Tick.

Tock.

Tick.

Tock.

The hand of the clock ticks with every passing second, filling the room with its minute sound. An irregular scratching noise accompanies it, one that originates from the top of the wooden desk. There she sits, wrinkled hands firmly gripping a spindly quill, scribing away on the rough parchment.

The tiny flame wiggles and bobs, creating shapes and forms that barely made sense. The gentlest breeze would sway it. The softest gust could extinguish it. So it danced, strutting and fretting over its waxen stage, acting out its dreams and wants for but a brief moment. Then a breath of wind comes, paying a visit through the slightly open window and smothers the fire.

The room plunges into darkness, save for the sliver of moonlight shining on the back of her white shirt. She runs her fingers through her hair, touching a few threads of grey among the brown. She clicks her tongue in irritation and snaps her fingers. A sphere of light instantly materialises at the tip of her palm and elevates itself to the ceiling, replacing the feeble candle.

The light shines upon the desk, the two chairs set in front of it, and upon the soft creases on her forehead. There she sits, going through the pile of documents, jotting down and scribbling once in a while. On one side of the desk lies a short stack of papers and on the other, a towering pile of documents. Her scowling expression reveals which side is complete and which side is untouched.

She adds a piece of paper to the pitiful stack and compares the two, gauging how much work she has left. Frowning disgustedly, she stands up and makes her way to the open window. There she stands, leaning over the windowsill, looking at the dark royal courtyard several storeys below.

‘Goddamned fools, giving me everything to handle’ She tightens her grip on the metallic windowsill, and the steel groans in anguish. ‘What’s the use of having forty generals when I’m the one who has to handle everything?’

‘Oh ho ho ho! Who else is better for the job than the esteemed Grim Reaper himself?’ Said one of the thick-headed numbskulls in the earlier meeting. ‘Idiots, thinking they’re so clever with their games, trying to get Finn sacked’ She rubs her forehead.

‘We’re going to be in a damn war soon, and they’re still playing around with politics!’ Forty-one legions, which is the entire number of troops that Armitage’s military has in possession on their homeland. Forty generals commanding a thousand regular troops each and one Knight Commander in charge of the special Zenithian Knight Corps.

‘Is the Demon King so small of a threat that they can completely ignore him and focus on their petty power struggles?’ Humanity had won every single Cycle in the past, all a hundred and seven of them. ‘Do they not see how different it is this time around?’ They almost fell in the previous assault. Yes, they can surely defeat the horde of monsters, even if Emond’s walls were breached, but not without civilian casualty and that is no victory.

‘Gordon, Stint, Flanders, why did you lot have to retire so early?’ Those are the names of the veteran generals, those that she finds worthy and responsible. ‘Army recruitment and training, withdrawing reinforcements from the North, securing food for the war, building garrisons, troop allocations …. Aaaargh!!’ She kicks the windowsill, sending it flying out along with dislodged bricks. Multiple thumps and crashes resound from down below, hopefully no one got hurt.

She feels like jumping off the tower and going on a hunt for that ass of a Knight Commander. ‘Don’t they realise, that these work need to be done?’ She could have just ignored the paperwork and leave it untouched so the blame would fall on Finn, but she was not so stupid to understand how important they are.

There is no way that she could handle and oversee all of this to the end, so she tries to divert the workload back to the other generals. However, the amount of documents that needs to be modified is far too many, not to mention that they keep increasing with each day.

‘Maybe I should pay a visit and give them a piece of my mind….’ She thought dangerously, her hand reaching for the sword strapped to her slender waist.

Footsteps. She could hear them approaching the door.

Three polite knocks and the door swings open. A man donned in the official light blue Zenithian armour stands in the doorway with his helmet tucked under an arm. He froze, mouth halfway open as he stares at the gaping hole on the wall—where the window used to be.

It is a warm night. The wind outside barely moved, preferring to stay still for the most part. That is the only reason why the papers on the Vice-Commander’s desk remain where they are, nice and neat despite the large freshly made opening. He could only wonder what King Melzar’s reaction would be, once he finds out the damage to the castle’s west tower. Perhaps he would not even care, given his vast wealth.

There are ten people in the room. At least, it seems like it. Barry eyes the identical images of his Vice-Knight Commander spread all over the room. Each one of them is doing a different activity. He spots one thoughtfully reading a book, another sitting at the desk, a couple lightly sparring and others which he chooses to ignore.

“Uhh... I’m here to report, Vice Commander” He said, fixing his eyes at the mirage sitting behind the desk. He is already used to this, how the Vice Commander never lets her guard down in front of strangers. ‘Which one should I look at when I’m talking?’ He does not want to come across as rude. He could never figure out which one is real though.

“Where is he?” A voice as hard as steel replied, seemingly coming from the image that is reading the book.

Barry changes his body orientation accordingly to face her. “I… lost him in the city” He said, hanging his head in shame. “I was following him around as usual, going to pubs and watching him lose bets then on the way out… He ran off somewhere and I couldn't catch up”

“You… LOST him?” She growled, this time from behind the desk. Barry gulped and nervously spins to face the relevant direction. “No, let me rephrase that. You lost him AGAIN?” All of the images halt their activities and gaze at him.

Barry has no idea where to face anymore. The voice came from every mirage with matching lip movements to add more confusion. He sighs and drops his shoulders. “Yes, Vice Commander. I’ve lost him again…” He muttered dejectedly.

“Lieutenant Barry” The Vice-Commander uttered.

“Yes, Vice Commander?” He queried, knowing how much trouble he is in.

“Did I not tell you to keep a close eye on him?”

“Yes, Vice Commander” He repeated in an agreeable tone. Defending himself here would only worsen the situation. ‘How am I supposed to keep an eye on the Grim Reaper? Isn’t it enough that I feel so weak and pitiful despite being a lieutenant in this special legion?’ He cries inwardly, lamenting his unlucky fate.

“Then why did you lose—“She sighed. “Never mind, you may leave if there is nothing else to be said…” She is not an unreasonable woman, despite what others say about her. She knows that Barry is an earnest man, and he must have had his fair share of troubles with Finn too.

Barry’s eyes shot open, disbelieving what he has just heard. He quickly recovers himself before she could change her mind.

“Grim Reaper, the only thing that is going to be ripped is his head if I catch him…” She grumbled under her breath.

Barry turns to leave and is about to put on his helmet when he sees a letter that he has to deliver nestled inside it. He had purposely placed it there, so he would remember about it. He spun back to face the Vice-Commander and extracts the envelope from the hawk-like helm.

“Ah… This came in for you this evening at the Headquarters but you weren’t there so…” He walked forward and gingerly places it on the desk. She directs her eyes at it, scanning the wax seal and guessing at its content.

The letter multiplies into ten and each image grabs one for themselves. ‘Still not letting your guard down, huh?’ Barry notes to himself. The aged woman’s paranoia is actually quite amusing to watch.

She finally opens the envelope, maybe after deciding that it is safe to do so. A folded letter flaps open in her hand, or hands—Barry could not decide what to call it in his mind. He almost whistled appreciatively at how intricate the optical illusion the Vice-Commander is producing.

Barely five seconds passed and she replaces the letter inside the envelope. “Invitation to the Tournament of Champions as usual, the Academy wants me to be one of the judges…” She explained. The expression adorning her face is one of disinterest, as if the grand event is nothing to be excited about.

“Isn’t it great, Vice Commander?” Barry, for one, is quite thrilled over the occasion. The tournament hogged the limelight for itself for the past two years, setting it as the most anticipated event during the Academy Festival. It has only been held a few times due to the recent opening of Combat and Magic classes, but the hype is real. Who would miss themselves the chance to see rich students beating each other?

“In your opinion, who would win?” She asked, ten sets of eyes holding him under their gazes.

“The esteemed scholarship students, of course!” Barry answered confidently. In terms of battle capabilities, the chosen scholarship students are obviously leaps and bounds ahead of the others. ‘No, wait… I don’t think that’s what she meant’ Barry paused.

“Yes, it’s too predictable” She rolled her eyes. “What’s the point? The other students are just fighting in it to gain recognition for their Houses and families. They aren’t even aiming to win the tournament” In the end, it will be those two from last year that would be competing in the finals.

“Well, there could be a difference this year… I mean, there are two new scholarship students that were accepted” Barry added from what he heard during his tavern visits with Commander Finn. “If I’m not a mistaken there was a… Trevor Light and… Geoffrey Blackstone?” He knits his eyebrows, unsure of the names.

The Vice-Commander perks up at the mention of the names. “Blackstone? Did you mean, Chase Blackstone?” She asked, eyes wide with surprise. Barry paused for a while, then nods.

“Are you sure? Chase Blackstone? Is he around ten or eleven?” The mirages flickered for a moment. Barry completely missed it though because the Vice-Commander's behaviour intrigued him. “Yes, I think that fits what I’ve heard… They say he was six feet tall and bore seven scars on his back, some even claimed that he could breathe fire and chew swords”

‘I’m not sure about the credibility though..’ Barry thought. However, the Vice-Commander does not seem to be paying any attention. She is looking elsewhere, all ten of her, contemplating about something.

“Vice-Commander Corvette?” Barry interrupted her train of thought, snapping her attention back on him.

A flash of wispy white light appears directly in front of him, and an eleventh Vice-Commander places a hand on his shoulder plate. “You know what? There’s no use even if you try to locate Finn tonight, so stay here and tell me about the scholarship students while you help me out with the paperwork”

“...Eh?” Barry blinks twice, trying to comprehend her words.

“Come now, we have a lot to talk about” She drags the lieutenant to the desk. “And also work to do” She included it as an afterthought.

‘Eh?’ Barry lets himself be seated at the chair, and a quill and a bottle of ink is promptly placed on each of his palms. ‘What happened to being dismissed?” He looks at the writing instruments blankly.

‘Chase Blackstone…. If you are who I think you are, this Tournament would be more interesting than I thought’ Corvette Grim mused. “Now, I want you to redirect these tasks to General Frederick, Milson and Ford… this one to Patrick and this—“ She continues to give instructions to the bewildered lieutenant.

That night, Corvette Grim and Lieutenant Barry spent hours and hours poring over the documents while talking about the rumours regarding the scholarship students. Barry cursed at the generals who brought about this predicament, vowing in his heart to redouble his efforts to force the Knight Commander into doing his job properly.

Amidst his heated thoughts, Barry wonders to himself. ‘Who is this Chase Blackstone to the Vice-Commander?’

Tick.

Tock.

***

Chase Blackstone sneezed.

A fluffy white towel falls lightly onto his head and he gratefully uses it to dry himself. The folded uniform he took off earlier is softly placed onto the tiles right beside him.

“You probably shouldn’t have stayed too long in the water, I don’t imagine it to be very healthy” Sky said, standing right beside Chase. The surface of the pool gleams, reflecting the flare of Light Balls above. It appears that the artificial lighting that Ga has invented is not yet implemented in other facilities. In fact, nothing he invented ever seems to leave his workshop.

“I guess so…” Chase agreed. It has been almost a week since he started this unorthodox training regime, and this is the first problem that reveals itself. “I’ll figure something out” He said nonchalantly. ‘There’s no need to go into specifics… but maybe I can make the water just a tad bit warmer…’

“Are you aware that you have the tendency of procrastinating?” Sky commented and raises an eyebrow. He has no further need to refer to Chase as the young master anymore since the punishment period is over. Heck, it did not even count as a punishment for him.

“Really? Name one time” Chase frowned. He has no recollections of delaying anything important so far.

“I thought you planned on finding out why Mr. Deniro is hostile to you?” Sky complied with Chase’s request and presents one.

“Well that’s—“Chase tries to make an argument.

“What about duelling the other scholarship beasts?” Sky added, much to Chase’s chagrin. He could state more but perhaps these two would be enough.

Chase sighed. “I’m still looking for information regarding their schedules, you know?” He replied defensively. “It’s not that easy, trying to piece out the free time slots of all three of them”

“I don’t think it is easy either, the way you’re going at it” Sky commented while fixing his blindfolds into place. “Must be difficult, collecting information without talking to anyone” He remarked sarcastically, a shadow of a smirk flits across his face.

“I—Well, it’s… “Chase searches for an excuse, something to protect his ego. He sighs, giving up the futile attempt. “You’re right, I’m not doing it the right way…” He muttered dejectedly. ‘It’s easy to think about changing myself and all, but damn it’s hard to just start asking random people questions’

“As for Deniro, well I’m sort of… looking for the right moment” Chase uttered a half-lie. True, there were hardly any chances to confront Aaron Deniro in private to inquire about his problem but Chase is not looking forward to it anyway.

“Which translates to… you’re afraid” Sky rolled his eyes and helpfully clarified the problem for Chase.

Chase keeps his silence for a while and nods begrudgingly.

“You’re strange” Sky remarked while sitting down beside the pool and dipping his bare feet into the cool water. The sleeves of his pants are rolled up to avoid getting them wet. “You easily go against Scar, multiple times and you’re afraid of communicating with students who are significantly less fearsome than the former”

“That’s a different case, I see Scar as an enemy” Chase explained. The Zenithian Knight instructor is no more than a stepping stone he would use to improve himself. “You must not cower before your opponent, or you will be cut down” Chase repeated one of his father’s sayings. Why is it so hard for other people to understand that the circumstances are different?

“All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, all work and no talk makes Chase an unsociable loner” Sky smirks at his own jab, waiting to see Chase’s reaction.

“…” Chase stares at the water, looking at his own reflection in silence. “I suppose so, I’ll go and talk to Deniro after class”

‘Oh, what’s this?’ Sky perks up and stares at Chase with great interest. ‘No protest of any sort? Not even a fragment of anger on his expression’ He is not sure what to think about this. Is this good or bad? Regardless, there is no doubt some change had taken place in the other boy.

Sky smiles and pulls out three pieces of paper from inside his coat. Taking care not to accidentally drop them into the pool, he hands them over to Chase.

Chase wordlessly took them. A puzzled expression creeps its way onto his face and soon transforms into one of surprise as his eyes bulge. “These are… How did you…?” He points his finger at the pieces of paper, flabbergasted.

“I have my ways” Sky answered the unfinished question. He grins proudly, as if pleased with his resourcefulness. “I’m not going to help with Deniro, though. Not that I have any info” He would not offer any assistance, because Chase needs to grow on his own. He would only help with this little bit.

“I… Thank you” Chase eyes the different handwritings on each piece of parchment. Each of them has the timetable of a scholarship student written in detail on it. ‘Could he perhaps… have friends?’ Chase pondered on the thought. He has never seen Sky hang around other people besides him, so far.

“Really, thank you” Chase repeated himself, trying to make his gratitude clear. He carefully folds the timetables and pockets them into his dry uniform placed beside him. “This is… this saves a lot of work”

Chase paused thoughtfully and asks a question. “Where is the shadow lane?”

“You read fast, don’t you?” Sky complimented him, genuinely impressed. “It’s the long shadow cast by Aktos’ tower. The place changes according to the time of day, and completely disappears during the rain but you get the point”

“So you’re going after Damien first, aren’t you?”

“Yeah, he seems to be the only one free today” Chase has already taken mental notes of the possible times to meet the other three when he scanned the papers earlier. ‘Today from four in the evening to ten at night, in the shadow lane…’

“Well, we better move” Sky pulls out his leg from the pool and stands up. He lightly stretches and walks toward the exit, motioning for Chase to follow.

Chase puts on his uniform in a hurry and dashes out to catch a carriage.

‘Today’s appointment, Deniro and Damien’ He promised himself to do what he said today. Sky has already offered him assistance. It would be pathetic of him to still flounder around when things are made easy for him.

‘Just why are you doing this, Sky?’ Chase knitted his eyebrows, trying to figure out his not-so-strange companion’s motive.

***

“That’s exactly how you do it!” Miria jumps up and down, exhilarated by Chase’s success in replicating her spell. “Do it again!” She requested, her glass skewed over the bridge of her nose.

Chase channels his Mana into the concrete floor once more, searching for the presence of steel. ‘Found it’ it only took a brief instance for him to locate another set of metal pillars embedded within the floor.

He coils the tendrils of Mana around the hard steel, giving him firm grips over the objects. Utilising them like extra hands, he tugs the metal beams and pulls them out of the hollow shafts in the floor. With a quick, but loud grating sound, seven steel pillars jut out of the concrete in a puff of white dust.

“Bravo, good job!” Miria claps again, as if she was overly proud of her own child.

Some of the other students scowled at them both, considering how Chase is getting the extra attention. Miria has assigned them standard practices suitable to their level and specialties and checked on them from time-to-time but there was no hiding the scent of favouritism.

Chase on the other hand, completely ignored them. What can he even do to change things? Pretend to fumble and fail once in a while at the cost of his training speed?

“Oh dear, look at the time!” She said after flipping her pocket watch open. “Good job everyone. we’ll meet again next week!” She called out to the class. “Don’t forget to practice and get better, okay?” She wagged her finger at them, as if they were a bunch of children. A few of them are actually close to adulthood, if not already.

“Now Chase, we’ll continue this next time. I have a feeling you can get lots better than this” She bent down and whispered to Chase. Smiling contentedly, she picks up her book and shuffle out of the gymnasium.

‘……’ Chase stood in the middle of the small training area, thinking about something.

‘What’s so different about it compared to Earth Pillar?’ He thought. Miria had told him at the start of class that she would be testing him for the ability to cast higher tier Earth spells. What she told him to do previously was just the basics of controlling metal, supposedly the sub-element of Earth.

‘It is only unlocked to those who have a high affinity with Earth, allowing them to sense the spiritual presence of metals..’ He repeated Miria’s brief lecture in his mind. ‘I didn’t sense anything spiritual… I felt it, with Mana, its smooth and hard texture… as if I was touching it. It’s just like how I always do things, so what is different?’

Chase heard the sound of someone clearing his throat and turns to locate the source. Sky is standing right behind him with his arms crossed. He is tapping one foot on the floor, as if impatient about something. “Well?” He asked.

Chase stares blankly at him for a moment and froze. “Deniro!” He looks at the doorway and spots the back of Deniro’s head. He scrambles to the entrance, making a beeline for the boy.

Deniro paused and spins on his heel to regard Chase. His violet eyes glares at him with what Chase assumes to be unchecked fury. “What?” He muttered, his scowl not giving an inch to other expressions.

“Errr.. I… uhh..” Finding himself fumbling for words, Chase stops. He gulps and clears his throat, then tries again. “Can we talk?” Chase put on the friendliest smile he could muster, showing his best face. His cheeks ache from the strain he is putting on them.

Aaron Deniro raises an eyebrow and fishes out his watch out of his pocket, all the while looking angry. Chase admires how the boy could actually keep his glare for so long without getting extra wrinkles on his forehead.

“Speak” He commanded, probably deciding that he has extra time to spare.

‘At least he’s willing to speak…’ Chase looks at the bright side, maintaining a positive view. He is having a difficult time with keeping up a friendly air without seeming like a subservient person. ‘Now, how should I start this?’ Should he go to the core of the issue straightaway? ‘He probably doesn’t have much time… okay, here goes!’

“Why do you do that? Look at me in that way, I mean” Chase draws a circle in the air, outlining Deniro’s face. “Did I do anything to offend you?” He added, as he looks at the unresponsive boy.

“…..” Deniro’s scowl did not slip at all, not even a little bit. Like an irritated king, he speaks at last. “What did you do to offend me?” He paraphrased Chase’s question. “You have done nothing of the sort. No, actually I might owe you some of my gratitude”

“…What?” Chase blurted out, an eye twitching from confusion. The gears of his mind are creaking, trying their best to turn and make sense of the statement. “….What?” They failed and broke down with a clatter.

“I see. You have no inkling of an idea, do you?” Deniro said. He sighs and rolls his eyes Chase stands there with his mouth agape, showing his level of understanding of the matter. “Very well, then. Since you are so clueless about things, I shall propose an offer”

“Win the Tournament of Champions in the upcoming Festival and I shall explain everything to you” He declared one-sidedly and turns to leave, leaving the puzzled Chase and observant Sky behind.

“Wait, what do you mean by everything?!” Chase called out to Deniro. The boy simply steps inside a carriage and ignores him. Without further ado, the coach driver whips the horse into motion and the carriage leaves the gymnasium area.

Chase stares blankly at the empty spot and it is soon taken by another empty carriage. “Well, that was quite interesting, wasn’t it?” Sky pats him on the back, dragging him out of his pensive mood.

“Now I’m more confused, what the hell is going on?” Chase queried. He thought this would be solved by one confrontation but things only got more cluttered when he did so. “How did it even lead to winning the Tournament? What sort of information requirement is that?”

“Look at the bright side, at least you have a definite solution to getting your answer now” Sky said encouragingly. “You have around four months to prepare for the Tournament, that’s a lot of time! I’m sure you can pull it through”

‘….I suppose there’s nothing lost by entering it anyway’ Chase initially planned on staying away from the Tournament in order to maintain a low profile but now it is already too late. ‘At least I can gain lots of experience from fighting all sorts of opponents. Yeah, let’s look at the bright side, the bright side’

***

The bright side is clearly seen contrasting against the thick line of darkness. Like a pitch black wall, the shadow cast by Aktos’s tower forms a dark line which cuts across the campus. This is the Shadow Lane, a location which is not a place, a shadow which is more than a phantom, a lane built on multiple planes.

Rather than a destination, the Shadow Lane is more of a geographical marker that corresponds to the time and lighting. “You know, the Shadow Lane is quite a popular term. Some use it as a meeting spot, some use it as a cruel way to reject people” Sky said suddenly, as they strolled along the outskirts of the shade.

“Reject people?” Chase inquired. He peers at the light-forsaken gloom extending beside him. “How?” He could not piece the two things together. What does this have anything to do with turning someone down?

“Well, it’s usually done by girls” Sky sniggered, entertained by his unshared story. “When a boy they don’t like confesses to them, they’d tell the boy to meet them at the Shadow Lane at night”

“That’s… just stupid. Just who would fall for something like that?” Chase retorted. ‘Isn’t it too obvious? It’s like telling you’d meet someone on the 31st February’ He scans the area for Damien, the person he wants to meet this evening.

“Love can do weird things to people” Sky points his finger at a boy pacing to and fro in the shadow. Chase squints hard and catches the sight of a colourful bouquet in the boy’s hand, significantly darkened by the shade.

“Poor guy” Chase offered his condolences to the boy. It is only four in the evening. It would take some time for the boy to realise before he is completely heartbroken. ‘Should I tell him?’ He halts and ponders for a while. ‘No, I’ve got no time. I need to focus on myself’ Chase resumes his search for the scholarship beast.

“Where are you looking at? He’s that way” Sky grabs hold of Chase’s head and turns it to the correct direction.

He immediately recognises the person he is looking for. ‘Pompadour guy in a long white overcoat reading a book. Yep, should be him’ Chase cross-examined the figure leaning against a wall with the rumours that he collected on his own. With a light ball hovering above his head, it dimly shines its light over the pages of the book in his hand and also the stiff pompadour hanging in front of his forehead.

Chase steps into the darkness whereas Sky moves elsewhere.

Tap. Tap. Tap. His shoes whispered when it hit the cobbled road, eating the distance between him and Damien. He comes to a stop ten feet away from the person he wishes to duel. ‘The Ugly Penguin’ is what Chase could make out as the title of the book being read.

“Excuse me” Chase said politely. He would be taking this person’s time after all, so he thought it would be best to be polite about it. “Forgive me for interrupting, but I wish to duel you” Better get straight to the point, he thought.

Damien lifts his head from the book and stares at Chase. His eyes are calm and clear, like a tranquil pond nestled in a pristine glade. “I’m sorry, but I’m not really interested in violence” His lips flow into the softest smile Chase had ever seen.

“Oh no, no, I’m not here to pick a fight!” Chase tries to explain his intentions. “I just want to test myself and improve in the areas I am lacking in” Chase does not want to lose this opportunity. He really needs a sparring partner.

“I am sorry, but no” Damien returns to his book, reading it under the soft light of his conjured light ball. Two spheres of light hover towards him and chase away the darkness in the surroundings.

“I’ll lend you the lights if you accept my challenge” Chase offered. ‘It’s not much of a trade, but I’ve heard people saying he’s not too bright….Otherwise why would he be reading in the darkness anyway?’

Damien sighs. “There are things that can only be seen when you are surrounded by darkness” He quoted. Turning around, he walks further away from the offending globes of light that Chase has produced for him.

“Well I’m in the dark now, and I need some light to see things!” Chase shouted out. He realised that it was a mistake to believe the rumours. Damien might be more knowledgeable than he looks, judging from the way he speaks. “I’m lost, and I need help to find my way!” The path to strength.

“One should always offer help and not expect to be helped” Damien answered. A group of students led by Sky files into the Shadow Lane and approach the two of them. ‘What are these people fo—Ah!’ Chase had completely forgotten about the requirements to duel. He needs two student council members and twenty students, Sky must have gathered them somehow.

“It’s a duel!”

“Oh, how barbaric. I suppose I could stay for a while though”

“It’s another one between the scholarship beasts!”

The crowd keeps to its incessant chatter, ruining the previously quiet atmosphere of the Shadow Lane. Chase receives a flash of insight. “Well, I don’t think you can read with all the noise” He stated, trying to forcibly pull Damien into a duel. “I don’t think they would leave after coming this far. Not without seeing what they came for, at least”

Damien sighs once again. He bookmarks his page and closes the book before stowing it inside his snowy white overcoat. “If you insist” He rolls up the sleeves of his overcoat, revealing his lean forearms. “I believe it is imperative that I inform you about something though” He comes closer and halts right in front of Chase. “Selfishness is an obstacle, not a vehicle”

Chase stares defiantly at the towering figure ahead of him.

‘I need to grow’

‘I need to fight’

‘I need opponents’

Those thoughts swirl around in Chase’s mind, imploring him to be harder. They eat away at the foundations of who he was, forging him into a new individual that he wants to be. He wants to be the strongest, to protect those he cares for.

“I challenge you to a duel. It would be a spar” Chase sweeps his eyes over Damien’s equipment and notes that the opponent has no weapons. “No weapons are allowed, but Magic is accepted. The starting distance is twenty steps away. The victory condition is knocking the opponent out or making him forfeit. Do you accept?

“I accept” Damien nodded and proceeds to take ten steps backward while Chase does the same.

Chase conjures a dozen light balls and spread them over the battlefield to provide him illumination. The shadows shy away from the radiance, giving way to the two. They create a gaping hole in the Shadow Lane, where the darkness does not tread.

“The duel is a spar, no weapons whereas Magic is allowed. Victory is determined by knockout or forfeiting!” One of the spectators stepped forward and exclaimed, she was most likely a student council member. “Let the match between Chase Blackstone and Damien Hearth…. Begin!” Another one announced the start of the battle.

***

Thick slabs of stone spring out of the pavement and surround Damien. Like a sturdy cage they surround him within a forest of bricks and rock, enclosing him in a constricting ring. They spin in a circle, grinding against the ground below, leaving deep trails on the earth as they threaten to squash the trapped prey.

Damien moves his eyes over the stone walls, perhaps looking for a weak point. He bends his knees, readying for a jump. ‘Just as planned’ Chase thought. With a loud thump, Damien kicks off the ground to send himself skirting over the slabs but…

The stone walls shrink and crumple. Their body decrease in size as a part of them shot out dull spears of rock at the airborne opponent. They come from multiple directions, like a hedgehog turned inside out.

Damien jumped. He jumped away from the missiles in mid-air, leaving them whizzing through thin air. ‘What the—‘ Chase is unable to finish the thought as Damien jumps toward him. ‘Earth Wall, Flash!’ Chase erects a hasty defensive structure and uses it to blast a wide blinding arc of light at Damien. Using the Earth Wall as a cover, he does not need to worry about suffering the effects of his own Light spell.

Damien crosses his arms and shuts his eyes to shield himself. The hem of his white overcoat flaps in the wind like a magnificent cape, and he lands right beside Chase. Leaving no room to breathe, he attacks.

He pivots on one leg and delivers a spin-kick. Chase ducks his head and avoids the blow by a hair’s breadth. The kick slices through the air and changes direction without losing momentum, as if using some form of unseen leverage. It hammers down in the form of an axe kick.

Chase twists his hips and slips the crown of his head out of the way but he could not fully evade the attack. Damien’s heel grazed against his thigh, ripping through the Terrameleon fabric and a shred of skin.

Before the foot could reach the ground, it changes direction once more. It makes a sharp turn and heads for Chase’s jaw, trying to knock him out in one hit. Chase shifts his weight and twists in an awkward way, moving himself out of range. It was a clumsy attempt, but at least going to yoga classes was not a vain effort.

‘How does he move that way?’ Chase thought as he summons bullets of earth to pelt the opponent, buying him the time and distance he needs. ‘It’s like he’s ignoring inertia..’ He examines the evasive manoeuvres performed by Damien. For a moment his body seems to be tottering out of balance, and then he would suddenly spring back in a different direction without losing speed.

‘Then how about this?’ Chase creates potholes underneath Damien’s feet, sinking them into the ground. With a crunching sound, the holes clamp themselves around his legs. ‘Now I’ve got you!’ Chase summons a stone pillar and slams it into Damien’s abdomen. The road cracks as the pillar forcibly drags Damien, carving the street like an overweight anchor.

The pillar stops. It blows away Damien out of the light and into the darkness, or so it should have. His body jerks to a stop halfway through and darts in Chase’s direction once again, like a particularly stubborn hunting dog. He shows no sign of being injured despite recently getting rammed by a large and heavy object.

‘Is he nullifying my attacks? No, then he would not have to dodge’ Chase leaps to the side and twists his hips, sending a punch at Damien. Damien lightly touched the tip of his fist, and his punch is easily diverted to the side—like water coming to a bend in the river.

A rocky fist pops out of the ground and attacks Damien, covering Chase’s momentary gap in defense. Then another one surfaces, and another. Chase delivers a barrage of stone fists that pounds the opponent back as it moves like a wave.

‘How do I beat him? Nothing seems to faze him!’ Damien is still keeping his calm expression. He is not even breathing heavily from having to move around so much. ‘Impaling him is out of the question..’

A cloud of steam suddenly puffs out from Damien’s body, concealing him within its misty veil. Hiding him is not its purpose however, as he tears through the smoky curtain and runs at breakneck speed. He jumps, rolls and dashes at a velocity that is perhaps double or triple his previous movements.

‘I can’t keep up!’ Chase zips his eyes around to follow Damien’s movements but it is too random and sudden to keep track of. Damien could be accurately compared with a mosquito, which could disappear out of sight even with someone keeping an eye on it.

Judging it to be futile to dodge, Chase conjures thin stone whips and sends it spinning in a vortex with him in the centre. It serves him as a defensive perimeter, lashing out at anything that comes too close. However…

Damien completely ignored the unforgiving whips. He burst through them without any hesitation, and the hard but brittle whips are easily broken. He launches himself at Chase who no longer has any defensive measure.

‘Tch!’ Chase anticipates the telegraphed punch and grabs hold of Damien’s arm as the fist slipped past his head. He pulls Damien towards him and knees him in the stomach. He knows that it would probably deal little to no damage, but he needs to make sure of something by feeling it with his own body.

Damien grunts slightly from the blow and returns the favour by locking Chase in a chokehold. Chase gasps and claws at the arm holding his neck captive. It is a surprise how sturdy Damien’s hold on him is, despite how lean his arms are compared to others Chase had met including his father.

‘Damn it..’ His fingers grow numb, making his struggling attempt pathetically feeble. ‘I….’ His vision is starting to get hazy, and his head feels dizzy. ‘Lost..’ A curtain of darkness covers his vision, and he blacks out.

***

Chase wakes up in the darkness. He gasps for breath and reaches for his throat with a hand. He does not even feel sore around the area, which is a miracle. ‘Where am I…?’ He sweeps his eyes over the simple bed and the curtain enclosing the small area he is confined in. His eyes come to a rest as they meet a pair of red irises glinting in the gloom.

“Woah!” Chase jumped off the bed, startled by the appearance of those crimson beads in the dim room. “What the, Sky! What in the world are you doing there in the dark? For God’s sake!” He calms himself and steadies his breath, narrowly avoiding a heart attack despite his young age.

“Is that how you treat someone who has been waiting right by your side for several hours?” He commented as he frowns. At least, Chase thinks Sky is frowning, he could not really tell for sure in the dark.

“Several… “ Chase stares at the lack of brightness in the room. He swipes the curtain open and spots rays of moonlight filtering through the windows in the treatment ward. “What time is it now?” Maybe, maybe he can still make it in time for a rematch.

“Almost nine, I’m sure I don’t have to tell you whether it’s night or morning” Sky stands up and stretches his back. He had been sitting there for too long, but it was not boring as he had things to occupy him with. Such as the chart of the human anatomy pasted on the walls and the live specimen lying on the bed just a minute ago. “Surely you don’t mean to head back for another duel?” He tilts his head questioningly.

“He’s still there. He’s there until ten, that’s what your timetable said” Chase gives himself a brief check, looking for any missing items. Satisfied that everything is still with him, he makes his way to the exit of the ward.

“It’s already night time, where’d you find the Shadow Lane?” Sky called out, stating a valid point.

“It should’ve moved like the hand of a clock, I’ll search around the area!” Chase shouts back from outside the room. A few disgruntled mumblings seeps out from behind the other curtains, most likely coming from other, sicker occupants.

'Where'd you find observers at this time of the night?' Sky thought, staring at the empty doorway.

***

‘Find him’ Chase thought as he pans his head around, registering the dimly lit buildings around the square. ‘Should be here somewhere’ The flames in the lamp posts cast a soft orange light over the smooth walls and cobbled pavements.

‘Earth Pillar!’ A vertical bar of stone rises from beneath Chase’s feet, elevating him to a higher vantage point. The strong wind races past him, flapping the hems of his uniform and ruffling his jet-black hair. There he stands, scanning the darkness to search for a person.

‘Is… that it?’ He saw a dot of white light, something distinguishable from the conventional lamps scattered about. He slants the pillar, making it lean towards a building and jumps off to land on a flat roof. He frowns with distaste and wipes off the dust that got on his hands. It has not rained for quite a while now, which explains the accumulation of dust on the roofs. He produces a light source and sets it to a comfortable level for his eyes.

He streaks over the buildings, bounding from one rooftop to another. The little muscle power he built over the past week may or may not have assisted him, but he surely got better at performing landing manoeuvres. Beads of sweat roll down his back as he sprints and jumps without missing a beat. The air is dry, devoid of any mist to cool him down.

‘That’s….’ He skids to a halt, planting the tip of his shoes at a row of jutting roof tiles. He peers at the person standing near the light ball down below. ‘It’s the guy with the flowers, he’s still here?’ Chase deduced that the boy must have followed the movement of the Shadow Lane, considering the different location he is currently at.

Chase flips out his pocket watch and peeks at the minute hand. ‘almost ten, and I don’t see Damien anywhere…’ He replaces it inside his pocket and chooses to sit down on the slanted roof with his feet rested against the rain gutter. ‘You should give up too, you know…’ He thought as he studies the poor boy.

‘Should I send him back?’ Chase pitied the boy. He could perhaps create an optical illusion of a monster to scare him away, so he does not have to needlessly wait there with a broken heart. But he decides against it after catching the determined expression on the boy’s face. ‘Do you like her that much…?’

Acknowledging the boy’s spirit, Chase patiently waits. ‘What am I waiting for? It’s not like anything would happen…’ He thought. ‘Maybe, just maybe… the girl would come soon. That must be what he is thinking…’ Chase mused as he eyes the boy pacing about in a circle with the bouquet in hand. If his memory serves him right, Chase could swear that the flowers are starting to wilt.

The boy runs his fingers through his hair and fidgets uncomfortably from time-to-time but Chase did not see him look at a watch, even once. So Chase sat there, until the uneven tiles dig into his back, probably leaving temporary marks on his skin. He fiddles with the air a little bit, making it a bit cooler by condensing some water in his area.

He summons three fireballs and pretends to juggle them around, to stave off the boredom. ‘He’s not even looking here’ Chase multiplies it to five, then seven and settling with juggling a dozen in two loops. He strings them with one another and creates multiple hoops, spinning around in elaborate patterns in the air. ‘Still not looking…’ Chase himself does not know why he is doing this.

Is he interested to see what happens to the boy? Is he just trying to pull him away before he realises the crushing truth or is he… trying to confirm something?

He extracts the pocket watch to check for the time once again, leaving the rings of fire moving about automatically. ‘I can’t believe it, it’s almost midnight…’ Chase stares at the watch with incredulity, thinking about how much time he has wasted here.

‘….’ Chase fixed his eyes on the boy’s face once again. ‘You’re a fool…’ Finding no change in his determined expression, Chase turns to leave. ‘?!’ He froze. Out in the distance, he could see a globe of light bobbing unsteadily over a fuzzy silhouette. Chase extinguishes his own light source, hiding his presence.

Chase peers at the boy, and finds him to be looking in the same direction. The boy is shocked, his mouth slightly agape. ‘Maybe he was starting to doubt it too… but is that really the person he is waiting for?’ Chase thought. ‘Just why would a girl bother walking around at this ungodly hour? Maybe it’s just a guard…’

His question is soon answered as the figure comes closer, attracted to the other source of light. Chase spots a reddish-brown skirt hanging just a little above the knees and the school uniform identical to his, tailored specifically for the girl. ‘Is this the person?’ Chase diverts his attention back to the boy. Judging from how fidgety he is getting, there is no more room for doubt.

The girl comes to a halt a few feet away from the boy and they stare at each other. Chase manipulates the air flow, transmitting the sound waves toward him. ‘Maybe I’d learn something from this’ Chase thought, preparing to take note if he ever decides to confess to Alice in the future.

“I’m sorry for being late” The girl starts off the conversation, looking down at the pavement below which Chase assumes to be an expression of shyness. Chase is too far away to catch diminutive details such as a blushing face, but he expects her to be flushing red under those straight locks of hair.

“I forgot about this place… disappearing at night, I mean” She twirls her fingers around her hair, still avoiding eye contact with the boy. “So I walked around, looking for you. I thought you’ve already gone back b—“ She was cut off.

The boy held the flowers in front of him, earnestly offering them to her. Even from this far away, Chase could see the nervous vibrations rattling the bouquet. “Here, I’ve brought you some flowers” The boy said. The girl stares at them and reaches her hand out to take them but…

“Ah!” He pulls them back. “I-- , Uhm, I’m sorry… maybe not, I mean they’ve uh-wilted—uhm, not on purpose but you—I” He tries to hide them, concealing it with shame but the woman grabs them before he could.

“No, it’s okay! I like flowers… are these daffodil—Ah!” The bouquet fell on the ground, slipping through their unsteady grips. They crouch down to pick it up and accidentally bump into each other. “Ouch!” They cried in unison.

Rubbing their sore temples, they gaze at each other and smile. The smiles unfold into nervous chuckles and blossom into full-blown laughter, shoving away the awkward atmosphere. The boy takes the initiative and picks up the flower with one hand while helping the girl up with another. She looks at the boy with upturned eyes, and him gazing down on her.

‘This calls for some romantic atmosphere!’ Chase thought as he forms custom light balls in the shape of butterflies. They glow with a pale yellow tinted-light, and he sends them fluttering down around the couple. Their wings beat lightly against the still air, stirring emotions with their unearthly, yet beautiful, image.

“These are… beautiful…” The girl said, fascinated by the wondrous spectacle. The flock of butterflies dance rhythmically in the night, imitating live ones that Chase had seen numerous times. With a simple thought, Chase moves a butterfly to rest on her finger briefly before taking flight again. The distant sound of a clock tower striking the hour of midnight is feebly carried by the wind, alerting them of reality.

“Sheila, I…” The boy said, grabbing all her attention for himself. The mood is just right, and the girl seems to share the same feelings, so Chase thinks it would be a definite success. Still, he watches the scene with bated breath.

“I like you” He finished the sentence and waits. The following couple of seconds must have felt like an eternity to him, possessing a length that could not be measured by a mere clock. He looks at her, expecting a reply, his heart thumping the fastest beat in his life.

“I’m glad…” She said, wiping something off the corner of her eyes, Chase could not see. “I like you too” She said at last. Trembling from what Chase suspects to be uncontrollable delight, the boy pulls Sheila into a tight hug, which she pleasantly accepts by burying her face into his chest.

They stay that way for dozens of seconds, saying nothing to each other. The hug was enough to convey their feelings, how happy and glad they are. ‘I’m starting to feel awkward, staring at this for too long…’ Chase turns to leave once again and comes face-to-face with a person. “Wo-“ His yelp was muffled by a hand and Damien pulls him down to hide them from the two startled lovers.

They watch the couple looking around for the momentary source of noise. They stop looking after a few turns of the head, probably dismissing it as the sound of a stray animal. Staring at each other with shy, but happy faces, they stroll together in the night, hand in hand.

Seeing them disappear into the darkness, Chase turns his head and hisses at Damien. “Just what the hell are you doing here?!” It is way past ten at night, so Damien should no longer be around the Shadow Lane. Chase is not even sure that this is the supposed location of the Shadow Lane.

“I’ve already informed you that there are things that could only be seen when surrounded in darkness” He said cryptically. “This was not expected, but it was a fulfilling scene to observe” Chase could see the familiar storybook held in one of Damien’s hand.

‘Was he reading it all this time, until just now?’ Chase sizes up the thickness of the book. Judging by the illustration, title and its size, it should not be something that needs to be read for hours on end. “Where did you even come from?” He did not see any other light source nearby when he roosted here a couple hours ago.

Damien nods at the rooftop next to the one they are currently lying on. “I’ve been there since sunset. I thought about going back, before I saw that boy just now waiting alone down there” He points at the spot where the lovebirds were at a little while ago.

‘Geh, then did he see me do all those stupid things?’ Chase thought, recollecting all the pointless things he did with the flames. ‘Oh crap, he saw me use Fire, didn’t he?’ Is he in danger? Could this person tell something is off?

“That was a nice thing you did, just now” Damien complimented him. “It was a nice touch, adding those butterflies. Maybe you’ve given them the most wonderful memory that they will never forget for life” He added further, causing Chase to blush in embarrassment.

“I just thought they needed it, that’s all” Chase explained, trying to hide the fact that he was carried by the flow of romance.

“Yes, and that is a selfless action. You gain absolutely nothing from it, but you helped them nonetheless” He stands up and climbs to the flat ledge in the middle of the roof. “Forgive me for judging you so hastily this evening, perhaps you have your own reasons for pursuing strength so desperately. Would you mind telling me about it?”

Chase hoists himself up and sits beside Damien. “It’s just a stupid thing, everyone needs to get stronger for one reason or another” He brushed off the question.

“You would not be so determined in coming back here, looking for me to have a rematch if you truly believe your reason is stupid” Damien disregarded his weak attempt and sets the conversation back into his desired direction. “I presume that is what you wandered here for, not even looking for witnesses beforehand to spectate the duel”

‘Witnesses, I completely forgot!’ He did not even think properly when he left the treatment ward. What manner of demon possessed him that he forgot something so crucial? “It’s… I just wanted to have the strength to protect. Don’t laugh” He gave a warning, fearing that he would be ridiculed for such a simple and childish reason.

“Who do you want to protect?” It seems Damien does not look down on Chase’s goal, given how calm he is.

“People I care about, those who I deem important”

“Who are you protecting them from? Do you have enemies?” Damien asked, spurring on Chase’s thoughts.

“Well, there are no specific ones but… we almost died a little while back when the monsters were attacking human settlements all over Armitage” Images of the ruined village of Thanes flood into his mind, bringing his guilt to the surface. ‘It could’ve been solved in a better way…’ Despite what Marcus had said, there really are better methods that he should have thought of.

“Ah, then you want to protect them from monsters?” Damien inquired. Before Chase could provide an answer, he expands the question. “Then, what about the Demon King? Is he not the one behind your enemies, controlling them from behind the scenes? Are you going to defeat him?”

“I…. I don’t know…” Chase replied uncertainly. He studies the lamp posts lining the side of the streets, as if they are the most interesting things in the world. ‘I never really thought that far. Should I aim for that? But I’m no Hero…’

“It seems to me that you are uncertain of your own goals” Damien declared understandingly. He settles his eyes over Chase’s face, his own expression the reflection of his inner peace. “Very well, I’ll assist you in your endeavour, on one condition” Chase perks up after hearing Damien’s offer to help him.

“What?” Chase asked.

“When I propose to a girl, you need to be there as my wingman” He said, and grinned.

Chase grins back in response out of pure mirth. “Sure, count on me to make a show”

***

‘This show is boring’ Erin yawned and takes a quick look at the other audience. The majority of them are dressed in fine imported fabrics, and their fingers glittered with gold and precious stones. They chuckle and giggle at the jester on stage who is making a fool of himself.

“Where are you going, Erin?” Charlie asked, seeing her rise up from her seat.

“I’m feeling a bit dizzy, maybe I’ll retire for the night” She lied. She could not tell him the real reason out loud in here. Not with all the spectators having the time of their life.

He takes some time to study Erin. “I see, okay then” He said, understanding what Erin really meant. “Make sure you get a good night’s sleep, and if you’re still sick tomorrow we’ll look for a physician” What he really meant was ‘Get lots of rest, we’re going for a long ride tomorrow’

Erin nods and makes her way to the stairwell. She lifts up the hem of her skirt and carefully steps on the stairs with her high-heeled shoes. ‘Princesses and noblewomen must have it hard…’ She thought, feeling how sore her feet are from wearing those shoes for too long.

She comes to a rest on the carpeted landing, marking that she has cleared half of the steps to the second floor where her room is at. She leans herself over the windowsill of a small arched window and admires the magnificent vista it revealed to her.

‘This beats those stupid jokes downstairs anytime’ She noted to herself. 'Just how could anyone find the fool to be comparable to something so magnificent such as this?’ She could see Urbem de Lumine, the City of Lights, Capital of the Holy Empire of Bosco from her current spot.

The vast capital shines like a jewel in the night, radiating its brilliance from far away. It calls for travellers, alluring them into its awesome walls. Normally, one would not be able to see the capital from this distance but fortunately this town is built on a hill, allowing the citizens a little glimpse at the capital’s glorious appearance.

‘Only a few more days…’ She moves her verdant green eyes onto the lion pendant hanging down her neck. ‘We’ll be there soon, Sir Lawrence’ She grasps the medallion firmly, as if she is praying with it. ‘I’ll fulfil your request… in the City of Lights’ The city glints, answering her thoughts and beckoning her to come.

***

SORRY, THE FICTION IS CURRENTLY BEING REWRITTEN AS OF 18TH MAY, 2015. I SHALL INCLUDE A LINK HERE TO THE NEW VERSION ONCE I UPLOAD IT IN SEVERAL MONTHS' TIME

And.... that's it, a standard 10k words chapter. Finally finished it [th_009_v2.gif]

I picked up the pace a little bit, at least I think I did. Does it seemed rushed or too slow?

Q: What's up with the sudden romance scene?

A: I have no idea. It suddenly popped up, begging me to write it and... Voila! The first romance scene I've ever written in my life. I hope it was not too cheesy or awkward, I've never really read a romance themed novel.

A: I don't have a definite date, what's with my final exams coming up... but should be up within two weeks by latest. That should be quite okay, considering the length of my chapters.

Q: Who the hell is Erin again? I'm an old reader, and I don't really remember things from months ago.

A: Completely understandable. She's the special girl who met with Lawrence Gale (Zombie) in chapter 16 and nullified his curse when physically in contact. Bah, gotta repair the whole Gale chapters in RP: Batch two.

Q: Who the hell is Corvette?

A: Chase's grandmother, mentioned at the end of Chapter 14, and briefly in Chapter 17 along with Finn Mossdeep, the Grim Reaper/ Zenithian Knight Commander.

Q: You keep making Chase lose. When is he gonna win?

A: Oh come on, piling up losses would make victory so much sweeter, don't you agree? Besides, I want to make it a point that he's not the biggest badass around (for now)

Shedding a Mark of Strength Armus Outlawed and Outmatched but Never Outlasted

For The Curious Mind