A few students lingered in the room, but Alexander was already walking beneath the circular opening in the ceiling, hands in his jacket pockets, gaze drifting over the cluster of students lined at the door.

  Alexander looked up for a fleeting second, and then his eyes flicked to me, still in my seat. He smirked and gave me a simple finger salute. He rose, slow at first, then smoother. The last thing I saw was the edge of his jacket lifting slightly, then he was gone, swallowed by the shaft above.

  I stretched and leaned into the backrest of the chair, then slowly got to my feet.

  My eyes drifted to the lectern and then darted around the room.

  'He left behind all the objects he gave us.' I walked to the front of the room, where a collection tray sat with a scattering pile of coins and a few spoons. I hesitated, then scooped a handful of the coins and slipped them into my pocket.

  'Not like they'll miss a few coins.'

  Kai was already waiting for me by the door. He didn't say anything as I approached. His gaze flicked once to my pocket, then away.

  We shuffled behind the line to exit. Kai checked his band as we walked.

  "No more lectures for today," he said quietly.

  I exhaled, relieved enough that it made my shoulders drop. "Thank god."

  We made it halfway through the line before Kai slowed and shot me a glance.

  "You wanna meet up again? Tonight?"

  I glanced at him and raised my brows, humming in thought. "Training?"

  He replied with only a faint nod.

  "Yeah," I said. "Let's do it."

  Kai picked up his pace again, and our conversation ended as we both jumped into the tower's central shaft.

  I took my time to visit the cafeteria and have a hearty meal. Unfortunately, it seemed that meat wasn't on the menu every day. I ate whatever I could find and swiftly made my way back to my room.

  But the mental exhaustion was more substantial than I had first expected. The instant I entered my room, I dragged a yawn and walked to the bed.

  'How the hell did I make it through school in my old life if just one day was this tiring?"

  I sluggishly dropped down onto the bed. Initially, I plan to sit for a minute, maybe sort the coins, maybe decide what to do with the rest of the day. Instead, my body folded into the mattress and then my vision blurred.

  When I opened my eyes again, I could only helplessly curse under my breath.

  I sat up slowly, disoriented, and stared out the window.

  It was dark.

  "What the hell are they putting in the food?"

  I rubbed my face with both hands and frowned. I'd done it again. Eaten and then immediately slept, wasting precious hours throughout the day. For a moment, something gnawed at my thoughts.

  'Am I forgetting something?'

  I huffed and got off the bed.

  Nico was already sleeping on his side.

  I tiptoed to the bathroom and washed my face. But just as I wiped the water off my face, clarity rushed through me, and my eyes widened.

  "Ah shit."

  Kai had asked me to come and train tonight.

  'Am I late?' I glanced at the window, but couldn't really see anyone in the courtyard.

  "Did he go back?"

  Unsure, I quickly grabbed my uniform jacket and the spear, slid my band across the door slot, and stepped into the corridor. As I crossed through the halls and descended into the courtyard, I saw Kai walking out of Building 2.

  I breathed out through my nose and felt a small smile tug at my mouth as I shook my head in disbelief. 'This guy. Did he also oversleep?'

  He paused when he spotted me and sheepishly scratched his head. We met near the centre of the courtyard. Kai's eyes flicked to my spear, then to my face.

  "What?" I asked because he clearly wasn't going to start with small talk.

  He shrugged faintly. "Nothing, just, you didn't bring that last time."

  "I was thinking we do something different today," I shrugged.

  Kai's brows furrowed. "Like what?"

  My gaze dropped to his sword.

  "How about a spar?"

  Kai hesitated for a second.

  I rolled my shoulders, thinking through it. "It'll help us work through our technique. We can limit ourselves to using the sevenfold strike only, though."

  His eyes narrowed slightly, attentive. "Fine by me."

  Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

  "And one more thing, I'm not as fast as you, so go easy on me." I raised my brows to make it clear.

  Kai let out a short breath that might have been a laugh. "I'll try."

  He looked past me toward the main campus, then back. "But. It's too cold out here. Why don't we use the combat faculty?"

  "The sparring rooms?" I said. "Aren't those closed right now? It's the dead of the night."

  Kai shrugged. "Might as well check it out. Maybe they're open."

  "Alright, let's try it."

  -

  The Academy at night felt like a different place.

  Windows glowed here and there, muted and distant. Paths were empty except for the occasional figure scuttling between buildings with purpose. The main campus loomed ahead of us in silence.

  The battle dome sat off to the north-east side of the hub. We quickly and quietly crossed two hallways till we stood inches away from its doors.

  From outside, it was dark and unwelcoming, doorswere plain and heavy. No signs. No lamps. Just the faint shimmer of ward-lines in the stone that made it look reinforced.

  Kai stepped up to the doors first, and his band pulsed. The door responded and opened for us. As we both entered, the magical lights woke in a cascading sequence. White arcane lamps flared along the curve of the walls, bright enough that my eyes tightened briefly.

  Along the right wall, a row of sparring rooms waited, each one a compact chamber with a single entrance. They looked sturdy and robust, as if designed to ensure nothing inside would ever spill out.

  Kai slowed near them, eyes tracing the seams and the door frames. He looked pleased in a quiet way, like he'd found a tool he trusted.

  We picked one near the middle.

  The room's door hissed open, and warm air rolled out. We stepped inside, and the door sealed behind us with a soft click that made the space feel private.

  The flooring wasn't stone. It was a different dark, firm material with a slight give underfoot, designed to absorb impact without feeling soft. I tested it with my boot and felt its resistance.

  'This feels like something similar to rubber.'

  I watched as Kai dragged his sword across it lightly. But the blade left no mark.

  He glanced at me, and the corner of his mouth twitched. It looked like he was raring to go.

  I raised my spear and let the shaft settle into my grip as the familiar weight anchored me.

  "Like I said. There's only one rule," I said. "We both must use the same technique. Of course, I'll use the dull sides of my spear."

  "I'll use the back of my sword; you can use the spear however you like." Kai agreed, lifting his sword.

  "Oh?" I smirked. "I didn't think you'd be the kinda guy who shows his true colours only when he's good at something."

  Kai laughed, "No. It's just that I think I can handle it."

  "Suit yourself." I nodded.

  Then, without a word, both of us did a mental count till five and as the last number rolled off my tongue.

  He exploded forward.

  'Not the controlled advance I'd expected.' I readied my spear, my grip tightened as I tried to take a stance.

  Kai darted with a burst of speed that collapsed the distance between us in half a heartbeat. His blade swept in low and fast, angled to drive me back before I could set my stance properly.

  I leapt back and snapped my spear up to intercept. The shaft caught his sword with a sharp crack that vibrated through my arms, forcing me to grimace.

  'Still too much force.' I gritted my teeth.

  He was already moving again, flowing into his next attack before the ring of steel faded from my ears.

  My first thrust came as I backpedalled, desperate to create space between us. The spearhead lanced toward his chest, but Kai twisted aside and let it pass close enough to part the air by his ribs. His blade flicked out, steel brushing the shaft with a precise tap that knocked my attack off balance.

  I pivoted, bringing the spear around in a tight arc to keep him at bay.

  'The only way I can hope to win is by maintaining distance.'

  Kai circled like a wolf, feet light and quick, never moving in straight lines. Every step was calculated to force me to adjust, to turn, to spend energy tracking him instead of attacking.

  A second later, he made the mistake of stepping forward hastily.

  I thrust low at his lead leg, but he deftly slid backwards just far enough that the spearhead missed by the width of a hair. His sword came up in a testing probe, not committing to a real attack, just feeling for my timing.

  But I didn't stop there. Using the moment to my advantage, my second thrust came higher. I aimed at his shoulder.

  This time, Kai stepped in, weaving by my strike.

  With him inside my inner strike zone, the spear's length became a liability instead of an advantage. Before I could adjust my grip. Kai snapped his blade against the shaft, steel sliding on the spear as he aimed to disarm me.

  For a heartbeat, I felt his sword's leverage working against my grip. I tugged back, creating a momentary gap between us.

  At just that instant, I attacked.

  [Sevenfold Strike]

  Seven rapid thrusts struck out in sequence. Originally, the technique was meant to force the opponent back or deal considerable damage.

  However, Kai answered with his own Sevenfold. My spear crossed against his blade. But where my technique was a battering ram, his was surgical in nature.

  Kai unleashed seven precise parries that met each of my thrusts at exactly the right angle, deflecting rather than blocking, using my own momentum against me. Steel rang against steel in a rapid staccato, too fast for the ear to separate into individual impacts.

  On the sixth parry, his footwork carried him forward.

  On the seventh, my stance cracked under the relentless pressure. The force alone made my arms go numb, and I felt my breath catch.

  I had to step back.

  Kai followed like he'd been waiting for exactly that opening. The fight compressed into something harder, faster, more demanding. Every breath cost me more effort. Every movement had to be perfect, or he'd punish it.

  I fought for distance, using my thrusts to force him away.

  It worked, but each time I managed to force him back drained me. My legs burned from the constant footwork. My forearms tightened from holding the weapon steady against his pressure.

  Kai stole ground in increments so small they felt inevitable. He threaded forward, taking half a step here, a quarter step there, always timed to my recovery. Every time I thought I'd created distance between us, I'd find him a little closer than before.

  The pace ratcheted up.

  Yet I knew this wasn't even his full strength. It wasn't anything close to the blinding speed he'd shown in the trials. But even this was enough to force me out of breath.

  He baited my next attack by stepping just inside my range, an invitation I couldn't ignore. I committed to the thrust, driving the spearhead toward his centre mass.

  Kai flowed aside like water, the spearhead passing close enough to catch fabric but finding only air. Before I could recover, his blade snapped against the shaft with a sharp deflection that sent vibrations shooting up to my shoulders. My hands fumbled, and my stance went wide.

  He was already at my side.

  'It's too close for the spear to work properly.'

  But I used [Sevenfold Strike] regardless; my attempts had grown desperate.

  Kai easily met the rhythm, but his parries carried weight now. He forced my spearhead down, and for a moment, I felt the spear slipping from my hands.

  My heel scraped against the floor as I tried to adjust.

  Kai pressed forward just as my forearms went leaden. Sweat stung my eyes. My breathing turned ragged. It was in that instant that I knew I had lost, because he had created the opening he needed.

  His sword swept across the shaft in a brutal deflection that wrenched the spear aside, and then he delivered a controlled kick to my solar plexus.

  Perfectly placed. Perfectly timed.

  The impact drove air from my lungs in a sharp whoosh, and the spear tumbled free, clattering across the floor.

  I staggered backwards and fell to one knee.

  Kai lowered his sword immediately. "I win."

  I stared at the fallen spear, chest heaving as I tried to drag air back into my lungs.

  "That you do," I managed.

  Kai walked over and used the flat of his blade to nudge the spear back toward me. The weapon slid across the floor.

  I picked it up and rolled my shoulders, feeling the deep ache in my arms.

  "You know, your stamina and agility are simply too impressive," I broke out into a cough and wiped the sweat from my face. "Just give me a minute or two. Then... we go... again."

  Kai smiled brightly. "Thanks, and take all the time you need. This... was more fun than I thought."