The morning light spilled over the hills, washing the road to Viloan in gold. Felix, Lucio, and Axel trudged along the path toward the academy gates, their shadows stretching long behind them. The city still stirred awake in the distance, steam rising from bakeries and the faint chime of bells echoing through the air.

  “I still can’t believe they left us under a tree outside the city,” Axel muttered, dragging his hand through his hair. “Imagine hauling us past our own homes first.”

  Lucio sighed. “If someone used their brain once in a while, we wouldn’t have ended up there.”

  Felix scoffed, his bag clinking with metal. “Oh, come on. I won that fight for us.”

  “Correction,” Lucio said without missing a beat, “you got your ass handed to you and used that as your last resort.”

  Axel chuckled under his breath. “Doesn’t matter. I see them now.”

  Ahead, Lea and Miria stood in front of the academy gates.

  The Academy of Viloan towered like a monument to light itself. From afar, its golden domes and marble spires gleamed under the morning sun, the main cupola crowned by a radiant crest that reflected light across the valley. Up close, the walls shimmered faintly, runes of soft gold pulsing beneath white marble. Wide stairways spiraled through open courtyards where banners of deep crimson and gold swayed lazily in the wind.

  Lea crossed her arms as the three boys approached. “You finally decided to wake up.”

  Axel squinted at her, a grin tugging at his mouth. “It was your idea to drop us in the middle of nowhere, wasn’t it?”

  “And what if it was?” she said, smirking.

  “Nothing. Don’t worry about it,” Axel replied, matching her grin.

  Miria stepped forward, her expression calm as always. “Glad you didn’t sleep longer.”

  Lucio shot Felix a look. “You can thank the fact that he still hasn’t polished his bombs.”

  Felix puffed his chest out. “No slander toward my bombs, thank you very much. I already promised not to repeat the west courtyard incident.”

  Lucio exhaled sharply. “You didn’t ‘promise.’ You were banned from experimental output for a month.”

  The academy bell rang then, a deep, resonant tone that rolled through the courtyards like thunder. The group turned toward the gates as the golden doors swung open, light spilling across the marble steps.

  “Come on,” Axel said, straightening his jacket. “Let’s go. We’re not gonna be late this time.”

  The five of them walked across the reflective gold floor of the academy, sunlight spilling through the glass dome above. Their footsteps echoed faintly until they reached their classroom, where Mr. Spear stood at the front, hands clasped behind his back.

  “Everyone, sit down,” he said sharply. “We have a special observer from Ordine today. We’re to head to the gym for a demonstration to show how our academy training is progressing.”

  Lea leaned back in her chair, muttering, “They can suck it for all I care.”

  “Lea,” Mr. Spear snapped. “Watch your language. You know the punishment for bad-mouthing them, and I can’t protect you if they hear you.”

  His voice cracked slightly at the end.

  Lea looked at him, then nodded. “Sorry, Professor.”

  Axel smirked. “Though a day or two in jail might do wonders for you.”

  Lea shot him a glare sharp enough to cut steel.

  Mr. Spear cleared his throat. “I’ve also been informed of a specific request. The first three to be evaluated are Axel, Lucio, and Felix.”

  The room went silent. Every student turned to stare at them. The three exchanged confused looks.

  “Change into your fighting uniforms and head to the gym,” Mr. Spear continued. “Evaluation starts in fifteen minutes.”

  In the hallway, Axel caught up with Miria. “Can you take a look again? Tell me how far I can push my body.”

  Miria placed a hand over his chest, eyes glowing faint green as the diagnostic circle appeared in her pupils.

  “Your body can handle up to ninety-two percent before risking further damage,” she said quietly.

  “Only ninety-two?” Axel smirked. “Guess this evaluation’s going to be interesting.”

  Fifteen minutes later, the gym was filled with light from the skylights above. Three tall towers had risen from the marble floor, each one smooth, metallic, and crowned with a faintly glowing ring. Inside each tower shimmered a net of energy, a circular core suspended in motion, pulsing faint gold. In the center of the arena stood a massive cauldron, radiating waves of pressure that rippled through the air.

  High above, Dragora stood on a viewing platform, arms folded, gaze cold. “Let’s see if your strength holds when faced with real opponents,” he muttered. “Show me if you can prevail here as well.”

  Mr. Spear’s voice echoed across the gym. “The test is simple. Each of you has a tower. Protect the net inside. In the center is the cauldron, where the energy spheres are stored. You’re allowed two in total, but only one can be carried at a time.”

  He paused, fixing his eyes on Felix. “If anyone tries to take both, the tower’s system will respond with a shock strong enough to knock you flat. Throw your sphere into another’s tower. If a sphere makes it through the net, you’re out until only one remains.”

  He straightened. “There are no limits on power or technique. Healers are standing by for emergencies. The only rule: no killing.”

  The air seemed to tighten as he stepped back. “Lucio, Felix, Axel,” he said. “Step forward.”

  The crowd pressed close around the perimeter of the gym, their voices rising in anticipation. The sunlight streaming from the glass dome shimmered against the marble floor, reflecting across three tall towers that loomed from the ground like silver monoliths. Each tower pulsed with faint golden light, a net of energy swirling deep inside. The target every fighter would have to protect.

  High above, Dragora stood on the observation platform, silent and unmoving. His presence alone seemed to cool the air. “You certainly know how to draw a crowd,” he murmured, his voice low but carrying through the space. “Now, entertain us.”

  Below, Axel, Lucio, and Felix faced one another at the edge of the arena. The air buzzed with tension.

  Lucio smirked. “No hard feelings when I win.”

  Axel shot him a sidelong grin. “How bold, coming from a one-trick pony.”

  Felix adjusted the straps on his satchel, metal spheres clinking inside. “It’s obvious I’ll win. I’ll take this whole place down with me if I have to.”

  Axel and Lucio said it together. “Yeah, that’s not hard to believe.”

  The crowd laughed, the sound quickly fading as Mr. Spear raised his hand. “Begin!”

  The cauldron in the center of the gym flared to life, releasing three glowing orbs that floated into the air. The moment they dropped, the gym erupted into motion.

  Felix shouted, “First to act wins! See ya, losers!”

  He dashed toward the cauldron, explosions of smoke bursting in his wake. Lucio and Axel followed, their steps echoing sharply across the floor.

  Axel reached it first, his hand closing around one of the orbs just as Lucio extended his own.

  “I knew I couldn’t outrun you,” Lucio said, eyes narrowing. “R-Zone.”

  A shimmer of blue light flickered. Axel’s hand froze mid-air.

  “Thanks,” Lucio said coolly, stepping past him. “Now time for number one to..”

  Felix’s voice cut through the chaos. “Remember, this is a three-way fight! Don’t take him out just yet, I still need to win!”

  Lucio’s brow twitched. “I’m so naive.” His tone darkened. “This was always about attack and defense.”

  He looked toward his own tower, realization flashing in his eyes. “If I strike first, I leave mine unguarded…”

  He dropped the zone with a snap. “Damn it, must you always get in my way?”

  Lucio lunged toward Felix. Felix grinned and tossed a bomb at his feet. The explosion sent a wave of smoke billowing outward. Lucio’s instincts kicked in; he leapt backward, shielding his face.

  The crowd gasped at the unexpected retreat.

  Up in the stands, Lea nudged Miria with a grin. “Well, now we know Lucio’s traumatized by Felix’s bombs.”

  Miria smiled softly. “To be fair, Felix doesn’t always care about allies, or himself.”

  Lucio squinted through the haze. “Better not be another sleep bomb.”

  Felix’s laughter echoed from within the smoke. “Nope. Just an old-fashioned smoke bomb. I’ll sneak right past you.”

  Lucio sighed, disappointed. “How am I supposed to not be offended by such a dumb plan?”

  He lifted his hand, energy rippling outward. “That’s it. Let’s test my latest technique: Perfect Zone.”

  Blue light flashed, and the entire smoke cloud froze inside a solid cube of energy. Felix slammed into one side, bouncing off with a thud.

  “What? That’s cheating!” he yelled. “When did you learn to do this?”

  Lucio smirked. “Unlike you, I don’t announce every trick I learn.”

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  Felix pounded on the walls. “Let me out!”

  From the other side of the gym, Axel called, “You forgot one major detail, Lucio! You can’t move while maintaining your zones. I could just eliminate you now while you’re holding Felix.”

  Lucio didn’t flinch. “Or you could take him out first. Then we settle for number one.”

  Axel grinned. “True. But where’s the fun in that?”

  He sprinted past, slipping between them and heading straight for Lucio’s tower. Lucio cursed, releasing the zone to chase after him. Felix stumbled free of the collapsing cube, gasping for air.

  “Idiots,” Felix muttered. “Both of them.”

  Felix pivoted, darting in the opposite direction toward Axel’s tower instead. But the moment his boot crossed the threshold, the floor flared gold.

  A violent pulse surged upward through his body, sparks arcing across his legs and arms. The shock launched him backward, smoke trailing from his sleeves as he hit the ground hard.

  He groaned, teeth gritted. “A trap? You sneaky bastard, you laid it when I was trapped.

  Inside the arena, Axel and Lucio were locked in a furious exchange. Energy-charged strikes collided, sending shockwaves through the gym. Chunks of the tower crumbled, the marble beneath their feet cracking from impact.

  Axel feigned a stumble, dropping the sphere mid-swing. Lucio didn’t notice, too caught up in the rush. The cameras hovering above whirred in closer, catching every blur of motion.

  Then Axel let Lucio land a clean hit across his ribs. He staggered back, the sound of impact echoing through the gym. Gasps rippled through the crowd.

  From the observation deck, Dragora’s voice rumbled quietly. “I see what you’re doing. Smart.”

  Axel smiled faintly. “I’ll give you this, Lucio, you’re much stronger.”

  Lucio straightened, pride swelling in his chest. “Finally. Everyone sees who the strongest is.”

  Axel’s tone shifted. “You forgot one detail.”

  Lucio’s grin faltered. “What’s that?”

  Axel raised his hand toward the air above them. “The whole point of this demonstration.”

  The sphere, the one he’d dropped, glowed faintly. It floated mid-air, pulsing in time with his heartbeat. He’d fused his energy into it earlier, giving him control even from a distance.

  He extended his palm. The sphere drifted toward Lucio’s tower. “Game over.”

  Lucio reacted instantly. “Hold it right there!”

  Blue light flared from his hands. “R-Zone!”

  The sphere froze inches from the net. Lucio smirked. “You really thought I wouldn’t see that coming?”

  Axel’s eyes narrowed. “I knew you would see it.”

  A shadow moved in the smoke behind them, Felix, covered in soot, crouched low with a sphere in hand.

  “It’s you who overplayed your hand,” Axel said. “You can’t stop both.”

  Lucio’s jaw tightened. “Watch me.”

  Felix flicked a switch on his gauntlet. “You’re smarter and faster than me, but the first one out will be you!”

  He slammed the sphere into a small bomb on his palm. The detonation launched it forward, spinning faster than normal.

  Lucio turned too late. He raised his hand to deflect it, but the sheer force blasted his arm aside, the shockwave snapping through the air like thunder.

  The orb tore through the air and slammed into the net at the core of his tower. Light burst outward, blinding white and gold.

  For a moment, the entire gym fell silent. Then the net cracked apart, dissolving into shards of fading light.

  Mr. Spear’s voice echoed through the chamber. “Lucio, eliminated.”

  Cheers erupted from the crowd. Felix stood in the settling smoke, panting, his grin wild but triumphant.

  Axel looked up toward the stands, meeting Dragora’s distant gaze. The general said nothing, but his faint smile said enough.

  The test wasn’t over. The final phase had just begun.

  Lucio exhaled sharply, frustration simmering beneath his calm exterior.

  “Just like that, huh?” he said quietly. “I thought this was my shot to show everyone I’m not just someone’s shadow.”

  Axel met his eyes. “You think you didn’t?”

  He took a small pause, his tone softening.

  “It took both of us to get past you, Lucio. Keep your head high.”

  Felix grinned. “Exactly! But now go sit with the others and watch how the pros handle it.”

  Lucio tried to keep his scowl, but a small smile broke through. “I’m not cheering for either of you,” he muttered. “But… do your best.”

  He turned and walked toward the stands, joining Miria and Lea as the crowd buzzed behind him.

  Miria gave him a gentle smile. “Don’t be upset. You fought well.”

  Lea smirked. “It’s not your fault you were up against Axel.”

  Lucio crossed his arms, his tone firm but reflective. “Just because you are winning doesn’t mean the tide can’t turn against you. Lesson painfully learned.”

  Back in the arena, Felix stretched his shoulders. “So, ready to throw down, prodigy boy?”

  Axel sighed. “Must you call me that?”

  Before Felix could respond, Axel pulled his sphere toward him with a flick of his wrist and sprinted forward in a burst of motion. Felix lunged to stop him but missed by inches. Axel reached the base of the tower, and then froze.

  A chill crawled down his spine. Something was wrong.

  The realization hit just as the bombs went off.

  Smoke and fire burst outward, throwing shards of light across the gym.

  Felix’s laughter echoed through the haze. “You might’ve stolen my specialty, but I still do it best. It’s over!”

  Axel’s silhouette emerged through the smoke, surrounded by a faint shimmer of energy that rippled across his body. “What’s over?” he said, voice steady.

  The smoke cleared. His aura had absorbed most of the blast. He pressed forward, eyes locked on the glowing net within the tower.

  Felix cursed under his breath, then hurled a bomb at his own feet. The explosion launched him upward. He soared to the top of the tower and landed in front of Axel, blocking his path.

  They collided midair, trading blows that cracked through the gym like thunder. Sparks and smoke trailed each strike. The exchange was fast, brutal, and one-sided. Axel pressed forward relentlessly, his fists landing with precision until Felix stumbled back, cornered against the tower wall.

  Axel stopped, breathing steady, a small laugh escaping him. “Now it’s over, Felix.”

  Felix smirked through the bruises. “You know I don’t go down without a bang.”

  His hands trembled as he gathered volatile energy into a single sphere.

  “I’ll never match you in hand-to-hand combat,” he said. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t have a plan B.”

  Power erupted from him. The ground beneath his feet split as the entire arena began to tremble.

  Miria clutched the railing in the stands. “What is that energy?”

  Lea’s eyes widened. “Since when could he release that much?”

  Lucio watched, calm but grave. “You never trained with him. In terms of raw power, neither of us, not even Axel, comes close.”

  Lea turned to him, stunned. “Then… Axel will be okay, right?”

  Lucio shook his head slowly. “Hard to say. But one of them won’t be standing after this.”

  Up on the platform, Dragora leaned forward, his expression unreadable. “Such raw output from a student his age… remarkable. Could he actually be stronger than Axel?”

  Back on the arena floor, Axel steadied his breathing.

  “So this is how we’re ending it?” he asked quietly. “One final attack?”

  Felix grinned, sweat running down his face. “You didn’t leave me much of a choice.”

  Axel’s eyes hardened. “Then bring it.”

  Felix lifted the sphere above his head. It pulsed violently, unstable, more bomb than energy core. The air around him warped from the heat.

  Axel’s thoughts drifted inward. I won’t beat him in a contest of strength… but maybe I can redirect it.

  The roar of the crowd faded to a hum as he remembered Prius’s voice.

  Prius stood across from him, the faint shimmer of energy flickering between his palms.

  “You don’t always have to overpower your opponent,” he said. “Tell me, what do you hear when I do this?”

  He released a small burst of energy.

  Axel blinked. “What? I don’t hear anything. You’re going senile, old man.”

  Prius shot him a glare that could have cut steel. “Concentrate.”

  Axel exhaled, focusing despite himself. Slowly, beneath the hum of power, he began to hear it, a faint melody, light and haunting, resonating with the flicker of energy.

  His eyes widened. “What is that? It sounds like… music.”

  Prius nodded once. “Exactly. That melody you hear is a rare gift. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

  “How did you know I had it?” Axel asked.

  “When you were a child,” Prius said, “you used to tell your mother how people’s emotions sounded to you. I realized later what that meant.”

  “I never realized what that was,” Axel said softly. “Thought it was normal.”

  “Anything that holds energy,” Prius replied. “Even emotions. When people shift their intent, their frequency changes.”

  Axel frowned. “How do you know all this? You have never seen it before.”

  Prius looked away for a moment. “Tyron had theories. Before he died, he told me you might have that talent.”

  Axel hesitated. “So why does it matter? Why should I care what energy sounds like?”

  Prius smiled faintly. “Because I have a theory. Synchronization.”

  Axel blinked. “Synchronization?”

  “If you ever face an attack you can’t overpower,” Prius said, his tone steady, “you can try to match your energy’s frequency with it. Synchronize. Make the attack an extension of yourself, something you can redirect instead of resist.”

  Axel stared at him. “You think that’s actually possible?”

  Prius turned away. “Let’s hope you never have to find out. But yes, I believe it is.”

  He raised his staff. “Now, let’s practice.”

  Back in the present, Axel opened his eyes. He concentrated. The same melody filled his ears again, faint but clear beneath Felix’s roaring energy. The vibrations in the air pulsed in perfect rhythm with his heartbeat.

  He steadied his stance. “Let’s see if it works on an attack of this magnitude”

  The arena glowed blindingly as Felix unleashed his final attack.

  Felix’s sphere pulsed violently, the gym vibrating beneath the raw surge of energy. The light bled across the walls, reflecting in Axel’s eyes as he steadied his breathing and began to coat his arm in energy. The hum of two symphonies filled his ears, completely different yet colliding within the same rhythm of chaos.

  Felix’s was sharp and erratic, switching tempo in bursts of aggression. Axel’s, in contrast, moved steady and patient, a deep, resonant pulse like a heartbeat beneath calm water.

  Axel tightened his fist. If this fails, I’ll most likely lose my arm entirely. He smirked faintly, resolve cutting through the fear.

  “Then screw using only ninety-two percent. If I don’t go all in, I’ll end up worse than I’ve ever been.”

  He took a breath, the air trembling around him. “Sorry, Miria.”

  The sphere slammed into his hand. The moment their energies met, the entire arena erupted in light. Axel could feel the contrasting symphonies tearing through his veins, Felix’s furious crescendo clashing against his own slower rhythm. He shut his eyes, forcing his breathing into sync. Energy radiated in every direction, distorting the air, raising the temperature until the floor beneath him began to glow faintly red.

  Axel’s arm lit up like a beacon, his veins flashing yellow as the two symphonies began to entwine. Every muscle screamed under the pressure, but he held on. Slowly, almost imperceptibly, his rhythm adjusted until the two finally merged into one harmonious vibration.

  Synchronization complete.

  Axel exhaled in relief. “Just in time,” he muttered. “I was starting to lose all feeling in my arm.”

  Felix’s eyes widened in disbelief. His strongest attack, completely under Axel’s control.

  “You fought well, Felix,” Axel said, calmly. “But there’s only one way this ends.”

  He shifted his stance and hurled the glowing sphere back.

  Felix caught it, his teeth gritted as he struggled to contain the spinning mass of power. For a second, it looked like he had it, but then the sphere destabilized, expanding violently.

  The explosion tore through the gym in a burst of blinding light. Wind and heat rolled across the stands as Felix was thrown backward, smoke spiraling from the impact. When the dust settled, he was on one knee, laughing weakly.

  “That was quite the bang… right, Axel?”

  Axel smiled softly. “It was indeed, buddy.”

  The scoreboard blinked red.

  Mr. Spear’s voice boomed across the gym. “Game over. Axel is the winner!”

  For a moment, silence hung, and then the crowd erupted. Cheers thundered through the hall, echoing off the marble walls, washing over Axel as he stood in the center of the arena. The last traces of energy shimmered along his arm, golden and fading, as the sound swelled around him like a wave.

  The celebration was still going when a shadow fell across the arena floor.

  Dragora stood at the edge of the platform, eyes locked on Axel.

  “Axel,” he said. His tone carried through the silence like steel on stone. “We need to talk.”

  The warmth of victory vanished in an instant.