"D-do you understand now?" Vilak asked, his gaze fixed on Xain.
Xain nodded slowly, his expression thoughtful. "So that's how it works," he murmured, one hand coming up to his chin as he rubbed it, face turning pensive. After a pause, he tilted his head slightly and pointed at himself. "If anyone can have one and use it, then does that mean even I could?"
"I suppose it's possible," Annabel replied, arms loosely crossing in front of her chest, her tone carrying little concern. "But I doubt you'd manage it, considering you just learned about the concept."
"What she said," Even cut in, jerking a thumb toward the sorceress. "Hell, I've got an entire technique that brings a part of my soul out, and I still haven't managed to open a Soul Chamber. Don't go throwing too much effort into it right now, especially since you're fighting me tomorrow. That technique I mentioned? I can use it to counter a Soul Chamber even if you did somehow manage to use yours."
Xain hummed, eyes dropping to his hands as he thought about the possibility.
Lexy leaned forward in her seat, curiosity sparking. "By the way, what did you two actually do in your Soul Chamber?" she asked, eyes shifting between Calvinel and Bryanard.
The old knight froze mid-drink, lowering his cup. Calvinel chuckled, lifting his brows. "Nothing much," he said with a grin and a shrug. "I just showed him the way out."
Bryanard let out a quiet breath through his nose, his tone heavier. "It was...something that made me realize how blind I'd been," he said before raising his drink again, unwilling to elaborate further.
"How mysterious," Zeva mused, her gaze narrowing slightly. "I suppose that means I'll be going in blind during the next fight."
Calvinel's chuckle deepened as he leaned back, smirking at her. "Don't worry. I'm sure you'd lose even if you knew the details."
Her brow arched. "Ohhh, so confident. That's a change of pace from those two," she remarked, motioning toward Edluar and Gurion, who were talking about how each of them grew up now that Gurion had became more open about himself.
Calvinel rested an elbow on the table, grin still playing at his lips. "Let's just say I already have plans to defeat you. You'll see them tomorrow—so prepare yourself." He said with his usual charm.
Zeva gave a small, almost amused smile. "Good luck," she replied evenly, "and I hope you know how to take losses well." With that, she turned and walked off toward Clara and Elsa's table.
"Wow, she's confident," Calvinel muttered with a low chuckle.
"There is a good reason for it," Bryanard said, setting his drink down and watching Zeva for a moment longer. "She carries the air of someone who's never once suffered outright defeat. To her, the idea of losing doesn't exist. That kind of certainty makes her dangerous." His tone hardened as his gaze shifted back to Calvinel. "Prepare yourself. This will be the hardest fight you've had yet—even harder than me."
Across the room, Quincy, who had been waiting impatiently for Even to finish his explanations about Soul Chambers to Xain, finally marched over to Even. Without a word, she grabbed his arm firmly and tugged. "Upstairs. Now."
Even didn't argue. He nodded quickly, almost sheepishly, and allowed himself to be pulled along by the half-blood, who looked far too exhausted with waiting.
"Heh, I'm almost jealous," Dirk muttered at his own table, half-amused as he watched. Turning toward Lia, he added with a crooked grin, "Something tells me he's going to walk into tomorrow's match already drained."
His joke went unanswered. He noticed Lia wasn't paying him any mind—her gaze was locked on someone across the room. Following it, Dirk spotted who had caught her attention and raised a brow. "Why are you looking at him like that?" he asked, his tone a mix of confusion and curiosity.
Lia blinked, finally tearing her attention away. "It's just… something felt similar," she said with a slight shrug.
What do you mean? I don't see any similarities between you two at all," Dirk replied, frowning as if trying to puzzle it out.
"Well, of course you wouldn't," Lia said, tapping her chin lightly with a thoughtful hum. "It's not something you'd have seen yet." Her words came across more cryptic than intended, though her tone carried no malice—just an absentminded honesty. "Maybe I should talk to him about it… maybe later. I really don't feel like getting jumped by his elf harem right now." A small giggle slipped out at the thought.
"If you say so," Dirk muttered, still baffled as he took a sip of his drink.
Lia raised her glass of milk, sipping quietly as her thoughts turned inward. *I wonder...you and me, Xain? Could we actually be like that?*