I couldn't stop thinking about it.
Maya's story. Theodore's smirk. The casual way he'd murdered someone and faced no consequences. It just isn't fair.
"You're brooding," Asura observed. "You've been brooding for days."
I'm thinking.
"There's a difference?"
I ignored her. Walked through the Academy halls between classes, lost in thought.
What could I do? I was nobody. A weak first-year in Stone Dorm. Theodore was the First Prince's son. Untouchable. Even if I exposed what he'd done to Maya, who would believe me? Who would care?
I turned a corner and nearly walked into a group of students.
Theodore's group.
I froze, ready to turn around, but they hadn't noticed me yet. They were clustered near a window, talking loudly enough for anyone nearby to hear.
"...inevitable, really," Theodore was saying. "Lucas Hartwell will become Student Council President this year. He's a third-year, powerful, popular. The position is his."
"And next year, it'll be yours," one of his goons said. "Everyone knows it."
"Of course it will be mine. I'm the only logical choice." Theodore leaned against the window frame, the picture of casual confidence. "Though I have to say, Hartwell is a disappointment."
"How so?" the other goon asked.
"He's powerful, yes. Talented. But he doesn't understand what it means to be noble." Theodore's voice took on that lecturing tone I'd heard before. "He treats commoners like equals. Helps weak students who should be weeded out. Preaches about honor and fairness and all that idealistic nonsense."
"That's just how he is...."
"That's weakness." Theodore cut him off. "Power exists to be used. The strong should rule. The weak should serve. That's the natural order. Noble blood carries power for a reason, we're meant to stand above the rabble. But Hartwell? He acts like our process of selective breeding doesn't matter. Like some peasant with talent is equivalent to us."
My hands clenched into fists.
"When I'm President," Theodore continued, "things will change. The Academy will return to proper hierarchy. Nobles in positions of authority. Commoners grateful for whatever scraps of education they receive. The strong respected, the weak discarded. As it should be."
"What about students like that Ashford kid?" one goon asked. "Noble blood but weak?"
Theodore's expression turned contemptuous. "Mistakes happen. Weak noble bloodlines should be culled. If they can't demonstrate proper strength, they're no better than commoners. In fact, they're worse, they waste noble resources that could go to worthy students."
"I want to kill him," Asura said flatly. "Can I kill him? Please?"
Not yet.
"But you're thinking about it."
Yes.
I turned and walked away before I did something stupid. Before the rage building in my chest made me act without thinking.
Theodore's ideology. Might makes right. The strong above the weak. Noble blood as inherent superiority.
It made me sick.
Not because it was unfamiliar. Because it was too familiar.
Kenji Yamamoto had believed the same thing. The strong stand on top. The weak deserve to be crushed. That was how the world worked.
And look where that got him. Dead and alone. Hated by everyone who knew him.
I wouldn't become that again. Couldn't become that.
But Theodore was actively hurting people. Had murdered Maya. Was planning to do worse once he had more power.
Someone had to stop him.
"So stop him," Asura said. "You have the power."
I'm a first-year. He's a second-year with blood relation to the imperial family.
"And?"
And if I attack him, I get expelled. Or arrested. Or worse.
"So, you do nothing? Let him continue?"
I didn't answer.
Because I didn't have a good answer.
The monthly combat evaluation was approaching. A ranked tournament where students fought to improve their standing. Top performers got resources, recognition, advancement.
I had no intention of standing out. Planned to perform adequately and maintain my mediocre ranking.
But I needed to practice. Make sure my "adequate" performance looked natural rather than intentionally restrained.
During club activity hours, when most students were busy with their organizations, I made my way to the training rooms.
Room 13 was occupied. I tried Room 14 instead. Empty.
I locked the door, set the environmental controls to standard, and began drilling. Basic forms. Traditional techniques. The kind of thing any average student might practice.
Thirty minutes in, the door opened.
I turned, expecting another student looking for an empty room.
Theodore Valemont stood in the doorway, his two goons flanking him.
"Oh good," Asura said with savage glee. "He came to us. That's convenient."
"Training room's occupied," I said, keeping my voice level. "Try another one."
"I'm not looking for a training room." Theodore walked in, his guards following. The door closed behind them. "I'm looking for you."
"Then you found me. Congratulations." I turned back to my practice dummy. "Now leave."
"Still as disrespectful as ever." Theodore's voice was amused. Almost pleased. "You know, I've been thinking about you, Ashford. About that day you refused my duel challenge."
"And?"
"And I was angry then. Insulted. But I've had time to reconsider." He moved closer. I kept my back to him, continued my form. "You were smart. You knew you couldn't win, so you refused to fight. That shows intelligence. Survival instinct. Qualities I can respect."
"How nice for you."
"I'm offering you a chance, Ashford. Join my group. Accept my patronage. I'll help you develop your talents, such as they are and in return, you'll support my eventual rise to Student Council President."
I stopped mid-swing. Turned to look at him.
"Like you offered Maya?"
His expression flickered. Just for a second. Surprise, then calculation.
"I don't know who you're talking about"
"Maya. First-year student. Last year. Talented earth mage. You offered her the same deal. She refused. And then she died." I met his eyes. "Tragic accident, they said. Fell from a roof while sick. Very convenient."
Theodore's surprise vanished, replaced by cold amusement. "That's quite an imagination you have. Though I suppose spending too much time alone can make one insane."
"I'm not insane. I'm informed."
"By whom? The Dead girl?" He laughed. "Oh wait, I forgot. You talk to yourself. The whole school knows. Maybe you've created an imaginary friend to keep you company?"
His goons laughed.
Asura then proceeded to gaslight him
"He's mocking you," Asura said unnecessarily. "He's mocking Maya. He's..."
Something in me snapped.
I punched Theodore in the face.
No warning. No telegraph. Just a straight punch that caught him completely off guard.
He staggered back, hand flying to his bleeding nose. "You..."
I punched him again.
"You killed her," I said. My voice was calm. Flat. "You murdered her because she wouldn't join your little power fantasy."
"I don't know what you're..."
I punched him a third time.
The goons moved to intervene. I shifted, used the techniques Asura had taught me. Chaotic, unpredictable movements. One goon got a kick to the knee. The other got an elbow to the throat.
They went down.
Theodore recovered, drew a practice sword from the sword rack nearby. Water mana flared around him, visible and bright.
"You want to fight? Fine." His smile was vicious. "I'll make sure this looks like self-defense."
He attacked.
Theodore was good. Really good. Water magic flowing through his blade, making his strikes faster, more fluid. Proper form, excellent technique. Everything a high-ranking noble heir should be.
But I was angry.
I met his strikes with Asura's chaotic style. No form, no pattern, just pure unrestricted violence. My dagger appeared in my hand, when had I grabbed it? deflecting, cutting, pressing.
Theodore's eyes widened. "Where did you get so good."
I drove him back. He adapted quickly, had to give him credit for that, started predicting my patterns. Using his water magic to create distance, striking from unexpected angles.
The training room was getting destroyed. Equipment shattered. Walls cracked. Magical barriers flickered and failed.
We spilled into the hallway. Students scattered, pressed against walls, watching in shock.
"Stop! Both of you!" Someone shouted.
Neither of us stopped.
Theodore was pushing me back now. His adaptation was impressive. He'd figured out my style, was countering it effectively.
I thought of Maya. Sweet, funny Maya who'd just wanted to study in peace. Who'd died because she said no.
The rage intensified.
Theodore drove his practice sword toward my chest. I deflected, but he used the water mana to curve the blade around my guard. Caught my shoulder. Cut deep.
"Submit!" he called out. "You've lost! I was defending myself from your unprovoked attack!"
Playing to the crowd. Making sure they saw him as the victim.
I thought of Maya sitting by that pillar, so grateful to have someone who could see her. Who'd been alone for eight months because Theodore had murdered her.
"Join me," Theodore said, pressing his advantage. "You're skilled. Raw, undisciplined, but talented. I can make you powerful. Make you matter. All you have to do is...."
"Shut the fuck up."
I called on Asura's power.
Just a fraction. Just enough. Let the dark mana flow through me, hidden beneath layers of suppression but there. Strengthening, enhancing, pushing me past my limits.
"Finally!" Asura's voice was jubilant. "Let me borrow your body for..."
I moved.
Faster than before. Stronger. My dagger caught his blade, twisted, disarmed him.
His practice sword clattered to the floor.
Theodore stumbled back, reaching for something at his belt. A real sword. Drew it.
"Self-defense!" he shouted to the growing crowd. "He attacked me! I'm defending..."
I didn't care.
The fight continued. His real blade against my dagger. The hallway was chaos. Water magic versus dark-enhanced speed. Noble technique versus demon-taught brutality.
He was good. Even without his practice sword, even caught off guard, he was skilled.
But I was furious.
Theodore's blade caught my side. Drew blood. I barely felt it.
I caught his wrist, twisted, drove my dagger toward his chest.
He blocked with his sword. The blade positioned perfectly to intercept.
The dagger hit the metal, and I pushed.
His mana enhanced training sword shattered.
Theodore's eyes went wide. "That's impossible, you don't even know how to use aura."
I grabbed the broken sword, pulled him forward, drove my dagger through his arm. Pinned him to the wall like an insect.
He screamed.
I punched him. Once. Twice. Three times. Four.
His face swelled. Blood poured from his nose, his mouth. His goons were screaming for help. Students were shouting.
"Aldric!" Asura's voice, urgent. "Stop! You're going too far! They're going to expel you! "
I punched him again.
For Maya. For every student he'd terrorized. For everyone he'd hurt with his entitled philosophy and unchecked power.
I finally realized how people on the receiving end of my violence felt, when I was still Kenji.
"ALDRIC! STOP!"
My fist drew back for another punch...
A hand caught my wrist. Stronger than it should be. Infused with magic.
I spun, ready to fight off whoever was interfering.
Sera.
She stood there, holding my wrist with one hand. Her other hand was up defensively. Blonde hair pulled back in a practical style. Blue-green eyes wide with shock and disappointment.
She looked exactly as I remembered. Beautiful. Strong. Confident.
And she'd just stopped my punch meant for Theodore.
I froze. Just completely froze.
"That's enough," she said firmly. Her voice was different. More mature. Authoritative. "Both of you. Stop this now."
I stared at her. Two years. Two years since I'd seen her. Since the duel. Since I'd broken her wrist.
And the first time we meet again, I nearly hit her.
My stomach dropped.
"I..." My voice came out hoarse. "Sera, I can explain..."
"Save it." She released my wrist, turned to Theodore. "Are you alright?"
Theodore slumped against the wall, my dagger still pinning his arm. His face was a swollen mess. But he managed to speak.
"He attacked me. Unprovoked. I was just trying to..."
"I said save it. Both of you." Sera pulled my dagger out of his arm, how did she touch it without the dark mana affecting her? And handed it to me. "You." She pointed at Theodore. "Infirmary. Now. Your friends will take you."
Theodore's goons helped him up, supported him as he limped away. He shot me a look full of promise. This wasn't over.
Sera turned to me. And the look on her face, disappointment, frustration, something that might have been sadness made me want to disappear.
"You started a fight in the middle of the Academy," she said. "Attacked another student without provocation, according to witnesses. Seriously injured him. What were you thinking?"
"He... You don't understand"
"Then explain."
I couldn't. Couldn't tell her about Maya. Couldn't explain that Theodore was a murderer. Couldn't justify my actions without sounding insane.
"I can't," I said quietly.
"You can't or you won't?"
"Both."
She shook her head. "I don't know what happened to you, Aldric Ashford. But this isn't acceptable. You could be expelled for this. At minimum, you'll face disciplinary action."
"I know."
"And you did it anyway."
"Yes."
"Why?"
Because someone has to stop him. Because he killed someone and got away with it. Because if I don't do something, he'll keep hurting people.
"I can't explain," I repeated.
Sera studied my face. Looking for something. Not finding it.
"Lucas told me about you," she said finally. "Said you were being bullied by Theodore's group. That you refused to fight back. He was worried about you." She paused. "Guess he was wrong. You can fight back. You just choose not to most of the time, I think you just get a kick out of being perceived as weak. Looking down on people who attack you just to itch your ego a little bit, you're really sick"
"Sera..."
"Representative Blackwood," she corrected. "We're not friends. And after this?" She gestured at the destroyed hallway. "I'll be recommending disciplinary action to the Council. Probably suspension at minimum."
Each word was a knife.
"I understand."
"Do you? Because from where I'm standing, you attacked a second-year, heir to the First Prince without provocation. Used excessive force. Nearly killed him. That's not the behavior of someone who understands consequences."
"He deserved it."
"That's not your decision to make!" Her voice rose. "We have rules. Procedures. You don't get to assault people because you think they deserve it!"
I couldn't argue. She was right. From her perspective, I was completely in the wrong.
"I need to report this," she said, stepping back. "You should go to the infirmary. Get those wounds treated. Then wait for a summons from the Student Council."
She turned to leave.
"Sera, wait..."
She paused, looked back. " For the last time! It's Representative Blackwood. And there's nothing else to say."
"I'm sorry. For... for before. For what I did. At the banquet. I..."
"So, you have a pattern of attacking people when things don't go your way." Her voice went cold. "Good to know. That'll make my report easier to write."
"That's not... it's not the same...."
"Isn't it?" She crossed her arms. "Two years ago, you physically hurt me and challenged someone to a duel you couldn't win. Today, you attacked Theodore Valemont and nearly killed him. Seems like the same pattern to me. Violence when you're frustrated."
"Sera, please...."
"Representative Blackwood!" she snapped. "We're not friends. We were barely acquaintances. And after what you did, both times, I don't want to know you."
She walked away. Disappeared down the hall.
Left me standing there, bleeding, surrounded by shocked students and destroyed property.
"That went well," Asura said dryly.
Shut up.
"She's going to report you. You're going to be suspended. Possibly expelled."
I know.
"Was it worth it?"
I thought of Theodore's swollen face. The fear in his eyes when he realized I wasn't going to stop. The moment he understood he wasn't untouchable.
Yes.
"Even if it costs you everything?"
Yes.
"You're an idiot."
I know.
Students were still staring. Someone had probably gone for faculty. I needed to move. Get to the infirmary. Deal with my wounds before someone found me.
I walked through the halls, leaving a trail of blood. My shoulder burned. My side ached. My knuckles were raw from punching Theodore's face.
Worth it.
Even if Sera hated me. Even if I got expelled. Even if Theodore's family destroyed me.
Worth it.
For Maya. For everyone Theodore had hurt. For the satisfaction of seeing fear in his entitled eyes.
I made it to my dorm room before collapsing.
The last thing I heard before darkness took me was Asura's voice:
"You stupid, self-destructive idiot. I'm proud of you."
Then nothing.