Warfare Augmented Intelligent Frame Unit

Chapter 20 - Aerial Supremacy

Chapter 20 – Aerial Supremacy

It was Monday, and the Orbital Technology Applied Kinetics University buzzed with the energy of returning students. This week, however, the atmosphere was different. 

Frame Units—towering mechanical sentries—stood watch at the gates, their imposing forms casting long shadows in the early morning light. Overhead, quadcopter drones whirred methodically through the sky, patrolling with precision, a constant reminder that the university was still on high alert. Despite the calm of the morning, an undercurrent of tension lingered.

I walked alongside a throng of other students, each of us heading toward our campus building. The hum of conversation buzzed around me, but my thoughts were elsewhere. Arriving ten minutes early, I slipped into the classroom, scanning the familiar faces until my gaze landed on Myrrh Alicent. Ever punctual, she sat near the windows, bathed in the soft morning glow. She noticed me immediately, her face lighting up with a smile that was almost childlike in its innocence. She waved, a gesture so casual it belied the strange tension between us.

She acted as though we were close friends, but we weren't. Not really. We were more like... close enemies, if such a thing existed.

"Good morning, Zaft," Myrrh greeted me, her voice light and playful.

"Mornin', Myrrh," I replied, scratching my head lazily as I slid into the seat beside her.

Her eyes lingered on me for a moment before she asked, "How are you feeling today? Any more lightheadedness?"

"None," I said, resting my chin on my hand, a smirk tugging at the corner of my lips. "Why are you so worried about me? You texted me the same question on Saturday and again yesterday. Do I really occupy that much of your thoughts?"

Myrrh's cheeks flushed pink, and she quickly turned away with an exaggerated huff. "Wh-What do you think of me, always thinking of you? Hmph!"

I chuckled under my breath, amused by her reaction, but quickly turned the conversation back on her. "How about you? Are you okay now?"

"I'm perfectly fine," she said curtly, still refusing to look at me.

"Okay... And your mom?"

"She's fine too," Myrrh replied, her voice softening just a little. "The bunker under the hospital is sturdy enough to withstand a nuclear blast and a magnitude 10 earthquake. Honestly, she's more worried about us than herself."

I hesitated, my voice dropping as I asked the question that had been gnawing at me. "Did you tell her about... the thing that happened to us?"

"I didn't," Myrrh finally said, her serious blue eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that made me pause. "I don't want my mother to worry more than she already does. If she knew I was impaled last night, she'd be beside herself with anxiety."

Her words hung in the air like a weight, but before I could respond, I noticed the two students sitting in front of us had turned around. They were listening. Their eyes sparkled with a mix of curiosity and mischief.

"Ooooh! What happened to the two of you, huh?" Neil piped up, his grin as smug as ever. His partner, Fei, sat beside him, her face turning bright red with embarrassment.

"Nothing," Myrrh responded sharply, her icy glare cutting through Neil's smugness like a blade.

Fei, still blushing, stammered out, "D-Did Mister Zaft impale you, Miss Myrrh? D-Does it hurt the first time?"

"Whatever you're thinking, it's not like that!" Myrrh shot back, her voice cold and biting. "I'd die before I ever let this goon lay a hand on me! Over my dead body!" She crossed her arms defiantly, her tone dripping with disdain.