After the creation of Det’s latest rendition, things pretty much devolved from there. Nobody could concentrate on their own work, their gazes uncontrollably pulled into the saucer-like eyes of the kitten from whence they could not escape. Even Beast and Beauty fell under the sway of what Det began to call the calamity kitten. It was the end of all things.

  Or, at least of the morning session of classes.

  When it was clear nobody would get any further headway made with the kitten present—and before the fighting began over who got one first—Beauty called a stop to the lesson. The group would get to take an early lunch. More specifically, they would be forced to take an early lunch, with everybody getting ushered out of the room.

  Everybody other than Det.

  Eriba and Sage gave him somewhat worried looks as they exited, while both Beast and Beauty stepped in front of Det to prevent him from following them out. It looked unnervingly like they were about to shake him down for his lunch money.

  “Give me the kitten,” Beast said, and even took a step forward toward Det.

  “Now, now, now,” Beauty said, lifting a hand to stop her from reaching Det.

  “Yes,” Beast agreed. “Give me the kitten now.”

  “Nobody will be handing over any kittens,” Beauty countered.

  “You just want it for yourself,” Beast said, turning on the taller instructor.

  “And what could you do about that if it were true?” Beauty shot back.

  Considering how terrifying Beast was in her… well, her beast mode, it was pretty impressive how calmly Beauty stood in front of her.

  “I…” Beast said, eye twitching. “I would hide the pepper.”

  “Dastardly and evil,” Beauty said. “The repercussions of that would, of course, be that I would be forced to hide the honey.”

  “You wouldn’t dare,” Beast said.

  “Watch me,” Beauty said, that same undaunted fa?ade in place.

  “I… don’t think you two need me here for this discussion,” Det said. “I’m just going to…”

  “Stay where you are,” Beauty said without turning in his direction. “Neither of us are going to take your kitten—No, Beast, we are not!—but we do need to discuss how you managed that.”

  “At least let me hold it while you two talk,” Beast… pouted.

  “Perhaps, if you ask nicely,” Beauty said.

  “Please?” Beast said, her own eyes appearing larger and more pouty. Probably not Det’s imagination, either. She’d physically changed them.

  “It’s fine with me,” Det said. “If I bring it to the lunchroom, there’s going to be a riot over who gets to play with it first.”

  “Fine,” Beauty said, stepping out of the way so Beast could take the kitten. A girlish squeal of delight, and the woman ran off with the small ink-kitten in her hands.

  “Tell me, how did you manage that?” Beauty said. “Most cadets require the full week to accomplish this first task. I heard you discussing energy concentration—liquifying, as you called it—with the others; is that what caused your energy reversal?”

  “Yes,” Det said. “You… hadn’t figured that out?”

  “No,” Beauty said. “The most common cause for reversals this early in the lessons is overuse of energy in your channels, or trying to force the energy to go in a direction it wasn’t intended. By the end of the day, I expect to see half-a-dozen more reversals, with everybody experiencing at least one by the end of the week.

  “I had assumed your reversal was that kind. I was mistaken. How did you come about doing it?”

  “I don’t know the terminology behind it, but I turned some of the energy in one of my nodes into a drop of liquid. Then, I pushed that into my rendition. My painting. I’ve still got drops floating around in me—one in each node—which reminds me, is it safe to do that?”

  “Let me understand something,” Beauty said. “When you say drops, you specifically mean individual drops?”

  “Yeah,” Det said. “For whatever reason, each node will only let me have one in them. As soon as I try to make a second, or make the one I have bigger than this…” Det held up his pinky finger to show the nail. “… then things fall apart.”

  “Like your magic, your channels require ascending through the Ranks to be able to handle more purified energy,” Beauty said. “You’re already at the limit for your current Rank, from the sounds of things. Carrying around those kernels—the term most use for the state of the energy—is not risky. In fact, if you can continuously maintain them within your nodes, and actively move them along your channels while doing your daily activities and training, they will significantly help you increase the Rank of your channels, and your magic at large.”

  “Having them is a good thing?” Det said.

  “A very good thing,” Beauty said. “Our goal by the end of the first week is to have people passively concentrating their energy—from a mist to a liquid, as you described it—by letting their bodies take over the process for them. Many take until the end of the second or third week of our classes to even begin doing that. It can require some mental acrobatics for people to allow themselves to change their energy in such a fashion. Especially if they’ve been using their magic frequently before arriving.

  “As for what you’re doing—active concentration, or kernelization—it is far more advanced. In each class, we have one or two who accomplish it before the end of the first year. As you will discover, it gives quite an advantage.”

  “The conversion process is faster, and the drops—the kernels—are more pure,” Det said in agreement to Beauty’s statement.

  “Exactly,” Beauty said. “And the ability to kernelize your energy, when you want to, is one of the many roadblocks that prevent people from moving past C-Rank. Moving from E-Rank to D-Rank can be done even without the passive energy concentration. To get to C, you definitely need to at least allow your body to concentrate your energy passively.

  “To get beyond C, you must be able to kernelize your energy. Without it, your magic and channels are simply too fragile. There are many who never accomplish it.”

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  “I can get past C?” Det asked, that hope of growth sparking in his chest again.

  “You have the potential to, yes,” Beauty said. “And we will need to somewhat adjust our lessons with that in mind for you. However, I ask you not create any more of those particular kittens during class. It was too much of a distraction. How you infused it with illusionary magic was something I wasn’t aware your ink-magic could accomplish.”

  “I didn’t infuse it with illusions,” Det said. “I just made it as damn cute as I could.”

  Beauty’s head slowly swiveled to where Beast lay on her back on the ground, the kitten held at arm’s length above her, before she pulled it down to nuzzle against her face with a ‘woo, woo, woo’.

  “No magic?” Beauty said.

  “No additional magic,” Det clarified. “The kittens themselves are magic.”

  “Dangerous,” Beauty said.

  “Yeah, I didn’t realize how bad it would be to make it that cute.”

  “Hrm,” Beauty said. “Either way, please try to refrain from creating anything quite so distracting in the future. The original kittens are fine, though don’t waste too much of your time preparing them.”

  “Except one for me,” Beast said. “None for the students.”

  “Double standards,” Beauty scolded.

  “Are fine when you’re the one getting the benefit from them,” Beast said. “And good motivation if you’re not.”

  “Fair,” Beauty said. “Perhaps we can use them in place of golden stars.”

  “… you’re going to use my magic as a glorified sticker system for good behaviour?” Det said.

  “Yes,” Beauty said, voice as even as ever. “You will, of course, be compensated for the effort. Fair isn’t the motto of Avalon.”

  “Making a name for yourself and reaping the benefits is,” Beast added. “Be the biggest, baddest, badass in the class, and the rest of the Mistguard will throw resources and opportunities at you.”

  “I assume that would work for your drive?” Beauty said.

  Det was nodding before the man could even finish the sentence. “I’m in,” he said.

  “Excellent,” Beauty said, clasping his hands behind his back. “Why don’t you go get lunch then? We won’t be far behind, though we do need to report this.”

  “I hope it’s not going to cause a problem for you,” Det said.

  “Not a problem, no,” Beauty said.

  “Just bragging rights with the other instructors for us,” Beast said. “First kernelized cadet of the year is an Arsenal. That hasn’t happened in forever. And it was basically on day one.”

  “It’s usually Artillery,” Beauty explained. “Now, off we you. We have bragging to do.”

  “And I’m bringing the kitten with us,” Beast said. “Really make them grovel.”

  “We should find a ribbon for it in the staff room,” Beauty said, the two instructors falling into plotting against their colleagues, and Det saw himself out of the room.

  He got down the hall to the nearest intersection, eyes looking for a sign to the lunchroom, when Sage and Eriba stepped around the corner.

  “She didn’t eat you?” Sage said with a chuckle.

  “Thought she might for a second there,” Det returned.

  “Did she eat the kitten?” Eriba asked quietly.

  “Just claimed it as her own,” Det said, and glanced back the way he’d come. “They’re plotting how to weaponize it right now.”

  “Won’t take much,” Sage said. “Those eyes… they still haunt me.”

  “They asked me not to make any more of the calamity-kittens,” Det explained. “Only the more normal, emotional-support kittens.”

  “And turtles?” Eriba asked, hope in her small voice.

  “And turtles,” Det confirmed, earning him a tiny smile from behind her long bangs. “By the way, any idea which way the lunchroom is? I’m starving.”

  “It’s the energy reversal,” Sage said. “Expect to eat a table-full of food, and still be hungry. And, it’s this way.”

  Turning with his usual confidence, Sage headed down the hall he and Eriba had been hiding in, and waved for the other two to follow.

  “You sound like you’re speaking from experience,” Det said, following after the other man, Eriba falling in a step behind him.

  “Eh, kind of,” Sage said. “Like I said, family expectations. I’ve been through training similar to that for a number of years.”

  “So you can already do the kernelization thing?” Det said.

  “Caramelization?” Eriba said. “I love caramel.”

  “Kernelization,” Det corrected.

  “Popcorn? Caramel covered popcorn?”

  “Not exactly,” Det said with a laugh. “Sage, help me out here? This is my first time hearing all this.”

  “It’s a term ReSouled use to talk about concentrating the energy running through your channels into a more powerful form,” Sage explained. “Det, are you saying you’re figuring out how to create kernels?”

  Det shook his head. “Not figuring it out. Already did it.”

  Sage actually missed a step at the declaration. “You what?” he asked, spinning around, and his words echoed down the hallway from the volume.

  “That’s how I created calamity-kitten,” Det explained.

  “Were you practicing back on—what was the name of your pillar?—Radiant before you came here?” Sage said. “Can Calisco do it too?”

  “I don’t know if she can,” Det said. “We definitely weren’t practicing back on Radiant. We knew less than nothing about the ReSouled, let alone the Mistguard or Mount Avalon Academy.”

  “And you accomplished this on day one?”

  “I guess so?” Det said with a shrug.

  “It’s a big deal?” Eriba said.

  “A very big deal,” Sage said. “Det here has already announced to the Mistguard brass he has the potential to reach B-Rank at the minimum. The list of people who’ve been able to kernelize on their first day is exceedingly short.”

  “Good job, Det!” Eriba said. Her hand went up into the air for a high-five, and Det wasn’t going to leave her hanging like that.

  After the sharp slap of ReSouled strength fueling the celebration, Det and Eriba both put their hands up for Sage to join in.

  “You’re both having fun with his,” Sage said, his usual smile back in place after the shock of the announcement. “Most people would be jealous.” His last comment was aimed at Eriba, even as he met the other two for a simultaneous high-five. High-ten?

  “Why would I be jealous?” Eriba said. “Can’t Det just teach us how to do it, since we’re teammates?”

  “The academy is basically a competition,” Sage said. “If Det did that, he’d be throwing away an advantage to…”

  “I’ll help if I can,” Det interrupted. “No promises, though.”

  “Yay!” Eriba’s cheer was still barely above a whisper.

  “Why would you do that, Det?” Sage said. “You heard the headmaster. Earn your advantages and make the most of them. Sharing this will make you less special, if you’re able to help us at all.”

  “It’s simple,” Det said, then looked around to make sure they were alone. The halls were empty other than them, and he could vaguely hear the hubbub of the lunchroom further down, but he still kept his voice low. ReSouled hearing was too good.

  “We’re going to be doing stuff together,” he said cryptically and quietly, though the other two seemed to quickly catch on to his meaning. “We’re going to be watching each other’s backs in dangerous situations. You guys being stronger means I’m safer too.

  “Besides, it’s going to be more than me, I’m sure. If we can all share the advantages, maybe we can get some extra group training in together or something? I doubt it would be that different than me getting some perks by myself.”

  “Perks might be things like a nicer room, better food, or first pick at assignments,” Sage said. “Why would you assume it’s more training?”

  “Because that’s what I want,” Det said. “The movies and stuff after the week from hell were great and all, but now that it’s done, it’s time to put my nose to the grindstone. I didn’t come here to loaf around on the couch all the time.”

  “Your drive?” Eriba said.

  “Exactly,” Det said. “If I can get my hands on extra classes in the evenings, or maybe training rooms we wouldn’t normally have access to? That’s what I want.”

  “Both of those things will probably be available to you for kernelizing on your first day,” Sage said.

  “Then let’s see about getting you two in there with me?” Det said. “We can help each other get stronger all together.”

  “I’m not sure that makes sense,” Sage said. “Most people would take one-on-one lessons with an instructor and call it a day.”

  “I was terrible with a tutor back in school,” Det said. “In my engineering class, I did my best work—and learned the material best—in group projects. I don’t know, I just do better when it’s with peers instead of somebody trying to explain something to me. The process of figuring it out together, it gets me going.”

  “Well,” Sage said, shrugging like he was giving up the odd argument. “If you’re inviting, count me in.”

  “Me too,” Eriba said, hopping up and down on the spot.

  “Perfect,” Det said.

  “Just one question,” Sage said. “What about Calisco and Tena? You sure you want them to come?”

  “Oh, you know I do,” Det said. “Only so I can see their faces when they understand the reason why they’re getting the extra attention.”

  “Sneaky,” Eriba said under her breath, the look on her face showing she clearly approved of the sentiment.

  “Calisco is definitely going to make a face,” Sage laughed. “Though, I guess, she’ll have to kernelize herself first, to get any of the benefits. That means you’ll have to help teach her.

  Det paused.

  “Maybe we can leave her out after all?”