Within minutes, everyone had settled into their respective classrooms. Sam found himself once again in Professor Blackthorne's class, a situation he dreaded daily. Having this particular subject both before and after lunch meant enduring the professor's tedious lectures twice in one day, which only deepened Sam's aversion to the material.
In the corner, Lila and Lucas continued their heated dispute, their voices rising with each exchange. Their perpetual hostility had become a familiar disruption in the classroom, earning them a reputation as troublemakers among both students and faculty.
"Be quiet, both of you!" Professor Blackthorne bellowed from the front of the room, his patience clearly wearing thin. His face flushed with irritation as he glared at the quarreling pair.
Lila responded with a smug smile, tossing her glossy hair over her shoulder before directing her attention back to the lecture. She enjoyed provoking reactions, especially from authority figures, though she maintained just enough compliance to avoid serious consequences.
Lucas, however, shot Professor Blackthorne an undisguised look of contempt. He slouched deeper into his chair, arms crossed defensively across his chest. Unlike Lila, he made no pretense of paying attention. The class ranked highest on his list of detested subjects, and his resentment radiated from every pore.
Professor Blackthorne cleared his throat and resumed his lesson, his monotonous voice droning on about concepts that failed to capture most students' interest.
Meanwhile, Sam had already surrendered to slumber, his head resting on folded arms, soft snores occasionally escaping his lips. The morning's early start and the tedious lecture had proven too powerful a sedative for his tired mind.
Lila, only half-listening to the professor's words, divided her attention between the lecture and her own wandering thoughts. Her notebook contained more doodles than actual notes as her mind drifted to more engaging matters.
The bell finally rang, signaling the end of the lesson. Sam jolted awake at the sound, hastily gathering his belongings before making his way out of the classroom.
As he navigated the crowded hallway, a commotion caught his attention. Screams and cheers echoed through the corridor, drawing him toward their source. Following the noise led him to a courtyard where a large stage dominated the center of the space.
A booth stood at the entrance, manned by a young man with curly blonde hair and bright blue eyes. "Give me your paper," the attendant requested, extending his hand.
Sam patted his empty pockets, realizing he had no ticket. "I don't have one," he admitted, glancing down awkwardly.
"No paper? I don't care. Come in for free," the attendant shrugged, waving Sam through without hesitation.
Walking into the courtyard, Sam wondered, "There were papers for a reason. Wouldn't letting me in break the tournament rules? Is this guy risking trouble for me?"
The crowd turned to stare as he entered. Everyone else clutched their paper slips in hands or pockets, while Sam arrived empty-handed. Whispers spread through the audience—apparently, the blonde attendant had a reputation for randomly allowing free entry, especially to those without proper documentation.
Sam realized no one was attending their scheduled classes. He should have been in his next lesson too, but the prospect of a tournament intrigued him. Besides, skipping one class wouldn't hurt anyone, he reasoned.
"Next matchup: Kai versus Lila!" the announcer's voice boomed across the courtyard.
The crowd erupted in applause and cheers for Lila. Recognition struck Sam like a physical blow—she was the same girl who had declared that those born with normal aspects deserved death. Now she faced Kai, a well-known competitor with formidable abilities.
Kai possessed a Divine aspect—a power impossible for someone like Lila to match regardless of her training. Divine aspects required being born with such powers; no amount of strength or practice could elevate a normal person to that level unless they were an anomaly.
Lila charged toward Kai, who effortlessly dodged, seizing her leg and launching her skyward before delivering a devastating uppercut while she remained airborne.
Spinning through the air, Lila eventually regained control, descending gracefully to land firmly on both feet.
"You think you can beat me? I am Lila!" she declared, crossing her arms defiantly. "No one messes with me!"
Kai maintained his composure. "And what are you? Oh right, someone with a normal aspect. Just by knowing my aspect, you know I'll win. Why bother fighting?"
"Because unlike some people, I have honor and pride," Lila shot back, her voice carrying across the arena.
"Pride will get you killed, princess," Kai replied coolly.
Sam observed with growing unease. Kai's Divine power controlled force itself—he could pull objects toward a single point, causing them to collapse upon themselves, or push things apart with devastating effect. He could crush limbs and manipulate physical matter at will.
With a casual gesture, Kai hurled Lila leftward. He dashed after her, delivering another uppercut before grabbing her and slamming her face brutally into the arena floor.
"This match is completely one-sided," Sam muttered to himself. "She has a normal aspect against someone with Divine powers. Honor doesn't matter when you're dead."
Lila fired a beam of light toward Kai, who merely disrupted it with his force manipulation, bending the light away like a black hole. The attack missed him entirely.
Sam recognized Kai's overwhelming strength. No competitor stood a chance against him—the tournament result seemed predetermined. The ability to disrupt light itself was unfathomable, a power typically associated only with cosmic phenomena. Sam couldn't comprehend the extent of Kai's abilities, but he knew such unchecked power needed containment.
Kai stepped forward confidently. "Like I said, why fight?"
"Because I have pride and honor," Lila whispered, struggling to rise. "No matter who I face, I'll always maintain my dignity. You can hurt me all you want, but I'll still keep—"
Before she could finish, Kai brutally collapsed her lungs with his force manipulation. She crumpled to the ground as medical staff rushed to her aid, quickly transporting her to a nearby hospital. Such severe damage should have disqualified Kai immediately.
Yet he remained in the competition, his popularity and overwhelming power apparently shielding him from consequences. The crowd's reaction split—some reveled in the violence while others expressed genuine concern for Lila's welfare.
Sam scanned the faces around him, appalled. "He just collapsed her lungs. Was that force manipulation or did he directly attack her internal organs?"
The tournament had devolved into factional conflict, with supporters cheering Kai's brutality while others protested the excessive violence.
Sam realized with growing dread that facing Kai meant certain death—not merely defeat or injury, but a fatal encounter. At all costs, he would need to avoid this confrontation.
The announcer's voice cut through his thoughts: "Next match: Kai versus Sam."