Kai swung his blade through the empty air of the training hall, watching the last arc of light fade from its edge. The wooden training dummy before him had a dented surface where countless strikes had landed, but tonight Kai was determined not to test its patience further. The hall was nearly silent now, only the soft clink of his own sword and the steady hum of the ancient rune in the floor to keep him company. Candlelight flickered along the stone walls, and the evening chill crept through the open windows.
He paused, breathing through the tip of his sword. Again, he told himself, remembering Leo's words: Focus on control, not power. Kai pressed his lips together, bone-jarring fatigue in his shoulders, sweat cooling on his skin. He had been here for hours. The rhythm of training was almost meditative. The dummy's carved features remained expressionless even as Kai felt his own temper flare at each missed strike. He had learned to ask questions with his blade, not just seek a reply. Tonight, though, frustration hung over him like a shadow. Would he ever get it right?
He circled the dummy, resuming his stance. The corridor outside was empty; the day's classes had ended. He alone remained in the dim hall. Kai tapped the edge of his blade against the dummy's wooden chest, sending a hollow echo over the stone floor. "Alright," he muttered softly to himself. A small nod. Then he moved again: a swift feint to the left followed by a parry. The hilt of his sword thumped against the dummy's arm with a tight, rigid sound.
Too much force. He lowered his stance and closed his eyes. Light, precise, calculated. The air smelled of sweat and oiled leather. When he opened his eyes again, the hall felt patient and silent. Again.
He rose slowly and took the next move—a probing strike, sharp but controlled, slicing past the dummy's guard. The tip of Kai's blade brushed the wood's surface and slid off harmlessly. This time, just as Leo had shown him, his body weight followed through. Kai felt an invisible tug as the dummy's leg swung out. He twisted his hips into a controlled step and drove his blade low. The wooden figure creaked under the cut and slumped slightly.
Kai blinked. A rush of adrenaline, surprise, and triumph washed through him. He hadn't even realized how loud his own breathing had become. The exercise had worked. A small grin tugged at his lips despite the burn in his arms. He wiped sweat and splintered wood from his blade and stepped back into stance once more.
The sensation of success faded as quickly as it had come. There was no one here to witness it, no praise to earn. The echoes of his strike hung in the quiet, then dissipated. He knew that doing one strike correctly didn't mean mastery, but it was a start.
Kai resumed practice with the next combination, as disciplined and methodical as before. The tension in his shoulders eased as he focused on technique, each move a precise question sent to the dummy. Hours had slipped by in a rhythm of strikes and blocks. The silence stretched, the echoes of his efforts finally fading, when a new sound broke through.
Boots on stone—slow and deliberate. Kai's eyes snapped up. In the low light, a figure stepped out from the shadows at the far end of the hall. He was about Kai's height, slightly broad-shouldered, with a shock of sandy-blond hair falling into his eyes. A sword was slung casually across his back. The newcomer paused, studying Kai for a long moment before walking toward him.
"Practicing again, Kai?" the stranger called out as he approached.
Kai's grip tightened on his sword. Not this late, he thought. Still, he gave a courteous nod. He had seen this student before—Finn, from swordplay training—but they weren't friends. Regardless, he answered politely. "Yeah," he said, unclipping his sword from his hip. "Just finishing up. What's up?"
Finn smiled easily, but there was a hard glint in his eyes. "Just thought I'd try my luck with a real partner. Stone dummies don't fight back."
Kai raised an eyebrow. "You want to spar?"
Finn shrugged. "Sure. You practiced enough—get some live action."
Kai glanced at the rune beneath their feet, ensuring it was inactive. "Alright," he said. "Let's do this."
They moved to the center of the hall. Finn drew his sword smoothly and adopted a relaxed stance. "Ready?" Kai asked, meeting his eyes.
Finn gave a nod. "Let's go."
Kai moved first. He launched into a combination: parry to Finn's right, spin, then a forward cut toward Finn's unprotected side. It was the same flow he had practiced.
At first it worked. Finn reacted predictably, arm lifting. As Kai lunged, a strange, sharp whine sliced through the air—a sudden, piercing vibration.
Kai's body seized up. His ears filled with a high-pitched ringing. The rune underfoot seemed to pulse with the noise. His vision blurred; lights streaked in his eyes. He tried to shout a warning, but no sound came out of his throat.
Then Finn was on him. He struck forward with one smooth motion. Kai barely managed to deflect the blow, steel clanging against steel in a crash that sent a shock up his arm. It was no normal clang; his bones vibrated with the impact.
Kai staggered back, blinking rapidly. "What—?" he gasped, head swimming.
Finn's face was calm, leaning in just enough to peer. "You okay?" he asked, pretending concern. "Sound bothering you?"
Kai shook his head fiercely, trying to clear the ringing. "No," he panted. "You… did something. I—I heard…"
Finn straightened, putting distance between them. "Heh," he said with feigned innocence, "I'm just standing here. Maybe it's the old building playing tricks. You sure you're feeling alright?"
Kai realized suddenly what had happened. Finn had triggered some kind of sound magic. He cheated. Anger flared beneath the dizziness. "Turn it off!" he spat, voice low and steady despite the shake in his hands.
Finn's face twisted into a smirk. "Turn it off?" he repeated. "Where are you gonna find the switch?" He stepped forward and struck again, this time catching Kai's shoulder. The point of Finn's blade tapped lightly, and Kai stumbled to one knee.
His chest heaved; a bright pain blossomed at his guard. The sharp scent of ozone filled his nose. His ears were still buzzing faintly.
Finn stood over him, sword pressing against Kai's throat but held loosely. He laughed quietly, shaking his head. "I thought you'd be tougher," he teased. "I was barely even trying."
Kai glared up at him, muscles trembling. "That's not fair," he managed. "You…"
Finn shrugged with mock apology. "Fair? Who said anything about fair?" He withdrew his sword and flicked it back to his hip. "Look, good match. Too bad about the final."
Kai felt the words dig at him. Betrayed. Humiliated. He forced himself to stand fully, hands still trembling on his hilt. "You cheated," he said quietly. "You used magic."
Finn's head jerked, feigning surprise. "Cheated? Me?" he laughed. Then his face hardened into smug amusement. "If you don't cheat, you won't win, Kai," he said matter-of-factly. "That's just how it goes."
The words hit Kai like another blow. He saw them carved in cold light against the stone wall. "No," he whispered. "No…"
Finn shook his head, as if pitying the pause of Kai's broken spirit. "Think about that, next time you step into the ring."
He turned to leave, but before stepping off the rune, Finn looked over his shoulder. "Oh—don't mention this to Leo," he said quietly. "I don't think he'd approve of my… tactics."
With a final sneer, Finn strode away. His footsteps echoed and then faded into silence, leaving Kai utterly alone in the training hall.
Kai stared down at the glowing rune beneath his feet, one hand still trembling on his sword and the other on his burning shoulder. Every nerve in his body throbbed with rage and shame. No one had seen what happened, and no one was here to judge—everyone would just see Kai as the loser in a sparring match.
A low curse escaped him. If Finn thought this was a victory, he could keep it. Kai's fingers twitched, still wrapped tightly around the hilt. He had a sword; Finn had a trick. The thought burned in him. He wanted to lash out, to accuse, to make Finn pay. But he wouldn't ruin himself.
"I'll train harder," Kai muttered to the silence, forcing the words to calm him. It's fine. I can do this.
He took a shaky breath and finally relaxed his stance. His armor's plates felt heavy with the tension he released. Every muscle still ached, and the faint ringing in his ears lingered, but it was fading. Pushing off his heavy boots, Kai brushed a hand through his damp hair. He should have seen it coming, but somehow he hadn't.
Still, he refused to show Finn that any of this had broken him. Besides, what good would it do to yell now? Finn was gone.
Kai sheathed his sword quietly and slung it back across his shoulder. As he stepped out of the hall, he glanced back at the lone candle beside the dummy. Its flame flickered once, then steadied.
It's just one fight. He got lucky. The thought was cold comfort. But Kai forced himself to put his focus on something else.
As he rounded the corner in the corridor, his thoughts still racing, a burst of familiar, loud voice cut through.
"Hey! Kai! There you are!"
Marcus was striding toward him, waving a holo-pad and grinning from ear to ear. Relief and concern lit Marcus's face as he spotted Kai.
Kai forced a small smile. "Marcus... hey," he replied, keeping his tone steady. He slapped a hand on his shoulder briskly, trying to shake off the last of the adrenaline.
Marcus's grin widened. "I'm starving, man," he exclaimed, draping an arm around Kai. He gave Kai's shoulder a playful squeeze. "You've got wood shavings in your hair, and is that bench still broken back there?"
Kai laughed—a real laugh—and rubbed the back of his neck. "One careless fall," he answered, forcing it off as casually as he could. He gestured vaguely down the corridor. "No big deal, it's fine."
Marcus's brow shot up in mock concern. "Careless fall? What happened? Vampires in the hall? Did Alex sneeze his textbooks at you again?" He chuckled, then patted Kai's shoulder. "Kai, you look beat. Everything okay?"
Kai nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine," he lied smoothly. He took a deep breath of the cool air. "Just a long training session."
Marcus gave him an odd look but only shrugged. "A long training session, huh? No kidding. Well, let's get you some dinner."
Kai followed his roommate down the corridor. Marcus chattered on about their day's classes—Professor Edris's eccentric demonstration in energy theory (complete with mid-air cartwheels, as Marcus described it with wild hand motions) and the latest gossip in Strategy class. Kai found himself laughing at Marcus's impressions. His mind had been so tangled with anger and confusion, but Marcus's stories unwound it, thread by thread.
The corridor brightened as they approached the Grand Refectory. Warm light and the murmur of hundreds of students drifting from inside made Kai feel almost normal again. Marcus chattered about their classmates and upcoming projects, and Kai answered between bites as they filled their plates.
Still, beneath the din of conversation, the echo of Finn's words tugged at the edge of Kai's thoughts: If you don't cheat, you won't win. They hissed like a faint undercurrent. He forced himself to ignore them, to focus on Marcus's broad grin as he loaded another helping onto his tray.
When Kai caught his own reflection in the polished stone, he saw a battle-weary, slightly bruised young man—but also a survivor. Taking a bite of food, he finally allowed himself a real smile. "Thanks, Marcus," he said quietly.
"Anything for you, pal," Marcus replied easily, clapping him on the shoulder again.
The unfair duel still lingered in Kai's mind like a whisper, but he let it fade into the background. Marcus's hearty laugh and the clatter of dishes surrounded them. For now, Kai was back in the moment—with friends around him and a warm meal ahead. He could grapple with betrayal and anger later.
As Marcus launched into another story about the professors and social drama, Kai listened and joked along. The shadows of the training hall receded, if only for a little while, drowned out by the comfort of companionship and the noisy evening crowd of the academy's dining hall.