"No," William said. "One moral victory is enough for today."
The arena burst into laughter.
Even some of the seniors behind Cassian smirked.
Cassian, unfortunately, did not look finished.
He rolled his shoulders once and stepped forward again.
"That wasn't a request."
William glanced at Vale.
"This feels like bullying with witnesses."
Vale folded her arms.
"Then defend yourself."
"Terrible institution."
Cassian moved before the last word finished.
William barely ducked.
A forearm sliced through the space where his nose had been.
Cassian pivoted smoothly and swept low.
William jumped, landed badly, then stumbled sideways.
The crowd winced as one.
Kai shouted from the stands:
"Graceful! Like falling furniture!"
William pointed without looking.
"I know where you sleep."
Cassian did not rush recklessly.
That was the problem.
He fought like someone who enjoyed control.
Every strike had purpose.
Every pause was bait.
William had fought speed before.
He had fought power.
This was worse.
This was experience.
Cassian feinted high, stepped inside, and drove a palm into William's shoulder.
Pain shot down his arm.
William hissed and retreated.
"You're injured," Cassian said.
"You noticed?"
"It affects your footwork."
"That felt rude and educational."
Cassian smiled faintly.
"Good."
He came again.
William felt the pulse stir in his hand.
No.
Not now.
He refused it.
This had to be him.
No strange shifts.
No broken rings.
No collapsing dramatically.
Just skill.
Which was unfortunate, because he had less of it.
Cassian jabbed twice.
William slipped the first, blocked the second, then countered with a straight right.
Cassian caught his wrist.
That was new and insulting.
He twisted, pulled William forward, then hooked a leg behind his ankle.
William hit the floor hard.
The arena roared.
Cassian stepped back and offered a hand.
William stared at it.
"That feels disrespectful."
"It's sportsmanship."
"It feels smug sportsmanship."
Still, he took it.
Cassian hauled him upright effortlessly.
"Again."
"You say that too much."
The second exchange lasted longer.
William adjusted.
Stopped chasing openings that were traps.
Started aiming for moments Cassian had to reset his stance.
He landed a body shot.
Got clipped in return.
Blocked a kick.
Took an elbow.
Managed to step outside a combination and tag Cassian's jaw lightly.
The crowd reacted louder to that touch than to most fights.
Cassian grinned wider.
"There you are."
"There I was," William said, breathing hard.
Then Cassian kicked his thigh so sharply William nearly forgot his own name.
"…And there I went."
Vale raised a hand.
"Enough."
Both of them stopped immediately.
William appreciated that timing deeply.
Cassian stepped back, barely winded.
William looked like a man who had been assembled in a hurry.
Vale entered the ring.
"This was observation, not execution."
Cassian nodded.
"I learned something."
William wiped sweat from his face.
"I learned many painful things."
Vale looked at William.
"You rely on instinct."
"It's worked so far."
"It will fail against trained opponents."
She glanced at Cassian.
"He was being gentle."
William stared.
"Then I dislike him more."
Cassian laughed again.
A dangerous person, clearly.
As students dispersed, rumors moved faster than feet.
William heard them passing in every direction.
"He touched Cassian twice."
"Three times."
"No, once."
"Vale stopped it because Cassian got serious."
"He was injured."
"He's hiding rank."
"He's insane."
William rubbed his temple.
"I preferred being unknown."
Kai appeared beside him instantly.
"No, you didn't."
"I absolutely did."
"No, you like attention."
"I like surviving."
"Close enough."
Jonah joined them, hands in pockets.
"You improved."
William looked at him suspiciously.
"Why does praise from you feel like a weather event?"
Jonah shrugged.
"You still lost."
"There it is."
They walked back toward the dorm wing as dusk settled over the academy.
Lantern-runes lit one by one along the pathways.
Students crossed courtyards in groups.
Some practicing spells in corners.
Some whispering when William passed.
Some pretending not to stare.
He was beginning to understand something ugly.
Fame at school was just surveillance with better lighting.
Kai kicked a pebble ahead of them.
"You know what this means?"
"No."
"People are going to challenge you now."
William stopped walking.
"…What?"
Jonah kept moving.
"Probably."
Kai nodded enthusiastically.
"Definitely."
"Why?"
Kai looked offended by the question.
"Because you embarrassed Daren, survived Serena, touched Cassian, broke an arena, scared teachers, and nearly died."
William counted silently.
"When you list it like that, I seem exhausting."
"You are."
At the dorm entrance, they found Rowan sitting on the steps eating noodles from a cup.
"How are you everywhere?" William asked.
Rowan shrugged.
"Low ambition. High mobility."
Reasonable.
Rowan pointed inside.
"You have a letter."
William frowned.
"From who?"
"No idea. It bit me when I touched it."
Kai brightened immediately.
"Magic mail!"
"That should not exist," William said.
"It does," Jonah replied.
"That's worse."
Inside the common room, a black envelope sat on the center table.
No seal.
No name.
Just waiting.
Several students were pretending not to watch from across the room.
William approached slowly.
"Why is everyone looking?"
Rowan slurped noodles.
"Because if it explodes, we want witnesses."
Fair.
William picked it up carefully.
Nothing bit him.
Kai looked disappointed.
He opened it.
Inside was a single card written in silver ink.
Midnight. East Courtyard. Come alone.
No signature.
No explanation.
No helpful details.
William read it twice.
Then looked up.
Kai was grinning like a criminal.
"We're going."
"It says alone."
"Then emotionally alone."
Jonah held out a hand.
William gave him the card.
Jonah read it once.
"Senior handwriting."
"That's a thing?"
"Yes."
"How?"
"Arrogance."
Reasonable again.
Serena's voice came from the doorway.
"Don't go."
They turned.
She stood there, expression unreadable.
Kai pointed.
"Counterpoint: absolutely go."
Serena ignored him and looked at William.
"East Courtyard at midnight is where seniors settle problems privately."
William blinked.
"That sounds illegal."
"It is, technically."
"Then why does it exist?"
She stared at him.
"Because this school is stupid."
William considered that.
Then pocketed the card.
"…I do enjoy consistency."