The next morning, the air in the school courtyard buzzed with tension. Groups of students huddled together, whispering about something urgent.
Lian found Kiro leaning against the fence, visor hiding his eyes as usual. "You hear about it?" she asked.
"Hear about what?"
"Garron challenged a student from Wosbildung."
Kiro raised an eyebrow. "He's going to fight a Unique Talent holder? Is he stupid?"
"Pretty much," Lian said, crossing her arms. "Some Spectra kid is here visiting. Rumor is, his Talent is Force Burst. Garron mouthed off, and now they're dueling in the lower arena after lunch."
Kiro sighed. "And you're telling me this because…?"
"Because you were stupid enough to save him once already," Lian said.
The arena was nothing more than a fenced-off training ground, but the moment Kiro and Lian arrived, it was packed. Students were climbing on crates for a better view.
Garron stood on one side, fists sparking faintly. Across from him was a boy in dark blue robes, calm and confident, hands glowing with pale energy.
The instructor overseeing the match raised his arm. "Combatants ready?"
"Ready," the Spectra boy said with a smirk.
Garron spat to the side. "Let's go."
The arm dropped.
Garron charged, sparks flaring. The Spectra boy didn't move — he simply raised a hand and unleashed a wave of invisible force. It hit Garron like a hammer, sending him skidding across the dirt.
Laughter rippled through the crowd.
"Pathetic," the Spectra boy said, stepping forward. He raised his hand again — but this time, Kiro saw the golden thread.
It pulsed, almost like it was daring him.
Kiro's grip on the fence tightened. Don't, he told himself. Not here. Not in front of everyone.
The Spectra boy's palm glowed brighter. Garron struggled to get up, coughing.
Kiro's visor tilted slightly. Fine.
The world dimmed. Threads lit up — dozens, hundreds in the crowd. But he found the one he wanted and pulled.
Miss.
The Spectra boy's aim faltered. The burst of force shot wide, slamming harmlessly into the dirt beside Garron. A gasp swept through the onlookers.
"What—?" the boy muttered, eyes narrowing.
Garron seized the moment, lunging forward and landing a punch to his opponent's jaw.
The crowd exploded with cheers.
After the duel, Lian cornered Kiro near the back gate. "That was you, wasn't it?"
"Was what me?"
"Don't play dumb. I saw you tense up right before the Spectra kid missed. You've been acting weird for days, Kiro. Spill it."
Kiro's voice was calm. "You think I can control people's mistakes now?"
"I think," she said slowly, "you're not telling me something important."
He looked at her for a long moment, then started walking. "Everyone's not telling everyone something, Lian. That's just life."
That night, Kiro sat by his window, helmet in his lap. The golden threads shimmered faintly in his mind even without putting it on.
Today had proved something. His power wasn't just some strange vision — it worked in combat.
And if it worked in combat, it could change everything.
He touched the cracked visor, whispering to himself:
"They think I'm nothing. Let's see how long that lasts."