The morning had started on a bad note.
Cale was walking toward the lecture hall, his head down and hands in his pockets, when Vorian fell into step beside him. He'd known it was coming. He had seen Vorian watching him since the rankings went up, but he'd hoped to avoid this conversation entirely.
"Cale." Vorian's voice was easy, familiar, like they were still children playing in the Ashford gardens. "I've been looking for you."
Cale kept walking, trying to ignore the golden-haired boy who radiated an effortless, annoying perfection.
"I've been busy."
"Busy." Vorian laughed, a light, melodic sound. "What does a Rank E Anómalos count as busy nowadays?" He didn't wait for an answer. "I heard you killed a Cyclops. That must have been something spectacular."
They reached the crowded corridor just outside the lecture hall. Cale stopped. He felt the eyes of dozens of students on them. He turned, leaning in close until his mouth was near Vorian's ear. He spoke in a low, dangerous hiss that only the two of them could hear.
"I'm not using the family name here. I'm trying to keep a low profile. You're going to keep your mouth shut about who I am, or I'll ensure your 'perfect' reputation burns with me."
Vorian's eyebrows rose. He didn't look threatened; he looked delighted. He stepped back, spreading his arms as if welcoming an old friend, his voice rising so the entire hallway could hear.
"I can't do it for nothing," Vorian announced, his eyes gleaming with a sharp, predatory light. "Let's see… what could you possibly do for… aha! Duel me. First blood. I need some action. Let's see if you're as good as the old days."
The crowd erupted. Students pushed closer, forming a tight, suffocating ring in the middle of the corridor. Cale looked at the exit, then at the sword at his back. He could see Valerie and Ethan at the edge of the crowd. He knew if he backed off, Vorian would never stop and the rumors would only grow.
He drew his blade. "Fine, I'll duel you."
The corridor was a poor place for a duel. The stone floor was slick, and the walls were too close. Vorian circled him, his posture lazy and arrogant.
"Oh, before I forget, I must warn you that you would lose this fight. Because my Special Ability is a little bit... intense," Vorian announced to the crowd, his tone bored. "I can't be pierced by any common blade. So good luck drawing blood at all. First blood is already mine. Unless you're in possession of a high-ranking Memory. Which we all know you aren't."
If only Vorian knew, he wouldn't be saying that.
Vorian moved first.
He was fast—frighteningly fast. His sword came in a blur, and Cale barely got his own blade up in time. Steel rang against steel, the sound bouncing off the high ceiling. Vorian pressed the advantage, swinging with a casual grace that showed he wasn't even using a fraction of his strength. Cale blocked and parried, his boots skidding on the stone as he gave ground.
He was watching. He knew Vorian was close to Stargazer rank, but he also knew Vorian was a master of one style—rigid, but effective. Cale, taught by Aldus, had been trained to use anything as a weapon.
As they neared the entrance of the hall, Cale's foot hit a discarded training spear leaning against a pillar. He didn't hesitate. He kicked the spear up into his free hand, spinning it to drive Vorian back. The sudden change in reach caught Vorian off guard, his easy smile flickering.
"No more games," Vorian muttered, his eyes suddenly glowing a deep, royal violet.
Purple fire erupted from his palm, flooding the air with a terrifying, liquid heat. He formed a small orb of it and hurled it at Cale's feet. The heat singed Cale's boots even through the leather.
Vorian's sword came alive with the same purple fire. He had augmented the blade, which was now trailing violet silk. Not that it was necessary; it was just Vorian trying to show off. The heat in the narrow corridor became unbearable.
Cale gave ground, letting Vorian think he was overwhelmed. He waited until Vorian stepped in for a "finishing" blow, banking on the idea that his "invincible" skin protected him from Cale's sword. Cale dropped low, swept his leg, and came up behind him.
Cale's sword locked Vorian's blade, and his free hand—chilled by his own Mauri—pressed toward Vorian's throat. A shard of ice began to form, sharp and lethal. Since common blades couldn't pierce Vorian, Cale used the only thing he had that could: a condensed spike of pure, freezing energy.
The crowd gasped. For a split second, the #1 student had an ice-cold death sentence on his jugular.
But Vorian's rank wasn't for show.
A sudden, violent pulse of purple fire exploded from Vorian's body—a shockwave of pure power. The force threw Cale back. In the chaos, Vorian flicked his wrist. His sword, reinforced by a burst of Mauri, spun through the air. The pommel clipped Cale's forearm before Vorian caught the hilt again in a seamless motion.
A thin red line appeared on Cale's arm.
First blood.
Vorian raised his sword, a wicked smile on his face, the purple flames vanishing as if they were never there. The crowd erupted into a deafening roar.
Cale stood there, blood dripping from his arm, watching Vorian bask in the cheers. Vorian turned to him, grinning—a real, victorious smile. "Good fight. Better than I expected."
Cale wiped the blood on his sleeve. "Good fight," he said quietly.
He walked away, his arm throbbing as Regenesis worked to seal the shallow cut.
"That was risky," Iris said in his mind.
"It worked."
"He barely used a fraction of his power, Cale. If he had been serious..."
"If he had been serious, I'd be dead. But now he thinks I'm just a 'talented' loser. That's exactly what I need."
Cale pulled up his system screen.
```
User: Caelan Ashford
Status: Awakened
Rank: E
Sign: Scorpio
Stage: Awakened
Mauri: 67/100
Experience: 156/200
Soul Core: 2/3
Seals: 12 (1 active)
```
He dismissed the screen. He had let Vorian win. He had hidden his true lethality, even though it wasn't much, but in exchange, he had bought himself more time in the shadows. But as he watched Vorian walk into the hall, surrounded by admirers, Cale felt the weight of his own weakness growing heavier.
"Are you going to keep hiding forever?" Iris asked.
Cale didn't answer. He just walked on.