Zane pushed open the door to his dorm, expecting peace and quiet. Instead, Sera was there, arms crossed, wearing a sly grin.
"I figured out how to fly," she announced like she'd just solved the world's biggest mystery.
Zane blinked, surprised. "Oh, cool. Congrats."
He flopped onto his bed, muscles sore and brain still scrambled from the fight.
Then Sera blurted out, "But seriously, the way you lost? That wasn't a fight. That was a public beat down. She didn't even break a sweat. You got dunked on hard."
Zane shot her a cold look. "Thanks for the morale boost."
Sera laughed. "Hey, I'm just saying what everyone's thinking. You looked like you were trying to swat a fly with a feather."
Zane groaned and covered his face. "Can you please not do that right now?"
"Sorry, sorry," she said, barely holding back a grin. "But hey, if you want, I can teach you how to fly too. Maybe then you'll have a chance next time."
Zane cracked one eye open. "Yeah, and maybe I'll become a fire-breathing dragon while I'm at it."
Sera chuckled and plopped down next to him. "You need a serious upgrade, my friend."
Zane sighed, but there was a small smile tugging at his lips. "Guess I'm stuck with you as my hype squad."
"Hey, someone's gotta keep you humble."