RE: The Extra's Dominance

Raven and Curtis just ran circles around the hotel early in the morning, their footsteps steady against the quiet ground.

They weren't doing it for training alone but simply to pass the time, since neither of them could fall asleep again no matter how much they tried. The air was chilly and the streets empty, but the silence suited them both just fine.

Raven was wearing his training bracelets, each one weighing down his arms and legs, adding resistance with every movement.

It made his running heavier, harder, and more exhausting— exactly how he liked it. For him, even simple runs had to push his limits.

Curtis, on the other hand, was focusing on his mana control while running, quietly circulating it inside his body. It was his way of making the exercise equally difficult.

The two of them might argue a lot and rarely ever agreed on anything when it came to words, but when it came to getting stronger— they carried the exact same determination. That much was undeniable.

As a matter of fact, Raven and Curtis were more alike than they ever thought. Their stubbornness, their competitiveness, and their unwillingness to fall behind were nearly identical. They would never admit it out loud, but they both knew deep down.

Anyway, as they continued, their attention was drawn to something else. From a distance, they saw the departing tertiaries.

The group of students was lined up and preparing to leave under the supervision of professors and staff. Raven and Curtis were curious, so after politely greeting the professors and staff who noticed them, they decided to watch from afar.

They couldn't hear the words spoken from their distance, but it was clear enough by the atmosphere that Kendy was giving words of encouragement. He seemed to be offering advice and reminders to the students before sending them off, his gestures and tone commanding their focus.

Also, around [4:00 AM]—

"Ah, as I thought, you guys are here outside."

Alec's voice broke the calm when he came out of the hotel and spotted them running. Without hesitation, he joined their casual pace, sliding into the rhythm with ease.

"How about that guy?"

Curtis asked while Alec jogged beside him, his tone pointed. He was, of course, asking about Blake.

"He's still sleeping soundly."

Alec responded with a smile, shaking his head a little.

"He always wakes up last when we were all in the labyrinth. He was even late for the field trip, so we had to wait for him in the flying bus before leaving. What makes you think he'll wake up this early in the morning?"

Raven then stated flatly, running in line with the two of them. His words carried a dry kind of logic that neither could really argue with.

"True."

Curtis mumbled in agreement, exhaling through his nose.

After that short exchange, the three of them didn't bother saying anything else. They simply continued running side by side, keeping their pace steady, the sound of their footsteps echoing lightly across the still streets.

None of them seemed ready to stop, and none of them wanted to break the quiet they had settled into.

...

...

...

[5:28 AM]

"Huff... I'm done now, I'll be going back to our room."

Raven said, slowing down and informing Alec and Curtis of his decision. His breathing wasn't ragged, but there was a calm fatigue in his tone.

"We're good now too. We'll eat at the dining floor first before getting back though."

Curtis responded while Alec simply nodded his head to confirm his words.

"Okay, see you guys later."

Raven casually waved his hand at them before breaking away, leaving them behind without waiting for any reply. He picked up his speed again, running lightly back toward the hotel. And while doing that—

"[Cleanse]"

Swoosh~

He cast that spell on himself without hesitation.

"He's really a clean freak."

Curtis muttered under his breath, shaking his head slightly.

"Haha, yeah."

Alec chuckled softly in agreement, and then the two of them turned their steps toward their own destination.

*****

"Fuhhh..."

Raven let out a small sigh as he stopped in front of the room where he and the others were staying.

Creak-

He slowly opened the door, letting himself inside, and there—

"..."

He saw Blake, still fast asleep. His mouth was wide open, and saliva was dripping from the corner of his lips. It was honestly a ridiculous sight.

Raven frowned slightly at the messiness of it but chose to let him be. After all, he knew better than anyone else why Blake always ended up being the last to wake up.

During their time in the Labyrinth...

Raven had seen Blake training alone late at night, staying up until hours bled away, draining every bit of mana he had.

And last night—

'I felt him meditating, his mana was raging, but at the same time— it was controlled carefully to not wake us up.'

Raven had struggled to fall asleep himself, tossing for a while before drowsiness finally caught him. Even then, he could sense Blake's training continuing well into the late hours.

'He's probably doing that back at the academy as well.'

Raven thought, shaking his head faintly before heading toward the bathroom.

...

...

Anyway, he wasn't really sweaty from the running nor was he exhausted. He had also used [Cleanse] on himself earlier, but Raven was too used to morning baths to skip it. It was part of his routine, something that gave him a sense of normalcy.

So he just went ahead and took one, letting the water run for about twenty minutes before stepping out.

After he was done, Raven dressed up and walked out of the bathroom.

He headed to the small cooking area inside the hotel room after that, and there—

"Hmm, a simple sunny side up will do."

He muttered to himself as he started making breakfast.

Though, in the middle of cooking...

"..."

He glanced behind him, catching Blake still fast asleep in the same position as before.

Turning back to the pan where the egg was frying, Raven spoke in a low voice—

"I'll make a few more, why not? Add some bacons as well."

He muttered casually, deciding to prepare extras.

*****

Because he was only frying eggs and bacon, Raven finished making breakfast fairly quickly. And just then—

"Hmn~, something smells good..."

Blake finally stirred awake, pulled out of his sleep by the aroma filling the room.

"Hup...!"

He sat up groggily and then spotted Raven preparing to eat.

Raven looked back at him with his usual calm expression—

"I made some extra, come join me if you want."

Then he invited him casually.

"...!"

Blake's eyes widened, his face lighting up with surprise. He hadn't expected such an invitation. For a moment, he was speechless, then—

"I wouldn't reject your offer then!"

He exclaimed brightly, practically jumping out of bed with a wide grin. He rushed toward the dining table where Raven had set the food.

Though, before Blake could sit down—

"[Cleanse]"

Raven cast that spell on him without hesitation.

"Huh?"

Swoosh~

Blake's body glowed faintly from Raven's dark mana before the effect faded away, wiping away the saliva at the corner of his mouth as if it was never there.

"Haha, thanks."

Blake laughed softly, not minding at all. He sat beside Raven without complaint. He knew how much of a clean freak Raven was, and honestly, he knew he had looked like a mess just now.

Also... it wasn't just that. Blake trusted Raven completely. That was why he didn't feel uncomfortable at all when the spell was cast on him.

And just like that— the two of them started eating breakfast together.

"I thought you'd be eating with Professor Ruby and Miss Keara."

Blake stated while taking a bite of the sunny side up on his plate.

"Hmm, they'll be joining the other professors and school staff at the dining floor throughout the field trip. I probably wouldn't be able to talk to them that much."

Raven responded with a shrug, not really bothered by it.

"Hmm~"

Blake nodded in understanding, chewing slowly.

"Where's Alec and Curtis, by the way?"

He followed up with another question.

"Dining floor, eating breakfast."

Raven simply answered while sipping water.

Blake was about to say something else—

"Shut up and just eat, or I'll be taking those eggs and bacons back."

But Raven cut him off first. His expression was calm, but his tone carried a sharp edge.

"...!"

Blake immediately shut his mouth and just nodded quickly. Then, with a sheepish grin, he focused back on his plate and continued eating silently.

...

...

*****

Raven, Blake, Alec, Adelle, Eve, Aoi, and Curtis joined up again around noon.

And once again—

"Let's go." - Alec

The group began exploring the City of Andres together.

They still had the freedom to do whatever they wanted for the day.

And so, the group decided to visit the marketplace again!

Why there again?

"We haven't checked the other stores yet."

That was their reason, plain and simple.

This time, they shopped for hours, combing through corners they hadn't visited yesterday. They didn't buy as much as before, but they still managed to pick up a few useful items that caught their interest. By the time they were done, they all left with satisfied looks on their faces.

Of course, Raven didn't forget his promise. He bought Levina a gift— a light blue ribbon hair tie, just like he said he would the night before.

He also bought a small black ribbon and tied it around Yuki's neck like a necklace.

-Kyuu!

Yuki squeaked happily, clearly loving the little gift.

Raven smiled faintly when he saw her cheerful reaction, his mood lightened by her joy.

And just like that...

The day came to an end.