Gasps rippled across the watching crowd. Some students covered their mouths, eyes wide. Others leaned forward, eager to see how the prince would take such a barb.
Sun's scowl deepened, his fingers tightening on the hilt of one of his twin blades. The metal caught the light, gleaming faintly. Fin shifted subtly at his side, electricity sparking across his palm, ready to act at the smallest cue.
The air thickened. Even Byun hesitated, his usual bravado muted in the tension that had settled over the field. The smell of smoke from Jae's earlier fire still clung to the air, mixing with the ozone tang of Fin's lightning.
Jae stepped forward, closing the gap by a single pace. His red eyes locked onto Sun's without wavering. "If you think I'm just dirt," he said, his voice steady, sharp, and utterly clear, "prove it. Right here. Right now."
