The arena lights dimmed. The last of the crowd had begun to file out, buzzing with everything they'd seen—but it all felt distant now.
Kael stepped back into the upper rows where the others were waiting. He wasn't limping, but every step held weight—like each one still carried the echo of his last strike.
Levi spotted him first. "There's the monster."
David gave a low whistle. "You alive?"
Kael gave a small nod, brushing dust from his arm. "Barely."
Cyrhelle smiled softly, her cat curling around her ankles. "You were amazing. I couldn't even follow some of it."
Charlotte didn't say anything at first. She just studied him, as if looking for something beneath the surface.
Then she nodded once. "You didn't hold back."
Kael didn't answer.
Around them, the students who hadn't left were still talking — but not about the rankings.
They were whispering about him.
"Wait… he's still listed as a C-rank potential?"
"That wasn't C-rank combat."
"Did you see the way he swapped weapons? Like they were part of him."
"He beat Tairen. Tairen Voss. The Prodigy"
"That didn't look like a student fight… it was smoother than most Ascenders I've watched."
Kael ignored it all. But his eyes drifted toward the infirmary wing.
From the speakers above, the announcer's voice echoed across the quiet dome:
"All cadets, please note: All your Midterm Evaluations will be finalized and posted within two days. Official rankings and offers will be visible on your panel profiles."
Levi groaned. "Two days? I can't wait that long to see where I landed."
David chuckled. "I can. Means I have two days to pretend I ranked higher than you."
Kael gave a faint smile, but the crowd's energy never quite touched him.
"I'll catch up," he said quietly.
None of them questioned it.
-----------
The corridor outside the infirmary was quiet. Sterile light flickered overhead. Kael stood alone, hands in his pockets, waiting—he didn't know exactly for what.
Then footsteps echoed.
Tairen Voss stepped out, fresh bandages across his side and shoulder. His hair was still a mess, and that usual half-smile tugged at the corner of his lips. But his gaze was clearer now—more focused.
He didn't say anything right away. Just stopped a few feet from Kael, watching him.
Then, finally—
"You saw it, didn't you?" Tairen asked, voice quiet but firm. "My real core."
Kael's face didn't move. "Does it matter?"
Tairen exhaled. "I'm not worried. You're not the type to rat someone out."
"I'm not."
Tairen's grin returned, lazy as ever. "Good. Because same goes for you."
Kael blinked once. "What do you mean?"
"I saw it," Tairen said, tapping the side of his head. "In those last moments… something shifted. You weren't just reacting — you were ahead of me. Like you knew where I'd be before I moved."
Kael didn't respond. He didn't need to.
Tairen's gaze narrowed slightly, more thoughtful than smug now. "That's not how a C-rank moves. And it's definitely not how a student fights. You moved like someone who's been in real battles. I don't know what it is you're hiding... but whatever it is—it's not ordinary."
Silence passed between them.
Then Tairen looked back down the hallway, toward the empty arena.
"Next time," he said, voice lower now, "I want the full version. No limits. No holding back."
Kael's reply came without hesitation.
"You sure you're ready for that?"
Tairen chuckled, turning to leave.
"No," he said, walking away. "But I'll be stronger by then."
He disappeared into the far hall.
Kael stood still for a moment, listening to the fading steps. Then he turned, quietly heading back toward the dorm gates—his shadow stretching long behind him.