The Grand Instructor's voice had barely finished echoing in the hall when Caden's voice erupted, sharp and defiant.
"Why should Dawn stand aside while we bleed on the training grounds?" Caden's words sliced through the silence, bold and filled with unrestrained fire. "Why does he get to watch while we fight, struggle, and train? We've all earned our Celestial Marks, but it seems he's above it all! Where's the fairness in that?"
The students around him stiffened. Some exchanged nervous glances, others caught themselves holding their breath, waiting for the reaction. But Dawn, the very subject of Caden's outburst, remained as still and unreadable as the stone floor beneath their feet.
Caden's challenge wasn't just a defiance of Dawn; it was a direct challenge to the decision that had just been made. And the students knew that. Even though his voice was loud and confident, there was something brittle about it, a desperation to prove himself—an unspoken fear of being seen as weak.
The room waited. All eyes, however, were drawn to the Grand Instructor. His gaze moved slowly across the room, not a hint of anger or disappointment in his expression, just a calm, almost detached authority.
His eyes locked onto Dawn's, briefly, as if silently inviting him to respond. Then he let the silence stretch, waiting. The Grand Instructor wasn't here to explain himself. He never had been. This was Dawn's moment, if he chose to take it.
And then, slowly, Dawn's voice broke through the stillness, low and unflinching.
"It would seem like you have forgotten your lessons from last year. Fine, I will just have to re-ignite that lesson lost in your clouded mind."
The words seemed to hang in the air, stark and heavy, each syllable a quiet challenge in itself. Caden, unable to contain himself, clenched his fists so tightly his knuckles turned white.
"I didn't forget," Caden spat, his body trembling with raw energy. His Celestial Marks flared as fire licked along his arms, his energy practically crackling in the air. "I intend to return the favour and teach you a lesson!"
But Dawn said nothing more, just stepped aside, motioning to the dueling arena. Caden's anger flared brighter, like a storm ready to burst. Without another word, he charged ahead, his footsteps thundering against the stone floor as he made for the training arena.
The room felt a collective exhale as Caden moved, almost as though they'd been holding their breath the entire time. His Celestial Mark set—the fiery marks that flickered across his body—was clearly something to behold. Two forged marks, symbols of his power, were wrapped around his limbs like glowing chains, each one pulsing with an energy as hot as the sun itself.
But Dawn didn't move to engage him just yet. He let Caden make the first move, as if letting the fire burn itself out before he responded.
---
In the background, Ingrid and Gary exchanged a glance. Their expressions were unreadable, but the tension in the air weighed heavily on them.
"Dawn's not like he was before," Gary muttered, his voice low. "This is... different. The way he's just standing there... it's like.... how do I say, something just don't seem right!"
Ingrid didn't answer immediately. Her eyes were fixed on the scene unfolding before her, but there was a glint of concern in her gaze.
"I don't know ehat transformation Dawn hass undergone ," she finally said. "But Caden has two Celestial Marks, every mark changes the situation. Against Celestial powers, martial might is insignificant."
Gary just nodded, his gaze lingering on Dawn. The way he stood—calm, composed, almost like a rock in the midst of a storm—was both reassuring and unnerving. They'd seen him fight before, but never like this.
But then there was something else, something in his eyes. It wasn't fear—far from it. It was something deeper, like a knowledge of something unseen, something vast. And that was what made Dawn different now. He wasn't just powerful—he had learned control. Control that came from something beyond the physical.
Out in the center of the room, Caden's fiery aura was already blazing as he turned, ready to show Dawn just how wrong he was to step aside. His fists clenched tighter, and his body trembled with energy, the fire spreading, the heat rising with every breath he took.
The students stood in silence, waiting for the inevitable eruption, their hearts racing as they knew this fight would not be one easily won or lost.
---
As the students murmured amongst themselves, the instructors had gathered at the back of the room, their voices hushed but filled with a tension of their own.
Instructor Lysandra was the first to speak, her voice low but sharp. "Why is the Grand Instructor allowing this mayhem to spread? This is madness! They're children—barely more than that—and he lets them tear each other apart for his amusement? Are we truly to stand by and watch this reckless display?"
Her words were heavy with disapproval, and the others turned to her with various expressions, from curiosity to mild concern. Lysandra was known for her protective nature. She had always been the one to heal wounds, both physical and emotional, in the students. Watching them suffer like this... it didn't sit well with her.
Instructor Valeris, standing off to the side, didn't seem as concerned. Instead, his gaze was calm, focused on the two students moving toward the dueling arena. His expression was unreadable, but there was a certain quiet understanding in the way he watched them.
"It's not about amusement, Lysandra," he said, his voice as smooth as ever. "The Grand Instructor trusts Dawn. He's letting this happen because it's what Caden needs."
Lysandra's eyes narrowed, and she stepped closer to Valeris, her voice dropping to a whisper. "And what of the others? What of the students watching this madness unfold? Must they bleed before they learn their lesson? What happened to our duty to protect them? We're instructors, not spectators."
Valeris turned toward her, his expression soft but firm. "Sometimes, the greatest lessons come not from being protected, but from experiencing the consequences of one's actions. Caden is challenging Dawn because he believes he can. It's an act of arrogance, but one that will either break him or force him to grow beyond his limitations. We can't shield them from their own mistakes forever."
Lysandra wasn't convinced. "And you're fine with this? Letting children fight among themselves? The Grand Instructor is letting them suffer—but it will only create hostilities. Endlessly."
Valeris gave a quiet nod, acknowledging her concerns. "The Grand Instructor's confidence in Dawn isn't misplaced. This is an opportunity. The real question is: where did that confidence come from?"
Lysandra sighed, her voice softening. "And what if he is actually not confident? Maybe he is just letting them fight so he can teach both of them a lesson."
Valeris didn't answer immediately. He simply watched the scene unfolding before them, his eyes sharp, as though he could already foresee the outcome.
"We stand by. We guide when needed, but this is Dawn and Caden's fight now."
Lysandra gritted her teeth but didn't argue further. The room was filled with an uneasy tension, and for all the Grand Instructor's trust in Dawn, it didn't change the fact that the students—his students—were about to experience something far beyond their expectations.
---
Dawn didn't waste time. With a single gesture, he began walking toward the dueling arena. Caden, still seething with energy, followed, his eyes locked onto Dawn with the intensity of someone who believed this was his moment.
As the two of them reached the arena's edge, the air grew thick with anticipation. The students' murmurs faded into nothing, their eyes wide, watching every movement with baited breath. Gary and Ingrid stood off to the side, exchanging one last glance.
Gary spoke in a low voice, his tone grave. "This won't be pretty."
Ingrid nodded. "No. It won't."
And so, as Dawn and Caden stepped into the arena, the world held its breath. The air crackled with energy, and the students knew that something would change today. Whether they were ready for it or not, this battle would be the spark that ignited a chain of events none of them could predict.
---