Chapter 77: A Fragile Peace

Chapter 77: A Fragile Peace The cheers from the crowd washed over me in a dull, distant roar. I stood in the center of the Wisher’s Arena, the ice on the marble floor already melting under the enchanted sun, my hand still loosely holding Noora’s. The duel was over. I had won. My rank was secure. For now. As we walked off the stage, the whispers started. They followed us like a second shadow, weaving through the dispersing crowd. "Did you see that? He just... vanished!" "Teleportation... I haven’t seen a student use that since Headmistress Evelyn was in her prime." "He showed it too soon. Now everyone knows. He’s painted an even bigger target on his back." They were right. The teleportation skill was my ace, a trump card I had been forced to play far earlier than I’d intended. Noora’s relentless, calculated assault had pushed me to my absolute limit. But it was a necessary risk. I had to show that I had more than just shadows and tricks. I had to prove that challenging me would be a costly mistake. As I reached the arena exit, my friends were waiting. Liora gave a curt, respectful nod. Seraphina’s smirk was back in full force, her eyes gleaming with a dangerous light. Aurelia and Sasha rushed forward, bombarding me with questions about my condition. "I’m fine," I said, waving them off. "Just drained." Eren clapped me on the shoulder, a look of genuine respect on his face. "That was one hell of a fight, man. You earned that win." Beside him, Julie offered a shy smile, while Noora, having recovered, simply watched me with an unreadable expression. Her cheeks were still faintly flushed from our final, tango-like embrace. The air between us was different now, charged with an unspoken understanding. It seemed my plan to help Julie was already creating ripples I hadn’t anticipated. The week of peace I’d bought myself felt less like a reprieve and more like the calm before a hurricane. One week to prepare for the storm of challenges that would inevitably follow. The break was over before it felt like it had begun. I settled back into my seat in the lecture hall—the one Seraphina had claimed for me—as Professor Davos cleared his throat, calling the class to order. "Settle down, everyone," he announced, his voice echoing slightly. "I have an important announcement regarding your upcoming physical examinations." A collective groan went through the room. "This year," he continued, ignoring the students’ displeasure, "we will be doing things differently. Instead of individual trials, you will be formed into teams to undertake official quests from various adventurer and knight guilds. This is a real-world test of your skills, teamwork, and adaptability." He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in. "Your teams will be assigned based on a complex algorithm that balances combat prowess, strategic potential, and elemental affinities. You will be supervised by a senior student from the upper years. Your performance will be graded not just on quest completion, but on your collaborative efficiency." My mind immediately started racing. A team-based quest? This changed everything. My individual strength wouldn’t be enough. "The teams and quest details will be sent to your wristwatches later today," the professor concluded. "For now, let’s continue our lesson on advanced elemental fusion..." But I wasn’t listening anymore. My gaze drifted to Rin. He sat calmly, but I could see the ambition in his eyes. He would be paired with the best. I knew it. In the original timeline, his team was a force of nature: Liora, the tactical genius; Cecilia, the ice blade princess; Eren, the relentless assassin; and Nyx, the mistress of the void. And their supervisor? The infamous third-year, Kali, the Poison Queen. A woman whose power was matched only by her cruelty. And, as fate would have it, a woman that this version of Rin, with his infuriating charm, would somehow manage to win over. The classes for the day ended in a blur. I didn’t wait for the post-lecture chatter. I rushed out, grabbed my bike, and sped toward the dorms, the wind whipping past my face. I burst through the door, calling out, "Masha! Yumi! I’m home!" Silence. The dorm was empty. Masha wasn’t there. A note on the kitchen counter simply read: Gone to the market for dinner ingredients. Back soon. I found Yumi in the living room, surrounded by a mountain of plush toys, her tongue sticking out in concentration as she tried to stack them into a tower. "Do you want to go shopping?" I asked, a sudden impulse striking me. Her head snapped up, her rose-pink eyes widening with excitement. "Shopping? For real? Can we? Pretty please?" "Get your coat," I said with a laugh. The central shopping district was a dazzling spectacle of enchanted storefronts, floating advertisements, and streets bustling with every race imaginable. Yumi’s hand was a tiny anchor in mine as she stared at everything with wide-eyed wonder. "Look, Ashy! A store that sells floating candy!" "Ooh, can I get a dress like that one?" "Is that a real baby griffin?" Her joy was infectious, and I found myself smiling more than I had in weeks. We wandered through toy stores, candy shops, and clothing boutiques. I bought her a frilly blue dress that matched her eyes and a small, silver locket shaped like a star. Our relationship was a complex, tangled thing. She called me ’brother,’ but I treated her like a daughter. I was her guardian, her protector, the only family she had. To the outside world, we must have looked like an odd pair—the cold, infamous Shadow of the Academy doting on a tiny, angelic-looking girl. "What an adorable little sister he has," one woman whispered to her friend as we passed. "He looks so much happier with her," another commented. I didn’t correct them. Let them think what they wanted. We were in a high-end clothing store, with Yumi trying on a ridiculously oversized sun hat, when a familiar voice sent a jolt down my spine. "Having fun without me?" I turned. Lucielle stood there, a shopping bag in one hand and a complex expression on her face—a mixture of hurt, longing, and forced nonchalance. She had clearly been following us. "Lucielle," I said, my tone carefully neutral. Yumi peeked out from under the hat. "Big sister Lucy!" she chirped, running over to hug her. Lucielle’s guarded expression melted as she knelt to return the hug. "Hello, little one. You look like a princess." "Ashen bought me a dress!" Yumi announced proudly. Lucielle’s gaze met mine over Yumi’s head. "Did he now?" "She picked it out," I said, shrugging. An awkward silence fell between us. Yumi, oblivious, started chattering about the floating candy she wanted to try next. Seizing the opportunity, Lucielle stood up and fell into step beside me as we followed the energetic child. "You seem... different," she said quietly. "People change." "No, it’s more than that," she insisted. "You’re smiling. A real smile. I haven’t seen that since... since before everything." She bought Yumi a massive, rainbow-colored lollipop, and for a while, the three of us walked together. It was a fragile, temporary peace. We were a fractured family pretending to be whole, brought together by the innocent joy of a child who knew nothing of our broken past. As Yumi happily licked her lollipop, her other hand found mine, while Lucielle’s hand rested gently on her shoulder. For a fleeting moment, under the warm glow of the district’s mana lamps, we weren’t nobles or warriors. We were just three people, walking together. And it was almost enough.