Adria Sandervile's POV

“You know you can put me down, Kaladin,” I muttered.

Kaladin looked down at me with a raised eyebrow. “I thought you just agreed that you didn’t care about how people see us? Do you really want me to drop you on the cold, wet ground with a broken leg?”

“Well…no, not exactly,” I said back, somewhat embarrassed. “You could have just waited next to me instead of carrying me all the way to my side.”

“Your healers are struggling to get over the corpse of your monster, or what’s left of it, that is. I’m not just going to leave you when I can do this much,” Kaladin said as he hopped over one of my golem’s arms.

“Speaking of this monster, how did you summon it, Adria?”

“I can use golem magic,” I told him.

Kaladin’s eyes went wide as he looked down at me in his arms. “You can use…golem magic? The super rare school of magic that can only ever be seen if someone is at least a Grandmaster and just happens to have the skills and affinity? That golem magic?”

I giggled at his surprised face, one I hadn’t seen in a long time. “Then you already know. But to be truthful, I can only use it thanks to my staff and a dungeon item that helps me form spell cores…without those, it might take me years to even do a fifth of what I can with them.”

“Even so, that’s truly amazing. Your equipment isn’t a crutch for you. It’s an enhancement to your already tremendous abilities. You’ve been working hard, Adria. I can tell that much,” Kaladin said with a small smile.

He’s so honest…really…what a nice guy.

“Thank you,” I said meekly.

My side of the stadium with the double doors was already in view. I could see a group of mages huddled around, avoiding the rain and dead plants waiting for me. My broken leg and injured body screamed at me, begging for me to seek help, but a part of my mind told me that I didn’t want to go just yet. And that part was much louder than any pain I felt.

This is all just too surreal…I never imagined this would happen…

I couldn’t believe that Kaladin, of all people, was carrying me. It felt like a lifetime ago that he was there with me at my home. He just looked like a frail child with a limp. And even as a girl, I was way bigger than him. Not that I ever thought of him any less. Kaladin has, in my eyes, always been my friend…even after everything. But now, he was a completely different man.

“You’ve really grown, Kali,” I muttered. “I feel so small compared to you now.”

“Naturally. If I stayed a runt forever, I would have to fight a god,” he said with a chuckle. “Looks like we’ve arrived.”

Kaladin gently handed me over to a mage and took a step back. I watched Kaladin look off into the distance behind me with sad eyes as the mages began to heal my wounds. I followed his eyes, and my heart sank in my chest.

Standing there, watching us in silence, was…

“Sylros. It’s been some time,” Kaladin said stiffly.

Unlike how Sylros usually was, he was late to respond to Kaladin’s simple greeting, which was all the more heart-wrenching. Sylros and Kaladin had grown close at the mansion. Even though they were head servant and slave, it never felt like that with them. If things had been different, I could imagine that Sylros could have been a father or uncle to Kaladin…

But that was impossible. Kaladin already had a father. Sylros could never fill that void.

Sylros straightened his orange tie and bowed at the hip. “Sir Shadowheart, it is an honor to be in your presence. Thank you for carrying the Young Lady to us even after your official bout,” he said in his usual formal and respectful tone.

Kaladin closed his eyes and nodded solemnly. “It was nothing,” Kaladin responded coolly.

I couldn’t help but look at the two with deep sadness in my heart. The truth was I knew that Sylros didn’t hate Kaladin and that Kaladin didn’t hate Sylros. It was just that Sylros put the duty of serving my father and family above all else, even his life, and that Kaladin did what he felt that he had to do. The two of them would never see eye to eye.

And that’s…just so bad…this world is so cruel…it shouldn’t be like this.

I even knew that Kaladin leaving really did hurt Sylros. In all my life, I can only recount two times in which Sylros has taken a personal day off. My father has begged Sylros on multiple accusations to take at least a day off a month, but Sylros always firmly denies him. Yet, one of Sylros’s days off came a few days after Muriel’s death…and Sylros took another after Kaladin left.

“Rest well, Adria. I’m sure I’ll see you again soon,” Kaladin said as he turned and walked back into the pouring rain.

“Goodbye…Kaladin,” I said to his retreating back.

“I’m sorry about your loss, My Lady. You fought with all your effort,” Sylros said with a thin smile.

The mage finished healing my broken leg, and I waved them away as I stood up. I looked up directly into his eyes.

“Why didn’t you say anything to him?” I asked, already knowing the answer.

Sylros slowly looked around at the mages still standing around and frowned. “I greeted the Dragonslayer as I should have. I apologize if I offended him or you, My Lady.”

“That’s…not what I was asking,” I said with a deep sigh. “Let’s just go back.”

“Yes, that would be for the best,” Sylros agreed.

Without another word, I walked into our side of the stadium to change and leave. Not only was I tired from being healed and using a tremendous amount of mana, I just wanted to lie down and…think things over. So much happened in a single day that I couldn’t piece everything together in my tired mind.

Sigh…so much happened. I went from nervous to excited to impressed. I even felt so much joy, but…it was so short-lived that it felt bitter.

“Well, well, well…and look how the mighty have fallen. All that training for…what exactly? I thought you were to show something, but…the only thing that was shown was a loser,” an annoying voice cut out from the side.

And now my day has been officially ruined.

“That is—”

I put my hand up to silence Sylros and glared at the voice. “You can speak like that only after you defeat him. He is on your side of the bracket as well, Dillian Stav,” I growled.

Dillian flicked his dirty blonde hair and nudged his sister, who stood obediently beside him with her head down. “Did you hear that? It sounds like someone is trying to ignore their failures. How much was spent on that staff of yours again? Was it three or four large gold? I can’t even remember at this point,” Dillian chuckled.

Dillian’s sister just nodded at her brother’s words. I wanted to punch his throat for the way he spoke, not to me but about Kaladin. Ever since Kaladin escaped, House Stav has done nothing but raise a ruckus despite narrowly avoiding getting caught running a band of bandits a few years ago. It was despicable and made my blood boil with how he belittled Kaladin.

“I wonder about that,” I said thoughtfully.

Dillian raised an eyebrow and chuckled. “Wonder about what?”

I grinned at how easy it was to lead him on. “Kaladin defeated me with overwhelming power and grace. He even showed me mercy on the same scale as a saint. If he wanted to, I wouldn’t even be a stain on the ground. I wonder what he would do to you if given the chance? Not that you will be able to win your next two fights anyway.”

Dillian’s brow twitched, and his haughty grin faltered. “We’ll see about that. That gutter Elf isn’t the only one with power.”

I snorted and walked away from him without another word, which, of course, just served to fan the flames of his anger and inferiority even more. I genuinely hoped Kaladin taught him a lesson when the time came.

—

I spent the rest of the morning and afternoon after my match attending to my duties. It was a tiresome and draining affair. I wanted nothing more than to crawl up into a blanket and fall asleep as I watched the heavy rain hit the glass.

But I have to do this…I have to keep working not only on my magic but also on my connections. I must.

Thankfully, after making an appearance at a noble gathering being held late at night by one of my father’s allies at a rented villa, I was finally free to return to my room with the excuse that I was tired from my battle with the Dragonslayer. And with it being so late, no one would question me if I didn’t want to stay.

The carriage ride back was bumpy as the rain blanked the entire seaside city in a dark curtain. “I really hope this weather clears up soon…” I mumbled to no one in particular.

Once we arrived, I was quickly ushered into the mansion by Sylros and told my maids-in-waiting that I would not be eating dinner and that I would like to rest. There were a few mumbles of resistance, but I quelled it and made my way upstairs.

The guards all bowed to me and greeted me, but I only managed a weak smile in return. My heart was thumping in my chest for a different reason, and on the top floor of the place we were staying, alone in the hallway, I stood before a door that was not mine.

I wanted to avoid this right now, not because I was too tired but because I was afraid. I really did. But I can’t…I can’t let the night end without talking. It would be wrong of me.

I knocked on the door with the signal that it was me. I waited a few moments and could hear movement inside, and after counting to ten in my head, I opened the door and slipped inside, quickly shutting the door behind me.

The room was pitch black, with the curtains drawn tightly. There wasn’t a hint of life in the darkness, but I knew better. With practiced steps, I walked around the furniture in complete darkness until I reached another door and opened it.

Not even the light from tiny candles in the corner of the room seeped through the cracks of the mostly blocked door. I shut the door behind me again and stared into the darkness. I couldn’t see, but…I knew I wasn’t alone.

The silence dragged on for what felt like hours, neither of us saying a word. Not being able to handle the choking atmosphere, I said, “I’m sorry.”

“What’s the point of apologizing when you don’t even mean it?” a gruff voice said from the darkness.

“That’s not true! I—”

“Just stop it, Adrianna. I’ve pleaded with you enough. I’m done trying.”

“Adri…anna? You…you never call me that,” I said, surprised and disheartened in equal measure. “What have I done to—”

“That’s right, Adrianna, what have you done? I’ve warned you, begged you, and you just can’t seem to put a sliver of faith in me. What’s the point of even being friends anymore…”

“That’s unfair! You! You can’t make me choose between the two of you like this! Please!” I begged.

Crash.

A piece of glass whipped out of the darkness and broke against the wall. “Your friend?! You are being lied to! Deceived! You’ve seen it with your own eyes! How he really is!” they shouted.

“He killed Ester and the others without even flinching! He poisoned us! He poisoned children and left us to die in the forest after using us as monster bait! How—how can you even look him in the eyes and not see the kind of evil he is!”

“You’re wrong! He did that because of us! We kept him away from his family for years! He—he had no choice, and you know it! Look at him now! He even has a daughter who he loves and treats like she is the world! How can—”

“It’s all an act! It always was, and you know it! He did it then, and he is doing it again! If he was so worried about his family, why didn’t he say anything to you!? Why didn’t he even mention it!? Because he is a monster beyond your understanding, that’s why! You don’t even know the half of it, Adrianna…”

“You keep saying that to me, but I don’t understand because you won’t tell me anything! You haven’t seen him! He’s not who you think he is!” I argued.

“He is, damn it!” they shouted, banging their fist against the wall.

“He was ready to rip my head off just because I walked past him! You and everyone else aren’t safe! There isn’t a single place in this entire world that you can hide from him! He’s just waiting…biding his time…I know it. I’m sure of it. And when that time comes, everything will be over. We won’t stand a chance. It might already be over…” they said, their voice trailing off.

"…then if you are so sure, why didn’t he kill me today? It would have been easy for him. He could have done it without a second thought, and no one would have been able to stop him or punish him. My life was in his hands, and he chose to spare me,” I said, my voice tired and hoarse.

“What’s the point in trying to understand what that monster is thinking? He played a game with us for years. What’s a single tournament match in his three hundred years of life to him?”

“You…you just refuse to see any good in him,” I mumbled.

“And you refuse to see any evil in him. Just leave, Adrianna, we are done talking,” they said with finality.

This…isn’t fair…

—

Arene “Ren” Maxwell’s POV

“You don’t look very pleased with your win…” I pointed out to the stone-faced Kaladin, who was just sitting idly in a chair in one of the lounges, holding a sleepy Mila.

He let out a small sigh and shrugged. “No. I am. It’s just that I saw something a little unpleasant today, that’s all.”

“Something unpleasant?” I asked curiously.

Kaladin shook his head. “I saw someone I used to know a long time ago today. We’ve separated now, and things will probably never return to how they used to be. It’s not the most fun thing to think about.”

Is he…talking about Adria Sandervile? No…that doesn’t really make sense. He’s talking like it’s someone else…and if it were her, he wouldn’t have carried her off the arena grounds like that.

“Do you…want to talk about it?” I offered.

He let out a breath from his nostrils and frowned as Mila stirred in his lap, looking up at him with a pout. “No. It’s old news, so there is no need to keep thinking about it.” But Kaladin raised an eyebrow at me. “But things are different for you. Are you ready for tomorrow?”

“I am…I’m a little nervous, though. Do you have any tips for handling a Vampire?” I said with an awkward chuckle.

Kaladin chuckled as well, and his smile returned, but Mila wobbled out of her seat and came over to me. Without a word, she crawled up into my lap like a cat would and nestled into a comfortable position. She even let me gently pet her soft, spotted ears.

She is just too adorable and so warm! Is this…what having a daughter is like? It makes me—no! Wait, I can’t have a child…it’s too early for that! I’m too young, but…gah, never mind!

“I’m still trying to figure that one out for myself. Maybe I’ll write a book on it one day,” he said with a fond smile.

I giggled at this goofy side of him. “Well, Malachi isn’t as strong as Sylvia, so…I think I have a chance of beating him.”

“You absolutely do, Ren. Malachi isn’t invincible, and you have the tools to beat him, even with the unknown of his hidden powers lurking,” Kaladin said confidently and with a smile.

Honestly…this guy…I know he doesn’t mean it, but…he really needs to watch what he says and how he says it.

I hid my warm face with my hand and turned away from him slightly. “Well—yeah…thank you…but if you were me, how would you try and beat him?”

Kaladin put a finger to his chin and hummed. “Let’s see, going head to head with him in a test of strength and durability is a mistake, as nothing short of a killing blow will stop him with his regenerative abilities. And since Malachi is a sword fighter, I would avoid clashing blades with him as much as possible.”

“That doesn’t leave me with much options, huh?” I mumbled weakly.

“Even so, I know you can win, Ren. I would definitely attempt to knock him off the platform, as that would be a surefire victory. With your magic, I think you can pin him down well enough. Vampires are strong, but they aren’t immune to having their bodies manipulated beyond their control.”

Bodies… manipulated beyond their…con—control?

“Wah, what?! How do you even—I,” I stammered out in embarrassment.

Kaladin cocked his head and looked genuinely surprised. “Did…I say something weird? Why is your face so red?”

He doesn’t mean it that way. He doesn’t mean it that way. He doesn’t mean it that way. Stupid!

“Ah…sorry?” Kaladin muttered as I slapped my leg hard.

“No! It’s—nothing! Just don’t worry about it!”

“Anyways, control the body…got it…yeah, I can do that…or I don’t know…that kind of control is still hard for me. And my crystal magic is slower than regular earth magic,” I said quickly, focusing on the topic at hand.

Kaladin looked concerned but just shrugged, utterly oblivious to it all. Or he was really just that innocent…maybe I’m the weird one…

“Then you have to set him up. Put him in a favorable position for yourself so your magic can be at its most optimal. You are very good at turning a neutral or hostile terrain into a friendly one,” Kaladin said.

“So you are saying that I need to use Crystal Fields again…I haven’t used it in a battle since I fought you,” I said, unable to hide my concerns.

Kaladin stood up from his chair and looked down at me with a genuine smile. “You are worrying for nothing, Ren. Malachi is a formidable opponent, but if you put your practice to use and trust all that you have done over these last few months when it’s all over, you might see what I and many others see in you.”

“So, just like you told me, have faith in your abilities and show everyone what the Princess Knight of Luminar can do, and have fun while doing it.”

“You! You can’t call me that silly nickname, please! I hate it! I didn’t approve it!” I pleaded, grabbing hold of his arm and accidentally waking up Mila.

Kaladin just laughed.