Jace sat cross legged in one of the private training rooms. "Being Rank 1 and having access to these rooms is super nice," he said, stretching his arms above his head.
It was easily one of the biggest advantages of being Rank 1. Private rooms were available for anyone ranked above 5, but Rank 1 students had their own exclusive rooms, ensuring they always had a space to train.
Training in his dorm was fine, but it wasn't ideal. The training building had showers, a restaurant, and access to the mana rooms, everything he needed in one place. It made the facilities even more appealing.
Jace exhaled, rubbing his forehead. "I've been trying this for hours, and again, I've had zero success."
Another couple of hours.
Still nothing.
With a sigh, he pushed himself to his feet, stretching to shake off the stiffness. "I gotta start setting alarms while I train. Maybe then I won't end up feeling like a statue."
Deciding to grab some food before mana capacity training, he left the private room and headed toward the restaurant.
As he arrived, he noticed Aurora sitting at one of the tables, focused intently on her tablet.
He started to wave but paused. She was completely locked in.
Instead, he placed his order at the booth before walking over to her table.
"Mind if I join you?" Jace asked, finally getting her attention.
Aurora glanced up. "Of course. Actually, this works out, Hannah just got back to me a few minutes ago."
Jace sat down, already guessing the answer. "Let me guess. Tomorrow afternoon?"
"You are correct," Aurora confirmed with a nod. "Apparently, Harper seemed just as excited about it as you are."
Jace grinned. "Nice. I'll have to come up with some new tactics for it."
Aurora tilted her head slightly. "Are you sure you don't want any information about her?"
She had a pretty good idea of what he'd say, but she figured she should at least offer.
Jace didn't fail to meet her expectations. "Nah, I'm good. I mean, I'll take it seriously, but it's still a training duel. Gotta treat it as such."
Aurora nodded. "Alright, I won't try and force you."
"Thanks," Jace said with a laugh. "Who else is dueling?"
Aurora glanced at her tablet. "Lyra is going up against someone named Vincent." She scrolled down. "And Hannah will be facing myself."
Jace raised an eyebrow. "Going after the big boss, huh? Impressive."
"It was actually Hannah who asked to face me," Aurora replied, brushing off his teasing. "Apparently, she thinks I'm a terrible matchup for her and wants to use the fight to improve."
Jace chuckled. "You know, the more I hear about Hannah, the more I like her."
Without thinking, Aurora quipped, "Maybe if we ask the academy nicely, they'll let us trade you for Harper."
She didn't even register what she had said until the words were already out.
Jace froze, staring at her in disbelief. "Did you just… make a joke?"
Even with all the time they had spent together, he couldn't remember her ever initiating one before.
Aurora looked up, considering it herself. "Maybe you and Ethan are rubbing off on me." She shook her head.
Jace smirked. "Don't worry, I don't think it's a bad thing." He chuckled. Seeing Aurora joke, even accidentally, made her feel more… human.
"If you say so." Aurora shook her head at him.
Their food arrived not long after. Jace noticed that Aurora's meal was only a few minutes ahead of his, meaning she hadn't been here much longer than him.
For a while, they ate in comfortable silence.
Then, Jace spoke up. "Hey, Aurora… I have a question. It might sound like a joke, but it's not."
Aurora, who had been holding her tablet in one hand and a fork in the other, set the tablet down. "I'm listening."
Jace hesitated, fidgeting with his food. "Okay, well… have you ever had a dream with" He exhaled. "what I can only describe as a whirlpool of color?"
Aurora blinked. That definitely sounded like a joke. But since he had prefaced it as serious, she decided to treat it as such. "I can't say that I have."
"Interesting," Jace murmured, still absentmindedly pushing his food around.
Aurora let a few minutes pass, waiting to see if he would say anything more. When he didn't, she finally spoke again. "I'm guessing that by you bringing it up, you have?"
Jace hesitated before answering. "Yeah… twice." He exhaled again. "Both times after particularly draining mana capacity training nights."
Aurora tilted her head, considering it. "That's… certainly curious."
"Yeah. The first time, it said it was just visiting those who were exhausted," Jace explained. "But when I woke up, there was a small ball of energy inside me. It feels kind of like mana, but… different."
"What?" Aurora stared at him, not quite understanding.
"I know it doesn't make sense, but trust me, I'm not joking." He raised his hands slightly, as if trying to emphasize how bizarre it all sounded, even to himself. "It's there, and it feels… incomplete. Like it still needs something."
Aurora was silent for a moment before shaking her head. "Well… I can honestly say I've never experienced anything like that."
"Yeah, didn't think so," Jace muttered. He paused, frowning. "The second dream was just as strange… maybe even stranger." He furrowed his brow, recalling the details. "It said I called it that time, which I don't understand. And then it said I'd make a good Dreamer… whatever that means."
Aurora frowned slightly. "I've never heard of a Dreamer before. And as for this energy you feel… I don't have the slightest idea what that could be."
Jace sighed, unable to keep the disappointment from his voice. "Figures. If anyone we knew would have an answer, I thought it'd be you."
Aurora's expression softened. "Sorry I couldn't be any help, Jace. I'll look into it, but I can't promise anything."
"Thanks, Aurora. I honestly don't expect much, so don't stress about it." He returned to his food, but his mind was still turning.
"I'll figure it out eventually."
For now, he'd set it aside. But the question of what Dreamer meant wasn't going to leave him alone.