As though noticing Asher's gaze, Darissa's green eyes shifted slightly to the side, meeting Asher's calm purple ones beneath the gentle moonlight. She did not speak; instead, she simply offered a subtle nod in acknowledgment.

Under normal circumstances, she might have spoken to him directly, but between her room and the Tenth Sun's quarters, there were five other rooms. If she raised her voice too much, she risked disturbing the rank 2 to rank 6 students who were likely resting or cultivating at this hour.

Asher held her gaze for a brief moment as memories flickered through his mind, specifically, the memory of their cooperation within the dark cavern pit during the Star Academy entrance examination. He remembered her composure, her swift reactions, and her stable judgment amidst chaos.

He could not deny it; she was indeed talented. Without lifting a finger, Asher allowed his Astra to respond to his will. The golden energy flowed like a living current through his Astra veins, bending to his command as naturally as breath obeys the lungs.

It swirled gently, then took shape in the air opposite his tall sturdy frame. The energy obeyed him flawlessly as it formed shimmering golden words suspended elegantly in the air for Darissa to read.

"Can I come over?"

Darissa's eyes widened faintly as she stared at the glowing text that floated with ethereal grace. Her surprise was not due to the question itself, she was not harboring any indecent thoughts, nor did she consider anything improper. Instead, she was shocked at the sheer absurdity of such refined Astra control.

During their recent class with Instructor Melissa, they had barely begun working on compressing their Astra spheres to the lowest possible size before even attempting intermediate control applications. But here, before her eyes, the Tenth Sun had manipulated Astra with such ease that he could literally write with it, as though it were ink in the hands of a calligrapher.

Her mind instinctively drifted back to their earlier encounter in the dark cavern pit, where she had witnessed him cutting through the monster and Emovirae horde like threads of grass before a blade. And she remembered, very clearly remembered, how he had dismissed her without hesitation, deeming her uninteresting. His words still echoed within her mind like a quiet whisper she could not forget.

"I'm merely not battling you because you are not interesting enough."

She remembered those words, not out of malice, not out of wounded pride, nor any of the foolish emotional responses someone lacking discipline might have. She remembered them as a reminder, a branded mark of her current level. A reminder that she was still lacking.

'Are we even supposed to be in the same class as this guy? Honestly, they should just send him to the third year or something,' Darissa thought to herself but kept those thoughts sealed behind her composed expression.

She simply nodded at Asher's Astra-engraved words, which floated for a moment longer before they dispersed in tiny golden motes that vanished soundlessly into the air like stardust returning to the night.

After a single class with Instructor Melissa, Asher's perspective on Astra control had shifted drastically. Previously, he only used his Astra to reinforce his elements or enhance his physical capabilities. He had never bothered to explore its versatility beyond combat efficiency and augmentation. But after watching Melissa demonstrate a few minor applications, Asher had begun to experiment.

While Perfect Astra Control granted him flawless execution and mastery over Astra flow, it did not tell him what to do with it. The application was left entirely to his own creativity. And now, he had begun to apply it more diversely. Just like this moment, he had simply thought about writing in the air with Astra, and his control had responded as though it were always meant to be used that way.

How far he could go with his ability depended entirely on how far his imagination and application could stretch.

A pulse of Astra rippled beneath his feet, and a circular platform forged out of condensed golden Astra formed silently, lifting him gently into the air. He hovered above the balcony railings like a silent wisp of starlight before gliding toward Darissa's balcony. As soon as he arrived, the Astra platform beneath him dissolved in elegant fragments, and a radiant dome formed instantly around both of them, shimmering like liquid gold, enclosing the balcony in a silent barrier.

"Good evening, Tenth Sun," Darissa greeted, her tone calm, neither overly formal nor disrespectful.

"It's simply an Astra dome that prevents sound from getting out," Asher said calmly, not wishing her to misunderstand his sudden creation of a barrier.

Darissa nodded at Asher's explanation. As someone whose Bloodline ability allowed her to manipulate, sense, and understand sound at an innate level, she did not need his clarification. With just a glance, she had already sensed it, the sound within the dome was being heavily restricted and contained, unable to escape the boundary. How exactly the Tenth Sun achieved it was beyond her full comprehension, but through her attunement to sound, she could roughly deduce several possible control methods.

"I know," she replied with composed elegance. "Due to my innate abilities with sound, I can tell."

"May I sit?" Asher asked, his voice smooth, carrying the refined mannerisms of someone raised with proper etiquette.

Darissa nodded, granting permission without unnecessary words. With that, the two of them took their seats on the balcony chairs, the gentle night breeze brushing past as the golden dome shimmered faintly like the surface of a calm star-lit lake.

Without missing a beat, Asher brought out a finely crafted jug of juice and two glass cups from his system inventory. He placed them gently on the small table between them with precise, unhurried movements.

Darissa raised an eyebrow. She found it surprising that the Tenth Sun had apparently spent Star Academy points on something as luxurious as premium juice. It was considered extravagant by most first-year standards. But in the next instant, her mind spun, and she arrived at a conclusion that felt more fitting.

The Tenth Sun had been awarded seven thousand points just hours ago, and the weekly 1,500 points for rank 1 were already known through the academy rulebook. That meant he had more than enough to indulge in such things.

However, her assumption was far from reality. This was not something he purchased, this was simply one of the delicacies Lyra had prepared for him before he left home.

"Care for some?" Asher asked with a faint, polite tone as he handed her a glass.

Darissa accepted without refusal. "...Thank you," she said simply.

"So," Asher asked casually, leaning back slightly, "how is the Star Academy treating you so far?"

Darissa looked ahead toward the illuminated landscape. Even though it was night, the Star Academy grounds glowed with refined light formations embedded across the structures and pathways, giving the place a serene yet noble atmosphere.

"I don't know yet," she replied after a moment of thought. "After all, it has barely been a few days since we became students, and the Star Academy has already faced an apocalypse."

Asher let out a small breath that resembled a brief laugh, amused by her wording. Time moved quietly between them as they shared small conversations, drifting seamlessly from one topic to another. Noble status, House names, and rankings held no weight here; the atmosphere felt surprisingly natural, unforced, and free of tension. It was not a discussion between rank one and rank seven, it was simply a conversation between two individuals beneath the stars.

An hour passed in quiet harmony, marked by occasional smiles and subtle nods rather than loud laughter. Eventually, Asher stood, offering a polite goodbye before returning to his own room to rest. Tomorrow, classes would resume, and after that, he intended to finally explore the long-awaited training facilities.

______

AUTHOR'S NOTE: We have finally climbed to the 18th rank. We need 25 golden tickets to climb to rank 17. LET'S GO!!! (⁠┛⁠◉⁠Д⁠◉⁠)⁠┛⁠彡⁠┻⁠━⁠┻

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