As Vivian ran, the dominating presence grew stronger, closer with every heartbeat.
But it wasn't alone. He could sense others moving with it, faint but unmistakable.
'Humans.'
He narrowed his eyes, his thoughts racing. 'They couldn't be students; only one group was allowed in the area at a time. That left one possibility, outsiders. But who?'
Were they instructors? Or something else entirely? He couldn't tell.
Their signatures were blurred, unrecognizable to him.
Only two stood out clearly, Asmit and Subha. They were there; of that much he was certain. But beyond them… there was another.
A presence that felt strangely familiar, as if it had brushed against his life before.
Though he was confused, this wasn't the time to dwell on it.
Answers would come later. Right now, he needed to move faster, and find out who these people were before it was too late.
After running for what felt like an eternity, Vivian finally skidded to a stop.
The place he had reached opened wide before him, an arena-like field, vast and unsettling.
All around, crystal-like structures jutted from the ground, casting an eerie glow that painted the area in cold, shifting light.
He steadied his breath and sharpened his senses.
There—they were to the left. Subha and Asmit. Without hesitation, he pushed himself to full speed, heart pounding as he raced toward them.
But the sight that greeted him froze the words in his throat.
"Asmit? Subha?" His voice cracked, his eyes trembling with panic as he stumbled closer.
They didn't respond. Both of them lay slumped on the ground, their wrists severed as if by a blade.
Blood soaked the earth beneath them, flowing too fast, too freely. Their breaths came shallow and ragged, each one weaker than the last.
Their faces were deathly pale, drained of color and life. If Vivian didn't act soon, if he didn't get them out of here, they would be gone within minutes.
Vivian wasted no time. Ripping a strip of cloth, he bound their wrists tightly to stem the bleeding.
Then, with a grunt, he hoisted both Asmit and Subha onto his back and staggered forward.
"They're heavy…" he muttered through clenched teeth.
The bleeding had slowed, but not stopped, they needed immediate medical attention.
If he didn't get them outside soon, they wouldn't last.
He pushed himself to move faster—when it happened.
A sword slash tore through the air, drenched in killing intent.
The pressure alone prickled his skin with goosebumps; if he hadn't reacted, it would have taken his head clean off.
Instinct screamed louder than thought. Vivian dropped his friends, his hands flying to his blade. Steel met steel.
Clang!
The force of the strike rang through his body, rattling his bones.
He stumbled back, boots grinding against the crystal-strewn floor. His grip trembled under the sheer weight of the blow, too strong, too sudden.
Vivian knew there were others lurking, but he had no time to care. Survival came first.
He forced himself to ignore the looming presences and tried to run, only to be cut off instantly.
The attack came the very moment he moved, steel flashing at his throat.
Fortunately, the dominant presence did not strike. For now.
Grinding his teeth, Vivian tightened his grip on the sword and fixed his gaze on his attacker. His breath caught.
'No… this can't be.'
The figure before him was familiar, too familiar. Different from the memory in his mind, yet unmistakable.
Vivian's chest clenched, his eyes widening with horror. 'Of all people… how could it be him?'
"K-Kafrik…?" he whispered, disbelief laced with dread.
Kafrik revealed an evil grin as he said "Long time no see, Vivian. Did you forget me?"
".....", Vivian was dumbstruck as he couldn't even say anything and stayed silent.
Kafrik's voice slithered into the air, cold and mocking. He paused, and a twisted smile curled across his face. "Did you think I would let you go after what you did?"
Vivian's breath hitched. His sword hand trembled, not from the clash but from the storm inside his head.
'What… is happening?'
This wasn't the Kafrik he knew.
Yes, he had noticed some differences, subtle cracks in the character he once wrote, but he had hoped, truly hoped, that Kafrik would grow, that he would change once the main story began years later.
But this?
His mind screamed in disbelief.
The Kafrik before him had severed Asmit and Subha's wrists without hesitation, had lured him into this ambush, and now stood before him dripping with malice.
It was grotesque, absurd, so far from the noble hero he had imagined that Vivian wanted nothing more than to run, to escape this place and erase the memory of this moment forever.
"Hey—why are you doing this? Aren't you from the Tramplin House?" he stammered, eyes wavering as he looked at Kafrik.
"The Tramplins are honorable—they're…" Vivian's voice trailed off as Kafrik's laughter cut him short.
"Hahahaha—honorable?" Kafrik barked, clutching his stomach to hold the laughter in.
It sounded like someone who'd just been told a joke that had gone stale. "Did you really say that?"
Vivian stood rooted, dumbstruck, watching the smile twist across Kafrik's face.
"Did your father tell you nothing? We aren't honorable. It's a show," Kafrik said slowly, each word deliberate. "If anything, we're the most corrupt and rotten house in the empire."
'What, why?' Vivian thought, his head spinning.
He had always pictured the Tramplins as noble, prestigious. The reality felt like a knife to that image.
The world shifted under his feet; disgust and anger flared hot in his chest. "This is—this is messed up," he muttered, watching Kafrik grin.
"Kafrik, you've crossed the line," Vivian warned through clenched teeth. " Remember this Kafrik, this time it won't end with just your hand."
Kafrik snorted; the grin faded into a hard, dangerous line. "You think you can defeat me?" he asked, almost amused.
"I already did," Vivian said bluntly, surprising himself with the steadiness in his voice.
Kafrik laughed again, low and contemptuous. "You're arrogant," he said, before swinging his sword.