Back at the dorm, Quinn was practically buzzing as he recounted his fight with a level 3 user. At first, both Vorden and Peter were stunned, but once Quinn revealed that abilities had been banned during the match, they understood—though the rule still caught them by surprise.
Then Peter began explaining what had happened to him and Vorden during combat class. Peter's own day had been humiliating—forced to carry a stick of mud to practice controlling his ability. As a level one student with no ability, he had chosen to learn the military-issued earth ability.
Peter then went on to describe how Vorden had taken down a level 3 ability user—using that same ability against him.
"Oh, shut up! You're embarrassing me," Vorden groaned.
"But it's true—you were cool back then," Peter insisted.
The three of them kept talking until the day wound down.
For the next week, combat class continued as normal until the announcement of the students' first portal outing.
---
After everyone had chosen their weapons from the wall, Leo stepped forward.
"Today's lesson will be sparring again," he announced. "But this time, you pick your opponents. Fight for one minute, then switch to the next. On the battlefield, you'll face all kinds of weapons and abilities—get used to as many as possible."
Students immediately began pairing off.
Brandon was there too, standing with his friends Fei and Loop, still burning for revenge on Quinn. When an idea struck him, he leaned toward Fei and whispered his plan.
Across the room, Erin—the Ice Queen herself—strode straight up to Vicky and challenged her, a move that drew murmurs from the crowd.
Quinn, meanwhile, was scanning the room for a partner when he frowned as Fei one of the friends of Brandon stepped forward, drawing two short swords.
"Would you like to have a spar with me," Fei said. Quin didn't think much and agreed.
"And Begin!" Leo shouted.
Fei moved with the ease of someone well-practiced in dual blades, his strikes flowing smoothly from one to the next. Quinn managed to dodge and counter, but there was a strange strain in his body he'd been feeling for a while now. Ignoring it, he kept fighting.
Meanwhile, Brandon was engaged with his own opponent—but his focus wasn't on the fight. His eyes never left Quinn.
Then it came—a sharp, guttural battle cry from Fei.
It wasn't for intimidation. It was a signal.
Brandon raised his hand, channeling his ability. In the same instant, a blast of wind erupted behind Quinn.
Quinn had been ready to block Fei's next strike, but the sudden impact from behind threw him off balance. Fei's blade shot forward—straight through Quinn's stomach.
"You… bastard…" Quinn gasped, the pain stealing his breath.
Quinn looked down. Two blades were buried deep in his stomach, blood dripping steadily from the steel.
Fei released his grip on the hilts, his eyes wide, mouth hanging open in mock shock—pretending it had been an accident.
But Quinn wasn't buying it. He had a pretty good idea exactly what had happened.
Anger boiled up inside him, burning hotter than the pain. Gritting his teeth, Quinn straightened, his gaze locking onto Fei. The look in his eyes was sharp, unwavering—a silent promise of payback. For a brief moment, Fei actually felt a flicker of fear. Then he reminded himself that Quinn was just a weak level 1… and smirked.
Ignoring the pain ripping through his body, Quinn lunged forward, trying to grab Fei.
That was when Leo stepped in.
In an instant, two military men appeared at Quinn's sides, materializing from thin air.
"Take him to the doctor's office. Make sure he gets treated," Leo ordered, his voice like steel. Then his eyes shifted to Fei and Brandon. "And you two—don't think your little plan went unnoticed. I will not have students who can't follow the rules in my class. Leave your weapons here. You're banned from any further combat classes in the weapon hall."
Fei's smirk faltered. Brandon clenched his fists, jaw tight, but neither dared to speak.
--
Quinn sat in the doctor's office, the faint smell of antiseptic heavy in the air. The treatment was quick but clinical—bandages wrapped tight around his midsection, a dull ache still pulsing beneath them.
Once cleared to leave, he made his way back to the dorms. Vorden and Peter were nowhere to be seen. Without a word, he stripped off the blood-soaked uniform and let it fall to the floor with a wet thud. The military had already provided a fresh set of clothes; he changed into them and buttoned the last clasp with stiff fingers.
Before leaving the infirmary, he'd been given a short, direct message: Leo wants to see you after class. No reason given. No room for questions. So, without delay, he headed toward the meeting point.
By then, the day's combat training had ended. The sun was low, painting the campus in shades of orange and gold, and a steady stream of students flowed back toward their quarters. Among them were Peter and Vorden.
When they stepped inside their dorm room, Peter froze."Wait… are these Quinn's?" he said, holding up the discarded clothes. The dark, dried stains were impossible to miss. "They're covered in blood… did he get hurt during sparring?"
Vorden's expression hardened, his fists curling at his sides. A tremor ran through him—not from fear, but from the effort of keeping himself in check.
What happened to him? Did the second-years go after him too? Or… was it during class?
A voice inside his head hissed, We should've been watching him.Another growled, We should have ended those second years when we had the chance.
"Shut up," Vorden muttered under his breath, his tone edged with strain.
Peter blinked. "Uh… what?"
Vorden didn't answer. He turned sharply, yanked the door open, and disappeared into the hallway—already searching for Quinn.