After his workout, Adyr returned to his room and allowed himself some well-earned sleep.
When morning came, he broke from his usual routine. He woke Niva early, and together, they prepared and ate breakfast.
Sleep was good for softening the mind, but overindulgence only led to deeper problems. As her brother, it was his responsibility to keep an eye on her, to make sure she didn't slip too far.
Once they were done, he left for school. In this post-apocalyptic world, there were no holidays. As long as one's health allowed, life was meant to be in constant motion. Everyone worked every day.
On the morning transport, Eren's absence was noticeable. But aside from Adyr, no one seemed to care.
When he arrived on campus, he did something he rarely did—he decided to skip his first class. He noticed he'd been breaking his routines more often lately. But in a world that changed by the hour, adapting to that change wasn't something that bothered him.
He crossed to a different part of the university and walked through the corridor until he found who he was looking for.
Selina stood with a few of her admirers, chatting in her usual gentle tone, that soft and almost nurturing expression on her face. Her midnight-purple hair framed her features in a way that made her seem both untouchable and present.
The moment she noticed Adyr, surprise flickered in her eyes. She politely excused herself from the group and approached him quickly.
"I didn't know you had a class over here today," she said with a rare, vulnerable smile—one that came purely from sincerity.
"I don't. I came to see you," Adyr replied. He saw no point in dragging it out with small talk.
"See me?" Selina blinked, caught off guard. Her cheeks colored.
"I need a favor," he said, cutting to the point before her mind could wander further.
This time, Selina didn't just look surprised. She was genuinely stunned. It was always him offering help, not the other way around. This was the first time Adyr had ever come to her with a direct request.
"Just tell me," she said firmly. She wasn't going to let the moment pass.
"My mother works at the city orphanage. Her name is Marielle. A short while ago, she left the city for an expedition. Do you know anything about it?" His voice was low but serious.
Selina thought for a moment. Of course, she knew who Marielle was—there was no way she wouldn't. But she hadn't heard about the expedition.
"I understand. Give me a minute. I'll tell my mother to cancel the expedition," she said, already reaching into her uniform pocket for the privileged-use phone only people like her carried.
Adyr stopped her. "That's not what I want."
He couldn't bring himself to do that. Marielle had been genuinely excited about the trip, convinced it might change lives. Taking that from her would be nothing short of cruel.
He spoke his true intention without delay. "I just want you to keep your ears open. If anything goes wrong, just inform me."
He could've asked Victor, whose father was the Minister of Defense and who had control over the STF. But even Victor wouldn't be able to get past the classified layers of their operations.
Selina, on the other hand, had direct access to Angel Wings Foundation personnel. That made her far more valuable for this.
"Of course. Don't worry," she said, slipping the phone back into her pocket. Her voice was calm, her expression soft, but there was a firm resolve in her eyes.
"Thank you," Adyr said with a faint smile.
"No, thank you," Selina replied, averting her gaze. "After everything you've done for me, just giving me a chance to return even a fraction of it... means a lot."
Adyr said nothing at first. He simply smiled. Then, after a moment, he added, "Actually, there's one more thing."
Selina lifted her head, patiently waiting for what he'd say next.
"Are you considering joining the new third-generation mutant division?" Adyr asked, knowing full well that someone like her would've already heard about it.
He didn't even need to ask if she was playing the game. With his enhanced [Sense] stat, it was clear the moment he saw her.
Her movements had become sharper, more precise. Each step she took seemed more effortless than the last. From that alone, he could tell she had received [Will] as her stat. Which meant her chosen path was Ignis.
Selina didn't seem surprised by his question. As if it were only natural, she answered, "I haven't decided yet." She looked at him for a moment longer, waiting, clearly curious about his own choice. But she didn't ask directly.
After a pause, Adyr spoke. "There's a guy in my scholarship group. His name is Eren. Do you know him?"
"Eren?" Selina furrowed her brows for a second before the name clicked. "Yes. That big guy, right?"
He nodded. "I want you to make sure he gets into the new division."
It was also something he could've asked Victor to handle—probably with better results. But since he was already here, it made sense to take care of it now. And Selina could handle it just fine.
"Sure," she said with a smile.
She didn't care how someone like Eren got his hands on a game helmet or whether he had what it took to survive the game. What mattered was simple—Adyr had asked. And when he did, it carried more weight than a signed contract with the government.
"Thank you," he said again.
"Mhm," Selina replied with a soft smile and a nod.
As soon as Adyr walked away, she pulled out her phone and dialed a saved number.
It rang only once before the call connected. Her tone shifted immediately—calm replaced by tension, warmth by urgency.
"Mom, we need to talk."
—
After speaking with Selina and resolving the most urgent concerns, Adyr returned to his classes with a clearer head. The weight that had been pressing down on him all morning had eased, allowing him to move through the rest of his day without distraction.
He intended to tell Niva about it later. Letting her know that their mother's situation was being monitored would help settle her nerves. Just imagining the relief it might bring her made things feel a little lighter for him, too.
The tension at home and the feeling of being at the mercy of forces beyond his control had always worn on him. But now, with things temporarily under control, he could finally push those thoughts aside and turn his full focus back to the game and himself.