To everyone's credit, no one reacts, though Lena can hear the beginnings of whispered questions. But all around her, students look mostly confused, then worried.

When the silence stretches on, with the authorities still blocking their exits and not at all dismissing them, a hand is raised from the student crowd—a senior.

Heads turn nervously toward the source, and Viktas looks about to snap at the student—even as if happy for the opportunity to—before Lieutenant Raines nods to indicate the student to speak.

The student obviously hesitates, as if not expecting to be received at all. When she speaks, her voice starts out small and shaky. "What if we are not specialized in combat? Some of us are in the non-offensive departments."

She's right. Not all abilities are the offensive type, and there are useful latent ability users that Arcane Academy recruits so students can branch out to majors such as research, weapon development, extraterritorial studies, and more. There are students in Lena's own class that want to specialize in support scopes, and they certainly aren't built for field battle—those are left for the more offensive and lethal abilities.

Another question soon follows: "What about the junior year students? Years one to three have no field or real combat experience."

More questions are raised, the murmurs growing into louder declarations. Some don't even bother raising their hands anymore as they shout the questions on top of what the others are also saying.

Lieutenant Raines claps her hands for order. Silence befalls.

"To answer your doubts, this will be a bureau-led excursion," she begins, pacing forward with her arms casually behind her back. "Each rotation, a maximum of eight students will be on the roll, and we will use the systems to patch together teams with appropriate combat ability altogether, and balance it with strengths according to your ability classes. There will be nothing to fear, for it will consist of an appropriate team with both offensive and more passive, support type abilities, in addition to a professional Catalyst and a member of the bureau on standby, making it a ten person expedition each time."

It sounds like an organized plan, but it all seems too surreal for them to be dragged into something so vast and unknown overnight. The bureau themselves authorized this, so there's no defying the law, but Lena can't help but imagine the potential danger this whole expedition might pose to the students—if professional Catalysts are getting killed on the field, what will happen to them, who are much more less experienced and far less trained in battle?

"Your families have been pre-informed of this command," Lieutenant Raines continues. "There were concerns that we addressed—and some obviously in denial of this change—but rest assured that you are here today because you are one day to be a Catalyst anyway. Ultimately, it's not up to them to decide whether or not you use your abilities to fight. And you are enrolled in Arcane Academy for a reason."

She turns around to face the students. "Any other questions?"

Even if they were—and Lena can tell by the growing concerns on every student's faces—it's hardly likely they can do anything... unless of course, they withdraw from the academy. And with the pride of these powerful students? There's absolutely no way they are doing that. She can't imagine someone like Azalea dropping out of Arcane Academy just because of some strangely enforced law mandating them to fight prematurely; perhaps some of them are even excited to do so, especially the ones who were always ready for a duel. Still, a battle against a demon is entirely different from a friendly fire with a fellow classmate, and it's obvious that her year at least has already been scarred from that one particular Combat Training class. The fourth years and above may have more experience with field combat, but a quick glance to the seniors still give Lena the impression that the students are more nervous than eager to hear this news.

She half turns, trying to catch any form of look at all from Caelus behind her, but of course, he remains impassive—and in fact, if she doesn't know better, she might think he's bored.

Something occurs to her then, and she elbows Caelus to get his attention. Unfotunately, he isn't as subtle as she is and without reading the tense and strict atmosphere, he leans forward casually in an attempt to hear what she has to say, breaking formation and drawing the attention of Viktas.

"Any discussion you'd like to share to the front over there—"

"What about weapons?" Thankfully, a student has his hand shot up in the air, somewhere right behind Caelus, too. Lena takes the opportunity to nudge him back into place as the student continues, "We don't get our specialized equipment until we're year four. And even if we do, we lack the field combat experience compared to our seniors, who have already been on patrol attachments and battling demons while we keep our learning within Arcane Academy."

"That's a fair point and something we've already thought about," Lieutenant Raines replies smoothly. "If you've already noticed, the professors are hastening your learning pace. Everything is according to plan, and you will be authorized to take your weapon of choice beyond academic compound upon professor approval that the weapon is right for you; those of you who have specific types of weapons made to order have already been assigned later in to the rotation teams, with years one to three students who have conventional and ready to go weapons going earlier on. That should also answer another of your possible question of how we will be assigning the teams—other than the abilities being a criteria, there is also a good mix of your so called experience, given that each expedition group will be made up of students of different years. We have paired strengths and weaknesses together, taken considerable time to form the best and most optimal of teams. I assure you, there is nothing to fear."

Except, Lena thinks, there very much is a lot to fear, with everything so unknown to them. The government is basically sending them off to a war they've failed to protect the city from. And now, the students—the young talents—get to do the dirty work of winning Sector Andromeda back. Andromeda being done for is all Lena knows about the sector, being nothing but wasted grounds since the rift and the bomb. They don't even know what they are marching into, except for the fact that they can expect demons that aren't killed off by the final resort of the bureau back then.

So they've also thought about everything, it seems, all with their proclaimed perfect teams and alignment. Lena doesn't know what to feel about the professors knowing about this beforehand—she had thought they were speeding up the curriculum and being more intense for their own students' sakes but if they were working with the authorities all along, who else can they trust but a single man, Arcana? The mysterious yet reliable headmaster, who isn't even here right now as everything is unfolding.

"It is common knowledge that Sector Andromeda had first been sealed off and quarantined due to certain illegal activities resulting in an imbalance of power and later destruction of the area," Lieutenant Raines continues. "Due to recent events caused by the Shadow Syndicate, a dormant rift was cracked opened and the area had to be bombed off. What we are essentially sanctioning is to use young talents to scout the perimeters and take out whatever threats still linger, so we can reclaim the sector for our city—one that is facing a scarcity of land. Starting tomorrow, schedules will be out, but professors will also be educating you on everything you need to know of the sealed off sector—layout, current conditions, and potential demon encounters. I believe that answers all of your questions, and you can always ask more practical ones in classes tomorrow. The logistics will be sorted soon enough, leaving no room for any doubts."

With that, the students are dismissed, and soon the crowd disperses into whispered murmurs. Everyone is on edge, especially the younger students, not at all expecting an actual battle to come knocking on their doorstep so soon.

"Did you want to say something?" Caelus asks Lena as they both make way for the gates. "And you seem worried."

She pauses in her steps, making him stop in line with her, then looks at him incredulously. "I'm not sure if I want to be proud of you for noticing that I'm worried, but aren't you? What just happened? We're about to be sent to war!"

"There's no war," Caelus says, aloof, dismissive. "And you get that look sometimes—your eyebrows pinched together, you stare at the ground. I've deduced that you can only have a negative emotion—"

Lena laughs, some of her pent up worries from earlier easing away. When she gathers herself, she finds that Caelus is staring at her with a strange expression she can't read.

"Anyway." Lena clears her throat. "Why aren't you bothered at all?"

"I'd think you know my brother enough by now to not ask that." Celeste pops in out of no where, appearing in between them in a flash of light. "He just adapts to whatever change this city brings—however weird the circumstances."

"Right," Lena says as soon as she gets over the fact that Celeste will be appearing randomly—and out of nowhere—as long as she's around Caelus. "Why did I ask, honestly?"

His blank look just earns a sigh from her, confirming her point. "Did you even listen to what they've said?"

"Nothing since you tried to tell me something," he says so casually that Celeste begins stifling a chuckle.

Feeling the heat rise in her cheeks, she clarifies, "I was just wondering if Roen's family somehow knew about this arrangement, and that's why he's not here. They said our families have been pre-informed of this."

"There is absolutely no way," Celeste counters, "that my parents have been told. Because if they were informed, they wouldn't have let either Caelus or I step out of our residence. Nor you, Lena, considering you were there."

Lena frowns. "Does that mean they are lying, then? About informing all our families."

"Not necessarily," Caelus considers. "I would think that they had at least told the royal or noble families this news as a heads up—they can't jeopardize their connection with the elites."

"Roen's from an elite family," Lena concludes.

"And now that you've pointed it out, I did notice that some of the Delphinus snobs are absent from the upper levels," Celeste adds, contemplative. "That's foul. To think that they did the bare minimum, all to maintain good graces with the nobles of higher status."

"They need them for the city's development," Caelus points out, not reading the utter disapproval on Celeste's face. "The elites are the city's source of wealth, and... inherited abilities."

"That still doesn't mean it's right to neglect the others," Celeste argues. "And if even the elite families are keeping their strong heirs from this upcoming battle, doesn't that mean this is all an insane strategy? They might be sending us to die for all we know; the professional Catalysts aren't even holding up the demons today."

"I'm curious to know what will happen to the absentees," Lena says. "Will they just withdraw from Arcane Academy?"

"Who knows?" Celeste crosses her arms, indignant and obviously angry at this revelation and injustice. "Oh poor royals, they can no longer claim that their heirs are from the top superpowered institute in this city if they drop out. And do we care? Unlike them, we've now been enlisted for something unknown but obviously dangerous without a choice. We got actual problems to deal with, unlike them."

Celeste's dislike for the elites is so overpowering that Lena wonders what they have ever done to her, or what cruel injustice she has seen to feel this way. Clearly the Aveyards are more on the humble end of society, but for such a strong opinion, it must require something that has triggered her so—and perhaps studying in Arcane Academy with a bunch of said elites isn't quite helping the case. Students of Arcane Academy are rather boisterous of their abilities, but some of them are equivalently some pompous idiots.

"Don't be so angry," Caelus says placidly, surprising Lena enough to dart a look at him.

Effectively enough, Celeste softens as she smiles at him. "That earns you a teleport home."

"Great offer, I'll take you up on that another time."

"You're rejecting this? You know it's a one time—"

"See you at home," Caelus says distractedly and dismissively, glancing once at Lena before he takes off toward the academy gates.

He weaves through the student crowd so fast that it's impossible to track him after a quick blink of an eye, and Lena is left confused with an irritated Celeste.

"Why, he—" Celeste stops short. "We'll see how far he can get with the patrols supposedly escorting us to and fro our academic institution."

Lena doubts that someone like Caelus would be hindered by some measly orders and dumb protocols, but she doesn't point that out lest Celeste grow more agitated than she already is. For Caelus to have simply left her here, he must be going somewhere he really needs to be—though Lena still doesn't quite comprehend his behaviors. If anything, Celeste is right to be worried, because of what Lena herself had witnessed in the Aveyard's residence; he often returns home without revealing where he was, sometimes with an injury or two.

"Well, since my brother's gone, you can take his spot," Celeste says cheerfully. "I can get us home, quick."

"I'd take you up on the offer, but I need to go back to my place," Lena says, feeling the exact opposite emotion of what Celeste is currently experiencing. "I've just... left it too long."

There isn't really a reason she needs to go back, especially to an empty apartment where no one in particular is waiting on her. The Aveyards have openly welcomed her to continue staying with them for the time being until they are sure she is well and healthy. They were even worried that she will be alone if she had returned to her residence.

But Lena feels fine now. In fact, she is feeling a rush of adrenaline—a restlessness she can't quite place from the moment the announcement had been made.

She hasn't even gotten answers to a lot of things. And yet the world continues to move on without her.

She decides that she needs some time alone.

Lena is about to open her mouth to tell Celeste just that when the elder girls just smiles kindly at her. "I understand. Take your time. The patrols will be happy to do their jobs—since I always defy them by teleporting—by escorting you back, too; useful, as Roen put it, in times like these."

"Thank you."

"Do be careful. You know how things are recently. And with your recently recovered state... just promise me you'll be careful."

"I will." Hesitating at first, Lena eventually decides to just go for it and embraces Celeste in a hug. "And thank you. For everything."

"Even if you have decided that you're wholly recovered and now fine to return to your life," Celeste says, "our home is always open for visits."

Lena nods, waving goodbye as Celeste disappears—then reappears a few feet ahead, and this repeats until she's gone from Lena's sight entirely—not bothering to even let the patrols know of her uniquely chosen mode of transport, probably making some of the guards' lives miserable as they fail to track a single student's whereabouts until tomorrow morning.

The students are thinning in numbers by the time Lena herself walks out of the gates, and immediately she is met by a pair of guards who automatically knows where her residence is located.

As they set off, Lena is suddenly grateful that she has company. Because when they have eventually reached the less bustling area of the city, an odd sensation is pricking at her nerves.

They are near the border of Eridanus Sector, which is desolate compared to the Static where Arcane Academy is located, but Lena doesn't remember this area being that cold. Lena suppresses a shudder as they round a block. If the guards are not at all vigilant, that means there should be nothing to fear.

But that's when she notices the little things: the lack of presence of any kind whether if it's a person or a vehicle, the windows of residential buildings all closed and drawn to a blackened state, the strange quiet of the area for at least two blocks down.

Something is definitely not right. It's not just Lena's adrenaline from before, or her imagination that they have stepped into an eerie zone.

She's about to voice her concerns to the guards when she hears the first scream, somewhere close by. But what's worst is that when she turns to her escorts for help, they are not even there.

Instead, a few feet away where they had probably been, the ground is marked with streaks of red.