Chapter 199: Team triumph
Tirel shot a glance at the flurry of sparks and smoke, a weak grin breaking through her flushed face. "Looks like we’re just decoration today, huh?" she muttered, twirling her fingers to trace arcs in the air, fire pulsing faintly along her fingertips. Her spells sputtered in the interference but her determination didn’t waver.
Byun’s grin widened, mischievous and reassuring at the same time. "Stay upright. That’s help enough," he called, his voice carrying above the crackling heat and whispers of the crowd.
His shadows flared with black brilliance, whipping a flanker backward with a snap, then tightening around another, cutting the field clean.
The crowd leaned forward as the battle built to its climax. Jae feinted to the left, then in one fluid motion slashed upward. Flames burst from the Dragonfire Blade, erupting in a wide sweep that forced Veylan’s shield-bearer into the path.
Fire licked across the protective barrier, shattering it like glass, and the defender was sent sprawling backward into the protective wall with a resounding crash.
The murmur of astonishment turned into cheers. Students jumped to their feet, some gasping, others laughing nervously, all caught in the spectacle.
Byun finished the sequence with precision. His shadows surged in a final, commanding wave, binding Veylan’s remaining allies and slamming them hard into the arena floor.
The noble’s spear glowed with desperate mana, but Jae’s final strike knocked it away, sending him sprawling. The motion was sharp, deliberate, and in full control.
The horn blared, signaling the match’s end. Victory: Team Jae.
For a brief moment, the arena fell into stunned silence. Then whispers rippled outward, climbing over each other: "Did you see that...?" "They carried the fight on their own." "Even without the full squad..." "Unreal..."
Jae lowered his Dragonfire Blade, letting the flames fade and curl to embers along the floor. His chest rose and fell with calm, steady breaths.
The adrenaline still pulsed faintly, but his control never faltered. Across the barrier, Sun turned sharply and walked away, cloak snapping behind him as he left without a word, the scowl fixed firmly on his face.
Byun let his shadows recede, dark tendrils folding into themselves as he let out a satisfied sigh. "Guess we made it work," he said, voice light but prideful, a hint of playfulness in his smirk.
Jae glanced sideways at him. "We didn’t really have a choice," he said, calm, eyes scanning the field, calculating.
Elise and Tirel moved toward them, weary but uninjured. Elise’s hair clung to her damp face, her expression a mixture of exhaustion and awe. "That... wasn’t normal," she said softly, voice trembling with lingering tension. "The way my mana collapsed... it felt like someone pressing down on it. Heavy, like it was being restrained from outside."
Tirel’s grin was gone, replaced by a grimace as she straightened her back. "Same here. Was that... part of the test? Some new interference? Or a trick from the instructors?"
Byun’s smirk faded, and his gaze flicked toward the direction Sun had departed. His posture stiffened for a heartbeat, betraying his thoughts before he relaxed again.
Jae followed the glance, maintaining a neutral expression. He could have called out the obvious source, revealed the interference, or speculated aloud.
But the image of Elise’s worried eyes, Tirel’s frustration, and the whispers already climbing among the spectators stopped him. There was no need to name it now.
"Maybe it was," Jae said casually, shrugging, letting his smirk remain faint but relaxed. "Wouldn’t be the first time they tested us in... unusual ways."
Elise let out a quiet sigh, unconvinced, but too drained to press the matter. Tirel muttered something low under her breath.
Jae’s gaze swept over them, then returned to Byun. The truth lingered, sharp and insistent at the edges of his thoughts, but he left it unspoken.
xxx
That night, in the quiet hush of Jae’s dorm room at the Academy, the moon filtered through the narrow window like a soft silver veil, casting gentle shadows over the stone walls and rumpled bed.
The air was cool, carrying the faint scent of night-blooming flowers from the gardens below, but inside, it felt warmer, more intimate. Jae lay sprawled across the bed, his head resting comfortably on Elise’s well-endowed chest, her dark hair splayed out like ink on the pillow.
She was propped up against the headboard, her gown loose and comfortable for the late hour, one hand idly stroking his blonde hair as he talked in that calm, strong voice of his. Elise was timid by nature, thoughtful and nice, always the healer who boosted her friends in tough spots, but with Jae, she let her guard down a little more each time.
"And down there in the catacombs under the palace," Jae said, his red eyes gazing up at the ceiling as he described it, smirking a bit at the memory. "It’s this massive network of tunnels, all carved from ancient stone, with these glowing runes etched into the walls that pulse like they’re alive. Dust everywhere, cobwebs hanging like curtains, and the air’s so thick you can taste the age of it. I found this chamber with skeletons lined up, old warriors, I think, their armor rusted but still holding swords. Felt like stepping into a forgotten story, you know? Dark, echoing, with these weird echoes that make you think someone’s watching."
Elise listened quietly, her fingers tracing slow circles on his scalp, her chest rising and falling under his head. She loved these moments, him opening up, sharing bits of his adventures that made him want to get stronger. "Sounds scary," she murmured, voice soft and thoughtful. "But exciting too. What made you go down there anyway?"
Jae shifted a little, his body pressing closer to hers, dominant in that subtle way he had. "Curiosity, mostly. The books mentioned that the shadow cult worshiped there and I had to see if it had any clues for me. But the queen had the main entrance blocked off, guards everywhere, seals on the doors. Yuna helped me sneak in through a side passage she knew about. Crown princess perks, I guess. She’s blunt about that stuff, just pointed it out and said ’just be bold, Jae.’"