The stone corridor just past the arena has grown quieter. My footsteps echoed as the others and I turned the corner, heading back toward the commons. My body was catching up with me now. I felt my adrenaline fading, the bruises blooming beneath my skin like slow embers. That's when two staff members in healer robes stepped into view, pointing straight at me.
"You—Daniel Reyes?"
I nodded.
"We've been told to escort you to the infirmary. You've got superficial lacerations and energy strain from elemental overflow. You need treatment, now."
I hesitated for a second, then nodded.Turning to Adrian, Amber, and Sera after. "I'll catch up."
Amber mock-saluted me. "Don't bleed to death before round two."
Sera gave me one last look. She was quiet and unreadable, just like a sister of hers. Then, she said, 'Get some rest.' Sera spoke softly, yet sternly. She then turned to leave with the others. I concerned myself with her for a moment before reluctantly following the healers.
It took me around five minutes to get to the medical area. The cool scent of salve and disinfectant drifted through the air, mixed with faint lavender incense meant to ease tension. I stepped into the softly lit infirmary, blinking at how peaceful it felt after the roaring arena. I was led past three curtained-off beds until one of the medics gestured to a free table.
"Take a seat. We'll clean those cuts."
I climbed onto the table's edge with a slow, pained exhale. That's when I saw her. Across the room, standing at a supply counter with a tray of gauze and tinctures, was a figure in a Dalton-academy coat—not a healer's robe, but not a student uniform either. Her brown hair was tied back, with a few loose strands framing sharp, observant eyes. It was no other than Vivian Dalton.
I was shocked. She turned toward the noise, instantly recognizing me. For a moment, neither of us spoke. Then, with a slight tilt of her head and her usual composed tone, she said: "You again." I let out a tired smirk. "Didn't know you moonlighted as a medic."
Vivian crossed the room, setting the tray down beside the bed. "I don't. I'm assisting as part of my independent coursework. Observation, potion calibration, field prep," she paused. "You're just lucky I happened to be assigned here during your reckless stunt."
I chuckled under my breath. "Reckless or brilliant... depends on who you ask."
She didn't smile, but something relaxed in her expression. "You overexerted. That last technique burned through your reserves." She said as she touched grabbed my uniform. "Take off your coat."
I nodded, helping her remove my now damaged coat. Tossing it onto the bed. Vivan inspected my arm then grazed the bruises and cuts on my biceps. "You nearly tore the muscle." She said.
I winced. "Needed my all to finish it."
Vivian dabbed an antiseptic across the wound. "And you did."
I tilted my head, watching her work. "Were you watching?"
"I always watch the matches," she added. "Yours just... interrupted my lunch." She smirked without looking, attending to my arm.
I laughed quietly.
Vivian glanced up at me. "That move you used... that was new."
I nodded. "My 'Blazefang Cleave.,"
She paused. "It's loud."
"That's kind of the point."
She worked on wrapping my arm with a cloth. "Loud, but focused. That's rare."
I raised a brow. "Are you saying that like a compliment?"
She chuckled for a brief moment, then stiffened. "I'm saying it like someone who appreciates good control," she replies, almost dryly. But then, a little softer: "Especially from someone who used to fight like he had something to prove."
I went quite from that. It felt like she had been observing me for a while already. She's watched me, and made her observations... and I don't know if I should be flattered or scared.
Vivian tied the bandage neatly. "Try not to let the applause go to your head."
I smiled. "No promises."
She smiled, then turned away, gathering the tray. "Rest. Heal. You'll need your full strength for the next round."
As she walked away, I jumped off the table and stared at the ceiling. I hadn't expected to see her. But somehow, her presence grounded me. It was like my fire had flickered, and she'd simply placed a hand over it without smothering it. I let my eyes close.
After resting for a little bit, I headed out. I waved goodbye to Vivian. She nodded and returned to her work shortly after. The hall outside the infirmary was quieter than usual. Evening light bled through the high windows, casting golden streaks across the polished stone floor. I stepped through the door, arm freshly wrapped, my body sore but steady.
I adjusted my jacket and exhaled, ready to head back to the arena. That's when I noticed another person I recognized. Down the corridor—sitting alone on a bench beneath one of the arching windows—was the girl from before. She was the one I'd stepped in for a couple days back. Long sleeves. Loose posture. That same leatherbound book was clutched gently in her lap.
She looked like she was trying to blend into the wall. She noticed my gaze and darted her eyes away from me. I paused. I should've kept walking, but I didn't. Instead, I walked over, trying to be slow and casual; careful not to startle her like a stray cat. As I got closer, she stiffened. Her fingers curled tighter around her book. Her breath caught.
For a split second. I saw a moment where she considered running. But she didn't. She held still. I stopped a few feet in front of her. "Hey," I said gently. She didn't look up right away. Then... slowly, she did. Her eyes met mine. Vivid, intelligent, but shadowed. I gave her a half-smile.
"I remember you. From the courtyard."
Silence. The girl said nothing, but she didn't look away. I rubbed the back of my neck. "You alright?"
A pause. Then, a faint nod.
I sat down on the other side of the bench, still leaving space between us. "You didn't say much back then. Just kind of... stood there."
She stared down at her hands. When her voice came, it was quiet, like dry paper over a soft flame.
"Talking doesn't stop people like them."
I looked over at her. Choosing my next words, "Sometimes it does. Sometimes it doesn't. But doing nothing always means they win."
Another pause. Then she glanced sideways at me, just barely catching it. "You didn't have to step in."
"I know," I replied. "But I don't like seeing people cornered."
That made her blink. It looked like a slight flicker in her eyes—maybe confusion? Or disbelief. I stood up again, not wanting to push the moment too far.
"Well, if they bother you again... let someone know. Or don't stand alone."
I turned to go, but then—just as I reached the edge of the archway—her voice followed.
"...You did amazing."
I stopped. Turning back. Her gaze lifted, still guarded, but something had changed.
"I watched your match," she said.
I nodded. "Yeah. That was me." I chuckled awkwardly.
Her fingers curled over her book again. "...You didn't look like someone who needed to save anyone."
I tilted my head. "And you didn't look like someone who'd stay quiet forever."
My words looked like it surprised her. She didn't respond, but for the first time... she almost smiled. I offered her a small wave.
"See you around."
Then I disappeared around the corner, footsteps fading into the golden hour. That's when I remembered something... I never asked her name.
——————————————————
The girl sat alone for another moment. Then, slowly, she opened the book on her lap. She didn't read anything in it. Her eyes stayed fixed on the empty space where he'd been.
Somewhere else, far above the arena, past the gilded stairwells and soundproofed halls, a private room overlooked the stadium through a single, tinted pane of crystal glass. Inside, the atmosphere was calm, but heavy. Evelyn Morte stood with one hand resting on the edge of a high-backed chair, her other loosely swirling a glass of deep violet wine.
Her gaze never left the arena floor. Beside her, Regalia Lionheart stood in silence, arms folded, eyes narrowed. The screen replayed the scene where Daniel Reyes delivered his final flaming strike. His new move: Blazefang Cleave, shattered Kael's technique and ending the match in a burst of fire and light.
A moment passed. The crowd roared. Then the silence in the chamber. Evelyn finally spoke.
"...He made it. And what an impressive manuver."
Regalia's jaw flexed, but her voice was steady. "Barely."
"Barely is enough," Evelyn replied.
Regalia didn't even look at her. "That last move. I never taught him that."
Evelyn took a sip from her drink. smiling. "Nope. That seemed like it was all his."
Regalia stepped toward the glass, her silhouette framed by the soft gold lighting. "He channeled his powers. Not fully, but enough. You saw it—he stepped to the edge. One more push..."
"But he didn't fall," Evelyn cut in, calm and exact. "He used it."
Regalia turned to face her fully. "That's what worries me. He's not just learning control—he's learning to weave the curse. If he keeps balancing on that edge..."
"He'll either break," Evelyn said flatly, "or become something no one can ignore."
Regalia's eyes narrowed. "You're still using him as proof of concept."
Evelyn turned to the glass. "I'm preparing the world."
"To worship him?" Regalia retorted.
"To understand him," Evelyn replied.
Silence. Outside, the roar of the arena softened into the muffled rhythm of the crowd dispersing. Daniel's name was already on student lips, whispered in excitement and speculation. Regalia stared into the screen, staring right into the boy she had shaped into a blade.
He was strong.
He was focused.
But he was still just a boy.
"...I hope he knows what he's becoming," she whispered.
Evelyn set the wine glass down and turned toward the hallway. "He doesn't," she said. "Not yet."
"Let him revel for now. After all, he's still just a boy." Evelyn added before she left the room, her footsteps fading into the distance. Regalia remained at the window, watching and unsure what to do next.
——————————————————
The afternoon sun bled amber through the high glass arches of one of the many Dalton Arenas, and the sky cast a golden light over the packed stands. The preliminaries had resumed. I sat among the crowd, not in isolation, but with my companions. Adrien, Amber, and Sera watched with varying interest as the next match was played in the below-mentioned ring.
It was Match 04, Jun Asakai vs. Nova Hyun. My eyes hadn't left the field since it began. I sat forward slightly, elbows on my knees, watching the footwork, the decision-making, the tells. Jun Asakai, the tactical prodigy with the Shadow and Earth elements, moved like a chess piece—never overextending, always three steps ahead.
Nova Hyun, by contrast, was speed incarnate. She is light on her feet, her Wind and Water elements allowing her to skate across the arena like a phantom tide. They clashed hard, it was fast and clean.
"Nova's got the flow," Amber muttered. "But Jun's reading her. Adjusting."
Adrien nodded. "He's watching her energy reserves. Waiting."
Sera didn't comment, nor did I. I was too focused on the fight to add anything to the conversation. My body still ached from my match. Cuts still lined my side and arm under the tunic. Despite the pain, I was trying to stay sharp. Attempting to dissect every pattern, every mistake, every hesitation. Afterall, I could be facing one of them next.
If Kael had been 'precise' and 'technical,' Jun or Nova would be 'pressure.' Nova landed a water-imbued kick that staggered Jun, nearly knocking him into the barrier wall. The crowd erupted. Jun did something that didn't surprise me. He didn't retaliate immediately. He adjusted. Waited.
Then, with a flick of his hand, shadow tendrils burst from below, locking Nova's foot mid-step. Before she could recover, the ground beneath her shifted. A spike of stone rose behind her back, halting her. Then a stone ball rushed from her side. Nova couldn't defend against it in time and was hit square in the face. She was knocked out instantly.
The referee signaled. "Point match. Victory: Jun Asakai."
I leaned back slightly.
Amber whistled. "That was brutal, cold, and clean."
Adrien adjusted his glasses. "I guess one of you is fighting him next."
I nodded. "Figured."
Sera finally spoke, her voice even. "He doesn't like taking risks. If he sees you as unpredictable, he'll hesitate."
"Then I guess it's time we get unpredictable," Amber replied. Slamming her fist into her other palm.
I smiled at her, then, I looked back at the ring, where Jun bowed and exited without flair. His expression was as still as his fighting style. It was quiet but deadly. As Jun disappeared behind the gate, I could feel my fire stir again. It was not out of rage, more like out of readiness. Round two was coming, and my flames weren't cooling down.
I didn't bother watching the last matches. Maybe I should've, but I guess I just wasn't feeling in the mood for it. One of them was some old family bloodline against another guy, and frankly, I didn't care that much. The rest of my day, I spent doing some light training. However, my wounds kept me from going further.
The next day flew by. Today was a break day, but every student gathered at the arenas. Not just students, but instructors and other onlookers packed into the upper and lower tiers of the Dalton Arena. The air thrummed with anticipation. The preliminary bracket was narrowed—eight contenders remained. A soft chime rang out from the central display crystal. Then the match-ups appeared, one by one.
——————————————————
Quarterfinal Bracket — Ascension Clash Preliminaries
Match 01 - Daniel Reyes vs. Jun Asakai
Match 02 - Valen Thorn vs. Iris Vane
Match 03 - Amber Gray vs. Soleil Vireon
Match 04 - Cato Marrenvs. Niko Venhallow
——————————————————
I guess I was going first this time? What's with the bracket change? While I was wondering, when my name appeared beside Jun's, murmurs exploded across the arena.
"He beat Kael, but can he handle Asakai's tactics?"
"Jun's defense is tight. Reyes is going to have to break him open."
"Can't brute force your way through a wall of Earth and Shadow."
I stood on my own, watching calmly. My eyes lingered on Jun's name. It's a good thing I watched his match. When I win this match, I gotta watch the others. I turned and walked out without a word. It's time I start doing some more training. I returned home to get my necessary gear and items and promptly returned to the academy.
When I entered the arena, it was around midday. When I left and came back, the sun had already set. The moonlight bathed the garden paths in pale silver, casting long shadows from the stone trees and statue pillars. The academy had gone quiet, save for a few upper-level students and distant faculty patrols.
I walked the stone path silently, twin blades strapped to my back, light fire flickering around my knuckles. Not enough to burn, just enough to keep focus. I wasn't heading anywhere specific—just moving and searching for a clearing. That's when I heard a familiar feminine voice.
"You don't take breaks, do you?"
I turned slightly. It was Sera. She stood beneath a cherrywood arch, arms folded, her coat half-draped from her shoulders.
I offered a faint smirk. "You're out late."
"So are you."
We met halfway down the path. She looked at me as if she were studying me in the dim light. "You're training again. Alone?"
"Yeah, been doing that a lot lately," I replied. "Helps me keep the rhythm."
"While wounded? You should rest, Danny," she said, almost disapproving rather than observing.
"I heal fast," I replied.
Sera stepped closer, her tone softening. "You're facing Jun tomorrow."
"I know."
"He's calculating. Emotionless. Everything you're not."
I turned to the training field in the distance. "That's why I need to stay sharp. He'll plan everything. I need to move like someone who can't be planned around."
Sera paused. Then, quietly said, "You're not the same as before."
I looked at her, surprised.
She continued. "Your flame—it's not just power now. It's something else. It feels measured. Intentional."
I looked away, feeling a bit embarrassed.
"I had a good teacher."
Sera lowered her arms. Her voice dipped a little. "You've changed more in the past months than most students do in a year."
I didn't answer right away. Then, softly: "Sometimes I feel like if I stop moving, I'll burn out." I paused. "I don't want others to worry about me. I believe I can handle things myself, no matter what."
Sera's expression softened. She stepped beside me, looking toward the same clearing. "Well, I can't help worry about you..."
That got to me. She continued.
"...And I don't think you're going to burn out," she said. "I think you're becoming something no one can smother."
We stood in silence for a moment. I thought to myself how intuitive she can be sometimes. Maybe I should tell her about myself, about who I really am... but, simultaneously, I think that would be terrible. I let those thoughts linger as the wind passed through the trees. Then, Sera spoke again, quieter. "Regardless, I'll be there tomorrow."
I glanced at her. She met my eyes.
"I want to see how far you've really come."
I gave a slow nod. Then I turned toward the field. By the end of that conversation, I found more resolve to do my best. I think it's time to burn brighter than ever. I still had some training to do, so I'd do some of that for a little while before heading home. I practiced my swings and footwork. I envisioned myself in a mock battle against Jun. Remembering his footwork, his combat style. About two hours later, I finished and went home to rest up.
The next day came around. The crowd had returned in full force in the arena. By now, everyone knew my name. Some cheered it. Others whispered it. A few watched silently, eyes narrowed. Fans? Doubt it, but here they are still having their gazes on me. The arena stone was cool beneath the morning light, the sun cresting the eastern tower. Energy hung in the air like an unsprung trap.
I walked through the northern gate, blades on my back, shoulders loose. I exhaled once and let the noise fade behind me. The nerves were gone. The ache was familiar. All that remained was focus. From the southern gate came Jun. He's quiet, composed, his steps calculated and clean. His uniform was immaculate. His gloves were trimmed in black. No weapon drawn. Just confidence.
We met at the center of the ring. We didn't say anything to each other. Jun studied me like a strategist reading a battlefield map. I didn't return the stare—I just nodded once, politely—a silent acknowledgment. We're not enemies, but we are obstacles. The referee stepped forward, raising a hand.
"Match One: Daniel Reyes vs. Jun Asakai. Quarterfinal bracket." She looked at both of us.
"No interference. No lethal force. Retreat or incapacitation ends the match."
There was a pause. Then—
"Begin."
Jun didn't move. I took one step forward. Taking that first step, Jun raised one hand, and the ground beneath my feet shifted. A sudden quake cracked through the field as Jun's Earth element rippled forward. Thin spines of rock burst upward from the tiles, angled to trap my feet and force me into a stumble.
I leapt to the side, clearing the first spike just as the second burst upward, then rolled, drawing both blades mid-motion. Jun exhaled calmly and extended his other hand. Shadows slid across the ground like coiled snakes—his Shadow element weaving around the arena's edges, waiting.
I twirled both swords into position and dropped low into my Dawn stance, eyes locked forward. I had no room for hesitation or distractions. All I thought of was the path ahead. Jun whispered under his breath.
"Let's see if chaos can beat control."
I raised my voice just enough to carry. "I'm not here to be controlled."
We charged at each other. Stone cracked beneath my feet once more as I sprinted towards him. Jun didn't blink. He raised one hand again, palm open, and the floor shifted again, two wide pillars rising at an angle before him. He used it not to block, but to limit. Like coral in my path. A trap disguised as defense.
I knew of this trap, and yet, I kept moving. My pace didn't quicken, my swords gripped behind me as I ran forward. Jun narrowed his eyes. "You won't run?" With a sharp flick of his wrist, three thin tendrils of shadow coiled out from under the pillars, darting low—like spears meant to bind my legs mid-step.
I leapt forward just before they connected. Not sideways. Forward. Straight into the narrowing path. Jun's brow furrowed slightly. I landed clean, my blades hissed with fire, minimal, controlled. My feet danced across the stone with precision. I deflected a second surge of shadows with the flare of my left blade, then kicked off a slight rise in the terrain to vault sideways over a spire.
Jun stepped back, raising a wall of earth beneath his heel. It lifted him off the ground like a rising throne. Then he activated his next move. He whispered a command: "Obscura Binding." The shadow tendrils flared into a grid, extending across the arena floor in a perfect geometric pattern—black lines chasing my footsteps like a moving minefield.
I stepped inside. Jun clenched both hands. The entire grid snapped shut, shadow lances spearing upward from every intersecting point. The whole arena went black in a trail of smoke. The crowd murmured about what was happening. They assumed that I was consumed and lost. But... I wasn't there.
As the darkness cleared. A trail of smoke lingered in my place. From behind one of Jun's stone pillars, a streak of flame erupted—I burst out in a low slide, blades crossed, using my fire as a jet to launch myself through a gap in the pattern before it sealed. The crowd gasped.
I emerged behind Jun's earthen wall and delivered a spinning slash. The first cut struck stone. The second—flared with heat—broke through. Jun leapt back from the collapsing platform as I followed him, the momentum building in my strikes. I parried with my left blade, made a feint with my right. Then, I cross both blades and bring them forward for a cross slash.
Jun blocked it with a raised wall, but I used it to vault over it with my knee and bring both blades down in a hammering overcut. Jun's shoulder caught the blow, staggering. This was the first hit I connected. I landed, body low, blades still lit. Jun straightened slowly, jaw clenched.
"You fight like a wildfire."
I circled him. "You're mistaking freedom for chaos."
Jun narrowed his eyes. Then he snapped both arms forward and dropped his stance. The ground beneath me exploded upward in a circular burst—fragmented stone spikes rising in layered rings, while a shadow disk spun beneath them.
I had seconds to dodge. I dropped to my knees and skidded along the shadow ring, narrowly avoiding the center spike—only to catch a gash across my arm as a secondary shadow whip lashed from behind. I winced, but twisted through the pain. I planted one foot and leapt into the narrowing center.
Jun probably thought I was trapped, but he was wrong. I spun my right blade wide, letting the heat flow into the gap between the rising spires—melting just enough of the ring to land inside without being pierced. Jun's trap folded in. And I was already through it.
I initiated my Dawn stance once more. Both blades drew back, my footwork pulsing forward like the rhythm of a drawn breath. Jun raised a stone shield. I roared. Impact. One blade slashed horizontally. The other cut upward on the recoil. Flames erupted along the surface of the stone. The shield cracked—then shattered.
Jun stumbled backward, eyes wide. I didn't stop. My next step came faster. I was putting more pressure than technique. Jun, the one who always dictated the pace, was losing control of the tempo. I feinted left. Then struck from the right. Jun caught it with a wall—but too late. The fire inside the seam exploded outward.
Jun flew backward, tumbling across the floor. The crowd stood. My chest heaved. Jun lay still for a moment, then slowly pushed himself up. One knee grounded—Blood at the corner of his mouth. One glove is torn. But his voice was still calm.
"...So. You are dangerous."
I twirled my blades once, setting them in reverse grip. "I'm just getting started."
Jun stood in the rubble of his last defense, kneeling on the stone, his breath steady but shallow. I stood across from him and advanced toward him. Each step struck the arena floor like a war drum—measured, unshaken, heavy with momentum. Both blades still crackled faintly, not with untamed fire, but with will. Each flicker of flame was held tight, wrapped around me like armor.
Jun lifted one hand. Shadows slithered across the stone around him—sharp, eager. I didn't slow down. He raised the other hand. The earth beneath me surged again, trying to break my stance. It wasn't spikes this time, but friction, tension, pulling at my balance like invisible ropes. Still, I moved.
I pressed forward, one foot cleaving through the shifting terrain, the other anchoring with the fire-pulse stabilization Regalia had drilled into my soul. Jun narrowed his eyes. "Impossible," he muttered. I burst forward. My right blade went for an overhead slash while the other went for a hip twist feint. Jun dodged, but just barely.
The next cut came faster. Then the next. Each strike was clean. Controlled. Relentless. Jun summoned his final defense—a wall of shadow-imbued stone meant to collapse inward and trap me in a coffin of elemental pressure. I didn't hesitate. I raised both blades, twisting my core, roaring through it all.
Flames burst along the edges of my steel, and a low pulse of resonance rattled the arena. I didn't call the move, but the crowd recognized the posture.
"It's that cleave again!"
"He's going to break through!"
"Run, Jun! RUN!"
The second Blazefang Cleave struck, this time not upward but crosswise—horizontal, wide, and just as devastating. The wall split. The fire carved through stone and shadow alike, obliterating the entire left side of Jun's formation in a single, roaring arc. Dust filled the air. Jun flew back, rolling briefly before coming to a stop with his foot.
Jun raised his hand to retaliate. Though it was at that moment that he seemed to realize something. It's like he thought that his power couldn't match mine. Jun lowered his hand. The fire around me dimmed. The entire arena froze. Then Jun stood tall, bowed slightly, and said calmly: "...I forfeit."
Gasps echoed through the audience. The referee blinked, then raised her voice: "Winner by forfeit: Daniel Reyes!" There were cheers, there were shocks. Then, thunder. The crowd erupted as I stood in the center of the arena, breathing hard, blood streaked across my jaw, but victorious.
——————————————————
In the stands, Sera smiled faintly, eyes still locked on him. Amber screamed and grabbed Adrien's shoulder. Adrien reacted with a sudden jerk. Then, he looked back down at Daniel and nodded once. "He made Jun back down. That's rarer than a win."
Far across the crowd, the lonesome girl sat quietly, notebook open but untouched, eyes wide. In the upper viewing room, Evelyn swirled her wine glass once, lips curved. Regalia watched alongside her. She said nothing, but her hands, folded at her back, trembled just once.