Luminary Institute

36: Napping Spots Exist Everywhere

Nyssa, to her own surprise, managed to stay up through the closing remarks. After dismissal, Slade and his guildmates announced they’d stay around to answer any questions—and sign any autographs—but Nyssa decided to just leave. Anything she could get here, she could also get... at home... without waiting. 

Because the others in Class Zero wanted to stay behind for some autographs, though, she ended up leaving alone first. Transforming into a hawk and soaring into the sky, she looked towards the exits. 

Eh... She probably could’ve stayed as a human... It seemed like most of the school had elected to stay behind for one reason or another... 

She shook her head and dismissed the unnecessary thoughts. She spread her wings under the afternoon sun, diving and swooping through the air. Adept with her aerial control, she flipped and rolled like a hyperactive jet plane pilot through the air—to the amazement of the students on the ground. Unbeknownst to her, everyone had etched her feats into their mind from the previous battle. 

“I’m alone... do I go back?” Nyssa pondered out loud as she glided through the air. School ended when Kaiser had dismissed everyone, leaving her free as a... bird, literally. Safety had never been an issue at the Luminary Institute—at least theft hadn’t been—so she had no reason to worry about her stuff being stolen. Stored in the Class Zero building, she could probably leave it there until graduation. 

A moment of hesitation followed. Awake brain battled the sleepy brain, and, as usual, the sleepy brain won out without too much effort. She redirected her flight path, curving through the air as she descended towards the Class One buildings. 

Why Class One?

Well, here was where her expertise as a napper—her quadruple degree while also graduating with top honors awarded by dreamland’s finest—could shine through. While Class Zero had a building, Class One had an entire complex to itself. It needed to support a much grander swath of students. 

Between the main Class One dormitory and their private library sat a sculpture. Nyssa, herself, never cared for the ostentatious explanation plaque nor did she mind the “Do not climb” sign sitting next to it. After all, she never ‘climbed’ it per se. 

The sculpture depicted a titan, holding up a giant hourglass on its shoulders as grains of sand ‘fell through.’ She came to a stop atop the hourglass. As a round, flat, surface basked in the sun’s rays, Nyssa ranked it in her personal top ten campus spots. Sure, for a normal person, it’d be impossible to mount the statue, but she could just fly up! 

Poof. 

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Transformed back into a cat, she splayed out in the sun—starfish-style—and dozed off without a second thought. 

Heavenly... 

--- 

“Thank you for the autograph,” Olivia shook hands with Slade. “I really appreciate you taking the time out of your day to come back and help us. Fighting against you was an invaluable experience.” 

“Of course! Part of our responsibility as heroes is to help inspire the next generation,” Slade smiled back. “Your powers too, are... very interesting. I look forward to seeing you develop. I’m sure you’ll become a great hero or hunter one day.” 

“... Thank you,” Olivia nodded before walking off with the autograph in hand. The crunch of gravel filled her ears as she walked off alone. By now, the crowd had thinned and she could live in her own world of solitude for a few moments while walking back towards the dorms. 

Olivia... couldn’t quite figure out what she wanted to do in life. She’d gotten scouting offers from both hunting groups and hero groups. Both had their pros and cons, and she knew she’d thrive in both environments, but she felt a little... listless either way. 

If only she could just become an animal photographer... Well, she could, but she also wanted a job utilizing her talents.

Why was I born with this power to invoke demonic contracts? I know it's been passed down my family tree, by why... me? Why me in this generation?

She’d lost count of how many times she’d asked this question. Hundreds? Thousands? Millions of times? With this power, she’d become the leader of Class One, the person ‘closest’ to becoming a Class Zero student for a decade or something. In the end, she didn’t care. Long ago, she’d been obsessed with entering Class Zero, but now she realized its restrictive nature—along with how Ryker and Electra were in a different world than she was. 

“It’s stupid,” Olivia shook her head, walking up some stairs. 

[What is~?] An elegant but playful voice echoed through her mind. 

“How Ryker can just blow himself up and nullify the contract I place on him,” Olivia pursed her lips. “His regeneration factor is crazy, I mean... otherwise he’d be dead by now, but yeah. How does he even discover that he can just blow himself up?”

[Some audacious risk taking as a child I’d guess. Children have a way of doing that. I wouldn’t envy his parents.] The voice laughed in her mind. [Though, with all my contractors, I’ve never seen someone who could escape the imposed terms and conditions like he does. He’s truly a rare one-of-a-kind.] 

“Who isn’t in that class?” Olivia snorted, picking up her book bag from the fountainside she had left it at. Bag over shoulder, she began speed walking back to her dorm, passing by the giant and its hourglass before entering the lobby. 

[I’d argue there are only a few truly unique individuals in that class. Haven’t we discussed this before?] The voice teased before continuing on. [Electra’s powers are only worth discussing because of the sheer amount of output she can create. Titus’s powers, though impressive, are hereditary, and have a vast amount of documentation.]

“Yeah, and Conrad’s powers are also hereditary,” Olivia continued without a beat, taking the elevator up to the top floor. “It’s lack of ceiling though makes it worth treasuring, even if he’s not the most powerful right now.” 

[Exactly,] The demon in her mind agreed. [So, why feel bad? Albion’s power is a mutation of his heritage, certainly a very interesting one in my opinion, but nothing insurmountable. You and I can reach that height one day. Just continue working.] 

“I will, I will,” Olivia shrugged, walking down the hall and unlocking the door to her room. Slipping in and closing the door behind herself, she set her bag down and stretched. As a faint sigh of relaxation slipped through her mouth, she ignored the demon’s tease. She sat by the windowsill, and, to her surprise, noticed a white cat napping atop the hourglass. After snapping a picture and posting it to the shared forum, with a caption saying [The cat is back!], she redirected her attention to the demon in her mind. “Anyway, back to what I originally wanted to ask, how about the new Class Zero student? What are your thoughts on her?” 

Silence. 

After a moment of hesitation, the voice sighed. [She’s... worrying. Summon me first, it’s easier to talk in person.]