Full Chapter – Sparks Fly, Instincts Roar
Location: Ashenwell Academy – Training Arena B, the outdoor pit. It's Duel Week. Students are paired randomly for practice matches. But today? Nothing is random. Today, fate pits obsession against legacy.
Match List Posted
Students crowded around the enchanted board as names flared across the glowing surface. Some groaned. Others cheered. Most panicked.
"Tristan vs Ryo."
"Max vs Professor Illen's training puppet—again."
"Sparks vs No One (flame hazard)."
"Lys vs Calista."
The last one made the arena fall quiet.
Calista Vyrne — daughter of a noble frostwielding bloodline, first place in the academy's upper combat rankings.
Lys — the transfer student with glowing eyes, rumored beast blood, and an unsettling obsession with the Ashen Crown.
Sparks tilted her head, amused. "Ooooh. This is gonna be violent."
Tristan smirked. "Think they'll flirt or murder each other?"
"Both," Hadi answered, conjuring popcorn from energy sparks.
Inside the Pit
The duel pit shimmered with defensive wards. Professors stood around the perimeter. Every seat filled.
Calista entered, sword drawn. Her uniform was pristine, every movement graceful.
Lys entered in silence. No weapons.
Just glowing claws. Bare feet. And golden, slitted eyes locked directly on Grim — who stood beside the others, arms crossed.
Grim didn't flinch.
But his flame coiled.
The Duel Begins
"Begin!" the proctor shouted.
Calista moved first — a burst of frost sweeping toward Lys like an avalanche. Elegant. Controlled.
Lys didn't dodge.
She shattered the ice midair with a roar, the sheer pressure of her beastform aura blasting half the field into steam.
The crowd screamed.
Sparks leaned forward, eyes wide. "She's not holding back."
Clash of Power
The battle blurred into speed:
• Calista's ice blades spun through the air like deadly ribbons.
• Lys answered with wild swipes, each strike slamming into the ground, cracking the stone.
Calista formed a storm of frozen daggers and launched them from above—
Lys roared—halfshifting as golden fur rippled down her arms. She summoned an aura beast — a panther made of blazing ether and clawed upward, devouring the storm with a snap.
Then she vanished.
Reappeared behind Calista.
Grabbed her.
And threw her through the warded wall.
The Aftermath
Smoke and shattered shields rained across the arena. The crowd was silent.
The duel pit was scorched. Walls cracked. Half the arena now unusable.
Professor Vendel screamed from the stands. "You demolished the practice ground! Again!"
"Maybe don't schedule a beastgirl and a frostprincess in the same week," Sparks muttered.
Calista pulled herself from the rubble, bruised but conscious. She looked at Lys — who stood proud, golden energy still flickering from her shoulders.
"We're not done," Calista whispered.
"We never were," Lys replied.
The Look
As Lys exited the arena, her eyes flicked to Grim.
He said nothing.
But his silence — steady, calm, unreadable — made her smile.
She wasn't sure if it was approval.
But it wasn't rejection.
And that was enough.
For now.