'A duel?'
"Uh... no?"
Hearing my response, Rowan frowned slightly.
"... Huh? Come on, man, you've got nothing to lose!"
'Of course, I do have something to lose...'
"Listen, I don't know why you're so fixated on me, but trust me, a training dummy would be a much better sparring partner than me. So, no," I replied firmly.
Rowan let out a small laugh, then locked eyes with me.
"Man, I don't get why you're pretending to be weak when you're not. On the first day, when I saw you approach the table next to mine, I knew you were dangerous. My instincts are rarely wrong, so please, bro... just one duel!"
'... Is he okay? Seriously, I'm weak right now. Maybe I have some talent, but at this moment, my level is just average. And if I don't fix my core soon, I'm going to fall behind everyone else.'
"I don't know what's going on in your head, but your instincts aren't as infallible as you think. Honestly, you're way stronger than me"
"If you want a fight, go challenge that guy instead." I pointed at a boy sitting casually on a completely wrecked training dummy.
That was Liam. He was also training with a dummy, but he made it look effortless, like it was just a warm-up.
Rowan followed my gaze, observed Liam, then turned back to me with a grin.
"Yeah, he looks tough too. But no, I want to fight you!"
'...'
I sighed and was about to refuse outright before leaving, but a sudden movement caught my attention.
Rowan's fist cut through the air, heading straight for my head at incredible speed.
A dull sound echoed... but his punch struck nothing but empty space. I had dodged at the last moment, tilting my head slightly.
Rowan burst out laughing and, in a swift motion, tied his hair back with an elastic band he had just pulled out.
"See? You'd never have been able to dodge that if you were as weak as you claim."
Students around us started pausing to watch, intrigued. Some probably thought a fight was about to break out.
"I just have good reflexes," I replied, irritated.
"If it had been someone else, do you realize the consequences?"
'This guy... He really acts on impulse.'
"That's exactly why I did it — because it was you," he said with a proud smile, as if his logic was flawless.
"Could you leave him alone for a moment, Rowan?"
A clear voice cut our exchange short. Turning my head, I saw a silver-haired girl with blood-red eyes approaching confidently.
It was Kaera Silvaris.
'Why is she stepping in? And from the way they act, it looks like they know each other...'
I frowned. With Kaera's arrival, the situation was getting even more complicated.
Kaera lightly placed a hand on my shoulder, a radiant smile on her lips.
"So, Noah, we meet again!"
Rowan furrowed his brows slightly, visibly intrigued.
"Wait... you two know each other?"
I glanced at Kaera before responding calmly:
"That should be my question. You two seem to get along pretty well."
Kaera gave a mischievous smile before answering lightly:
"Oh, nothing surprising. Our families have always been close, as you know. So, over time, Rowan and I became friends. Right?"
Rowan nodded in agreement, smirking.
"Exactly. We've known each other for quite a while."
'It was well known that the Valen and Silvaris families were close. But since Kaera didn't exist in the original novel, I couldn't have predicted this...'
Kaera broke the silence by clapping her hands before turning to Rowan.
"Besides, Noah is my neighbor. His room is right next to mine. So naturally, we've had a few chances to talk."
Rowan nodded, seemingly satisfied with the explanation, and didn't press further. He probably knew that bringing up our families would be a delicate subject.
Seeing that the conversation was coming to an end, I finally walked away. But the stares of the other students, fixed on us, were heavy with unspoken words.
And, of course, the murmurs followed.
"Why is he hanging out with them?"
"How can he be so relaxed around Kaera after what his family did?"
Those whispers, barely audible, were enough to make my skin crawl.
Luckily, Rowan didn't try to stop me.
'Thanks for that, Kaera. I owe you one.'
I had nothing against mingling with the main characters. Honestly, I didn't care. But now wasn't the right time.
***
• Congratulations on your victory!
...
• Congratulations on your victory!
...
• Congratulations on your victory!
...
• You have lost. Analyze and improve.
"Hah... Hah..."
After leaving Rowan and Kaera, I resumed training with the dummy until the session ended. But since my next class wasn't for several hours, I decided to push myself a bit more. For some strange reason, training was becoming almost... addictive.
The training hall was nearly empty; most students had left after the sparring session. Since I chose to stay, I went to a private training room. It was a bit expensive, but not unaffordable. Plus, the features were too tempting to resist.
Inside, a large screen allowed me to replay my fights, analyze my mistakes, and adjust my technique. It was truly a useful tool for improvement.
Three hours had passed before I even realized it. I was exhausted, but seeing my efforts pay off lifted my spirits.
It was strange. I had never been the type to give my all in what I did. As far back as I could remember, I wasn't someone who loudly proclaimed they'd never give up, nor someone who worked tirelessly to reach their goals.
A broken smile crossed my lips as I thought about my past life.
Growing up, I had quickly stopped dreaming big. I stopped having those dreams that gave me chills. Why? Because I was always afraid. Afraid of failure, to the point of convincing myself that those who had big dreams and did everything to achieve them were nothing more than idealists living in a world they imagined to be perfect and fair —a fairytale world.
After all, if thousands of people fail at what you stubbornly try to accomplish, why keep going? Why believe that you, in particular, would be different? They worked hard too. They had dreams too. Who was I to think I was special? And then, what's the point of all that effort and sacrifice if, in the end, it leads nowhere? You still end up losing, right? Might as well dream small and settle into life comfortably — we're not the main characters of a novel, after all.
"Aim for the moon, because even if you fail, you'll land among the stars."
That quote used to infuriate me to my core.
Landing among the stars? As if, after putting in all the effort in the world, I could just settle for mere stars. If I aim for the moon, it's only for that damn moon!
That's why making an effort terrified me. I convinced myself that those who achieved their dreams had simply gotten lucky at some point. Which is partly true. Some meet the right person at the right time and later boast about never giving up.
But all that was just bullshit I told myself. Yes, they got lucky. But luck can be created. Someone who spends their days locked in their room doing nothing and complains about not having opportunities — what did they do to attract luck? Nothing. The only solution is to move, to put yourself in situations where luck can strike.
I realized that far too late. Understanding doesn't mean knowing how to apply it, and the more time passed, the more excuses piled up, forming an insurmountable mountain.
But ever since I woke up in this world, I feel something burning deep inside me. I don't fully grasp it yet, but I know that if I let that voice — the one that has always been with me — resurface, then it'll be over.
I must protect this flame at all costs, even if it means burning myself in the process.