Zack's footsteps echoed down the long corridor, sharp and uneven, his scowl carved deep across his face. The torches lining the walls flickered as he passed, shadows stretching like claws. His grin — the mask he always wore — had shattered in the chamber, and now frustration boiled beneath his skin.
He muttered under his breath, fists clenched. "Grounded… punished… for what? I didn't kill anyone. I didn't lie. And still she treats me like a child."
As he turned the corner, a voice cut through the silence. "Zack."
He froze. Renn stood waiting, her academy uniform neat even though they were on break. Her eyes blazed with fury, her posture rigid.
Zack forced his crooked grin back, though it was brittle. "Well, if it isn't Renn. Shouldn't you be enjoying the break instead of glaring at me?"
"Zack," she snapped, her voice trembling with anger.
Zack forced his grin back, crooked and mocking. "What now, Renn? We're on break. Shouldn't you be relaxing instead of glaring at me?"
Renn's fists clenched, her voice sharp. "Break or not, I can't ignore what happened. Your friend Seya challenged Sai and broke his back!"
Zack's grin faltered, his jaw tightening. "That wasn't supposed to happen. Seya didn't mean it."
Renn stepped closer, her glare cutting into him. "Didn't mean it? Do you think that matters? Sai is suffering because of your circle of friends. You, Ron, Seya — you think everything is a game. But people get hurt. Real people."
Zack rubbed the back of his neck, frustration twisting his grin. "Renn, it was a duel. Sai accepted the challenge. He knew the risks."
Her voice rose, trembling with fury. "Don't you dare excuse it! You're trash, Zack. You weren't even chosen by the system, and yet you walk around like you're special. You're nothing but chaos. And everyone knows it."
The words hit harder than any blow. Zack's grin collapsed completely. His fists clenched at his sides, his eyes darted away. For once, he had no retort.
The corridor fell silent, the tension thick. Renn's breathing was sharp, her knuckles white, her anger spilling into the air. Zack stood frozen, his mask shattered, the insult echoing in his mind.
"You walk around like you're special, Zack. But you're not. You're reckless. You hurt people. And now Sai is paying the price."
Zack's jaw tightened, his voice low, almost trembling. "Renn… you think I wanted that? You think I wanted Seya to break him? He's my friend. He lost control. It wasn't planned."
Renn's eyes narrowed, her voice cutting like a blade. "Then control your friends. Control yourself. Because if you don't, one day the academy won't forgive you. And neither will I."
Zack's shoulders slumped. He turned his face away, unable to meet her eyes. His grin was gone, replaced by something darker — frustration, shame, and a flicker of anger.
Renn stepped back, her voice trembling but firm. "We're on break now, but when we return to the academy… remember this. You're not untouchable. The system didn't choose you, and that means you'll have to fight twice as hard to prove you belong."
Her words lingered like a curse. She turned sharply, walking away, her footsteps echoing down the hall.
Zack stood alone, the silence pressing against him. His fists unclenched slowly, has he laughed "Hahaha... I wish I can just start using my powers" Has he raised his two hand to his head and started to laugh more
The chamber was quiet, the torches burning low. Zackline's words still lingered in the air, heavy with revelation. Keal stood calm, his crimson and violet eyes unreadable, the faint aura of shadows still clinging to him.
The doors opened.
Zellene stepped inside, her presence commanding yet graceful. Her gaze swept the chamber, pausing on Keal. For a moment, the silence deepened, as if even the flames bent toward her.
She spoke, her voice smooth but edged with sincerity. "Keal… thank you. You helped my son today. The only son that makes sense to me. You stood steady when chaos surrounded him. You protected Zack when no one else could."
Keal's eyes flickered faintly, surprised by her words, though his face remained calm.
Zellene stepped closer, her tone shifting from gratitude to resolve. "I want to train him before we leave for battle. He must continue to protect Zack, as he did today. And for that, I need you. Come tomorrow night. We will begin."
Her golden gaze held his for a long moment, then softened. "You may not realize it, but what you did today mattered. You gave Zackline proof. You gave me certainty. "
Keal inclined his head slightly, his voice low. "As you wish."
He turned to leave, his footsteps echoing softly against the stone. But as he walked down the corridor, his thoughts darkened.
The choridor's silence pressed against Keal as he left. Zackline's words echoed in his mind: "They knew from the beginning. They placed the girl by your side so this could happen."
Queen Zellene's she could have crushed the rumor with ease, silenced the whispers before they spread. Yet she let it grow. Zackline too — sharp, commanding, but she had not stopped it.
Keal's crimson and violet eyes flickered faintly as he walked down the corridor. His thoughts sharpened. This was a test. A trap woven not just for me, but for Zack. The girl was killed so suspicion would fall, so the contract would be used, so the family would fracture.
He remembered the Baron's face, twisted in grief. Zackline's voice had been certain: "His emotions were sincere." And Keal had seen it too, with his Shadow Eyes. The Baron had not killed them. His sorrow was real. His certainty that Keal was guilty… that had been planted too. Someone whispered lies into his ear.
As Keal was passing the corridor, the sunlight cut across the stone floor. Something caught his eye — .
He froze. His breath slowed.
It clicked.
The only person who could benefit from this… from all this was ...
His eyes narrowed, the glow of crimson and violet deepening.
The torches flickered violently. The corridor seemed to stretch, the shadows pulling long.