Sunday mornings were supposed to be quiet.

  Mine wasn’t.

  I woke with the familiar buzz under my skin, that strange hum I had been feeling ever since Lysandra started drilling the Tri Cycle Breath into me. It wasn’t painful, just loud, like my body was a speaker someone forgot to turn off.

  Tae in stretched across my chest, blinked at me with judgment, and hopped off the bed as if to say, good luck with whatever weird magic nonsense you are doing today.

  I dressed, grabbed a protein bar, and headed to the tea shop.

  Sandra’s Herbal Remedies and Teas was still closed to the public, but the back door was unlocked. It always was on training days. I slipped inside, passed through the quiet shop, and stepped into the courtyard.

  The moment I crossed the threshold, the air shifted.

  The courtyard behind the tea shop was small but beautiful, high stone walls, climbing vines, a few potted herbs, and a faint shimmer in the air from the wards Lysandra had woven into the space. It was private, quiet, and safe.

  Well… safe for most people.

  The courtyard still vibrated with the lingering hum of my unstable reservoir. The air felt charged, like static before a lightning strike. Sweat dripped down my spine as I tried to steady my breathing the way Lysandra drilled into me.

  She stood nearby, arms folded, watching me with that expression she reserved for moments when she was both proud and mildly exasperated.

  “Again,” she said.

  I inhaled, slow and deep.

  Held.

  Exhaled.

  The hum softened. Barely.

  Lysandra nodded. “Better. Your control is improving.”

  I opened my mouth to thank her.

  Then the courtyard gate slid open.

  Bootsteps. Confident. Unhurried.

  A woman stepped through, tall and athletic, her hair cut into a spiky pixie style that framed her face with sharp edges. Red highlights streaked through her front bangs, catching the morning light and making her look even more dangerous. Her eyes swept the courtyard before locking onto me.

  She didn’t smile. She didn’t bow. She didn’t even greet Lysandra.

  She just pointed at me.

  “Is that him?”

  Lysandra sighed. “Yes. That is him.”

  The woman strode closer, circling me like she was evaluating a new sparring partner. Or prey.

  I straightened, wiping sweat from my brow.

  “You are the one with the freak reservoir,” she said.

  “I guess?”

  She snorted. “You don’t look like much.”

  Lysandra’s eyebrow twitched. “Kaida.”

  “What? I am being honest.”

  I met her stare, squared my shoulders, and said with absolute seriousness, “You may test that assumption at your convenience.”

  She froze.

  Blink.

  Head tilt.

  “…Did you just quote Star Trek at me?”

  I shrugged. “Seemed appropriate.”

  A short, involuntary laugh escaped her, sharp and surprised, the kind she would deny making if anyone mentioned it later.

  “Oh, this is going to be fun,” she muttered.

  Lysandra hid a smile behind her hand. “Kaida, he just finished his morning cycle. He needs rest.”

  Kaida ignored her completely.

  She stepped into my space, close enough that I could feel the heat radiating off her.

  “Show me your stance.”

  I hesitated. “Why?”

  “Because I want to see if you are worth my time.”

  I exhaled slowly, grounding myself. I slid into my MMA stance, balanced, guarded, ready.

  Her eyes widened a fraction.

  Not impressed.

  Interested.

  She tapped my lead foot with her toe. “Too heavy on the front. You will get swept.”

  I adjusted. “Better?”

  “Barely.”

  She moved behind me, nudging my elbow. “Guard higher.”

  I raised it.

  “Higher.”

  I raised it again.

  She nodded. “Good. Now hit me.”

  I blinked. “What?”

  “Hit me,” she repeated, rolling her shoulders. “Do not worry. I will block.”

  Lysandra sighed, but she was smiling now. “Kaida…”

  But I was already stepping forward.

  I threw a clean jab.

  She parried it effortlessly.

  I followed with a cross.

  She slipped it, eyes lighting up.

  Then I feinted low and snapped a kick toward her ribs.

  She blocked, barely.

  Her grin broke through, bright and wild.

  “Oh yes,” she said. “You are definitely worth my time.”

  Lysandra muttered, “This is exactly what I was trying to avoid.”

  The woman stepped back and finally offered me her hand.

  “Kaida Rhee,” she said. “I train here sometimes. And now, apparently, so do you.”

  I shook her hand. Her grip was firm, warm, confident.

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  “Jae Omari.”

  Kaida held onto my hand a second longer than necessary.

  Just long enough for me to notice.

  Just short enough for her to pretend it meant nothing.

  “Do not get comfortable, Jae,” she said, releasing me. “I am only here because I am busy.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “Busy doing what?”

  Kaida shrugged. “Beating you. Eventually.”

  She turned and walked toward the exit, tossing a final glance over her shoulder.

  “See you tomorrow. Same time. Do not be late.”

  The gate closed behind her.

  I exhaled. “She is… intense.”

  Lysandra stared at the gate, expression flat but amused.

  “You have no idea.”

  Monday mornings were supposed to be miserable.

  Mine was confusing.

  I woke up with the Tri Cycle hum still buzzing under my skin, like my reservoir had decided to run laps before I even got out of bed. Tae in sat on my chest, staring at me with the judgmental authority of a tiny furry landlord.

  “Yeah, yeah,” I muttered. “I am up.”

  She flicked her tail and hopped off, satisfied.

  I threw on a hoodie, grabbed my backpack, and headed out. Before class, I always stopped by Amir’s bodega, partly for the breakfast sandwich and partly because Amir had adopted me as his unofficial nephew the moment I moved into the neighborhood.

  The bell above the door jingled as I stepped inside.

  “Jae,” Amir called from behind the counter, grinning beneath his salt and pepper beard. “My

  favorite future physical therapist and cage fighter. The usual?”

  “You know it.”

  He turned to the grill, humming off key. I wandered toward the fridge to grab a drink, and froze.

  Because standing in front of the energy drinks, wearing a red cropped hoodie and black joggers, hair spiked and streaked with those unmistakable red highlights, was Kaida.

  She looked wildly out of place in a corner bodega at seven thirty in the morning, like someone had dropped a battle ready warrior into a slice of life sitcom.

  She glanced over her shoulder, saw me, and blinked.

  “You.”

  I blinked back. “Me.”

  A beat of silence.

  Then she pointed at the drink in my hand.

  “That one is garbage. Too much sugar.”

  I looked at the can. “It is zero sugar.”

  “Still garbage.”

  I opened my mouth to respond, but Amir beat me to it.

  He leaned over the counter, eyes sparkling with mischief.

  “Jae,” he said loudly, “is this your girlfriend?”

  I choked on air.

  Kaida choked on nothing.

  “What?” we both snapped.

  Amir raised his hands, grinning. “I am only asking. She looks like she could break you in half. I assumed you like that.”

  Kaida sputtered. “I, what, no.”

  I rubbed my face. “Amir, I would have to survive her first.”

  Kaida’s eyes narrowed, but the corner of her mouth twitched like she was fighting a smile.

  Amir laughed so hard he had to wipe his eyes. “Ah, young people. Drama before breakfast.”

  Kaida grabbed a bottle of water and marched to the counter with the stiff determination of someone fleeing a crime scene. I followed, because apparently this was my life now.

  When she finished paying, she turned to me, arms crossed.

  “I was not following you.”

  “I did not say you were.”

  “You were thinking it.”

  I shrugged. “You are not exactly subtle.”

  Her jaw tightened. “I live three blocks away. This is the closest store.”

  “Oh.”

  She blinked. “What do you mean, oh?”

  “I mean, oh. That makes sense.”

  She stared at me like she was trying to decide whether to punch me or explain basic geography.

  “See you later,” she muttered, brushing past me and out the door.

  Amir watched her go, then leaned in conspiratorially.

  “You should marry that one.”

  “Amir.”

  “She will keep you alive. Or kill you. Either way, exciting life.”

  I groaned and grabbed my sandwich.

  By the time I reached campus, the morning weirdness had mostly faded. Mostly. My reservoir still hummed under my skin, but class helped ground me. Anatomy lecture, kinesiology review, a quiz I probably should have studied more for. Normal life. Mundane life.

  At lunch, I met up with my usual crew. Marcus, who majored in theater and chaos. Dani, who could out study a machine. And Luis, who was built like a linebacker but had the personality of a golden retriever.

  We grabbed a table outside. I had just unwrapped my sandwich when Marcus nudged me.

  “Uh, Jae.”

  I looked up.

  And nearly dropped my food.

  Walking across the quad with the focused stride of someone assessing threat vectors was Kaida. Same red hoodie. Same sharp eyes. Same aura of controlled violence wrapped in athletic confidence.

  She stopped at our table, hands in her pockets, trying very hard to look casual and failing spectacularly.

  “Oh,” I said. “It is you.”

  She bristled. “I told you. I am not following you.”

  Marcus raised an eyebrow. “My lady doeth protest too much.”

  Kaida turned her head slowly. Very slowly. The look she gave him could have peeled paint off a wall. Marcus physically recoiled.

  I stepped in before she decided to demonstrate a live dissection.

  “Kaida, these are my friends. Guys, this is Kaida. She trains at the tea shop.”

  Marcus mouthed, tea shop.

  Dani mouthed, training.

  Luis mouthed, bro, she looks like she could suplex a car.

  Before I could say anything else, Kaida leaned in close enough that her whisper brushed my ear.

  “Training with Lysandra is a secret. Mundanes cannot know about it.”

  My brain immediately short circuited.

  “Oh. Right. Yes. Secret. Totally secret. I mean, she teaches me tea stuff. Tea related breathing. Tea breathing. For health.”

  Kaida stared at me like she was watching a toddler try to explain quantum physics.

  She stepped forward smoothly, placing a hand on my shoulder as if she were guiding a lost child.

  “What he means,” she said calmly, “is that I am learning traditional tea ceremonies. I am Korean, so I wanted to study the formal methods. Sandra teaches them at the shop.”

  She delivered the line with perfect confidence, like she had rehearsed it in the mirror.

  My friends blinked.

  Dani brightened. “That is actually really cool. I have always wanted to try a formal ceremony.”

  Marcus nodded slowly. “Ah. Tea ceremonies. That makes sense.”

  Luis looked impressed. “So you are like a tea master in training.”

  Kaida inclined her head with a serene expression that did not match her personality at all.

  “Something like that.”

  I stared at her, stunned.

  She did not look at me, but her voice dropped just enough for me to hear.

  “You are terrible at lying.”

  I whispered back, “You did not give me time to think.”

  “You had plenty of time.”

  “I had two seconds.”

  “Plenty.”

  She kept her face perfectly neutral while my friends continued asking her polite questions.

  Marcus leaned forward. “So, Kaida, what do you do for fun?”

  She paused, thinking. “I like training. Sparring. Running.”

  Marcus nodded. “Okay, but outside of fitness.”

  She hesitated again. “I like reading.”

  Dani perked up. “Really? What kind of books?”

  Kaida shifted slightly. “Fantasy. Science fiction. Some history.”

  Luis grinned. “Nice. Any favorites?”

  Kaida considered. “I like stories with strong characters. And good fight choreography. And anything with space travel.”

  Marcus snapped his fingers. “So you are into sci fi.”

  Kaida nodded. “Some of it.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “Some.”

  She glared at me. “Fine. A lot.”

  Luis laughed. “That tracks. You look like you would enjoy watching people get kicked into orbit.”

  Kaida allowed herself a small smile. “Sometimes.”

  Marcus leaned in. “So what shows do you watch?”

  Kaida hesitated, then answered with surprising honesty. “Star Trek. The older series. And some of the newer ones.”

  I blinked. “Wait. You actually watch Star Trek?”

  She looked away, cheeks faintly pink. “I like the philosophy. And the tactical analysis. And the uniforms.”

  Marcus slapped the table. “She has taste.”

  Kaida looked unsure whether to be proud or offended. “Thank you. I think.”

  She was still intense, but she was not stiff anymore. She even relaxed her posture a little, though she still sat straighter than any of us.

  At one point, a campus tour group passed by. Kaida tensed for a moment, then caught herself and forced her shoulders down.

  I nudged her foot under the table. “They are not enemies.”

  She whispered back, “I know that.”

  She did not know that.

  But she was trying.

  Dani smiled warmly. “If you transfer here, you will fit in fine. You already know Jae.”

  Kaida stiffened. “I do not know him. I mean, I know him, but not know him.”

  Marcus smirked. “My lady doeth protest too much, part two.”

  Kaida shot him a look that made him instantly regret speaking.

  I stepped in. “So, Kaida, what buildings have you seen so far?”

  She latched onto the change of subject. “The library. The gym. The student center.”

  Luis nodded. “Good choices. The gym is great.”

  Kaida perked up. “Is it open to the public?”

  “Students only,” Luis said.

  She looked at me. “Then I will need a student ID.”

  I choked on my drink. “You are not even enrolled.”

  “Not yet.”

  Marcus whispered, “She is planning an invasion.”

  Kaida heard him. She did not comment, but her eyebrow twitched.

  When lunch ended, she stood with a small bow of her head.

  “Thank you for letting me join you.”

  Dani smiled. “Anytime.”

  Luis gave her a thumbs-up. “You are cool.”

  Marcus pointed at her. “You scare me, but in a good way.”

  Kaida blinked, unsure how to respond to that.

  She turned to me. “I will see you later.”

  “To train?” I asked.

  She hesitated. “Yes. And maybe to tour more of the campus.”

  Marcus smirked. “Not following him, though.”

  Kaida’s jaw tightened. “Correct. I am not following him.”

  She walked away with the dignity of someone pretending not to be fleeing.

  Luis watched her go. “Bro. She is into you.”

  I groaned. “Please do not start.”

  Marcus nodded. “My lady doeth protest too much, part three.”

  Dani smiled. “She seems nice. Intense, but nice.”

  I rubbed my face. “She is going to kill me.”

  Luis grinned. “Or marry you.”

  I threw a napkin at him.

  As soon as I was alone, I pulled out my phone.

  Jae:

  Kaida showed up on campus.

  Almost exposed the whole tea shop thing.

  Why did you let her roam around unsupervised?

  Lysandra replied instantly.

  Lysandra:

  I did not let her do anything.

  Kaida goes where she wants.

  I frowned.

  Jae:

  She said she is touring the campus.

  She also said she is not following me.

  She said that a lot.

  A pause.

  Lysandra:

  She is absolutely following you.

  I stared at the screen.

  Jae:

  Why.

  Another pause.

  Lysandra:

  Because she likes you.

  And because she is Kaida.

  Both reasons are equally dangerous.

  I nearly dropped my phone.

  Jae:

  Can you please tell her to stop.

  She almost killed Marcus with a look.

  Lysandra:

  Marcus should be grateful he survived.

  Also, no.

  I am not getting involved in this.

  I groaned.

  Jae:

  So what am I supposed to do.

  Lysandra’s final message came through.

  Lysandra:

  Train.

  Survive.

  And try not to let Kaida break anything.

  Including you.

  I stared at the screen, reservoir humming, wondering how my life had become this strange.

  The walk home after training felt heavier than usual. My muscles ached, my lungs still burned from the spar, and my reservoir buzzed like a live wire under my skin. Every sound felt sharper.

  Every shadow seemed to breathe.

  I cut through the side street behind the bakery, the shortcut I always took. Halfway down, something tugged at me again. Not physically. Not emotionally. Something deeper. Like a hook catching on the edge of my awareness.

  I slowed.

  The tug pulled me toward a narrow alley.

  I stepped inside.

  Four large men surrounded someone pressed against the wall. At first glance, I thought it was a woman. Smaller frame, hood pulled low, posture tense. The men were jeering, crowding closer, blocking any escape.

  My fists clenched. Old instincts flared. I took a step forward.

  Then I heard it.

  A sound that froze the air.

  A battle cry. Deep. Resonant. Terrifying. It vibrated through the alley like a shockwave.

  Before I could react, the hooded figure moved.

  Two of the men dropped instantly. No warning. No chance to defend themselves. One moment they were standing, the next they were on the ground, unmoving.

  The hood fell back.

  And I saw her.

  A woman with deep forest green skin, the color rich and warm under the dim alley light. Her physique was powerful, sculpted like a champion bodybuilder, with broad shoulders and thick, muscular arms. Her face was striking, almost beautiful, with the features of a Black woman, but sharper, more primal. From her lower lip, two small tusks curved upward, subtle but unmistakable.

  Orc.

  My breath caught.

  The remaining two men panicked and rushed her from behind.

  I moved without thinking.

  I sprinted forward and threw a clean right cross at the first man’s jaw. It connected solidly.

  He barely flinched.

  “What the—”

  He grabbed my hoodie and shoved me back with surprising force. I stumbled but stayed on my feet. The second man swung at me. I blocked, countered with a body shot, then a hook.

  Nothing.

  It felt like punching a sandbag wrapped in concrete.

  These were not normal men.

  The first one lunged again. I ducked under his arm and drove a knee into his ribs. He grunted, but it still was not enough.

  My reservoir buzzed louder.

  My breath hitched.

  Something inside me shifted.

  I inhaled. Held. Exhaled.

  The hum sharpened.

  The next punch I threw landed with a crack of force that surprised even me. The man staggered back, clutching his side.

  Mana.

  I had used mana.

  The second man charged. I stepped into him, pivoted, and slammed my elbow into his sternum. A faint ripple of energy pulsed from the impact. He dropped to one knee, gasping.

  The green-skinned woman turned, eyes widening slightly as she watched me fight. Not in shock. In recognition.

  She finished her last attacker with a single, efficient strike. No wasted motion. No hesitation.

  Silence fell over the alley.

  She looked at me fully now, breathing steady, posture relaxed. Up close, she was even more imposing. Muscles like carved stone. A presence that filled the space. But her expression softened as she studied me.

  “Thank you,” she said. Her voice was low and warm, with a faint accent I could not place. “Most would have run.”

  I swallowed. “I could not let them jump you from behind.”

  She smiled, revealing the tips of her tusks. It should have been intimidating. Instead, it felt strangely kind.

  “You have a good heart,” she said. “But you should go. More of them may come.”

  I nodded. “What about you.”

  “I will be fine.” She glanced toward the far end of the alley. “I have places to be.”

  She turned to leave, her stride confident and unhurried. For someone who had just fought off four enhanced men, she looked completely unfazed.

  Before she disappeared around the corner, she paused and looked back at me.

  “Stay safe, warrior.”

  Warrior.

  The word hit me harder than any punch.

  Then she was gone.

  I stood alone in the alley, heart pounding, reservoir humming louder than ever. I had no idea who she was. I did not even know her name.

  But I knew one thing.

  I would see her again.