Three days had passed since the intense training session in the forest, and the mood around the Heroes' Palace seemed to have shifted. General Damocles had arranged a meeting for all the present trainees in the cafeteria. We gathered around the large table, anxious to hear what he had to say.

General Damocles, an older man with a brown cloth covered in gold accents, stood facing us. He tapped a small spoon on a glass, "Attention please! Attention!"

Clearing his throat, he addressed the assembled trainees.

"Good morning, everyone," he began. "I hope you've been settling in well and making good progress in your training."

A few murmurs of agreement echoed through the room, and General Damocles nodded in satisfaction. "As you all know, we're constantly seeking to improve our training methods to better prepare you for the challenges ahead. After careful consideration and consultation with the current Heroes, we've decided to implement a training reform."

Curiosity filled the room as we exchanged glances. A training reform could mean many things, but it was clear that the excitement was building.

"Starting from today, we'll be focusing on one class per day," General Damocles continued. "This will allow you to have more time to master each skill and give the trainers an opportunity to assess your individual progress more effectively."

A small cheer erupted from some of the trainees, relieved at the prospect of having more time to practice and learn. General Damocles raised his hand to quiet the room.

"Additionally, we've decided to divide you into three smaller groups, based on your performance and strengths so far."

The room fell silent as we awaited our group assignments. General Damocles took a moment to study the gathered trainees before continuing.

"Group A will have Captain Bustier's class on Strategy," he announced. "Group B will be with Master Fu for Martial Arts and Combat Training, and Group C will have Lady Mendeleev for Survival Basics. The classes will switch tomorrow, but your group will remain the same."

I felt a mix of emotions as I heard my group assignment. I was placed in Group A, which meant I would have Captain Bustier's class on Strategy. I glanced around, trying to see who else was in my group— Chloe, Nino, and some girl with reddish-brown hair I didn't know.

A part of me felt relieved that Adrien wasn't in my group. It gave me a chance to focus on my training without the added distraction of his presence. But at the same time, I couldn't help but feel a tinge of disappointment.

As the meeting concluded, everyone dispersed to their respective classes. I found myself sitting in a room with Chloe, Nino, and the unknown girl, ready to start Captain Bustier's class on Strategy.

Captain Bustier, an energetic woman with auburn hair, blue eyes, and freckles, entered the room with a bright smile. She radiated enthusiasm and warmth, and it was clear that she had a genuine passion for teaching.

"Welcome, everyone," she greeted us cheerfully. "I hope you're all ready to put your brains to the test. Strategy is about thinking critically and making quick decisions in battle. It's not just about raw strength; it's about using your mind to outsmart your opponents. As heroes, you will be fighting Akumas— monsters created by The Dark One. Each Akuma can have different powers, appearances, and strengths. It is crucial to pay attention and analyze your enemy so you can kill it most effectively."

Captain Bustier handed us a paper with a written battle scenario on it.

"Imagine you're in a battle against a group of monsters, and you have three types of weapons: swords, bows, and magic spells. Each weapon has a different effectiveness against different Akumas. Usually in combat, weak Akumas will stick together while more powerful ones travel alone. This time, you are fighting a group of Akumas. The swords are highly effective against Akumas with increased strength, bows work best against flying Akumas, and magic spells are most effective against Akumas with teleportation powers. You have three fighters in your team: A, B, and C. Fighter A is skilled with swords, Fighter B is an expert with bows, and Fighter C is a powerful spellcaster. Each fighter can take down two monsters of their respective type before they need to rest. How do you strategically deploy your fighters to take down a group of 12 Akumas, consisting of Akumas with strength powers, flying Akumas, and Akumas with teleportation powers?"

The reddish-brown haired girl paused for a second then spoke. "We need to ensure that each fighter is deployed against their most effective target. Fighter A should focus on the strong Akumas, Fighter B on the flying Akumas, and Fighter C on the teleporting Akumas. That way, each fighter can take down six monsters before needing to rest."

Chloe shook her head, "Wrong. The monsters could attack us simultaneously. Fighter A won't be able to take down all the strong Akumas before needing to rest."

"Good point, Chloe." Captain Bustier patted her on the back, and Chloe's face lit up with pride.

I raised my hand to speak. "True, but we can have Fighter C use their magic spells to support Fighter A against the strong Akumas. That way, they can take them down more efficiently."

Nino grinned, "And while Fighter C is supporting Fighter A, Fighter B can take down the flying Akumas with their bows. After that, Fighter C can switch to using spells against the teleporting Akumas."

Nino high-fived me, and Chloe gave me a sour look at her idea being disproven.

"It's not guaranteed. Even if the fighters support each other, that still requires energy. They'll still get tired." Chloe grumbled.

The reddish-brown haired girl nodded at her. "We don't even know how many of each Akuma type there are, we just know there's 12 in total."

Chloe rolled her eyes, "Finally, someone here with a brain."

Nino glared at her.

"It's okay Chloe, everyone has different opinions for different circumstances." Captain Bustier said. "Nino's plan could work, but you pointed out a logical fallacy in the plan, so yes, this would overall depend on how many of each different Akuma is present during the battle."

I looked down. Just when Chloe and I seemed to get along, I had managed to upset her. I took a deep breath and tried again. "What I meant was that Nino's scenario is a good idea, but it isn't guaranteed to work. You're right too, Chloe."

The reddish-brown haired girl gushed, "You're so smart, Chloe!"

Chloe looked happy with either herself as she extended a hand towards the girl. "Name?"

She smiled and gave a small bow. "Sabrina Raincomprix, Lady Bougeois."

The blonde-haired girl now looked even more pleased, "You know my name?"

Sabrina nodded, "I worked at the Royal Palace as a servant. I never had a chance to talk you before because…well…you didn't really like me back then…" She rubbed her arm awkwardly, "We met before. You poured a cup of water on my head and told me to get lost once because I was blocking the sun while you were trying to sunbathe near the river."

Nino let out a small laugh and a small giggle escaped from my lips, even though it wasn't funny at all. I just have a habit of laughing when other people do.

"Oh." Chloe's face turned red with embarrassment. She tried to compose herself to speak, but the blush still remained, "Sorry. I…guess I should've known you first before snapping like that."

Nino leaned in to whisper, "Wow, what's this? Chloe? Making friends? Impossible. You're so unlucky to be stuck with that bitch as your roommate."

"Eh. She can be nice when she wants. She's sorta like a wild card." I told him.

As the day went on, I noticed a shift in Chloe's attitude—in everyone's, actually. Classes were actually enjoyable now that they didn't cram so many subjects into one day. Chloe seemed less confrontational and more approachable, especially at lunch. Even lunch was at different times for each group, so I never saw Adrien at all today.

During a break between classes, I found myself wandering through the palace grounds. The beautiful scenery and the soft breeze against my skin offered a moment of peace amidst the chaos of training. My thoughts inevitably drifted to Adrien.

I wanted to know him more, but I also couldn't shake the feeling that he was out of my league. He was the prince, the future king, and I was just a commoner, a nobody in the grand scheme of things. Heroes didn't have the same ranking system, but if, by some miracle, I had a chance to not be a Hero like Luka, I would still be a commoner.

I replayed our conversations in my mind, which made me wonder why he was being so friendly towards me. Sure, we had some (like, very, very few) shared experiences, but it still felt strange that he seemed genuinely interested in getting to know me. I reminded myself that he was…well, Adrien. He was friendly towards anyone, and I'm no different than the rest.

Lost in my thoughts, I almost didn't notice Luka walking towards me.

"Hey, Marinette," he greeted me. "How was your class?" We sat together in the palace garden. It wasn't as big and fancy as the garden in the Royal Palace, but the Heroes' Palace had its own charm.

"It's been alright," I replied, returning his smile. "Captain Bustier's class is hard, but fun. Chloe liked it, I think."

"Strategy, huh? That's an essential skill for a Hero," Luka remarked, his eyes thoughtful. "It's not just about physical strength; it's about using your mind to overcome obstacles."

"You're right," I said, impressed by his insight. "It's honestly much better than baking in the hot sun like yesterday."

I inhaled deeply, cherishing the rose aroma in the air, kicking my feet like a child on the garden swing. "Maybe Adrien was right. Maybe that's the beauty of being a Hero. It's about being well-rounded and adaptable to any situation."

I think I saw Luka's permanent smile falter for a split second, or maybe that was just my eyes, because, well…I'd never actually seen Luka not smile. I could tell if he was uncomfortable or worried if he was pale or fidgety, but besides that, he always made an effort to keep that smile on his face, a perfect mask concealing whatever he thought behind those deep blue eyes. His jaw tightened.

"Yeah. Beautiful." Luka exhaled noisily through his nose then got up, "I'm going to head to the infirmary. One of the guards has a headache and I made him wait to come here. Damocles won't be pleased if word gets around that I'm skipping work to talk with a trainee." He let out a small laugh, "One guard starts a rumor and it spreads like wildfire. Who knows what they'll say about us."

"Luka." As he got up to leave, I reached for his arm and grasped it tightly. He turned around, I had no choice but to let go, almost falling face-flat forward if it weren't for Luka resting a hand on my upper arm.

We locked eyes from a moment, staring at each other. We were a bit too close for my comfort, and I was first to step back.

"You said you got word from Kagami. From what I can tell, she's a really famous and accomplished person, right?"

Luka clearly didn't expect that and looked disappointed with what I had said, but did his best to hide it. "Yeah."

"I wanted to ask if you know anything more about Adrien. Considering you carry messages from one person to another and know famous people, I thought you might know some stuff about him."

Luka shrugged, "What more is there to know? He's the King's son. Funny, smart, loyal. He probably had his life handed to him on a silver platter."

Luka's tone changed on the last sentence, but I couldn't really tell if it was a negative or positive change. He was too calm to dislike Adrien, but at the same time, his words were too hollow and even the good things he said about Adrien didn't sound as if he was praising him.

"Do you not trust him?" I asked.

"What? No, of course I do. I think he's nice and genuinely kind. I just think he's kind of…well, blind to other's struggles. Maybe it's because he can't relate. It must be great, being the son of a king."

I giggled, "I'm surprised his father wasn't able to use his money to bust him out of here already."

Lost in the conversation, I could feel a slight pang of guilt. Here I was, discussing Adrien with Luka. It wasn't that I didn't appreciate Luka as a friend, but I had never even managed to talk to a royal before, besides Chloe, and I would never have even dreamed of being friends with the King's son.

"So, any injuries? I really have to tend to that guard but I'm sure I can help you afterwards." Luka asked, trying to steer the discussion to a safer topic.

I smiled, grateful for the diversion. "A couple scrapes and bruises, but I'm fine mostly. Thanks again, Luka."

Luka smiled this time —for real— before being spooked by a loud, drunken voice inside.

"COUFFAINE! GET YOUR LAZY ASS BACK HERE!"

"Coming!" He yelled back, rushing inside. The door slammed shut.

"Bye!" I waved back after him, even though he had already left.

And with that, I found myself alone in the palace garden once more.