Chapter 2: Not everything looks like heaven

The next day, Valor found himself running into Lina again, this time at the academy. She approached him with a warm smile, introducing herself as Lina.

Lina: "Hey Valor, I just wanted to thank you again for yesterday. You saved my life."

Valor: "No problem, it's what I was trained to do."

Lina: "I brought you something. I made you some food, I thought we could eat together."

Valor's eyes lit up, as he was always grateful for a hot meal. But before he could even answer, Lina's face fell.

Lina: "I'm sorry, I can't. I have a fiancé. My father arranged the marriage."

Valor could see the sadness in her eyes, and he felt a pang of sympathy for her.

Valor: "I understand. I'm sorry."

Lina: "It's not your fault. It's just the way things are. But, thank you for understanding."

Valor watched as Lina walked away, and he couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right. He made a mental note to keep an eye on her, to make sure that she was safe and happy. And who knows, maybe one day they would be able to have that meal together. But for now, Valor had a duty to perform, and he was determined to do it to the best of his abilities.

After getting food from Lina, Valor continued his studies with focus. During break time, he ate the lunch Lina had packed for him and complimented her on the delicious meal. After break, Valor went to the training arena to practice his physical abilities and powers with others, including Lina. Lina was excited to see Valor in the same training group, but Valor kept his distance and didn't speak to her, even though Lina often tried to talk to him. This left Lina feeling sad and neglected.

Lina: "Hey Valor! How's your training going?"

Valor: (awkwardly) "Uh, good. I'm just trying to focus."

Lina: "Oh, okay. I've been wanting to talk to you since yesterday. I really appreciate what you did for me. I don't know what I would've done without you."

Valor: (uncomfortably) "It was nothing. I was just doing my duty as a student of this academy."

Lina: "Well, it means a lot to me. And, I hope we can be friends."

Valor: (sighs) "I'm sorry, Lina. I don't think that's a good idea."

Lina: (taken aback) "Why not?"

Valor: (looks away) "I just have a lot going on right now. I need to focus on my training and my powers."

Lina: (tearfully) "Oh... okay. I understand."

As Valor was training, a sudden emergency alarm went off, causing all students to run to the changing room to prepare themselves. However, Valor didn't follow suit. Instead, he quickly headed towards the source of the emergency. He found out that there were several giants attacking a house in the western area. Valor immediately went there and attacked the giants quickly. Despite his efforts, some of the giants managed to escape from his sight and ended up destroying half of the residential area. But, eventually, the giants were defeated. A few minutes later, the "Specials" team arrived. Valor was scolded by his senior for acting recklessly and failing to secure the area. From a distance, Lina observed the situation and whispered to herself, "Ever since yesterday, I have been wondering how Valor was able to find me among the rubble, when the giants and other "Specials" couldn't even find me. Is he different from the other Specials?" After that, Valor was punished for his actions.

Valor: "I'm sorry, I just wanted to save those people and I didn't think about the consequences."

Senior: "Your actions were careless, you need to think before you act. You are a special, you need to be extra careful."

Lina: (approaching them) "Excuse me, I saw what happened and I believe Valor's actions were brave. He was only trying to help."

Senior: "That may be true, but he still needs to be more cautious. We are the only line of defense against the giants, we can't afford to have any mistakes."

Valor: "Alright, I will accept the punishment"

After that valor has been brought to the punishment in their acedmy. After that, Lina meet the senior.

Lina: "You can't understate his punishment?

After that, Valor was sent to his learning center for his punishment. Lina met with the senior earlier and asked if the punishment for Valor couldn't be reduced. The senior named Fizkal replied with a no, as this was not the first time Valor had made a mistake. Lina stated that what Valor did was right as he did not waste his time on doing things that were not useful. However, Fizkal retorted that the rules were in place and they needed to be followed.

Lina then had a longer conversation with Fizkal, trying to convince him to lessen Valor's punishment.

Lina: "I understand that Valor made a mistake but he was just trying to protect the people in that area."

Fizkal: "I understand your concern, Lina. But as a senior, I need to enforce the rules and make sure that everyone follows them."

Lina: "But what Valor did was brave and commendable. He should be rewarded, not punished."

Fizkal: "I see where you're coming from, but the rules are in place for a reason. We need to make sure that everyone follows them, regardless of their intentions."

Lina: "But what about the people that were saved because of Valor's actions? Don't they deserve to be considered as well?"

Fizkal: "I understand your point, Lina. But as a senior, I have to follow the rules and make sure that everyone follows them. I can't make exceptions just for one person."

Despite Lina's efforts, Fizkal did not budge and Valor had to face his punishment. But Lina continued to believe in Valor's bravery and she was determined to find a way to help him.