The cafeteria at Obsidian Crest Academy was unusually lively. With no classes on the schedule, students flooded in to enjoy a lazy morning filled with food and laughter. Long tables stretched across the hall, stacked with fresh bread, roasted meats, colorful fruit platters, and desserts that shimmered under the warm lantern light.
Zane slouched into a seat beside Sera, grabbing a strip of crispy bacon.
"Feels weird not having someone try to kill us today," he said, taking a bite.
"Don't jinx it," Sera replied, sipping juice from her cup. "I'd like to enjoy at least one peaceful meal."
Zane reached across the table for a roll, but before he could touch it—splat! A spoonful of jelly smacked him right on the cheek.
He froze. "Did you just—?"
Sera gave him a sweet, innocent smile. "Oops. My hand slipped."
He picked up a bun and lobbed it straight at her. It bounced off her forehead with a satisfying thud.
Sera blinked, slowly wiped the jelly from his face, and calmly reached for the nearest pie.
The pie sailed past Zane's head and smacked a passing student in the chest. Silence. Then—
Bread rolls flew through the air like cannonballs. Someone launched a tray of mashed potatoes using a levitation spell. A salad was hurled like a frisbee. Students dove for cover behind overturned benches and chairs. Laughter and screams filled the room.
Zane and Sera ducked behind their makeshift table-fort.
"You started this!" Sera shouted, tossing a pudding cup over the barrier.
"You used jelly warfare!" Zane shot back, flinging a chicken leg like a javelin.
Across the hall, a wind-user tried to redirect a stream of soda and accidentally splashed the teachers' table. That was the final straw.
Professor Elara burst into the room, her eyes twitching with rage. She raised a hand and clapped once.
Bread suspended midair. A cupcake hung motionless inches from someone's face. Even the gravy dripping off a plate paused in mid-fall.
"Clean. Everything. Now," Elara said through clenched teeth. "And congratulations—dish duty for a week."
Groans rippled across the cafeteria.
Zane looked over at Sera. They were both covered in sauce, jelly, and crumbs. She leaned against him, giggling.
"That was totally your fault," she said.
Zane grinned. "And totally worth it."