After finishing their food, Riarshi, Tabito, and Hara remained sitting in the booth and listened to the music playing out in the square. The tune playing from the center was loud enough that it carried through the open window, giving the teens a show along with dinner, for no extra charge.

The music was pleasant and relaxing to listen to. Originally a mix of classical rock when they first arrived, a newer group had taken control of the stage while the three of them ate. The band, consisting of five members, was much more laid back and conservative than the previous. Their smooth guitar rifts, long beards tied at the ends with beads, and rainbow-colored bandannas reflected their more lax outlook on music. The slow rhythm of the strings and the light tap of the drum cymbals nearly lulled Riarshi to sleep as the heavy food took its time digesting in his stomach.

Tabito wasn't exaggerating or lying when he claimed this place was a popular spot for students. At about five o'clock, dozens of fellow Hero Program students and other people their age flooded into Merino's, filling each available booth and table. The soft mutter that once floated throughout the diner transitioned to loud conversations and the occasional chime of glasses and utensils. Orders flooded through the service window, causing the fryers and grills to sizzle louder than before. The noisy bustle of the packed diner was the only thing keeping Riarshi awake in his seat.

The quality of the food also pleasantly surprised Riarshi. It was cheap enough for a commoner to afford, but the taste was so unreal someone truly skillful must have prepared and cooked it - possibly with the help of magic.

Tabito had also been exceedingly friendly the entire time they ate. He told Riarshi everything about Spiritfield, such as the optimal times to shop at the square (or the other plazas located around the city), the best clubs to party and drink at, which store keepers would rip you off if you didn't haggle the price, and where to buy the best tasting food. He laid out every little detail of what this city offered between bites of his own meal.

At first, Riarshi was nervous about exploring Spiritfield. His heart raced whenever he thought about walking through it alone or without guidance. His body, now itching with excitement, yearned to see every inch of the enormous city. His normal routine of nightly exercise and movies was growing dull now that he had become an adult. 

Sharing a laugh with Tabito, Riarshi realized that this was panning out to be one of the best nights he had in a while.

His mind and body felt free. He was... happy.

Riarshi wanted to sit for a while longer to savor his dinner, even if he had to take a late bus home tonight. Despite being happily awoken to the wonders Spiritfield offered, and the wonderful music playing out in the square, the best part about this meal was that it was a gift. Even better, it was a favor from someone who hadn't once treated him like dirt.

Something still lingered in the back of Riarshi's mind. A sharp insecurity. He had not once encountered someone with stronger magic who considered him an equal.

Why was Tabito different?

Riarshi rubbed his full belly, curious if Tabito's earlier words were truly sincere. Tabito had already told him about his sister, but Riarshi needed more reassurance. He only hoped that what he was about to ask wouldn't annoy Tabito.

"So, Tabito, I was just wondering... Does being in public with a Lagic like me bother you? You probably know by now, but not many people are rooting for me in the Program. In fact, I bet more than half of everyone in class wants me to fail out. Every day I have someone tell me I don't belong and it would be best if I just dropped out. Are you scared what they'll think if people see you with me? They may start going after you."

The directness of this question stunned Tabito for a second, evident by his raised eyebrows, slightly parted lips, and initial silence. He smiled after a second and rested his arms on the back of the booth. 

"Nah, I don't care about any of that, man. Let them say whatever, I don't care. Fun fact, by the way, my dad is a commoner himself."

Riarshi straightened up in the booth. That couldn't be true. "Wait... what? How's that possible? You have such powerful magic."

Tabito shrugged, raising his hands. "Well, to be honest, my mom is a powerful Hero herself, top 50 in-fact. Years ago while she was in the Hero Program she met my dad here at Merino's when he was a just busboy trying to get by. Low and behold, they hit it off - almost literally - and pop, I'm here!" Tabito lifted his drink and took a sip. "So I don't care about high level, low level. None of that matters to me. What matters most to me is someone's character."

Hara snorted in the corner seat. Tabito and Riarshi glanced at her.

"Speak for yourself, Tabito." 

Crawling out of her phone induced isolation, Hara joined in on the conversation. "Lagics are a waste of magic... plain and simple. Why possess magic if you can barely do anything with it? It would have been better spent on a Hero who'd put that extra magic to use. We're the ones society expects to become Heroes, Tabito. We're the ones who have to deal with that pressure daily... They don't." Her cold eyes shot over toward Riarshi.

Riarshi threw a sharp glare back at the girl. It was obvious she was speaking as though he wasn't there, but anybody with a brain could tell she had directed these comments at him.

Although her looks initially drew Riarshi in, Hara's high and mighty attitude had annoyed him since the moment she coldly acknowledged his presence in the classroom. The times she spoke that afternoon were to Tabito and Tabito only, making Riarshi feel somewhat foolish and cast aside. 

It was this comment about low magic users which tarnished the remaining speck of beauty she still retained in his mind.

Without thinking, a random, unexpected force took over Riarshi's vocal cords. "I bet a strong Hero like Giradin wouldn't agree with that."

At that instant, something crushed each glass on the table into thousands of small fragments, showering everything in glittering shards and cheap soda.

"Oops," she sneered, returning her eyes to her phone with an agitated expression on her face.

Before Riarshi could reflect on his dangerous comment, he noticed soda dripping onto his pants from the table's edge.

"Oh, sh-." he squealed, then hurried himself to the bathroom to prevent the stain from setting in.

What the hell, I just bought these at the shop last weekend, I can't let them get stained now.

Bursting into the small diner bathroom, the door swinging violently on its hinges, he snatched a handful of paper towels from the wall dispenser and began vigorously patting the right leg of his pants, hoping to stop the spread.

Pat don't rub, pat don't rub, he repeated mentally.

Riarshi was tending to the stain conquering his pants when the bathroom door, which had stopped swinging, creaked open. Unaware of the person walking behind him, Riarshi elbowed them in the ribs when he prepared his final attack.

Despite being on the verge of victory against the stain, Riarshi retreated from his attack to glance back at who he hit.

His face dropped along with the soda stained paper towel.

Hunching over at the waist with his hands guarded over his chest was a tall, teal-haired boy. Coughing from the vicious elbow to the sternum, the boy fixated yellow rage-filled eyes on Riarshi.

The boy snickered, still trying to find his breath. "Well, look who it is. What the hell you doing here, Lagic?"

It was Leon. His eyes filled with a menacing glow that dropped Riarshi's stomach to his toes.

Before Riarshi could react, Leon snatched him by the collar, turned with a powerful thrust of his hips, and pinned him against the bathroom wall. The thud from the impact vibrated to the floor and sent a wave of pain through Riarshi's spine.

A crooked smile smeared across Leon's jaw. "Hey, don't look so scared," he said with an artificial, reassuring voice. "You elbowed me first, remember? This is all in self defense."

Leon tightened his grip on Riarshi's collar, pushing him harder into the wall, constricting Riarshi's throat. Riarshi gurgled from Leon's hold and the knuckles pressed against his windpipe, the pressure only allowing him to mutter between desperate gasps, "Ugh - shit - stop Le-"

Riarshi's vision slowly faded. The muffled sounds of the diner blended into an irregular gurgle that sounded as though he was floating underwater.

He couldn't breathe, and his lungs screamed for air. His lips blued.

But before everything went dark, before he fell into the depths unconsciousness, the door to the bathroom swung open and slammed against the bathroom wall. Standing in the entrance was Tabito with the same fiery tint to his orange eyes he had at the first exam.

"Come on. Let him go, Leon," Tabito growled with his eyes ablaze. Tabito wasn't using magic, but Riarshi could feel a scorching heat raging against his skin.

Leon's glowing eyes zeroed in on Tabito. "What's it matter to you anyway, Tabito?" he snarled.

"Look at him," said Tabito, pointing to Riarshi, "whatever he did to make you mad wasn't intentional. You think someone with his strength would pick a fight with you? You're such a powerful high magic user, Leon. It would be stupid of him to do something like that on purpose." He threw a sly wink to Riarshi.

Although these words somewhat stung, Riarshi understood what Tabito was doing.

Releasing a long, annoyed sigh, Leon loosened his grip on Riarshi's collar and dropped him onto the tiled floor. Riarshi landed hard on his bottom.

Leon's upper lip arched in a snarl. He angrily pointed at Riarshi. "You mess with me again, kid, I'll beat the ever living shit out of you. Don't think you've become an equal of ours just because you've made it two weeks into the Program. You know nothing about what it takes to become a Hero, to be one of us." He turned and stormed out the bathroom, shooting Tabito a sharp glare. 

Tabito waved and smiled at him as he passed.

Once Leon slammed the bathroom door, Riarshi collected himself from the floor. His throat still hurt. 

"Thanks, Tabito. I guess I owe you one again," he said with a chuckle, fixing his loosened collar and rubbing his rear.

"Nah, don't worry about it. That one was on the house." The fire in Tabito's eyes had cooled, and he again spread his wide, trademarked smile.

***

Tabito, Riarshi, and Hara paid their bill, leaving a little extra on the table for the crushed glasses (Tabito apologized to the owner personally), and promptly left the diner. 

The sky still had a slight orange tint to it from the setting sun, but the nightly stars were beginning their reign over the light-indigo sky. Street lights and neon signs illuminated the sidewalks.

The three of them stood at the street corner as they said their goodbyes. Hara was the first to part ways, claiming she had to study that night. Riarshi knew she just wanted to get away as soon as possible. She said goodbye to Tabito (while completely ignoring Riarshi), turned away from them, then walked down the street.

"Don't let what she says bother you." Tabito muttered as they watched her off. "I know it may be hard for you to believe, but deep down she really is kind. It just takes some time for her to see through this stupid high magic and low magic divide."

Riarshi observed the short, black-haired girl as she turned down a side street and out of sight.

Her, kind? Hard to believe, to be honest.

Riarshi rolled his eyes. Then, something sparked in his mind, and he couldn't restrain his sudden curiosity. 

"We've only had classes for a couple weeks. How do you know her so well? She always sits alone and never speaks to anyone in class."

"She and I went to the same private schooling here in Spiritfield," said Tabito, placing his hands on his hips. "We've known each other since we were little kids. She's always been the loner type, doing everything by herself. But I know her better than anybody. So trust me when I say this... She'll warm up to you, I promise."

"Ah, I see. Well... let's hope so," said Riarshi, not believing this claim for a second.

With Tabito's suggestion, the boys exchanged phone numbers. Tabito bid Riarshi farewell and walked down the street.

"Partner for the next assignment?" Tabito yelled back at Riarshi, waving and fading into the distance.

"Yeah, sounds good!"

Despite the bumpy ride with Hara and the run in with Leon, Riarshi considered today a success. Maybe it wasn't so bad straying away from the routine and extending out of his comfort zone.

Originally determined to complete this program on his own, Riarshi decided that this initial plan would need to take a detour for now.