Fireworks painted the bright morning sky in a dazzling array of colors as the day everyone had waited for over the last four years finally arrived.
Shops and stalls were closed, their windows shuttered—not out of fear, but because every single person who could attend the tournament was already on their way there.
That alone showed how important this event was. In Avarice, it rivaled the Olympics.
Banners shot high above the streets, and confetti fluttered through the air as crowds surged toward the colossal stadium.
People cheered loudly, waving flags of their chosen side—the mages or the swordsmen—each proudly representing their category.
2 had just finished dressing when he called his father to help attach the seal he bought the day before.
"You ready for the big day?" Luke asked, pulling down 2's collar and pressing the seal onto the side of his neck.
The paper charm glowed faintly before fading into his skin.
"Remember this, Jayden," Luke said. "Many people join the tournament because they want the spotlight, mainly to be scouted for royal knights. Plenty of mage masters will be there. But don't fight with that in mind—fight freely, fight for fun. And don't tease them too much if they don't deserve it. Okay?"
"Sure. After I show them my skills, they'll be the ones begging to scout me," 2 said proudly, beating his chest.
"Oh, and I forgot to tell you—I'm not the real Jayden," 2 added casually as he bent down to tie his shoes.
"What the hell do you mean?" Luke shouted, confused.
2 sighed and explained everything: Jayden staying inside the Chamber of Time to learn mana control, reading the instruction book, and how as a clone he could only use about fifty percent of Jayden's original cut power.
With the new seal cutting it further, he sat at roughly twenty-five percent of the real Jayden's overall power.
"Why didn't you tell me this earlier?! The seal can't be removed for twenty-four hours. So you're going to fight at twenty-five percent and expect to win?"
"Dad," 2 said calmly, "I've been using fifty percent as my full power ever since I got this ability—except when you attacked me that day. So don't treat this like twenty-five percent of my power. Think of it as nearly seventy percent of what I was using before.
And Jayden's getting stronger inside the chamber. At this point I'm almost as strong as I was yesterday during practice. Don't worry—I'll win this tournament."
Luke exhaled slowly.
"Whatever you say, kiddo."
"Tell Mom I'm leaving. And she better come watch me win. After all, I am the strongest one—Fantasy!"
2 flashed a thumbs-up and ran out of the house.
Luke stood there, watching his son vanish into the sky toward the arena, pride swelling in his chest.
"That's my son," Luke whispered as a comical tear slid down his cheek.
"Don't be gross, Dad," Myra said, stepping out of her room with Sarah.
"Whatever. I'm not taking that from someone who couldn't even see her brother off."
"Wishing someone who's obviously going to win 'good luck' is bad luck. Don't you know that?" Myra shot back.
Luke wisely chose not to start an argument and turned to Sarah instead.
"What about you? You didn't wish your son good luck. I thought you were the 'good parent' who made reservations for his first date."
"Seriously, Dad, you're still jealous of that?" Myra muttered as she walked back to her room in pajamas.
"I'm going to get ready to watch my brother win the tournament I couldn't win." Myra fake cried.
Luke, laughed now understanding the reason she didn't come out.
Sarah frowned.
"Myra has a point, you would have know but you're such an old man. And what exactly is this about me making reservations for his date with Shaley?"
"Don't play dumb, woman," Luke grumbled. "You made a reservation so he wouldn't deal with the stress of waiting in line, didn't you?"
Sarah stared at him, confused.
"What are you even talking about? You can't make reservations for activation. It's not allowed. Are you sure you know what you're saying?"
"Yes, I'm sure. Ask Myra."
Suspicion flickered across Sarah's face as she felt a bad vibe, and she always trusted her instincts.
"Something's off… It might be nothing, but I'm going to check."
She summoned four small fairy watchers whose wings shimmered faintly.
"Watch Ren, Nadia, Reece, and Shaley—the ones who followed him."
A bright orange fox spirit materialized behind her.
"Kitsune, check the activation center. Find whoever is in charge and look for anything suspicious."
"What a hassle… what a hassle…" the fox groaned lazily before disappearing.
"Let's prepare for the tournament. If there's news, they'll inform us," Sarah said, taking her bewildered husband by the hand and leading him to their room.
***************
In a dim bar filled with sweat, stale ale, and drunken chatter, a young woman quietly sipped her drink.
Sabrina sneezed.
"Seems people are talking about me somewhere, that's cute… Guess I have to work faster now that more people are aware of me."
The air around her reeked of spilled alcohol, unwashed bodies, and cheap perfume.
The drunk patrons were too absorbed in their own problems to care about the outside world.
Her plan had met a few detours, but nothing she couldn't fix. After all she felt they were only natural in every successful plan.
"When I get the Reginalds' power, I'll kill the king and every royal guard. I'll rule Avarice… and soon, this kingdom—no, this world—will be mine."
Sabrina laughed drunkenly, leaning on the bartender's arm.
"That's a nice plan," the fat, kind bartender chuckled, "but you gotta be careful who you tell your evil plans to. I could blackmail you, y'know?"
Sabrina giggled like a schoolgirl at his joke.
"I'm going now, handsome. Bye!" she sang as she staggered toward the door.
A man nearby whistled and slapped her backside she passed.
Sabrina paused, glanced at him, then laughed lightly and kept walking.
At the doorway, she stopped.
She turned back toward the bartender, suddenly sober—eyes as cold as ice.
"About your question earlier… the reason I could tell you my plan is because none of you were going to live anyway. Does that answer it?"
She slammed the door behind her.
The entire room fell silent.
Even the drunkards were trying to understand the nonsense she had just said.
The bartender sighed.
"She's crazy… and such a fine lady too. What a waste."
He turned to serve someone else when out of nowhere purple flames erupted across the entire bar.
Everyone burned instantly.
The bar was consumed in flames ten times hotter than normal fire and within seconds everyone was just a charred corpse by the time they had let out their last scream.
"Music to my ears." sabrina sighed happily as she walked, hidden by her invisibility coat, on the road as everyone outside the bar ran away from the bar premises.
Purple portals opened beneath each charred body, swallowing them into Sabrina's pocket dimension.
"Guess this actually works," Sabrina murmured, admiring the red, pulsing flame mark on her hand.
"Now for my prize."