The air inside the chamber shimmered faintly, sterile and cold. Every surface gleamed white. From the walls and floors to the faintly reflective panels overhead. Only the hum of the energy field that sealed the arena broke the stillness.

  Rei stood in the center of the room, hand wrapped around a training sword, a light pistol holstered at his thigh. The weapon’s metallic sheen caught the sterile glow above, reflecting his steady breathing.

  Across from him stood the man who had challenged him, Nikolai.

  He was still, almost eerily calm, silver hair falling like a curtain over his eyes. His uniform carried faint holographic trims that shimmered whenever he moved, and a white wristband circled his arm, etched with an intricate crest.

  Neither spoke for a moment. Only the soft hiss of air vents filled the silence.

  Above them, the observation platform began to crowd. Curious faces pressed against the reinforced glass. The duel between two unknowns in the Sanctuary Spire had spread fast. Trainees, guards, and even a few instructors were already gathering to watch.

  A few minutes later, the door slid open at the top level, and the rest of the squad rushed in.

  “What’s going on?” Daisy asked, scanning the gathered crowd.

  A nearby officer replied, “A duel. Standard Astralis protocol, two Espers testing ability before joint missions.”

  Daisy’s stomach dropped. “Wait. Who’s fighting?”

  The officer pointed down at the arena floor.

  When she saw the two figures below, her voice caught. “Rei?”

  The others leaned closer to the glass.

  Zane’s eyes narrowed. “No way… he actually agreed to this?”

  “He didn’t even look nervous,” Caleb muttered, almost impressed.

  From the other side of the platform, members of Violet and Victor’s squad had also gathered. Serena leaned forward, tilting her head. “Who’s the pink-haired guy?”

  “He’s one of ours,” Aiden’s squad answered in unison. Except Casper, who was still half-asleep against the wall.

  Felix whistled low. “Looks calm. That’s either confidence or suicide.”

  “Trust me,” Zane said quietly. “It’s not suicide.”

  Below, Rei adjusted his grip on the sword. His golden eyes flicked toward Nikolai’s silhouette.

  They began to circle each other. Slow and deliberate.

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  The crowd held its breath.

  Then Nikolai smiled faintly, his voice smooth but edged. “You’ve got quite the audience. Hope you’re not the nervous type.”

  Rei didn’t answer.

  Nikolai took a step closer. “Silent, huh? I thought you’d rush me. Guess the stories about you are exaggerated.”

  Still nothing.

  That calm, unreadable stare made something in Nikolai twitch. His jaw tightened. “Alright then.”

  He moved first.

  In one burst of motion, his sword cut through the air, a clean diagonal slash aimed for Rei’s shoulder.

  Clang

  Steel met steel. Sparks danced briefly as Rei parried the strike and twisted his wrist, guiding the blow away. In that same motion, he drew his pistol and fired point-blank.

  Bang!

  Nikolai barely rolled aside, the shot grazing his sleeve as he tumbled across the floor. He exhaled, then chuckled under his breath. “Not bad.”

  Pushing himself up, he adjusted his stance. “But it’ll take more than deflecting one strike to win.”

  He lunged again, faster this time.

  The air cracked with every swing. His movements were sharp, unpredictable, the kind of precision that came from years of formal training. Yet every feint, every slash was met by Rei’s steady defense.

  When Nikolai went for a downward cut, Rei sidestepped. When he fainted high and went low for a stomach strike, Rei’s blade was already there.

  From above, Tessa’s voice came out tight. “He’s reading every move.”

  Zane crossed his arms. “No. He’s predicting.”

  Then it happened.

  Rei’s right eye began to glow.

  At first faint, then brighter. A golden shimmer tracing through his iris. The ticking of a clock echoed faintly, almost like it came from within the walls.

  “He’s using his grace,” Caleb said, leaning closer.

  But Carter frowned. “Wait… isn’t his right eye the only one that glows?”

  Zane noticed it too. Both eyes were shining now. The right, brilliant gold, and the left flickering faintly, a soft glint of light dancing in the pupil.

  Tessa nodded slowly. “It’s different. I think… something changed during training.”

  Below, Rei’s movements began to shift. Each step carried intent. Every pivot and counter was surgical. He no longer moved reactively, he was controlling the rhythm.

  His right eye tracked Nikolai’s attacks before they even came, seeing the shimmer of where the blade would cut. His left revealed flashes of glowing gold points on the floor. where he should move, where the perfect counter would land.

  Ariel’s voice echoed faintly in his mind. “The future shows paths, Rei. But it’s your understanding that chooses which one to take.”

  He breathed out slowly.

  Nikolai swung for his ribs. Rei ducked low, twisting past the blow and countered with a quick kick to the man’s side. The impact echoed through the chamber.

  The crowd gasped.

  Rei didn’t stop. He pressed forward, each step closing the distance, each movement seamlessly flowing into the next. His blade traced clean arcs through the air, parrying, redirecting, and punishing every overextension.

  Nikolai stumbled backward, boots skidding against the polished floor until his back hit the wall.

  Rei stopped, sword poised.

  The silence was broken by the roar of the spectators above.

  Lysander let out a sharp whistle. “That’s my boy!”

  Serena clapped rapidly. “That was so clean! I wish I was streaming this!”

  Even Violet, watching from the corner, gave a faint smile. “He’s refined his stance.”

  Victor nodded beside her. “No wasted motion. That’s training beyond textbook form.”

  Back below, Nikolai’s breathing was heavy. He looked up at Rei, then started to laugh. Quietly at first, then louder.

  “Well,” he said between breaths, “that explains why Carmen and Raphael are keeping an eye on you.”

  He used his sword to push himself upright, brushing dust from his sleeve.

  “I was trying to see how you’d react. But now…” He tilted his head, voice lowering. “Now I get it.”

  Rei blinked, still steady in his stance.

  Nikolai straightened, rolling his shoulder. “Your ability... foresight, right? Seeing the next move before it happens. It’s neat, but…”

  He pointed the wooden sword at Rei, smile sharpening. “It’s not the only one in this room.”

  Rei’s focus tightened, muscles coiling.

  Above, Daisy leaned forward, whispering, “What’s he doing?”

  Nikolai exhaled slowly, running a hand through his silver hair.

  Then, in one smooth motion, he slicked it back.

  The strands fell away from his face, revealing eyes unlike any the crowd had seen before. a swirling prism of color, hues shifting and blending like oil over water. Red, blue, green, gold—all moving in patterns that didn’t quite make sense, as if his gaze itself bent light.

  A faint hum pulsed through the chamber. The air seemed to shimmer.

  “What the—” Carter started, but his voice faded as the glow intensified.

  Nikolai grinned. “My turn.”

  The light around him deepened to a spectrum, refracting across the walls like living glass. Rei could feel it, the shift in pressure, the weight of energy pressing against his senses.

  Something about those eyes wasn’t just for show. They saw differently.

  He tightened his grip, his own golden glow meeting the kaleidoscopic storm across from him.

  The arena lights dimmed, shadows breaking into fragments of color.

  The next move would decide everything.

  And just as Nikolai raised his sword, his prism eyes catching the faintest shimmer of gold reflection from Rei’s blade—

  The scene froze.

  The crowd held its breath.

  The hum of Avionis filled the silence.

  Then the world burst into color.

  [End of Chapter]

  Nikolai slickback design

  Nikolai covered eyes design