The arena didn't erupt immediately.
That was the worst part.
Silence spread first—thick, heavy, suffocating—like the entire academy was holding its breath. Even the barrier hummed uneasily, reacting to the echo of power that should not have existed.
I stood there, shoulders slumped, chest rising and falling faster than it should have.
I kept my head down.
Inside, my mind screamed.
Too much. That was too much.
Selene hadn't moved. Her crimson mana flickered uncertainly around her like a flame unsure whether to burn brighter or die out. Her smile was gone now, replaced by something far more dangerous.
Excitement sharpened by certainty.
"You felt that," she said softly, just loud enough for me to hear.
I scratched my cheek awkwardly. "Felt… what?"
She laughed. Not playful. Not teasing.
Hungry.
The barrier sealed tighter.
Professor Halvren raised one finger.
"Continue."
The crowd finally exploded into noise.
"What was that?" "Did you see the barrier react?" "No way that was accidental—" "Selene stopped mid-strike!"
Renvor was gripping the railing so hard his knuckles had gone white. "Idiot," he muttered. "You slipped. Just for a second… but you slipped."
Charlotteurik, one of the upperclass instructors, leaned toward Halvren. "That fluctuation wasn't normal."
Halvren nodded slowly. "No. It was controlled."
Back in the arena, Selene rolled her shoulders and stepped forward again—this time without flair, without showmanship. Her stance lowered. Her mana compressed inward.
She was serious now.
"Try not to die," she said.
She vanished.
Not figuratively.
One moment she was in front of me—the next, the air screamed.
Instinct moved before thought.
I raised my hand.
A translucent ripple formed—barely visible, thin as glass.
Selene's strike slammed into it.
The impact thundered across the arena, shockwaves rippling through the barrier. Students screamed as wind tore past them. The ground cracked beneath my feet.
I was sent skidding backward, boots carving lines into the stone.
I tumbled, rolled, and came to a stop on my back.
Groans and gasps echoed from the stands.
"HE BLOCKED IT." "No, he didn't—he deflected it!" "That was Selene at full speed!"
I lay there for half a second longer than necessary.
Then I groaned. Loudly.
"Ow…"
Selene stared at her hand.
Then at me.
Then she smiled again—but this time, it was sharp enough to cut.
"That wasn't luck," she said. "That was instinct."
I sat up slowly, rubbing my head. "I flail when I panic."
"Liar."
She came again.
This time, I didn't dodge.
I stumbled.
Or rather—I pretended to.
Her strike should've crushed my ribs.
Instead, my body twisted at the last instant, redirecting force into the ground. Stone shattered. Dust exploded upward.
The crowd was on its feet now.
Charlotte had stepped closer to the barrier, eyes blazing. Her lips moved soundlessly.
So that's how he does it.
Selene stopped again, breathing a little heavier.
"Why?" she asked quietly. "Why hide like this?"
I pushed myself up, brushing dust off my uniform. "Because attention gets you killed."
Her eyes widened just a fraction.
Then she laughed.
"Good answer."
She raised both hands.
Mana erupted.
The arena darkened as crimson light spiraled upward, forming a massive sigil behind her. The pressure alone forced several students to their knees.
Instructors tensed.
Halvren did not stop her.
I swallowed.
This is it. No more half-measures.
I straightened my back.
Let my shoulders settle.
For the first time since arriving at the academy—
I stood properly.
The shift was immediate.
My aura didn't explode.
It condensed.
The air around me grew heavy, dense, like gravity itself had sharpened. The dust froze midair. Cracks spiderwebbed beneath my feet—not outward, but inward, collapsing toward me.
The barrier screamed.
Renvor felt it and stumbled back. "No way…"
Charlotte's breath caught.
Selene's grin faltered.
"Ah," she whispered. "There you are."
I met her eyes.
Just for a moment—
I stopped pretending.
Her attack came down like judgment.
I stepped forward.
One step.
The crimson sigil shattered on contact.
Not exploded.
Erased.
Selene was thrown back, skidding across the arena until she hit the barrier hard enough to make it flicker.
The entire academy went silent.
I immediately collapsed to one knee, clutching my chest.
"—ah—!" I gasped. "S-sorry—lost control—!"
The pressure vanished instantly.
Dust fell.
Gravity returned.
The barrier stabilized.
Selene slowly pushed herself upright, staring at me like she'd just seen a myth walk and bleed.
Professor Halvren exhaled.
Then smiled.
The duel ended.
No declaration. No victor announced.
But no one needed it.
As healers rushed into the arena, Halvren's voice carried clearly across the stands.
"Class dismissed."
No one moved.
I was escorted out the side gate before anyone could stop me.
In the corridor beyond the arena, I leaned against the wall, breathing hard. My hands trembled.
That was too much.
Too fast.
Footsteps approached.
I looked up.
Charlotte stood there, expression unreadable.
"So," she said calmly, "how long were you planning to lie to us?"
I closed my eyes.
"…As long as possible."
She nodded once.
"That won't be possible anymore."
Far above us, bells rang—slow, deliberate.
The academy had taken notice.
And somewhere deep within its walls, something ancient had just awakened.