The Academy. Second year of training.
Evening.
I was lying on my bed, staring at the ceiling.
My body was aching from training.
It had been a long day.
First, classes.
Then sparring.
Then more training.
By the time I got back to my dorm room, I could barely stand.
A small room.
A hard bed.
A desk by the window.
And almost nothing else.
Perfect.
I closed my eyes.
"Finally…"
Knock.
I frowned.
Knock-knock.
I opened one eye.
"Seriously…?"
I slowly sat up.
Who on earth could be coming here?
No one ever came to see me…
I suppose it would be more accurate to say that no one ever came to see me.
I hadn't even bothered to make friends in this place.
After all, why befriend people whose deaths are just as repulsive as my own…
I think it's time to stop being a pessimist…
I walked over to the door and flung it open.
"What the-"
And I froze.
Scarlett was standing right in front of me.
She was holding a small box in her hands.
I frowned.
"...Why are you here?"
My tone was anything but friendly.
She didn't react at all.
She just held out the box.
"Happy birthday."
I stared at her.
"…"
"What?"
She frowned.
"Take it already."
I carefully took the box.
I opened it.
Inside was a cake.
A real one. The last time I'd seen a cake was when I celebrated my birthday with my parents.
I slowly looked up.
"Where did you even…
"I didn't tell you the date."
She shrugged.
"It's written on your student ID."
I was speechless for a second.
"You… checked my ID?"
"It makes sense. It fell out recently when we were sparring, and I gave it back to you."
"So I just saw…"
I looked at the cake again.
"…"
"Thank you," I mumbled.
She was still standing in the hallway.
I sighed.
"All right."
"Come in."
She looked a little surprised.
But she came in.
The room immediately seemed even smaller.
She looked around.
"You don't have much here."
"Why would I?"
"And where would I get anything from? Don't you know I'm an orphan?"
I sat down on the bed.
She sat down on a chair.
I looked at the cake again.
"Strange…"
"What?"
I shrugged.
"No one has ever… wished me a happy birthday before."
"Well, except for family…"
She was silent for a few seconds.
"Now you have."
I smiled.
We sat in silence for a while.
Then I suddenly asked:
"When is yours?"
She raised an eyebrow.
"What?"
"Your birthday."
She replied calmly:
"The day after tomorrow."
I blinked.
"Really?"
She nodded.
"The twenty-sixth."
I chuckled.
"Funny."
She looked at me.
"What?"
"Just…" I shrugged. "Almost the same day."
There was another pause.
Then she stood up.
"All right."
"I'll go."
She headed for the door.
I watched her go.
Then I said,
"Hey."
She turned around.
"Don't expect a gift."
She narrowed her eyes.
"Why?"
I grinned.
"Because I'm broke."
"Unlike you."
I spread my hands.
"I don't have money for things like that."
She looked at me for a few seconds.
Then she said,
"If you want to give me a present…"
I frowned.
"That?"
She opened the door.
"Come to the practice field."
"On my birthday. That would be a great present."
And she left.
The door closed quietly.
I stayed sitting on the bed.
With a box of cake in my hands.
And a strange feeling…
that I couldn't quite understand at the time.
The next day, April 26th arrived.
After class, I went to the training ground after all.
To be honest, I hesitated for a long time.
A few times, I almost turned back.
Why go at all?
But in the end, I ended up there anyway.
The sun was setting, casting less light.
The training arena was almost completely empty.
It's always noisy here during the day-students, instructors shouting.
But in the evening…
silence.
I stopped at the entrance.
And almost immediately I noticed her.
Scarlett.
She was sitting at the edge of the arena, dangling her legs.
Alone.
I walked over slowly.
She heard my footsteps and turned her head.
"You came."
I shrugged.
"I told you."
I stopped beside her.
"Happy birthday."
It sounded… awkward.
She nodded slightly.
"Thanks."
Pause.
The wind lazily swept across the empty arena.
I scratched the back of my head.
"So… why did you call me here specifically?"
She was silent.
I added:
"Want to spar again?"
I smirked.
"I'd say yes anyway."
"Even without a reason."
She shook her head.
"No."
"That's not why I'm here."
I frowned.
"Then why?"
She was silent for a few seconds.
Then she said quietly:
"Actually…"
"I just wanted to talk."
I blinked.
"…What?"
That was the last thing I expected to hear.
To be honest, I was even a little wary.
But I sat down next to her anyway.
The stone edge of the arena was cold.
I looked ahead.
"Why don't you talk to someone from…" I waved my hand vaguely. "…your own class?"
She snorted softly.
"Because I have no one to talk to."
I turned my head.
"What do you mean?"
She sighed.
"There are only idiots around."
I couldn't help but smile.
"Arrogant…"
"Though that's just like you."
"It's true," she said calmly.
She grimaced slightly.
"People don't feel comfortable enough around me to talk normally."
She looked at me.
I didn't say anything.
She continued:
"Except you."
I raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"What?"
"You always talk to me…" she paused for a moment. "…as an equal."
"Not as someone who's above you."
I felt myself getting uncomfortable.
Very uncomfortable.
I looked away.
"Well…"
"To be honest…"
I sighed.
"I just don't have any particularly good feelings toward you."
She turned to face me.
"Seriously?"
"Yeah."
I shrugged.
"Just like I don't toward the rest of the Elite."
She looked at me intently.
"Why?"
I didn't even have to think about it.
The answer just came out.
"It's simple."
I looked out at the arena.
"They built this world."
"In which they first took my parents away from me."
Scarlett tensed up.
I continued:
"And then…"
"They took me, too."
"Along with my sister."
My voice grew colder.
"Leaving us no choice."
I clenched my fists.
"I don't care that they take all the best things for themselves."
"Money."
"Power."
"Opportunities."
I shrugged.
"It's their world."
I turned my head toward her.
"But to meddle in other people's lives like this…"
"It's unforgivable."
The wind swept across the arena again.
Scarlett was silent for a long time.
And for the first time in all the time I'd known her…
she looked as if she didn't know what to say.
Scarlett was silent for a while.
The wind lazily swept across the empty training ground.
The sky was already beginning to darken.
Finally, she said quietly
"I feel for you."
It sounded… right.
But I realized right away-she'd said it more because that's what people say.
I shrugged.
"It happens."
Another pause hung between us.
Then Scarlett suddenly asked:
"Do you think…"
She was staring off into the distance.
"What's waiting for us in the Spire?"
I frowned.
She continued:
"Is there even anything there?"
"Or…"
She tilted her head slightly.
"People just touch it… and disintegrate into particles."
"And the spires are just humanity's punishment for all the sins we've committed."
"The slow death of our world."
I raised my hand.
"Wait."
She looked at me.
"What?"
"First of all," I said, "I don't actually believe in God or all that karmic nonsense."
She raised an eyebrow slightly.
I continued:
"Second…"
I shrugged.
"I have no idea what's inside there."
"Maybe there really is nothing there."
"Maybe it's hell."
"Maybe it's a whole other reality."
I grinned.
"But you know what?"
She looked at me intently.
"What?"
I said calmly:
"I'll be the first one to come back from there."
Scarlett blinked.
- …
"It'll be my challenge to fate. If fate has decided that I have to die, that my life has to be this shitty, then I'll have to change it on my own."
"So this conversation…"
I shrugged.
"It's nothing."
She was silent for a few seconds.
And then suddenly…
she smiled.
It surprised me; I'd never seen her smile before.
It was just… genuine.
"Oscar."
"Do you know why I went to the Spire of my own free will?"
I snorted.
"Of course not."
"But I doubt it's anything good or stupid…"
"In any case, as you told me during our first year of training, I don't compare you to the others."
She smiled quietly.
"My father…"
She paused for a moment.
"owns most of the companies in our sector."
I nodded.
"I've heard."
"So here's the thing."
She looked down at her hands.
"At some point, he got fired up with the idea…"
"to create a hero within his own family."
I frowned.
She continued:
"He decided that if he invested a huge amount of resources into training…"
"...his child would definitely rise to the Spire."
I remained silent.
"At first, that child was supposed to be my younger sister."
I turned my head in surprise.
"But it ended up being me."
Scarlett exhaled quietly.
"And then my sister…"
"Began to get jealous."
Her voice grew a little softer.
"At first, it was just words."
"Then… she started insisting that she would go to the Spire too."
"When the time comes."
I frowned.
"So what did you say?"
She gave a bitter smile.
"I tried to talk her out of it."
"I told her she could live a peaceful life."
"Enjoy life."
"Do whatever she wants."
She shook her head.
"But she wouldn't listen."
She looked straight at me.
"So, Oscar…"
"Do you think you're the only one who has no choice?"
I didn't say anything.
"But no."
She smiled slightly.
"I'm the same."
"I don't have a choice either."
She looked at the distant silhouette of the Spire.
And her voice grew colder.
"And I'll get out of it too."
Pause.
"But not just for myself."
She added quietly:
"But for my sister's safety."
Her eyes hardened.
"I won't let this damn tower take away what's dear to me."
"My family."
"My planet."
"And above all, myself…"
I sat in silence.
To be honest…
I was taken aback.
I'd never heard Scarlett speak like that before.
She slowly stood up.
"Thank you for listening."
She turned toward the arena exit.
I didn't even have time to say anything.
She was already leaving.
I remained sitting on the cold stone.
Watching her go.
----------------------------------------------------------
I opened my eyes again.
The white walls of the hospital were back in their place.
The soft glow of the magic lamp.
The rustling of the wind outside the window.
Karina was still sitting next to me.
She looked at me intently.
"What are you thinking about?"
I blinked.
Apparently, I'd been silent for too long.
"Nothing much," I replied.
She narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
"Are you sure?"
I shrugged.
"Just thinking… about what to get Scarlett."
Karina raised her eyebrows in surprise.
"Oh."
I sighed.
"There's a problem with the Spire, you know."
I spread my hands.
"It's either weapons, armor, or something for survival."
Karina chuckled softly.
"Well, yeah."
I continued thoughtfully:
"Although…"
I tapped my fingers on the bed.
"Over the months we've worked together, we've collected quite a few tokens."
"So I guess we can figure something out."
Karina nodded.
"That's for sure."
She stretched a little.
It seemed like fatigue was finally catching up with her.
"All right."
She stood up from the chair.
"Now that you've come to your senses…"
I looked at her.
"Are you leaving?"
She nodded.
"Yeah."
"I need to go home anyway."
She yawned, covering her mouth with her hand.
"And in the morning, I'll let the others know you're awake."
I smirked.
"They've probably already buried me."
"Don't be so dramatic," Karina snorted.
She headed for the door.
But before she left, she stopped.
"At least try not to fall out of bed again."
I raised my hands.
"I'll try."
She smiled.
And left.
The door closed quietly.
The room fell completely silent.
I was left alone.
For a while, I just sat there.
Staring at the blank wall.
My thoughts began to circle again.
The tournament.
The mask's voice.
The ashen threads.
The new epithet.
And…
Scarlett.
I exhaled quietly.
"A gift…"
I sank back onto the pillow.
Sleep still wouldn't come.
I kept thinking.
What could I give to a person…
who grew up surrounded by wealth.
In a world where there is almost nothing.
The hours dragged on slowly.
Night gradually gave way to morning.
And all that time I lay there, staring at the ceiling.
Lost in thought.
Morning crept in unnoticed.
I never fell asleep.
I just lay there, staring at the ceiling, until the gray light gradually began to fill the room.
My body still ached, but not as much as yesterday.
At least now I could sit up without risking ending up on the floor again.
The door opened quietly.
One of the healers entered the room.
A man in his forties, wearing a light-colored robe with silver embroidery.
He looked at me over his thin glasses.
"Are you awake?"
"I guess so," I replied.
He hummed and stepped closer.
"How are you feeling?"
"Everything hurts."
"That's normal."
He placed his hand on my shoulder, and I felt the gentle warmth of magic.
He was silent for a few seconds, as if listening for something.
"Dizzy?"
"A little."
"Loss of vision?"
"No."
"Ringing in your ears?"
"Sometimes."
He nodded.
"As expected."
He removed his hand.
"You've suffered severe magical exhaustion."
"To be honest, I'm surprised you've recovered so quickly."
I shrugged.
"Lucky me.
He gave a quiet chuckle, then jotted down a few notes on a small clipboard.
Then he said:
"Anyway.
"You're fine.
I blinked.
"What do you mean?
"I mean you can be discharged.
I was a little surprised.
"Already?"
"Yes."
He shrugged.
"Recovery from magical exhaustion mainly depends on rest."
"And you can rest outside the hospital."
He turned toward the door.
"Just try not to repeat your… exploits in the coming days."
"I'll try," I replied.
He nodded and left.
The door closed.
And almost immediately…
it swung open again.
"OSCAR!"
Rilay literally burst into the room.
Scarlett, Orpheus, and Karina followed her in.
I didn't even have time to say anything before Rilay was already standing next to the bed.
"You're alive!"
"Congratulations!"
"We were starting to suspect you'd decided to become a legend posthumously!"
I smiled.
"Thanks for the support."
Orpheus stood a little behind me, his arms crossed.
He looked at me intently.
"How are you feeling?"
"Like I've been run over by a truck."
"What's a truck?" he said calmly.
Scarlett stepped closer.
Her expression was serious.
"That was stupid."
I sighed.
"Good morning to you, too."
"I'm serious," she said.
"To push yourself so hard just for a tournament…"
She shook her head.
"It was reckless."
I shrugged.
"But we almost won."
She narrowed her eyes.
"Almost."
Rilay suddenly clapped her hands.
"Hey!"
"Actually, that was incredibly cool!"
She leaned toward me.
"Seriously."
"Did you see the crowd's faces?"
"I think I'm your fan now."
I looked at her.
"Seriously?"
She thought for a moment.
"Well… about eighty percent."
Orpheus chuckled quietly.
Karina rolled her eyes.
"Don't listen to her."
Rilay shot her an indignant look.
"Hey!"
"That was seriously cool!"
"I'm actually a little jealous."
I grinned.
"Don't worry about it."
"Next time, you'll be the one passing out."
"Well, that's probably a dubious pleasure…" she said.
We just chatted for a few minutes.
At some point, Rilay suddenly said:
"By the way."
"Do you know what's most important right now?"
I looked at her suspiciously.
"What?"
She smiled broadly.
"Food."
Orpheus nodded immediately.
"I agree."
Karina sighed.
"Me too."
Scarlett looked at me.
"Can you walk?"
I slowly got out of bed.
My body protested…
but held up.
"I think so."
I looked at the team.
"Lead the way."
Rilay was already heading for the door.
"Great!"
"I know a place where they're serving excellent lizard soup today!"
I frowned.
"Was that supposed to inspire me?"
"Of course!" she said.
The whole team left the hospital.
And headed out to eat…