The scent of healing herbs wafted through the quiet, white-walled medical chamber tucked behind the training arenas. Students came and went — some with bruised limbs, others with scraped knuckles or aching heads — all in various states of recovery after the intense Intra-House trials.
Aksharā sat calmly on a wooden bench, sipping a light blue herbal concoction handed to her by one of the medical aides. Her long dark hair was tied back in a loose braid, sweat glistening at her temples. Despite her calm expression, her chest still rose and fell quickly from the adrenaline of battle.
"Still radiant even after a fight," came a familiar teasing voice.
Rajyashrī entered, grinning, holding a small pouch of pills herself. Aksharā looked up and smiled faintly.
"Rajyashrī," she greeted, nodding. "You fought today too?"
"Nope. I'm saving myself for the Vāyu duel," she said playfully. "Just got a few cuts from practice. But I came to tell you—someone here's a huge fan."
Behind her, Dev and Roshan walked in, followed by a slightly limping Maarun, his right arm still in a cloth sling.
Rajyashrī smirked and gestured toward him. "There he is — your biggest admirer."
"Rajyashrī…" Maarun mumbled, blushing slightly.
Dev stepped forward with a grin. "Hi! I'm Dev. I'm in Bhūmigriha. That was some fiery stuff back there — literally."
Roshan followed. "Roshan. Jalāgriha. And... yeah. That was one of the cleanest executions of a Flame Blade I've seen."
Aksharā nodded politely. "Thank you. I'm glad it looked smooth. Felt like my wrist would pop off at one point."
Rajyashrī nudged Maarun forward. "Go on, introduce yourself, flame boy."
Maarun, flustered, raised his left hand awkwardly and said, "Hi. Maarun. New to Agnigriha. Still very much figuring out what's up and what's burning."
Aksharā's eyes fell on his sling. "Your hand... is it dislocated?"
He nodded. "Yaman's Agni Chakravyūh did it. I still managed to—"
"—Win," Aksharā finished, smiling. "I know. I watched the whole match. It was reckless but... fierce. You have will. Don't stress your hand too much. Rest, or you'll delay recovery."
Maarun blinked. "You watched my match?"
"You were in the fire circle," she said, as if that explained everything. "You don't forget someone who stands like that."
Rajyashrī raised a brow and teased, "Maarun's heart just exploded. Someone get him another sling for emotional injuries."
The group laughed, and Maarun rubbed the back of his neck, smiling shyly.
Aksharā stood and dropped the empty tonic cup into a bin. "You all should stay. The next match is about to begin."
Dev looked curious. "Who's next?"
"Abhinav versus Kālaketu," she said, adjusting her wrist guards.
That got everyone's attention.
"Oh? You sound almost excited," Roshan noted.
Aksharā shrugged with a tiny smirk. "Abhinav is talented. Calm, precise. His fire technique borders on art. He deserves more recognition."
Maarun narrowed his eyes. "You're really impressed by him, huh?"
Rajyashrī leaned toward Dev and whispered dramatically, "Jealousy level: bonfire."
"Quiet," Maarun muttered.
Just then, a booming voice echoed from outside:
"All students to Yuddhāgni Maṇḍala! The next match begins in five minutes!"
The group exchanged looks and filed out quickly.
Yuddhāgni Maṇḍala shimmered under the early evening light. The arena buzzed with excitement, seats filled with students and instructors from every house. Even members from Vāyugriha and Bhūmigriha could be seen, analyzing potential threats for upcoming inter-house trials.
Kālaketu, tall and poised in deep crimson robes, stood with arms folded. His presence alone silenced a portion of the crowd. The highest-ranked student in Agnigriha, L1 — a title that came with respect and legend.
Across from him stood Abhinav. Shorter, leaner, wearing no armor — only loose black clothes. His expression was serene, almost meditative.
"That's Abhinav?" Dev whispered.
"He doesn't look like much," Roshan muttered.
"Don't be fooled," Aksharā said. "He's one of the few who can use internal flame focus. Doesn't need hand gestures to channel."
The Nirṇāyakaḥ raised his hand. "Begin!"
Kālaketu burst forward, summoning a twin flame wave from both hands, roaring like dragons.
Abhinav didn't move. At the last second, he raised his fingers and sliced through the flames with a precise whip of fire so thin it sliced the heat apart.
Gasps echoed.
Maarun leaned forward. "What was that?"
"Pressure slicing," Aksharā said. "Rare and advanced. That's what I meant — he shapes fire like a sculptor."
Kālaketu snarled and leaped into the air, releasing a rain of flaming darts.
Abhinav twirled, creating a dome of heat around himself. Each dart evaporated before hitting.
"Okay… now I'm impressed," Roshan said.
Dev crossed his arms. "He's no joke."
The match continued — not with brute power, but with elegance. Kālaketu overwhelmed with raw force. Abhinav dodged, redirected, countered with minimal movement.
Ten minutes in, Kālaketu unleashed a signature move — a spiraling flame cyclone aimed to collapse the air around Abhinav.
But Abhinav stood still. And with a deep breath, he extended one finger and drew a circle in the air.
With a loud whoosh, the cyclone split in half and dispersed.
Silence followed. Even the Nirṇāyakaḥ paused.
Then Abhinav did something remarkable. He clapped his hands together, and the flames at his feet bent into a staircase of fire — he ascended, each step solid and hot. At the top, he hovered briefly, surrounded by crackling flame. Then, with his arms outstretched, he unleashed his ultimate move: Agnivarṣa.
From the sky above, sparks turned into droplets, then streaks — a rain of fire descended, elegant yet terrifying, scattering in calculated lines that pushed Kālaketu back.
The entire crowd rose to their feet.
"Fire rain..." Aksharā whispered. "Only higher-ranked duelists can perform that."
Kālaketu, overwhelmed, dropped to one knee. The Nirṇāyakaḥ stepped forward.
"Victory: Abhinav."
The arena roared.
As the group filed out, Rajyashrī glanced at Aksharā. "Still impressed?"
Aksharā nodded. "He reminds us that fire is not just chaos. It is art."
Maarun, clutching his sling tighter, looked down. "Then I'll learn to make art too."
Rajyashrī smirked. "Well, better start by sketching some straight lines first, Picasso."
They laughed as the night air cooled and the fire in the arena slowly faded into the stars.