The med bay lights buzzed faintly, a cold blue hum that matched the chill in Riku's veins.
He lay on the metal table, chest rising and falling like it had forgotten how to keep rhythm. Every breath felt heavier than Gravon's gravity field.
Lira's translucent form hovered beside him, her hand almost touching his. You shouldn't have pushed that far.
"Didn't plan to," he murmured. "Gravity kinda forced my hand."
The nurse bots moved silently, patching nanobandages across his arms. Each strip hissed as it met skin, sealing black-veined cracks that still pulsed faintly with shadow.
Lira frowned. Those lines… they're not healing. They're spreading.
Riku turned his head, staring at the reflection on a nearby monitor. He didn't like what he saw — veins darkened to obsidian, eyes rimmed faintly purple.
"Guess Phantom Zone Level Four leaves souvenirs," he said, forcing a smirk.
Lira crossed her arms. Souvenirs? That's corruption, genius.
---
The door hissed open.
Kaori stormed in first, ponytail flicking like a whip. "Do you even think before you play?"
Riku winced. "Not really my thing."
"You nearly collapsed the whole arena!" she shot back. "If the judges hadn't stabilized the field, you could've crushed half the spectators!"
Serene followed behind her, quieter but with that disapproving healer-aura that made him feel like a child caught sneaking out at night. "Your soul-link readings were off the charts, Riku. You were one resonance spike away from burning through your connection with Lira."
Lira's expression softened. They're right. I almost lost you.
Riku sighed. "But you didn't. And we won."
Kaori threw her hands up. "You can't keep thinking like that! Winning doesn't matter if you die before the next round."
He looked at her then — not with defiance, but something closer to guilt. "…I'll keep that in mind."
For once, Kaori didn't yell again. She just dropped a bottle of electrolyte mix on his bedside and muttered, "Idiot," before walking out.
---
Serene lingered. "There's talk among the League Scouts," she said softly. "Some say you've already reached second-tier resonance levels. But others…"
"Others what?"
"They think your spirit bond's unstable. That you're one match away from self-implosion."
Riku gave a small grin. "Then I guess I'd better make that match worth watching."
Serene shook her head, exhaling. "You sound more like Lira every day."
Lira smirked. He wishes.
---
Two days later, the Soul Academy's training hall was alive again.
Riku stepped onto the empty court, bandages hidden under his sleeves. The moment he bounced the ball, shadows rippled beneath him like living smoke.
Lira's voice hummed faintly. Your energy flow's uneven. The wounds are bleeding resonance every time you move.
"Then I'll make them work for me."
That's not how physics—or souls—work, she snapped.
He ignored her. "Phantom Zone, Level One."
The air dimmed. His shadow echoed the motion perfectly.
"Level Two."
Three echoes. Smooth transition.
"Level Three."
His heartbeat synced with Lira's pulse. The court darkened.
He hesitated before calling Level Four. The memory of collapsing under Gravon's pull flashed through his mind.
Not yet.
Instead, he started dribbling — slow, steady, precise. Each bounce left a faint black shimmer that hung for a second before fading. He was building control, not power.
Half an hour passed before his arms started to tremble. Sweat dripped from his jawline.
Then the arena door opened again.
Gravon stood there.
Still tall, calm, carrying that mountain-like aura even without his spirit.
"Training already?" Gravon asked.
Riku grinned. "You thought I'd take a week off?"
"I thought you'd be in traction," Gravon said dryly, stepping closer. "Good to see you're stubborn as ever."
Riku spun the ball once. "Came to rematch?"
Gravon shook his head. "No. Came to warn you. The next opponent—they won't fight fair. Alren Kyss,mirage.Mind type, If you hesitate once, he'll end you before you blink."
Riku's smile didn't fade. "Sounds fun."
"He's faster than sound, Riku. Don't joke about it."
"I'm not." His tone hardened.
Gravon studied him for a long second, then nodded slowly. "Just don't lose yourself again. The moment your shadow controls you instead of the other way around, it's over."
"Yeah," Riku said softly. "I know."
---
That night, Riku couldn't sleep.
Every time he closed his eyes, he saw the singularity — the collapsing world, the roaring void, the sensation of his soul being pulled apart molecule by molecule.
He sat up on his bed, staring at his hands in the moonlight. The cracks glowed faintly.
Lira materialized beside him, sitting cross-legged on nothing. "You're scared," she said quietly.
"Maybe."
"You should be."
He chuckled once. "Thanks for the pep talk."
"I'm serious, Riku. That last match—something in you shifted. You're drawing on my power faster than before. If you keep syncing like that, there won't be a line between us anymore."
He looked at her. "And that's bad because…?"
"Because you'll stop being you," she whispered. "You'll be a phantom. Just another lost echo."
For a moment, neither spoke. The night air hummed with faint resonance.
Finally he said, "Then I'll find a way to keep both halves alive. Human and spirit. That's what makes me different."
Lira smiled faintly. "You're impossible."
"Yeah," he said, lying back down. "That's why we win."
---
Morning came fast. The academy broadcast scrolled across the walls of the dorm corridor:
"Soul League Ranking Phase – Top 32 Announced"
Below, the list gleamed in gold:
> #17 – Riku Vane (Phantom) vs #7 – Alren Kyss (Mirage)
Kaori read it over his shoulder, jaw dropping. "They actually put you against him this soon?"
Riku grinned, tired but ready. "Guess they want fireworks."
Serene pressed her palms together, murmuring a protective mantra. "Please try not to die this time."
Riku winked. "No promises."
As they headed toward the Soul Arena again, the air itself buzzed — faint static already building, as if Iris's spirit was warming up from miles away.
The next match wasn't just another game.
It was light versus shadow.
Mind versus instinct.
And for Riku Vane, it was the line between becoming a legend… or a memory.
To be continued...