Damon didn’t press her on it. Some things didn’t need to be said aloud. He picked up his fork and started eating.

The food was warm, seasoned passably, and exactly what his body needed after burning through reserves he hadn’t known he had.

His system hummed quietly at the edge of his awareness, the recovery draught still doing its work, accelerated by the override. Every few minutes, the dull ache in his ribs faded a little more.

Sera ate across from him, her pace slower, more thoughtful. She kept glancing up like she wanted to ask something but hadn’t figured out the wording yet.

"Just say it," Damon said between bites.

"Say what?"

"Whatever you’ve been chewing on for the last five minutes."

She set down her fork. "Fine. How many people know about your class?"

"Two, you and one other. Others have seen my class name as well, but they don’t know the specifics, so it’s fine."

"The other person, are they a subordinate too?"

"No, just a friend." He paused. "She’s the reason I unlocked it, actually."

"She?" Sera’s eyebrow arched. "Now I’m curious."

"She was trapped during a breach. I went in to get her out." Damon shrugged, the motion pulling at his ribs. "Almost died, guess self-sacrifice was its condition the entire time."

Sera was quiet for a moment. Then she picked up her fork again.

"So you’re not just reckless now. You’ve always been reckless."

"Consistency is important."

Sera snorted. "That’s one word for it."

She didn’t push further, which Damon appreciated. Some stories took time to tell properly, and the Banshee incident still felt too close, even a month later.

The memory of that void, the golden text appearing in the darkness, the way his heart had stopped twice on the table, those weren’t lunch conversation.

"You should meet her sometime," Damon said. "Lena. She’s the one who’s been supplying my recovery potions."

"I can already make my own."

"Fair. But if you don’t have the time, Lena’s batches are pretty cheap, and the quality’s just as good as the regular ones."

Sera filed that information away with a nod.

"I’ll keep that in mind."

They finished their meals in a rhythm that had already grown comfortable. Damon hadn’t expected that. A month ago, eating with anyone outside the support group would have felt like walking through a minefield.

"So," Sera said, pushing her empty tray aside. "The party. You never gave me an answer."

"About forming one?"

"Obviously."

Damon set down his fork. The question deserved more than a casual response. Party formations were semi-permanent at the academy.

They affected scheduling, portal assignments, and even housing arrangements for upper-year students who qualified for shared quarters.

More importantly, a party meant shared responsibility. Shared risk. If Sera joined him and something went wrong, her safety became his problem in a way that went beyond the bond.

"You know my history," he said. "Two years as a dud. One month with a working system. I’m level three, and most of my abilities are still locked. There are stronger leaders you could pick."

"I’m aware."

"And you still want to party up?"

Sera leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms.

"Don’t make this harder than it has to be."

She leaned in close, voice dropping to a murmur near his ear.

"Just in case someone’s eavesdropping. You’re the only combat-class I’ve met who buffs allies just by being stronger. Inexperienced or not, I’m calling it an investment."

She sat down beside Damon, their shoulders brushing, and looked at him with an almost pleading, expectant gaze.

"Come on, I’ll be good."

"You’re more conniving than I thought..."

"I’m the good kind of conniving!"

Damon exhaled. It wasn’t quite a laugh, but it was close.

"The good kind of conniving," he repeated. "Is that what you’re calling it?"

"Absolutely. It’s a technical term."

She didn’t move away. Her shoulder was still pressed against his, and her expression had settled into something between hopeful and calculating. She knew exactly what she was doing, and she wasn’t bothering to hide it.

Damon found that he didn’t mind.

"Fine," he said. "We’ll form the party."

Sera’s face lit up. "Really?"

"On one condition."

Her smile dimmed slightly, suspicion flickering in her eyes. "What condition?"

"Watch what you’re doing in public, I’d rather not have rumours that we’re a couple."

Sera leaned back, her expression caught somewhere between indignation and embarrassment.

"That’s your condition?"

"You’re the one pressing your shoulder against mine in the middle of the dining hall."

"Fair point." She slid a few inches away, making a show of adjusting her robes. "Better?"

"Much."

"You’re no fun." But she was smiling again, the brief tension already gone. "Alright, no couple rumors. I’ll behave myself in public. Happy?"

"Ecstatic."

Sera rolled her eyes and pulled out her communicator. "I’ll send the party request. You just need to accept it on your end."

A notification pulsed at the edge of Damon’s vision.

[PARTY INVITATION]

[SERA AZURE — STORM CALLER — C-RANK]

[ACCEPT / DECLINE] 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

He accepted.

[PARTY FORMED]

[MEMBERS: 2]

[PARTY LEADER: DAMON PERSIVAL]

[SHARED EXPERIENCE: ENABLED]

[PARTY CHAT: ACTIVE]

"There," Sera said, tucking her communicator away. "Now you’re stuck with me."

"Lucky me."

Sera laughed, a genuine sound that turned a few heads at nearby tables. Damon noticed the looks but didn’t react. A month ago, those stares would have been pitying or dismissive.

Now they were curious. Wary, even.

"So," Sera said, propping her chin on her hand. "What’s the plan, boss? You’ve got solo authorization and a shiny new party. What do we do first?"

Damon considered the question. He had seventy tribute saved. Enough for a few subordinate upgrades, skill upgrades, or even a Lesser Summon.

His ribs were still healing, which ruled out another immediate portal run, but there was plenty he could do in the meantime.

"First, I need to check in with Lena. She’s probably heard about the King Slime by now, and if I don’t give her an update, she’ll track me down herself."

"The friend who supplies your potions?"

"The same. She worries."

"Is she your girlfriend?"

"No, but she definitely behaves like one."