Lucid Paradox

The next morning, Orion woke up feeling lighter than expected. Not because he was particularly happy with his trial results—he wasn't—but because the pressure had finally lifted. No more preparation, no more expectations. It was done.

Or so he thought.

As he scrolled through his holo-tab, a notification popped up.

[Academy Announcement]

Due to technical challenges and an increased number of participants in the Research Division, the selection results of the first trial will be announced three days later.

Orion read the message twice.

'Three days? First Trial? How many trials were there going to be?'

He exhaled, rubbing his temples. Not that he was dying to see the results, but the wait was going to be annoying.

Neil, still half-asleep in his bed, groaned loudly. "You gotta be kidding me."

Orion tossed his holo-tab onto his desk. "Nope. Looks like we're stuck waiting."

Neil rolled over, muttering something unintelligible before pulling the blanket over his head. Orion wasn't sure whether he was more annoyed by the delay or just using it as an excuse to go back to sleep. Either way, Orion wasn't too bothered. If anything, the delay calmed him down a little. It meant he didn't have to deal with knowing he had been disqualified just yet. Maybe, for a little while longer, he could pretend he still had a chance.

By the time Orion made it to the cafeteria, it was already packed. The air buzzed with conversations, most of them circling back to the trials. Some students looked restless about the delay, others didn't seem to care. Grabbing a plate of food, he scanned the room until he spotted Cas and Rin sitting at their usual table. Without a word, he slid into the seat next to them.

Cas barely glanced up from her tablet. "Took you long enough."

Rin smirked. "What's up? You crying over the delay?"

Orion gave her a dry look. "Nah, I save my emotional breakdowns for after dinner."

Rin laughed. "Smart move."

They ate in relative peace for a few minutes before Cas finally spoke. "So… how was it?"

Orion knew exactly what she meant.

He took a sip of his coffee before answering. "I died in the top five."

Cas raised an eyebrow. "Not bad."

Rin nodded. "Yeah, that's solid. You don't look pissed about it."

"I'm not," Orion admitted. "I mean, I knew I wouldn't win. The whole thing was chaotic." He paused, then smirked. "Not as chaotic as that burning forest, though."

Rin groaned. "You got that one too? God, that was a mess."

Cas finally put down her tablet. "Mine wasn't a burning forest."

Orion leaned forward. "What'd they throw at you?"

Cas crossed her arms. "A puzzle."

Rin blinked. "A puzzle?"

Cas nodded. "Some messed-up labyrinth where the walls kept changing. The longer I stayed in one place, the more the exits disappeared. It was less about survival and more about problem-solving."

Orion whistled. "And?"

Cas smirked. "I won."

Rin groaned. "Of course you did."

Just as they were finishing up their conversation, Skye walked over to their table, a coffee in one hand and a half-eaten protein bar in the other. "Mind if I sit?"

Orion shrugged. "Go for it."

She slid into the seat next to Rin, glancing between them. "So… how'd your trials go?"

Neil, who had just arrived with his own tray of food, grinned. "Oh, I did fantastic."

Cas gave him a look. "You didn't even take part."

Neil's grin widened. "Exactly. Zero stress. Perfect results."

Orion snorted. "He's got a point."

Skye chuckled, taking a sip of her coffee. "What about you guys?"

Cas tapped her fingers against the table. "Passed."

Rin shrugged. "Did well enough."

Orion scratched the back of his head. "Could've gone better."

Skye raised an eyebrow but didn't push further. Instead, she leaned back. "Well, at least none of you completely flopped."

Rin smirked. "Yet."

Neil laughed. "Give it three days."

They sat in comfortable silence for a moment, the buzz of the cafeteria filling the space between them. Then Orion turned to Skye. "What about you? What'd you choose?"

She exhaled, setting her coffee down. "I'm sticking with my course."

Cas tilted her head. "Not tempted to join the new divisions?"

Skye shook her head. "Nah. It's interesting and all, but I'd rather not dive into something I don't actually care about."

Rin leaned forward. "And that would be…?"

Skye smirked. "History and Sciences."

Orion blinked. Skye, in his division? He hadn't expected that. She must've caught his surprise because she chuckled. "What? You thought I was going Combat?"

Rin snorted. "Kinda, yeah."

Skye grinned. "Sorry to disappoint."

Orion shook his head. "Nah. Just… didn't peg you for the academic type."

Skye smirked. "I contain multitudes."

Neil pretended to wipe a fake tear. "Beautiful. Truly inspiring."

Skye punched his arm. "Shut up."

Neil winced. "Goddamn. Okay, maybe Combat wouldn't have been a bad fit."

Skye just laughed, shaking her head.

The conversation drifted after that, shifting to random topics—a professor's weird haircut, some idiot who accidentally locked himself in a lab, the upcoming Academy festival.

For the first time in a while, Orion didn't think about the trials. Didn't think about factions or dreams or whatever the hell happened to him outside The Haven that night.

Things just… felt normal. Which was refreshing.