Michael had been intrigued by Kai from the moment he stepped into their dorm room and saw the black crown floating above his head.
He decided to tag along with him
From challenging Damian to the hallway brawl, from sparring with Mr. Yu to his complicated relationship with Rebecca, and now the high-stakes bet on the War Games. Life around Kai was fun
But Blackout wasn't fun....
Kai said Blackout was supposed to help him learn and think faster, a way to catch up to people who had been training their whole lives. But that didn't explain the feeling it gave off. Every time Kai used it, the air felt heavier, like something dark had shown up and the world wanted you to run.
Then, there was how Kai fought. He got stronger every single time. He adapted. Changed. Grew. And with the War Games being full of battles, Michael couldn't help but wonder...
How much stronger would Kai get?
Would he reach Isaiah's level?
Would he even go beyond it?
Those thoughts were what pushed Michael to say the words
"We're still gonna lose tomorrow."
-----
"Oh shit"
Michael's eyes widened as he realized what he had said and where he said it
His words caused an uproar in the auditorium
"The hell did you just say?" A student behind him snapped.
"Hey, hey, it's not like that, I didn't—"
Before he could finish, a fist came flying for his jaw.
Instinct kicked in.
Michael dodged, seized the outstretched arm, and twisted it in a way it wasn't meant to bend.
The student cried out in pain, but Michael didn't let go.
"Get the hell off me!"
"Why the fuck should I? You attacked me!"
"Michael," a calm voice called out.
It was Isaiah.
"Let him go."
Michael didn't budge. "He tried to hit me. Maybe I should teach him why that's a bad idea."
"I said let go. I won't say it again."
They stared at each other. The tension was thick. But finally, Michael let go.
"Already got in trouble once," he muttered. "Not doing it again for this clown."
Just as he was about to settle down-
SWISH!
The same student lunged again, his fist flying toward Michael's head.
And then
BOOM!
He was gone.
No, not gone. He was launched across the room, his body slamming into the far wall with enough force to leave cracks in it.
Michael hadn't even seen it happen.
All he knew was that Isaiah was now standing in front of him.
Isaiah didn't even look at the student he had just sent flying. His cold blue eyes were fixed on Michael
"Anyone else want to pick a fight with Michael?" he asked.
The once rowdy auditorium was now dead quiet
"Good."
Isaiah stepped forward, placing both hands on Michael's shoulders.
"We're still gonna lose tomorrow," he repeated, word for word.
Michael tensed.
"Do you really believe that?"
There was no point in backtracking now.
"I do." Michael replied
Isaiah's lips curled into a faint, almost amused smile.
"…You're saying that because of Kai, aren't you?"
Whispers spread around the room. Rebecca sat up straighter, a frown forming on her face.
"Damn it," she muttered
She knew that look. That smile meant Isaiah was finally paying attention. His disinterest had been one of the few edges Kai might've had. But now… now it was gone.
"Kai this. Kai that. Everywhere I go—Kai, Kai, Kai.
"I'm getting a little scared now"
He tilted his head slightly. "… is he really that good? Is he actually everything you all think he is?"
No one dared respond
"I'm not trying to hate," Isaiah added, shrugging casually. "I'm just genuinely curious."
Still, nothing. The students stared, wide-eyed, waiting.
"No one wants to answer, huh?" he said, smiling wider now. "That's okay."
He leaned in and started to whisper in Michael's ear, he kept his tone so low that no one else would be able to hear anything
""I can tell you care about Kai," Isaiah said softly. "So I'll tell you something I haven't told anyone else."
"I already know how this ends."
Michael's expression didn't change, but Isaiah could see the tension in his eyes.
"I know who wins. Who loses. I've already seen it all."
He tapped the side of his temple.
"These eyes… they show me everything. Even the things I wish I couldn't see."
"And I saw myself driving my sword so deep into Kai's chest my arm almost went through too. And as the light faded from his eyes....so did his story in this school."
"That's what is going to happen tomorrow. That's what fate decided. "
"And Fate is never wrong."
Isaiah pulled away and turned without waiting for a response, already heading toward the exit. Michael stood frozen, the words still sinking in.
Isaiah stopped at the doorway, glancing back.
"I think that's enough for today. Thank you for your time, everyone. If things go as planned, Vanguard will win."
"Wait, that's it?!"
"You can't just walk out after saying all that—"
"Dude, what the hell just happened?"
Half the auditorium was still trying to process what they'd heard. The other half was panicking, confused and irritated by the abrupt end. But Isaiah didn't stop.
He ignored all the rants and almost made it out of the room when..
Then—
"What if it's wrong?"
Isaiah paused.
Michael stood, eyes locked on him.
"What if everything you saw... is bullshit?"
The room went dead silent.
Isaiah turned halfway, considering. For a moment, it looked like he might give a real answer. Then, with a shrug and a faint smile:
"Who knows?"
And just like that, he walked out, leaving Michael staring after him.
Isaiah whispered to himself, more to the empty air than anyone else.
"What if fate is wrong, huh?"
A bitter smile touched his lips.
"…I'd give anything for that."
-----------
Both meetings were done. One went smoothly. The other ended in complete confusion.
Everyone had their own way of dealing with the upcoming exam. Some trained. Some hung out with friends. And others... just wanted to sleep.
Alexandria Morningstar was one of those people.
She didn't want to talk.
Didn't want to think.
She just wanted a little peace before tomorrow. All her plans had been made. All the strategies were in place.
Now it was time to rest.
But she still had one more thing to deal with...
"To what do I owe the pleasure… Mister Blackwell?" she said, turning around with a tired smile she barely managed to fake.
Kai had been waiting outside, hoping to catch her on her way back. Luckily, he didn't wait for nothing.
"Drop the formalities, Alexandria. And the fake smile. You're not fooling anyone."
"Well, you might not care, but manners do matter. Especially since we haven't properly introduced ourselves," she said.
"Anyway, what do you want? I'm kind of in a rush."
Kai didn't respond right away.
He was too busy looking at her. Alexandria was stunning-breathtaking, even. He was used to seeing pretty girls like Rebecca, but Alexandria was on a whole different level.
For a moment, he just stood there, taking it all in.
He didn't like her. That much he was sure of, but there was something about her. Something he couldn't quite explain.
"What do I want? Good question. Honestly? A lot of things."
"I want a new dorm. Shadow Retreat just doesn't cut it anymore. I want to live where the best stay. I want to crush this exam, I've got a lot on the line."
"I want to beat Damian. I want to beat Isaiah. I want to beat anyone who stands in my way."
"And most of all... I want to be the number one student in this whole school."
"You're probably thinking "What the fuck does that have to do with me?"
"Well it does, The rules basically make it clear that I can't go against your orders tomorrow"
"But I don't want to be some useless decoy. If I get expelled after the exams, I want it to be because I wasn't good enough, because I couldn't win—not because someone else decided how I should fight."
So, to answer your question properly… I want to kill Isaiah.
"I think I can."
"Give me the chance to prove it. Make me a Kingslayer."
Alexandria didn't even hesitate.
"No."
Kai didn't react right away. He just stood there as if weighing his next words carefully
"Why not?"
Alexandria crossed her arms. "Because I also think the Kingslayers can kill Isaiah...if they follow the plan, of course."
"You being there would ruin it in a way."
Kai scoffed. "Do you think that they are better than me?
"It's not always about strength, Mr Blackwell."
"Without our powers, without Curse energy or Essence," Alexandria started,
"humans are weak, Fragile creatures."
"We're not the strongest. We're not the fastest. And yet, we're still at the top. The apex predators."
"No matter how big or fast animals are, they always fear us."
"Do you know why?"
"It's because of our mind."
"The greatest gift the gods ever gave us… But most people will never realize it."
"And from the way you're acting… it seems like you don't either."
"And why do you think that?" Kai asked.
"Because you're trying to fight power with power. Just to see who wins."
"A shot in the dark."
"But that won't work. You've never faced someone like Isaiah before. Or anyone from his bloodline."
"I don't need to be stronger," Alexandria continued. "Or faster. I just need to outthink him."
"And i intend to do just that."
"So once again... No, you won't become a kingslayer."
Kai opened his mouth to argue, but Alexandria cut in before he could.
"Wait. I'm not finished."
He glared but held his tongue.
She took a breath. "You were right about one thing."
"You do have the most to lose in this exam."
"That's why I want to give you a different t role."
Kai narrowed his eyes. "What role?"
She smiled faintly. "A Queen's Guard."