Kael paused, spotting his team gathered in the corner. The girls seemed okay - but Emilio looked worse for wear. Kael quickly jogged over, leaving Lyssandra and Ryven behind.
"Hey, Emilio. You alright?"
"Yeah," Emilio groaned, slowly pushing himself up.
Serina and Neira were already hovering over him, checking to see if he was dead or barely alive.
"You're finally awake, weakling," Neira muttered, arms crossed.
"How cold, hermosa. Can't I at least get a hug for surviving?" Emilio chuckled, rubbing his head.
"Hmph." She turned away with a scoff.
"So cold..." he mumbled, disappointed.
Serina laughed softly.
The mood had lightened a bit- but she could still see it: the disappointment lingering on everyone's faces.
They were all pretending. Smiling, joking... but she knew it wasn't real. Except for Neira and Kael - neither had forced a smile.
"Kael... are you sure you're okay? Did the instructor hit you?" she asked gently.
"No, I'm fine." He looked away.But he wasn't. Not really.
Serina saw through it. She hesitated, then spoke quietly, "It's okay to feel weak
sometimes. We'll grow stronger. Together. So... don't carry it all alone."
Kael's eyes widened.
Across from them, Emilio and Neira exchanged a glance. Neira smiled a little. "Guess she's right."
Emilio laughed, proud. "And it sounds like Serina's talking more than usual. You're changing too."
"Y-You think so?" Serina blushed, smiling shyly.
Kael paused... then smiled too."I guess you're right, Serina."
He'd learned something today - about fear, restraint, and himself. He still had a long way to go.But if he kept practicing... maybe he'd finally be ready to face the man he hated most.
Then he noticed everyone staring at him in shock.
"What?" he asked.
"..Did you just smile?" Emilio asked, like he'd just seen a miracle.
Before Kael could reply-
"Hey, Kael!"
They all turned. Lucian was walking over, his presence calm but heavy. He stopped right in front of Kael.
Kael's smile vanished. His eyes narrowed.
"What?"
Lucian studied him for a second, then asked:
"What's your real reason for coming to this academy?"
Lyssandra and Ryven froze. Both knew Lucian as someone who rarely spoke, let alone cared about anyone else. So why now?
Meanwhile, Daranth watched with a sly smile. It seems Kael has run into a little trouble. Let's see how he handles this.
"What?" Kael frowned, confused by the sudden question.
"Don't play dumb, Kael. I'm not a fool." Lucian's glare was sharp.
Lucian Eltair — the only son of the Duke of the West, a prodigy, the boy who had scored an impossible 120 on the entrance exam. A boy who hardly spoke, now standing before Kael, asking questions not even the instructors dared to ask.
Lucian dreamed of becoming a knight strong enough to etch his name into history, a hero others would look up to just as he looked up to his own. To him, nothing mattered but the sword and the path to strength. And yet, before him stood Kael Veyrion — heir of the most respected house that had betrayed the kingdom. A stain on the realm's honor. For someone like Kael to suddenly appear at the academy made Lucian's skin crawl. He didn't want to get involved, but he couldn't turn a blind eye.
"I don't owe anyone an explanation for why I came here," Kael said flatly.
"Shut up."
Their glares locked, tension thick enough to choke the air. Around them, students shifted uneasily, sensing the clash about to erupt.
"Kael, let's go," Emilio urged, reaching for his arm.
"Don't touch me." Kael shoved him aside, eyes never leaving Lucian.
Lucian scoffed. "That's how you treat your friends? Typical Veyrion behavior. Acting high and mighty, when your house is already in ruins."
Anger burned across Kael's face. He stepped forward, but Neira rushed in to stop him. "Kael, enough. Let's leave."
"Damn it! Why should I?"
Serina, panicked, ran to Instructor Selviane. "Please, instructor! They're about to fight!"
Selviane barely looked up. "I know. But it's better to watch."
"What? But—"
"You don't have to worry, Serina. What you're seeing are two potential enemies who might one day become allies... or remain bitter rivals. Who knows?"
"What?"
Serina glanced at Kael, silently praying everything would be all right. The tension between him and Lucian made her chest ache. "Kael..." she muttered.
Lucian shook his head. "I won't ask twice. Why did you come to this academy?"
Kael said nothing. He avoided speaking to the noble children, especially the duke's kin. He hated it—hated every petty look, every implication. Silence was his shield.
That silence snapped something in Lucian. Cold killing intent surged from him like a blade.
Fwosh.
"Stop!" Neira dashed forward and grabbed Kael's arm, fixing him with a hard stare. "He has a powerful divine beast—I can feel it. The same type as mine."
Kael didn't care about divine-beast types. What mattered was that the boy in front of him had humiliated him and his name. "Don't get in my way," he said and shoved her away.
"You fool." Neira lunged again, but Emilio held her back.
"Preciosa, we can't interfere."
"That bastard—" She broke off, furious. "Why do I even care? No. I don't care. I hope he dies! " She stalked off across the training field.
Emilio reached out, but Neira ignored him. Serina hurried over. "I need to—"
"Don't stop her," Emilio said calmly. "She'll be fine. For now, let's see what happens."
"What do you mean?"
"When Kael pushed my hand, his eyes told me he needed this fight." Emilio smiled faintly. "He's my friend."
Serina didn't understand, but she kept watching, the worry never leaving her face.
Lucian walked to the weapon rack, picked up two wooden swords, and tossed one to Kael. Kael caught it—and before he could steady himself, Lucian was already beside him, blade flashing. He lunged, aiming for Kael's chest.
Slash.
Kael stepped back. Fast, he thought. Lucian had total control of his movements—too precise. In raw power Lucian might be ahead, but not in lived training. Kael had fought in the forest his whole life; this was nothing new.
"You dodged that. What about this?" Lucian's wooden sword flared. Flame crawled up the grain and licked the blade until the whole thing burned. "This is called aura—the ability to shape your aether into sharp energy." He glanced at Kael, eyes hard. "You see? I'm above you. So answer. Why did you come here?"
"You think your tricks scare me? I'll beat you without using any skill." Kael's voice was low, steady.
Lucian's expression went cold. "Fine. Don't blame me for what I do next—in front of the whole class."