The morning after their arrival, Jade sat on his bed considering his options.
The tournament world was enormous—an entire planet dedicated to competition, with districts spanning continents and thousands of participants scattered across multiple residential zones. Lio and Niamh would probably want to explore, get their bearings before the tournament began.
But Jade had no such interest.
Walking around would draw unwanted attention, his appearance guaranteed that much. And what would be the point? His Divine Soul Dual Pupils had already mapped significant portions of their area during their arrival. He knew where the important locations were. The rest was just unnecessary exposure.
A knock at his door interrupted his thoughts.
"Jade?" Lio's voice. "Niamh and I are going to look around. Want to come?"
Jade stood and opened the door. "No. I'll stay here."
"Alright. Do you want us to bring anything back for you?"
"No, I'm fine."
"You're sure?" Lio asked.
"Yes."
They accepted this easily and left him alone. After they left, Jade closed the door and surveyed his small room.
So. What now?
He could train, but he'd been training obsessively for three years. A few days of rest wouldn't hurt. Meditation felt wrong when he'd specifically stayed in to avoid doing nothing.
His eyes landed on the room's entertainment terminal—a screen built into the wall with access to the planet's media library.
Selene had always raved about films. Had tried multiple times to get him to watch her favorites, going on about performances and storytelling. Jade had always been too busy training.
Now, with time and privacy...
Why not?
He selected something at random from the popular category and settled back to watch.
Two hours later, he had to admit Selene might have had a point. He queued up another film, then another. The afternoon slipped past comfortably.
'I've become a shut-in', Jade thought with mild amusement. 'Selene would be so proud'.
The irony of a forty-five-year-old soul finally discovering entertainment media wasn't lost on him. In his previous life, leisure had been foreign. In this life, he'd been too focused on strength.
Maybe he'd been missing out.
The tournament would come soon enough. For now, he had peace and unlimited entertainment.
Perfect.
...
....
Lio and Niamh walked through the residential district, following crowds of other participants heading toward the commercial areas. The streets were wide and clean, lined with buildings that ranged from functional to extravagant depending on which housing tier they served.
"Think Jade will actually stay in there all week?" Lio asked.
"Knowing him? Possibly," Niamh replied. "At least it's one less thing to worry about."
They boarded a transport heading toward the central districts—a sleek vehicle that ran on magnetic rails, packed with other participants. Nobody paid them particular attention. Just more faces in an endless crowd.
The commercial district was massive when they finally arrived. Shops lined kilometer-long streets, restaurants advertised cuisines from dozens of worlds, entertainment venues promised everything from simple games to elaborate simulations.
"Let's find food," Lio suggested. "I'm starving."
They located a casual restaurant that didn't look too expensive, claiming a table near the back. The menu offered options from multiple culinary traditions, all reasonably priced for tournament participants on stipends.
Lio ordered something called braised protein with seasonal vegetables. When it arrived, he was pleasantly surprised by the quality—well-prepared, flavorful, a significant step up from the basic rations in their housing area.
"This is actually good," he said around a mouthful.
"Mm," Niamh agreed, working through her own dish.
They finished their meal and paid, then wandered deeper into the commercial district. Shops displayed equipment and artifacts, some affordable, most wildly beyond their means. Crowds flowed constantly—participants from wealthy core worlds with entourages, independent fighters traveling alone, groups from various planets all preparing for competition.
Time slipped past as they explored. An hour became two, then three. They sampled food from a street vendor, watched a street performer demonstrate impressive fire manipulation, got briefly lost in a maze of interconnected marketplaces.
Eventually, loaded down with a few small purchases and thoroughly tired, they decided to head back. The route took them through a wide corridor intersection—one of the main thoroughfares connecting different districts.
Lio was looking at a shop display, not paying full attention to his surroundings, when he walked directly into someone.
The collision was minor—just a shoulder bump, the kind that happened constantly in crowded spaces. Lio stumbled slightly, catching his balance.
"Sorry," he said automatically, starting to move around them.
"Watch where you're going," a sharp voice responded.
Lio looked up. A young alpha male, maybe early twenties, wearing clothes that screamed wealth. His expression carried profound irritation, and two companions flanked him—also alphas, also expensively dressed.
"I said sorry," Lio repeated, keeping his tone polite. "It was an accident."
"An accident," the alpha repeated, his voice dripping disdain. He looked Lio up and down, taking in the worn but functional clothes, the lack of expensive accessories. "Of course. People like you don't know how to navigate civilized spaces."
Lio felt Niamh's hand on his arm.
"We'll just be going," she said evenly.
But the alpha's eyes had sharpened at the interruption.
He stepped into their path as they tried to leave. "Hmph. Trash people coming here to pollute our tournament. You think you belong among your betters?"
"It was an accident," Lio said again, his patience fraying. "I apologized. Let us pass."
"Not until you show proper respect," the alpha said. His aura began pressing outward. Domineering and oppressive. "Get on your knees. Apologize correctly."
The corridor had gone quiet. People stopped to watch, forming a loose circle. Lio could feel their eyes, hear whispers starting.
Lio's hands clenched into fists. His wind manipulation flickered around his fingers—an unconscious response to rising anger.
"What are you going to do?" the alpha taunted, noticing the power manifestation. "Fight me? Go ahead. Try it. Give me an excuse."
Niamh's grip on Lio's arm tightened, urgent and desperate. Her eyes met his: Don't. Please don't.
Every instinct screamed at Lio to fight back.
But Niamh was right. Starting trouble here would reflect on Jade, cause problems for everyone.
"Actually," a new voice cut in, cold and sharp, "we'd all like to know what makes you think you can treat people this way."
Everyone turned. Four figures approached—the other Nexarion participants. Revik led them, his expression harder than Lio had ever seen it. The others flanked him, all radiating barely-contained aggression.
"Who are you?" the first alpha demanded.
"Same delegation as them," Revik said flatly, jerking his head toward Lio and Niamh. "And you just tried to humiliate two of our people. That reflects poorly on all of us."
"So?" The alpha's smile widened. "If you don't like it, maybe your planet should send better quality."
"Maybe," Revik agreed, dangerously quiet. "Or maybe you should learn manners."
Tension spiked. The alpha's companions moved to flank their leader. The Nexarion group mirrored them.
"You really want to do this?" the first alpha sneered.
"Yes," Revik said simply.
Power began manifesting—auras flaring, abilities starting to emerge. People in the crowd backed away quickly.
Then the street lighting shifted suddenly from normal white to harsh red. A mechanical voice echoed:
"WARNING. UNSANCTIONED COMBAT DETECTED. STAND DOWN IMMEDIATELY OR FACE DISCIPLINARY ACTION."
The air thickened. Lio felt his wind manipulation stutter and die. Some kind of suppression field had activated. Around them, other awakeners showed similar reactions.
Security drones descended, scanners sweeping the crowd.
The alpha who'd started it all looked furious, but backed off. "This isn't over. We'll settle this in the tournament."
"Looking forward to it," Revik said coldly.
The alphas left. Security maintained position. The suppression field faded gradually.
The crowd dispersed.
Revik turned to Lio. "Next time, don't back down to trash like that. Makes us all look weak."
"I was trying to avoid trouble," Lio said defensively.
"And look how well that worked." But Revik's tone was fractionally less hostile. "Come on. Let's go before security investigates."
The Nexarion group moved as a unit. Several corridors away, Revik stopped.
"You two alright?"
"Fine," Niamh said quietly. "Thank you. For intervening."
Revik shrugged. "Reflects on all of us." He glanced at Lio. "Even if some got here through different channels."
The resentment was clear. But his actions had been louder than words.
"We should get back," Kessa said.
They separated. Lio and Niamh walked in silence back to their housing area, both processing what had happened.
In the corridor, Lio stood staring at his door, hands still shaking with unprocessed rage. He'd wanted to fight. Had been ready to fight.
And he'd backed down.
The shame burned.
Niamh appeared beside him, her expression gentle. "Lio, it's alright. Don't be so upset."
"It's infuriating," Lio said, his voice rough.
"He was going to make us kneel, Niamh. And I almost let it happen just to avoid trouble."
"You made the smart choice," Niamh said.
"Sometimes swallowing pride is harder than fighting."
"Doesn't make it feel any better."
They stood in silence for a moment. Then Niamh said quietly, "Oh, Lio. Jade doesn't have to know about this."
Lio hesitated, then nodded slowly. "You're right. He'd just worry."
"Exactly. Let's keep this between us."
Lio agreed, though the decision sat uncomfortably. They separated to their rooms.
....
In his room, Jade woke from a nap feeling refreshed. He'd dozed off during his fourth film. He stretched and checked the time was late afternoon.
A knock on this door removed the rest of his drowsiness. "Jade? You awake?"
"Come in."
Lio entered, carrying bags. "Brought you dinner. Thought you might be hungry."
Jade accepted the container, but something made him pause. His eyes caught Lio's aura as he moved around the room, unpacking items with forced cheer.
The aura surrounding his brother churned with dark colors. Anger. Shame. Barely-contained rage beneath a facade of normalcy.
"Lio," Jade said quietly. "What happened?"
"Nothing! Just exploring. Brought you some of those pastries you—"
"Lio." There was more weight eight in Jade's voice. "What happened?"
Lio's smile faltered. Lio's shoulders sagged.
"Niamh," Jade called through the open door. "Come here please."
Niamh appeared shortly, her expression carefully neutral. But her aura told the same story.
"What happened?" Jade asked again.
Lio and Niamh exchanged glances. Niamh sighed.
"We had a confrontation. With some contestants. It got heated."
"Define heated?"
"I bumped into him by accident. He took offense." Lio's jaw clenched. "Tried to make us apologize on our knees."
Jade's eyes went flat. "Tried?"
"The other Nexarion participants showed up. Revik and the others. They... they stood up for us. Would have fought if security hadn't intervened."
"They defended you.?" Jade asked puzzled.
"More like defended Nexarion's reputation," Lio corrected. "But yeah. They backed us up when it mattered."
Jade nodded slowly. "I guess I misjudged them."
"What?"
"I thought they just resented me. I didn't consider they might actually care about our planet's honor." Jade looked at both of them.
"Are you both alright? Actually alright?"
"We're fine," Niamh assured him. "And unharmed."
"I'm sorry," Jade said quietly. "That I wasn't there."
"You were resting," Lio managed a weak smile. "Probably better. You would have started a war."
"Yes," Jade agreed. "I would have."
They sat together, processing the day.
Jade tried his best to cheer them up narrating the movies he saw when they were out making Lio and Niamh laugh at the absurdness of the situation.
Jade. Seeing a movie. That was the most amusing thing they had ever heard.
.....