standards here are... adequate."
"They are adequate when you survive them!" Melody beamed.
She snapped her fingers.
"Now! To ensure our new friends integrate—and because Lack needs a headache—we are announcing the Squads for the Year 1 Finals. These are your families for the next 80 days."
The holographic board lit up.
[Group 1: The Chaos Squad] Captain: Lack Flameheart - (Vibration) Member 1: Rain (Mirror) – The Transfer. Member 2: Tom (Defiance) – The Rebel. Member 3: Jerry (Mischief) – The Prankster.
The room went silent.
Rain stared at the board. Her perfect composure fractured. "Excuse me? I am paired with... whom?"
"The Misfits!" Melody cheered.
Lack looked at his team.
Tom leaned back in his chair, balancing on two legs, defying gravity and common sense.
Jerry was currently invisible, but Lack saw a piece of chalk floating towards Rain's perfect silver hair.
"Jerry," Lack warned. "Drop the chalk."
The chalk dropped. A giggle echoed from thin air.
Rain turned. She dissected them with her eyes.
Her gaze dissected the room: the boy with the industrial peasant look, the Rebel winking from his chair, and the empty space vibrating with invisible giggles.
"This is a mistake," Rain stated, her voice dropping to absolute zero. "My father is a High Synod official. I am a Mirror User. I require precision. Logic. Refinement. These are... cartoons."
"Hey!" Tom grinned, spinning a hammer that looked like it was made of scrap metal. "I'm not a cartoon. I'm a rebel. Wanna see me defy the dress code?"
Tom unbuttoned his collar.
"Absolutely not," Rain turned away, horrified. She looked at Lack. "You. 'Captain'. Control your pets."
"They aren't pets," Lack sighed, rubbing his temples. "They're... hazards."
Hehehe, the Light Devil laughed, the sound scratching like static. The Princess and the Paupers. This is going to be entertaining. She’s going to try to buy you, kid. Or turn you into a mirror.
Melody clapped her hands, ignoring Rain's distress.
"The other groups are posted! Knox, you have the Heavy Duty. Lyra, take the Physics Dept. Silas, enjoy your Nightmare Squad."
She pointed a wand at the Chaos Squad.
"Rain, dear, your transfer papers say you are excellent at Reflection. Well, reflect on this: If you can't work with the Chaos Squad, you fail. Welcome to Sector 98!"
Melody vanished.
Rain stood there, trembling with indignation. She turned to Lack.
"Listen to me, 'Captain'," she hissed, her prisms sharpening into blades. "I do not fail. I do not do 'pranks'. And I certainly do not associate with 'Hazards'."
"Boop."
Jerry (still invisible) poked Rain on the nose.
Rain froze. Her face turned red. "Who... touched... my... nose?"
"Run," Lack advised Tom and Jerry.
Tom grabbed the invisible Jerry. "Way ahead of you, Cap!"
They bolted out of the lecture hall. Rain screamed—a sound that shattered a glass beaker on a nearby desk—and chased after them, firing laser beams from her mirrors.
They bolted from the room. A small smile cracked the exhaustion on Sarah's face. "She's going to fit right in."
"Yeah," Lack groaned, putting his head on the desk. "If she doesn't kill them first."
? ? ?
[System Record: Character Synergy Log] Squad: The Chaos Squad Dynamic:
- Lack: The tired parent.
- Rain: The rich perfectionist.
- Tom & Jerry: The instigators. Status: Highly Volatile.