Chapter 150: Chapter 150: Matriarchal 101: Attendance Required
Zaeryn could feel the subtle shift in her posture, relaxed, but not entirely unguarded. Like a blade sheathed but ready to draw. "Glad to hear it. Though if this is how we welcome new members, I might start recruiting more aggressively."
Ingrid twisted slightly, her yellow hair brushing his jaw as she shot him a sidelong glance. Her stormy eyes sparkled with mischief, but there was an edge to it, like she was testing boundaries. "Don’t get ahead of yourself. This is temporary. Until I decide if you’re worth the hype."
Although in all honesty, Ingrid didn’t even know what she was doing. When she had sat down, she made the decision in a split second for a reason even she didn’t understand. It was like she had been drawn to him. It was not in her nature to do things like this.
Right now they looked more like lovers. No one would guess they only met 35 minutes ago.
Genevieve crossed her arms, her earlier jealousy morphing into a competitive grin. "Temporary? You’re practically marking territory."
Ingrid’s smirk widened, and she leaned back further, her curves pressing against him in a way that sent a jolt through Zaeryn’s.
Zaeryn felt a bit bolder and he let his hands finally get comfortable, tightening them fully around her. The fabric of her uniform was smooth beneath his palms, but the solid curve of her body was undeniable.
She turned to.him.a little, the feeling of him holding her was pleasant.
It wasn’t an aggressive grab, more a statement, a quiet acceptance of her challenge and an assertion of his own presence. This wasn’t just her ’punishment’; he was participating now, claiming his own piece of the interaction.
Ingrid went still for a fraction of a second, the only sign of surprise a barely perceptible intake of breath. Then, instead of pulling away or stiffening, she relaxed against him, a subtle shift that felt like surrender, or perhaps, an invitation.
Her stormy eyes flickered up to meet his over her shoulder, the challenge still there, but now mixed with something new, something hotter. "Getting comfortable, are we?" she murmured, her voice losing some of its earlier sharpness, taking on a huskier edge.
Just then, a clear, resonant chime echoed through the hallway, signaling the imminent start of the next class period.
Yuna gathered her data-slate with a relieved sigh. "Okay, that’s our cue. Vitae Theory, right?"
Ingrid let out a small sigh but didn’t move immediately. The sound vibrated against Zaeryn’s chest. Zaeryn felt a twinge of disappointment – the bell had interrupted just as things were getting... interesting.
"Guess class calls," Jyn said, nudging Ingrid’s foot.
Ingrid finally pushed herself up, the movement lacking her earlier sharpness. She turned, her stormy eyes meeting Zaeryn’s. The challenge was still there, but softened, replaced by a flicker of something new – attraction maybe, or genuine curiosity.
She turned her attention to the others, "Alright, see you guys later. You too Zaeryn." She walked away.
___
Not long after, Zaeryn, Jyn, Yuna and Morticia walked through the hallway leading to theit classroom.
"Since they didn’t come with us, I’m guessing Genevieve and Ingrid are seniors?"
"Yes they are. They are two levels above us.’ Morticia responded.
"Let’s hurry, we don’t want to be late." Yuna urged them. Hurrying.
Jyn sighed with a hint of annoyance, "We won’t get late, Yuna."
"What’s next? More combat?" Zaeryn asked.
"No, but we are still going to learn something essential in understanding the foundation of our society," Yuna responded to him, looking a bit hesitant."We are going to learn all about, Matriarchal Legal Frameworks,"
Zaeryn groaned, the enthusiasm draining from his face.
"Matriarchal Legal Frameworks? Seriously? This stuff belongs on a normal school or University. I thought this was a Warlady academy, not law school. Why do we even have to learn that?"
It was Morticia who answered him this time, she offered him a small, patient smile. "It’s a required course. A Warlady isn’t just a weapon; she’s an agent of the Queendom. We have to understand the laws we enforce."
Jyn groaned dramatically."Ugh, the most boring class in the entire academy. Professor Anya goes on and on, for hours. My private tutoring sessions are way more educational, I promise."
Morticia laughed lightly, "I’m surprised you even have a private tutoring."
"Not my choice. My parents force me to take private tutoring." She exhaled exasperatedly, "But it’s a good thing, now I can play around in class." she turned to Zaeryn, "Are you excited?"
Zaeryn looked at her as if she had insulted him. Excited? About this?
"Oh wonderful... this is exactly what I came here for," he said, his voice thick with mock enthusiasm. "I can hardly contain my excitement at the thought of taking notes for hours. Truly, this will be the highlight of my academic career."
Jyn giggled at the sarcasm in his voice. "Come on, special one,"
"In all seriousness, I am disappointed. I thought since it’s called the vitae academy, it would focus more on combat training." He said.
"Sorry to disappoint." Morticia said.
They continued walking. The academy halls were buzzing now, girls streaming in every direction like a well-oiled machine, some laughing about whatever drama had popped up, others buried in holo-pads, cramming last-minute notes. Zaeryn fell into step between Jyn, Yuna and Morticia, the air humming with that faint Vitae energy that always made the place feel alive, like the walls themselves were breathing.
"Matriarchal Legal Frameworks," Zaeryn muttered again, shaking his head as they turned a corner into a wider corridor lined with glowing murals of ancient Warladys kicking monster ass. "Sounds like a nap waiting to happen."
"Please, don’t say nap... you’re just giving me ideas now," Jyn sighed dramatically.
Zaeryn laughed. "Anyways, back on ear... uh, in my old neighborhood, we’d call that ’bureaucratic bullshit 101.’"
Morticia snorted, bumping her shoulder against his lightly.
"Oh, come on, it’s not that bad. Professor Anya’s voice is basically a lullaby—calm, even, perfect for absorbing the material... if you actually try." She shot a pointed, teasing glance at Jyn. "Unlike some people who prefer to absorb information via doodling attack formations."
Jyn stuck her tongue out playfully. "Hey! It’s not my fault the statutes governing inter-sector trade agreements are less interesting than designing a theoretical Vorthak-disintegrator beam! Besides," she added with an exaggerated sigh, "my parents force me to take private tutoring anyway. They’re obsessed with me getting top marks, even in the boring stuff. So I can afford to slack off a little in class."
Yuna cleared her throat, gesturing ahead. "We should hurry."
She walked a step ahead, leading them toward the lecture wing, her posture straight and responsible. "It’s important, you three. The Queendom’s laws aren’t just rules; they’re what keep the Sectors stable."
"You don’t need to tell me that, I know," Morticia responded, falling into step beside Yuna.
They slipped into the lecture hall just as the doors were hissing shut. While Jyn and Yuna aimed for the back row, Morticia paused.
"Hey, Morticia, aren’t you going to sit with us?" Zaeryn asked.
"Yeah, no. I mean, I would love to, but Jyn..." She trailed off, giving Jyn another teasing look.
Jyn rolled her eyes, "Yeah, yeah, we get it. I’m a ’distraction’."
"No offense, but it’s hard to concentrate with her around sometimes," Morticia admitted with a small smile. "Maybe you should sit with me if you actually want to pay attention?" she offered to Zaeryn.
"Maybe next time," Zaeryn answered kindly. He followed Yuna and Jyn, grabbing seats in the back row.
The room was amphitheater-style, tiers of sleek desks curving down to a central podium where Professor Anya already stood, her dark hair pulled into a severe bun, her uniform crisp and no-nonsense. She had that scholarly vibe, tall, wiry, with eyes that could spot a slacker from across the room. But unlike Professor Jade, she looked a bit softer, more reasonable.
"Settle in, cadets," Professor Anya intoned, her voice exactly as the girls described: calm, even, almost hypnotic. The holo-screen behind her flickered to life, projecting a timeline of Queendom history in glowing blue lines. "Today, we... Oh."
She paused, her gaze landing on Zaeryn. A flicker of mild, academic surprise crossed her features. ’Oh, the male is here,’ she thought. Her eyes did a quick scan. Her gaze lingered for a fraction of a second longer than necessary.
She focused on him, her expression casual, "You must be Zaeryn Noctis. Welcome."
Zaeryn offered a small, charming smile. "Thank you, Professor. Looking forward to learning all about your... frameworks."
Her own lips moved, fighting a smile. ’Oh, I’m sure you are,’ she thought.
"See that you do, Mr. Noctis," she said aloud, her voice crisp. She turned back to the holo-screen. The comment, delivered in her signature monotone, was so dryly witty that Jyn had to stifle a laugh behind her hand. Yuna looked visibly relieved.
’Okay,’ Zaeryn thought, relaxing slightly. ’Not a man-hater. Just... focused.’
Professor Anya turned back to her lecture. "As I was saying. We’ll delve into the foundational pillars of Matriarchal Legal Frameworks..."
Zaeryn slouched in his seat, pulling out his own holo-pad. The class droned on. Halfway through, Jyn leaned over, whispering hot against his ear. "See? Told you. Lullaby city." Her hand brushed his under the desk, a quick, teasing squeeze before she pulled back.
Yuna shushed her softly, but there was a smile tugging at her lips too. "Pay attention."
__
At Stellan Innovations, the main research floor buzzed with quiet focus, but something had shifted beneath the surface.
Bright white lights reflected off spotless floors and metal desks, casting a clean glow over screens filled with shifting data and colorful graphs.
Sasha stood before the primary console, her usual professional detachment replaced by laser-focused intensity. Her vibrant blue ponytail was pulled tighter than usual, mirroring the tension in her shoulders.
Beside her, Elara, the dark-haired researcher whose initial shock had turned into fervent collaboration monitored a secondary screen, watching numbers spike and dip in real-time.
"Parameters locked in," Elara murmured, her eyes flicking between the display and Sasha. "We’re ready to simulate what happens when we integrate the new genetic code with Vitae energy. Using the baseline data from Dr. Stellan’s earlier work."
Sasha nodded, her emerald eyes fixed on the main screen. A virtual plant seed rotated slowly, its structure being rewritten line by line. "Initiate the Vitae saturation pulse. Phase one."
Her mind kept replaying yesterday. Zaeryn. The male anomaly. Sage’s boyfriend. He’d walked into this lab, looked at data that had stumped them for months, and offered a solution so simple and elegant it was infuriating.
He’d dismissed it as just riffing off Sage’s work, but Sasha knew better. She’d seen his mind work. The intuitive leap he’d made wasn’t borrowed brilliance, it was genuine insight. He was a genius in disguise.
The simulation began. Golden threads of energy flooded across the screen, weaving into the newly modified genetic structure. On Elara’s monitor, the stability graphs spiked, then wavered precariously. Both women held their breath. This was the moment where every previous attempt had failed.
Where the organism rejected the energy and fell apart. However this time it felt different.
"Holding steady..." Elara whispered, her gaze locked on the fluctuating lines. "The cellular structure isn’t collapsing. Integrity is... 98.7%!"
A sharp, predatory voice cut through their concentration.
"Still chasing that male’s fantasy, Sasha? I thought Dr. Stellan valued actual science, not pillow talk from an unqualified man."
Vivienne Haximus leaned against her own console, arms crossed, every inch the picture of condescending amusement. Her ice-blue eyes scanned their setup with disdain.
Unlike Sasha and Elara, she simply didn’t believe that Zaeryn’s advice was worth trying. He was nothing but a make anyways.
Sasha ignored her, her focus absolute. "Phase two. Simulate what happens when we increase the energy field around it."
The simulation shifted. The holographic seed sprouted, pushing through virtual soil, surrounded by pulsing energy. The stability graphs dipped again, but didn’t crash. They stabilized at a lower percentage.
"It’s working," Elara breathed, disbelief and elation warring in her voice. "The structure is adapting. It’s accepting the energy as part of itself."
Sasha allowed herself a small, tight smile. Vindication warmed her chest. "Run it again. Triple the energy field."
"Triple?" Elara hesitated. "That usually causes everything to break down instantly."
"Do it."
Vivienne pushed off her console, drawn despite herself. The mocking smirk vanished. Her expression sharpened into something calculating as she watched the simulation unfold on the main display. She saw the structure hold. She saw the virtual organism not just survive but thrive under conditions that should have destroyed it.
The implications hit her all at once, and they were staggering. If this worked, if it actually worked it wasn’t just solving a problem. It was changing everything about how they understood energy integration. And the source? Not months of research by certified brilliant minds like herself.
Not careful lab work and published studies.
A casual observation from Sage Stellan’s unqualified male companion.
The thought was galling. Humiliating. But even more than that, she was impressed out of her mind. ’This is, utterly, undeniably brilliant.’ she thought to herself. ’That boy is a genius.’