Kael woke up when voices echoed sharply through the wooden door to his room. Still exhausted, he blinked groggily toward the entrance. Suddenly, the door flew open and Zaros fell in backwards, quickly shutting it behind him as if to block someone out.
"I'm not discussing this right now," Zaros hissed at the closed door.
A muted, furious voice answered from the hallway:
“Zaros, open this door! I’m not finished!"
Zaros leaned against the door with a long, defeated sigh. He closed his eyes as if gathering strength.
A tired chuckle made him freeze.
He turned his head toward the bed, where Kael lay awake, watching him with a raised eyebrow.
Zaros’s shoulders relaxed immediately. "About time you woke up," he said, crossing the room with a relieved grin.
"Your...argument was hard to ignore," Kael muttered, his voice still raspy. They both managed a small smile, their familiar banter flickering back for a moment.
Kael nodded toward the door. “So, who was that?”
Zaros’s expression collapsed in an instant. "Noelia," he sighed, misery coating the single name.
Kael expected himself to laugh. Normally, he would have. Noelia chasing Zaros down a corridor would have brightened his day.
But this time, nothing.
He just lay there quietly.
His mind wasn’t on Noelia.
It was on Nora. On the letter. On the fights. It was on the weight of everything that was still unresolved.
I can’t deal with someone else’s chaos right now, Kael thought, feeling the heaviness in his chest return. First, I need to understand what Nora meant. And why he did all this.
Zaros blinked at Kael’s lack of reaction, surprised, but then shrugged it off.
Kael broke the silence with a quiet and sincere, “Thanks for visiting me.”
Zaros scratched the back of his neck. "Well, we visited you yesterday, too, but you were out cold. So I figured I’d try again today.”
“We?” Kael echoed, his brow lifting. Zaros seldom used the plural form without reason.
Zaros exhaled heavily. "Lia came with me. She saw the state you were in yesterday and couldn't stand it." He hesitated. "She still can't forgive you for going into that last round. Or for letting yourself get hurt like that. So, she didn’t want to come in now.”
Kael lowered his head. "I understand," he murmured. And he did. Painfully so.
Zaros, trying to lighten the mood, nudged him gently. "But hey, I'm here. You should know you’ve become quite the celebrity.” A grin crept onto his face. "Your ridiculous fighting style has everyone talking. Even the princess hasn't stopped talking about you. How did you come up with that?”
Kael looked away, a shadow crossing his face. He didn’t want to think about how he’d fought. Or the reasons behind it. Or the consequences waiting for him outside the infirmary door.
"It just felt right," he said simply, careful not to reveal the truth.
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Zaros nodded thoughtfully. "You were probably right to trust your instincts," he said, still studying Kael’s face as though trying to read something beneath the surface.
Kael’s jaw tightened. "But it wasn't enough," he muttered, bitterness slipping into his tone despite his attempt to suppress it.
Zaros's smile faded. His eyes narrowed with suspicion. “How can you know that?” he asked slowly. "You just woke up."
Shit. Kael panicked inside, but he kept a steady, calm expression as he met Zaros’s eyes.
"Right before I blacked out, I saw that Liam, Serena, and Cassandra were still standing," Kael said evenly. "So I assumed it wouldn't be enough."
"Makes sense," Zaros admitted, though a thin thread of doubt crept into his voice. He let it go with a shake of his head, though. "You're right anyway," he continued. "Liam took a rough hit to the shoulder, but he can still fight. Cassandra and Serena were still fighting when you dropped Samuel. So, no—" Zaros exhaled, sympathy softening his voice. “You didn’t make the top three. I’m sorry.”
Kael frowned. "I can't imagine Serena being on Cassandra's level. She should’ve ended her way faster.”
Zaros lifted his hands helplessly. "I don't know. I wasn’t there. But people were talking. Some said Cassandra was off, Like she wasn’t fully focused. She only really went all out after you took Samuel down. After that, she beat Serena almost instantly."
Did she slow down on purpose? For me? The thought struck him like a sharp, unwelcome blade. With Cassandra's last words still fresh in his mind, Kael couldn’t tell if the idea was comforting or painful.
He pushed the thought away and looked back at Zaros.
"What happened next?" he asked quietly.
"What do you think?" Zaros replied dryly. "Naturally, Cassandra defeated Liam. She was better than him before his injury, so beating him this time was easy."
“And then?” Kael pressed, eager to know how the handover of the relic had gone.
Zaros suddenly had to stifle a laugh. Kael raised an eyebrow at him.
"What's so funny?" he asked, already irritated.
Zaros shook his head and continued to grin. "Sorry, but that scene was painful to watch. When Cassandra beat Liam, the vice headmaster wanted to give a grand speech, but the prince cut him off." He snorted. "He just stood up, walked straight down the stairs like he owned the place, and stopped in front of Cassandra with the relic in his hand."
Kael frowned, confused. “And what’s so funny about that?”
Zaros finally burst out laughing. "Because right after he handed Cassandra the relic, he asked her out! Right there. In the middle of the arena. In front of everyone.”
Kael blinked, then chuckled as the image settled in his mind. "And she rejected him, I assume?"
"Instantly," Zaros confirmed, wiping a tear of laughter. "I swear, the look on that guy’s face... He’s arrogant as hell, but for a moment, I almost felt bad for him."
Kael snorted. “But wasn’t he furious afterward? Guys like him have massive egos. He’d want revenge for something like that.”
“Nah,” Zaros said immediately. "She's from one of the most respected families in the Empire. He can’t afford to do anything to her.”
But then his voice shifted lower with warning. "You, however, should be more careful. Rumor has it that every time the princess takes an interest in someone...” He hesitated. "Let's just say the ending isn't pretty."
Kael raised an eyebrow. "That sounds exaggerated."
Taros didn’t answer. He just stared at Kael steadily and unblinkingly until Kael shifted under the weight of it.
"Fine," Kael muttered. "She can't do anything to me inside the academy, right? So everything’s fine.”
"Yeah," Zaros said slowly, "as long as you're in the academy." The repetition was deliberate, meant to sink in.
Kael chose to ignore the warning and change the subject. "So, when can I leave the infirmary?" he asked, trying to sound casual. He just really wanted his own bed and silence.
"I asked the nurse," Zaros replied. "She said you can leave tomorrow. But you shouldn't fight for the next few weeks. Your injuries are severe, Kael. Even walking will hurt.”
Fantastic. Great lesson, Kael thought bitterly, cursing Nora for what felt like the hundredth time since he woke up.
"Thanks, man," he sighed, sinking deeper into the sheets. "I guess I'll try to sleep. You know, recover.”
"Of course." Zaros pushed away from the bed and walked to the door. "See you tomorrow." With that, he stepped out and closed the door quietly behind him.
Kael exhaled and let his head fall back against the pillow. He turned toward the window, through which a soft breeze drifted, brushing over his head like a forgotten memory.
I don't like the way he does things, Kael admitted to himself, staring at the window. But Nora is right. Because of him, I crossed a boundary I never would have broken on my own.
Kael let out a slow breath and let the rational part of him take over, sorting through the chaos Nora had left in her wake.
He’s the right teacher for me, Kael concluded. Harsh. Manipulative. Unpredictable. But right.
His fingers curled lightly over the blanket, determination growing despite his exhaustion. I'll get my answers.
He closed his eyes. Whatever happens.
