Just before the blade could hit, the instructor’s hand suddenly reached out, stopping it mid swing.
On instinct, Aurelia retracted her kick and shot backward with speed.
Her eyes were glacial as they locked onto Malakai.
“What is the meaning of this?”
At her words, the fighting around the field came to an abrupt stop and the clanging of metal ceased.
But despite her question, Malakai didn’t respond.
He caught Renlo just as the boy was about to hit the ground, letting him land safely.
Then his cold eyes turned toward Aurelia.
The instructor would only interfere if an attack was fatal. But hers… her attack hadn’t been fatal. But if it had landed, Renlo would have been in a world of pain. Bones shattered. Body wrecked.
He might be cold and ruthless to his enemies, but Renlo had done nothing except be his sparring partner. He didn’t deserve that. And Malakai wouldn’t let it happen, especially when he was the cause.
A few seconds passed, and Malakai still didn’t respond. He only stared at Aurelia with a cold gaze.
“What’s happening?”
“I’m not sure. I saw the instructor stop the Ninth Vein’s scythe from splitting the Sixth Vein’s neck.”
“What!? The Sixth Vein is the strongest in this class. How did he even get that close?”
“I don’t know… Do you think they’ll fight?”
Whispers spread throughout the class. The tension only spiked as Malakai and Aurelia locked eyes.
Seeing that Malakai wasn’t responding, Aurelia slowly nodded.
“No answer? Fine.”
If Malakai had nothing to say, then she’d just beat the answer out of him. Her hand shot down, unsheathing her twin daggers as a dangerous glint appeared in her eyes.
The eyes of the surrounding youths instantly lit up. A fight was about to break out! And it was between veins!
Aurelia was just about to move when the instructor’s voice rang out, freezing her in her tracks.
“Ninth Vein, attacking students other than your partner is not allowed. Please ensure it doesn’t happen again.”
Malakai’s gaze narrowed at the head instructor, mildly surprised.
‘What’s he doing?’
He had been bracing for a clash with Aurelia, but now it seemed the instructor was stopping it.
Regardless, Malakai gave a slight nod toward him.
Then, the instructor turned to Aurelia, who was already glaring at him with an icy gaze.
“You too, Sixth Vein. I saw everything. The only reason the Ninth Vein intervened was because you targeted his partner.”
“What nonsense are you sprouting, Instructor?” Aurelia’s voice was cold. “The Ninth Vein sent him flying towards me.”
The instructor bowed slightly. “A mistake that can happen during combat, Sixth Vein. Since no one was hurt, I sincerely hope we can move past this.”
He bowed deeper this time.
“The Sovereign’s words forbid class disruptions under any circumstance.”
‘Smart.’
While Aurelia clenched her weapon hilts tightly, staring daggers at Malakai, the latter admired the instructor’s ingenuity.
With that final line, if Aurelia insisted on continuing, she would be going against the Sovereign’s decree. It was the same tactic Malakai had used against Julius.
Aurelia exhaled sharply, then gave Malakai one final glare before turning away.
“I won’t forget this,” she said coldly.
Still, Malakai didn’t respond. He only gestured toward another section of the field for Renlo, who shakily got to his feet and bolted, clearly not wanting to be anywhere near this anymore.
Malakai followed behind, ignoring the stares of the other students and the piercing glares from Julius and Maximus.
“Alright! Keep at it!”
The instructor’s voice broke the silence, snapping everyone back to the moment.
The clashing of swords resumed as the youths returned to their battles.
…
The soft click of a door echoed within a large, luxurious room as a woman holding an ornate fan stepped inside.
Khana.
She stood by the door, her head bowed, unmoving.
“Well?”
A cold voice echoed through the room. It came from a man standing before an open window, his expression unreadable.
Varnel.
Khana bowed and spoke in a low voice.
“It’s done. Darke is moving as we speak.”
Varnel nodded slowly.
“Good.”
He turned toward her and Khana flinched as his gaze landed on her.
“Come.”
Khana clenched her fan tightly, but obeyed. Her head remained lowered as she walked toward him.
“Look at me.”
Her body trembled. A twist coiled in her gut. She still remembered the pain and torture he’d inflicted just days ago. But she couldn’t let it show. Not unless she wanted another reset.
Forcing a smile onto her lips, she raised her gaze, meeting Varnel’s cold eyes.
“Hm,” Varnel hummed, raising a hand to tuck her hair behind her ear.
“You’re really beautiful.”
His palm rested on her cheek, his gaze piercing deep into her trembling eyes.
“T-Thank you… honey.”
Khana tried her best to keep her voice steady. She wasn’t ready, mentally or physically, to feel Varnel’s hands on her again.
“Hm.”
Suddenly, he pulled away, returning to the window.
“You made sure to insert enough spies, right?”
“Yes,” Khana replied quickly.
Varnel sighed.
“That boy’s proving to be more of a pain in the ass than I thought. Our assassins keep failing. Looks like Red Eclipse is still protecting him.”
He turned back toward Khana.
“I’ve spent too much time here. I need to return tomorrow.”
Varnel’s faction was based in another city. He had stayed behind in Crimson Hold to deal with Malakai personally, but clearly, that wasn’t going as planned.
His assassins had failed repeatedly, and the boy was gaining attention in the training camp. Still, with this new measure, at least he’d have eyes on him.
“Will you be fine on your own?” Varnel asked, his voice soft, almost concerned.
But Khana knew better.
She clenched her fists.
Varnel always left her behind in Crimson Hold to monitor things within the clan. As the wife of a Pulse, she had access to meetings and circles that his other subordinates couldn’t touch.
Still… to Khana, him leaving was the best news she’d heard all year.
“I’ll manage,” she said, forcing a smile.
Varnel returned the smile, stepping forward to embrace her.
“I’ll miss you.”
“I’ll miss you too,” she replied after a second.