Ragnarök, Eternal Tragedy.
Chapter 66: Unsettled

Chapter 66: Unsettled

Amari picked at the corner of his sandwich, tearing off tiny pieces even though he wasn’t hungry. Across from him, Johnny ate like nothing was wrong, barely noticing that Amari hadn’t touched his mashed potatoes.

"How’s school?" Johnny asked, like he already knew the answer.

Amari sighed, shaking his head. "Not great. I’m falling behind, and the teacher doesn’t really care." He stared at his tray, idly pushing his fork around.

"This place is different. At my old school, the teachers actually cared and pushed us to do better. Here? It’s like they don’t even expect us to try."

Johnny snorted and flicked his empty juice carton into his tray. "That’s ’cause this school ain’t like your old one. It’s for kids like us—no money, no connections." He leaned back, crossing his arms. "No one expects us to make it anywhere."

Amari stared at his tray, his appetite completely gone.

Johnny watched him, picking up on the way his jaw tightened and how he kept his hands clenched under the table. He sighed. "Man, stop thinking about the past," he said. "It ain’t gonna change where we are now." He leaned forward, voice low but firm. "You gotta focus on what’s in front of you. Here, we do what we gotta do to survive."

Amari nodded—just enough to make it seem like he was listening. But he didn’t really agree with him.

He turned back to his food, letting the silence settle. He didn’t feel like eating, but he forced himself to anyway.

Johnny stayed put, drumming his fingers against the table like he was waiting for the right moment to say something.

"You heard about the Kraft Tournament?" he finally asked.

Amari glanced up. "Only bits and pieces. People keep mentioning it in class, but I don’t really know what it is."

Johnny smirked. "Man, you gotta keep up. Kraft ain’t just some tournament—it’s how they test youth for power and intelligence. If you’re good enough, you get to train with the strongest Unco users and learn to control your abilities." He watched Amari carefully. "You get to choose, too. Whether you wanna fight, study science, or do something to help Algoria in the future."

Amari let his words sink in, resting his hands on his tray. A tournament like that—one that tested power, intelligence, survival—it made sense in a place like this. But something about it didn’t sit right.

Johnny nudged his tray. "It’s an opportunity, man. You should think about it."

He leaned back, smirking. "Everyone in the group is signing up. No hesitation."

Amari raised an eyebrow. "All of you?"

"Yeah. We wanna join the Wachter’s Guild, and this is how we prove we belong." Johnny crossed his arms. "What’s the point of power if you don’t grow it?"

Amari thought for a second before answering. "...Alright. I’ll join."

Johnny grinned and tapped the table before grabbing his tray. "That’s more like it."

Before he could react, Milo slid into the seat beside him and ruffled his hair like he owned it.

"Man, what is this?" Milo teased, tugging at a stray curl. "You trying to start a new trend or something?"

Amari swatted his hand away, but Milo was already laughing, and Johnny joined in.

Before long, Shylo and Kenneth showed up with their trays, followed by Maverick, who dropped into the last open seat like he had always belonged there.

Conversation flowed, jokes bounced between them, and for the first time in a while, Amari actually felt comfortable.

He glanced around the table, listening to their laughter, the easy rhythm of their voices. His old friends were gone, but somehow, he had found a new place—with the Ocean brothers.

Johnny leaned back, gesturing toward me. "I was just telling Amari about the Kraft Tournament."

Milo’s eyes lit up. "Oh, yeah! You definitely gotta join, man." He smirked and nudged my arm. "Just don’t lose. That’d be embarrassing."

The others chuckled, but Maverick tilted his head slightly, watching me with curiosity. "What’s your Unco?"

The table got quieter, all eyes on me.

I glanced down, gripping the edge of my tray. "I don’t know," I admitted. "Never figured it out. I just rely on my instincts."

Amari sighed, staring at his tray. "I might not have an Unco," he said. His voice was steady, but something about it felt heavy.

The others watched him, waiting.

"My senses... they’re weird. I hear things no one else hears, see in the dark like it’s daytime, smell things miles away, taste anything and understand it instantly." He rubbed his thumb against his plate. "My instincts—they’re too sharp. Sometimes they freak me out. Other times, they help. But I hate them." His fingers curled slightly. "I just wanna be normal."

Silence settled over the table, thick and awkward.

Then Milo let out a low whistle and glanced toward another table. "Alright, genius. What are they talking about?"

The tension cracked, and laughter followed.

Kenneth grinned. "Yeah, go on, prove it!"

Amari shrugged. "I don’t know. I can’t pick up anything... it just stopped working."

He didn’t say the rest—how it had all stopped the moment he came back, how, for the first time, his senses felt like they weren’t his anymore.

The group laughed, shaking their heads.

Kenneth grinned. "If you don’t have an Unco, it’s fine. You might still get one."

Amari sighed. "There was never a sign." He hesitated. "I might not know much, but I know my body has no mana in it. I can feel it in everyone else. But not me."

Kenneth frowned. "If you don’t have an Unco, your chances of getting into Kraft are basically zero."

Amari rested his arms on the table. "I can still fight," he said firmly. "Just like everyone else."

Kenneth raised an eyebrow. "Without an Unco?"

Amari shrugged. "I’ve fought people who were supposed to kill me. I’ll be fine."

For a second, the table was quiet.

Then Milo snorted. "Listen to this guy—fought people who were meant to kill me," he mimicked. "Man, why you so cocky?"

The group erupted into laughter, nudging Amari playfully.

Amari leaned forward, smirking. "Fine. After school. All five of you can come at me at once."

The laughter died down for a second.

Johnny raised an eyebrow. "You serious?"

"Dead serious."

Milo whistled. "You are way too confident for someone about to get jumped."

Shylo grinned. "Alright, I like this."

Kenneth nudged Maverick, who chuckled. "No backing out now."

Amari smirked. "Wouldn’t dream of it."

The school bell cut through the cafeteria chatter.

Milo stretched, groaning. "Guess that’s our cue."

Shylo grabbed his tray. "See you after school, Amari. Don’t disappear."

Amari smirked. "Wouldn’t dream of it."

One by one, they left. Amari lingered for a second before heading to class, his mind already on the fight ahead.

It wasn’t just about proving himself. It was about understanding something deeper.