When the physical strength test came to an end, Awakened Rock immediately began the next stage of evaluation: direct combat training, essential for measuring the overall combat capability of the Dormant.
In the center of the dojo, a wide ring was marked out. There, two Dormants at a time would step in for a supervised duel.
The rules were clear and straightforward: the winner would be the one who managed to make their opponent's back touch the ground — or throw them out of the ring. There were no restrictions on techniques or abilities used. Any method, any strike, any Aspect… everything was allowed, as long as it led to victory.
The first to step in was Nephis.
Calm, impassive, and absolutely lethal.
She walked to the center of the ring with an unsettling serenity, her pale eyes locked onto her opponent — a tall Dormant, heavily muscled and with an aggressive stance.
However, brute strength meant little against Nephis's cold, precise technique.
The match had barely begun, and her opponent was already on the floor.
Nephis took down the giant as if she were dealing with a novice — a perfectly timed sweep, a clean dodge, a precise redirection of the adversary's force. It was as if she could predict every movement before it happened.
And then, one by one, the other Dormants stepped up… and fell.
Nephis defeated almost all volunteers and chosen opponents with the same impassive efficiency, as if merely going through a cold, calculated routine. Not a single strike was wasted, no movement exaggerated. Her precision was nearly inhuman.
Kaelis, watching from the sidelines, felt a subtle tension grow in his chest. Part of him wondered whether he would be next — and whether she would be his opponent.
There was something about Nephis that unsettled him. That almost mechanical calm, the way her eyes remained empty even during a fight… It was as if she wasn't just winning. She was analyzing. Decoding.
And then, the unexpected happened.
Maelis stepped forward into the center of the ring.
Her stride was steady, her expression just as serious as Nephis's. As she positioned herself across from the white-haired opponent, a sudden tension rippled through the dojo. All eyes turned, alert.
Two silent forces now faced each other, as if an ancient battle was about to be resumed.
Their eyes were heavy — not with anger, but with a resolute coldness. There was something in that exchange of gazes that went beyond a simple test of skill. It was as if they had made a silent promise... not to retreat.
Both assumed their combat stances, feet grounded, shoulders relaxed, breathing controlled.
And then — like an arrow being loosed — Nephis attacked.
A low kick aimed at Maelis's thigh. But Maelis dodged swiftly and countered with a straight, precise punch aimed at her opponent's face. Nephis tilted sideways, evading by mere inches. The counterstrike came quickly, but Maelis had already stepped back.
Attack for attack, defense for defense. Swift dodges, feints, rapid counters. The two fought like veterans.
It wasn't just an exchange of blows. It was a tense, elegant dance — a collision of styles, convictions, and silences.
The dojo watched in complete silence. Even Rock observed with heightened focus.
And then, just over a minute in, the inevitable happened.
Maelis made a mistake. Small. Almost imperceptible. A misstep on her supporting foot while trying to block a kick that, in the end, was only a feint.
Nephis spun with fluid grace, slipped to Maelis's flank, locked her in with firm precision and — in one swift motion — threw her flat onto the tatami.
The impact was sharp and final. The match was over.
Brief. Intense. Unforgettable.
Kaelis felt a whirlwind of emotions echoing inside him—and not just his own. The Choir of the Silent whispered the feelings of everyone around him—surprise, admiration, frustration... and respect.
Despite her defeat, Maelis had been the only one to match Nephis. Her stance, her strength, her technique… She had fought on equal footing with the most feared among the Dormants.
Nephis extended a hand to her fallen rival. Maelis hesitated for a moment, then accepted it with grace.
The scene was met with spontaneous applause. Not for the strikes—but for the spirit.
For the mutual respect between two young warriors who had left everything in the ring.
Kaelis felt his chest tighten, deeply moved by what he had just witnessed.
The fight was over, but the impression it left on everyone... was only beginning.
"Impressive... They must have both trained since childhood to fight with such mastery."
The thought echoed through Kaelis's mind as he watched Maelis step down from the ring with steady steps, returning to the line where he and the other Dormants were waiting. His eyes followed her almost unconsciously—not just for the strength she had shown, but for the silent presence she carried. Maelis was an enigma wrapped in grace and discipline.
Kaelis was intrigued. Neither she nor Nephis had used their Aspects during the match, which only deepened his fascination.
'If Nephis's Aspect is powerful enough to earn her a True Name, what could Maelis be hiding?'
He looked away for a moment, lost in thought. However, Maelis turned slightly and noticed him watching her intently. Embarrassed, Kaelis immediately looked away, pretending to be focused on something else entirely.
'Argh! How embarrassing... I hope she didn't notice!'
But, unfortunately for him, she did. Still, she chose to ignore it — an elegant gesture, as if silently stating she was above that kind of awkwardness.
The firm voice of Desperto Rock cut through the silence of the line:
"Caster, step into the ring."
The young Dormant walked forward with confidence, his light steps contrasting with the strength of his presence. Upon entering the ring, he stood before Nephis, the girl who had seemed unbeatable until now.
Caster kept a faint smile and bowed politely.
"Miss Nephis. Please forgive me in advance."
In the next moment, Kaelis's eyes widened.
Caster simply vanished.
It was as if he had dematerialized into thin air. But Kaelis, with his body enhanced by the Spell and Divine Aspect, could see the truth: Caster was still there. He was just moving far too fast to be seen by ordinary eyes. To the others, he was nothing more than a ghostly blur crossing the dojo.
In mere fractions of a second, Caster closed the distance between himself and Nephis. His fist launched with speed and precision, aiming for the girl's chest. But, surprisingly, Nephis reacted—not with haste, but with calculation. She shifted her torso, dodging the direct hit, though it still struck her shoulder and sent her spinning through the air.
Before she even touched the ground, Caster had vanished again.
It was a plan. A double movement designed to deceive. Nephis appeared to believe he was still in front of her, ready to launch another strike. But in reality, he was already behind her, prepared to finish the match with a decisive blow.
However, at the exact moment his fist came down, Nephis suddenly turned and launched her elbow backward with surprising force.
Caster's eyes widened. It had been a trap. A carefully executed feint.
Even so, he managed to dodge—by a hair.
Speed was his salvation, even against cunning.
Taking advantage of the brief opening, Caster pushed Nephis hard, making her lose balance. But before she hit the ground, he grabbed the collar of her uniform and softened the fall, allowing her to land gently on her back.
Lying there, Nephis blinked, processing what had just happened.
The fight had lasted no more than two seconds.
The entire dojo remained silent. The Dormants couldn't even whisper, so great was the shock. The Choir of the Silent murmured in unison.
Here is your text rephrased in English, with the story and quotation style fully preserved:
Kaelis was speechless.
'That was… absurd.'
He glanced discreetly at Desperto Rock.
The towering Awakened wasn't smiling. His jaw was clenched. A low growl slipped from his lips. Kaelis felt it: anger… and something else. Sadness?
Rock looked disappointed. As if, for some personal reason, he had been rooting for Nephis.
Still, with resolve, he raised his hand and pointed at Caster.
The winner.
Nephis rose slowly, serene, and left the ring without hesitation.
Caster didn't seem satisfied either. His gaze fell upon Nephis, and for a moment, an unreadable expression crossed his face.
There was no pride there. No arrogance.
Only silence.
As if, in that brief and brutal exchange, the two had understood something no one else ever would.
He looked at Nephis with an indecipherable expression.
Kaelis, in turn, couldn't help but watch her. His eyes lingered on her for a few moments, as if trying to decipher what lay behind that serene and impenetrable gaze. But the more he stared, the more unsettled he felt.
Those eyes… so cold, calm, and expressionless. But there was something more. Something hidden beneath that icy surface.
As Nephis passed by him, still cloaked in an aura of absolute control, Kaelis felt a chill.
And then, his Defect flared.
Like an invisible blade piercing his chest, a sudden and painful sensation struck him — an intense, vivid, almost tangible hatred. The source? Nephis's soul.
Kaelis staggered slightly, heart racing. He had to bite his lip to keep from crying out. The fury coming from her was like a living flame, a silent combustion burning from within, smothered by the mask of serenity she wore.
Never, until that moment, had he felt something so strong coming from a single person.
'What… is this girl? What did they do to her for there to be so much hatred inside?'
Confused, dazed, Kaelis barely had time to process what he was feeling before Desperto Rock's deep voice echoed through the dojo.
"And for the final match… Kaelis, to the ring."
For a moment, Kaelis hesitated. His legs trembled before taking the first step.
He took a deep breath.
He climbed the four steps of the small wooden staircase and entered the ring. It was a simple space, but charged with tension: flat, square, and with a black circle painted in the center, marking the combat zone. As he crossed the mark, Kaelis felt the weight of responsibility fall upon his shoulders.
On the other side of the circle, Caster was already waiting for him.
The talented and relentless Dormant stood tall, his posture far too relaxed for someone who had just fought Nephis. He wasn't even out of breath. The energy around him seemed to vibrate, like a coiled spring ready to explode.
'I... really have to fight this monster?'
The thought sparked inside Kaelis like a flame. His heart beat faster. This was his first fight against someone with an Aspect. Against someone who had been born and trained for this. And Kaelis... he didn't even fully understand how to use his new body yet.
Fighting normal people? He knew how to do that.
But fighting a Dormant?
They were no longer on the same playing field.
Kaelis might have his own Aspect, but... Caster came from a lineage, from a clan, from years of preparation and refinement. It was like comparing a blade slowly forged in fire to a stone split by lightning.
Caster looked at Kaelis seriously. His gaze, once friendly, now burned with focus.
"Kaelis, I ask that you don't take this fight personally," he said firmly, opening his stance and bowing respectfully.
Kaelis nodded, clenching his jaw.
He assumed his guard: hands raised to chin level, body slightly tilted, center of gravity anchored in his legs. His combat stance was disciplined — a clear inheritance from his years of Muay Thai training.
"You can relax. We're going to have a good fight."
He said it with conviction... But inside, confidence was the last thing he felt.
How could he defeat someone like Caster? How could he move with his new body, with muscles he still didn't fully understand? His wings — one larger than the other — threw off his balance, making every step, every movement, a small challenge.
And amidst the storm of thoughts, Kaelis barely noticed — Caster had already vanished from in front of him.
Instinctively, his body reacted before his mind could process it. His legs released, and he dropped to the ground, kneeling with force.
In the same instant, Caster's fist tore through the air where Kaelis's temple had been a second earlier.
'He's trying to kill me!? He aimed right at the head!' A shiver ran down his spine.
Rising as fast as he could, Kaelis attempted an upward punch to Caster's face... But Caster had already vanished from that spot — now appearing to Kaelis's right, delivering a powerful kick to his shoulder that knocked him back.
A dry, solid kick that launched him several meters away.
Kaelis staggered, his feet dragging along the floor as he struggled to stay upright, eyes already scanning for where Caster might be now. But it was useless.
In the blink of an eye, the Dormant appeared behind him, with near-supernatural speed, and delivered a front kick to his back. The force of the blow was like a sledgehammer, sending Kaelis flying forward like a ragdoll.
The dojo seemed to hold its breath.
The few who could follow the exchange of blows thought it was over.
He would either be thrown out of the ring or fall flat on his back, ending the fight in humiliation.
But then, something unexpected happened.
Still in the air, his body spinning, Kaelis flexed his torso, controlling the rotation like an instinctive acrobat. And at the peak of the fall, his right wing — far more developed than the left — burst open with force, propelling his body upward in an improvised leap.
The landing was clumsy, a slow-motion stumble, but Kaelis managed to stay on his feet.
Without hesitation, he spun around and threw a backfist punch, expecting Caster to appear in front of him again — but the space was empty. His opponent remained where he had struck from.
Kaelis was panting, every muscle trembling with tension. "Why...?" he thought, eyes locked on Caster. "Why didn't he come at me? Why did he hesitate now, when I'm at my most vulnerable?"
And then, looking around, Kaelis understood.
He was less than half a step from the edge of the large circle in the center of the ring.
For someone like Caster — a speedster with inhuman reflexes — running was easy. Natural, even. Like breathing. But stopping?
Stopping required precision, absolute control, and at that point in the ring, a single miscalculation would throw him out.
Kaelis smiled discreetly. Even monsters had limits.
Knowing this, Kaelis rose once more, planting his feet with determination. His body ached, his muscles screamed in protest... but he wouldn't give in.
On the other side of the ring, Caster watched him in silence. A subtle change in his eyes betrayed what he felt — irritation and impatience, the mindset of someone who wanted to end the fight as quickly as possible.
Kaelis knew one way to beat Caster, just as Caster knew the one way Kaelis could defeat him.
Now, what remained... was for Kaelis to set a trap and deceive the powerful Dormant.
Taking a deep breath, Kaelis clenched his fists and steeled his mind for the pain that would come. Then, without hesitation, he dashed toward the Dormant.
Many Dormants held their breath. It was madness to charge at such a fast and skilled opponent… But Kaelis couldn't wait any longer.
Caster was visibly surprised by the initiative and vanished in a blur, disappearing from Kaelis's front only to reappear on his left.
With a direct kick to the chest, he tried to knock him down — but Kaelis reacted instantly, wrapping his body with his right wing, absorbing the impact with an improvised block.
Using the momentum of the defense, he spun and threw a punch at the spot where Caster had appeared… but the Dormant was no longer there.
Only a current of wind remained in his place.
Now behind Kaelis, Caster struck his back — and, imitating Nephis, Kaelis threw his elbow backward with brutal force, trying to intercept him.
It was in vain. Caster was too fast.
Punch after punch. Kick after kick. Kaelis fought like a drowning man, trying to breathe between waves of steel and speed.
He tried to predict where the opponent would appear, attacking in the gaps he imagined… but most of his blows missed, and Caster's counterattacks kept piling up.
His back burned. His abdomen was numb. His legs ached from muscle strain. And still, Kaelis didn't lower his guard — not for a single second.
And on the other side — for the first time — Caster began to show signs of fatigue.
He had crossed the ring dozens of times in under a minute, his breathing was ragged, and sweat ran down the side of his face.
Kaelis's tenacity was starting to wear down his patience.
That's when, at last… the Choir of the Silent spoke through Caster.
The voice that reached Kaelis was laced with resentment and restrained hatred.
"I'll kick the bastard in the back… then appear in front of him to knock him out."
Kaelis's eyes widened.
"He's coming from behind!"
When Caster disappeared once again, Kaelis spun on his axis and launched a back kick with all his strength. The blow missed Caster's abdomen by just a few centimeters, forcing the speedster to recoil instinctively.
But the attack wasn't over yet.
In an instant, Caster appeared right in front of Kaelis's face, and what followed was a storm.
A torrent of punches rained from all directions. Heavy blows struck Kaelis's abdomen, chest, and even his face.
The crowd watched in silence — a high-speed massacre.
But then, at the height of the torrent of blows, the mistake happened.
Caster believed Kaelis wouldn't be able to react.
He underestimated the boy's fighting spirit.
Taking advantage of the moment when Caster kept his body fixed in front of him, Kaelis shifted his back leg in a single motion and delivered a powerful kick to his opponent's thigh.
The impact was dry. Strong. Crippling.
The pain made Caster retreat immediately, interrupting the attack. For a moment, his eyes narrowed in surprise and fury.
Wasting no time, he grabbed the arm Kaelis used to guard his face and, with a sudden motion, delivered a straight punch to his nose.
The blow made Kaelis's world spin. Pain exploded in his mind like thunder.
Then, Caster leapt back quickly, retreating a few meters and catching his breath.
Both had been hurt.Both were gasping.And the fight... still wasn't over.
Caster was panting. His chest rose and fell with heavy breaths, the muscles in his right thigh trembling as he held it, feeling the pain pulse in waves. He had given everything to end the fight right then — and failed.
'Strong... Absurdly strong. If he had landed that with a bit more precision, he could've broken my leg.'
Interrupting his thoughts, Kaelis drew Caster's attention back to him.
"Hey... bastard..."
What the Sleepers saw next sent chills down their spines.
Bent forward, one hand covering his face as blood dripped from his nose onto the white mat. His body looked exhausted, battered, knees slightly trembling. And yet, something unsettling radiated from him — something quiet, restrained, on the verge of exploding...
But it wasn't the blood that shocked and scared the Sleepers — it was his expression.
A calm, almost gentle smile formed on his bruised face. A strange, out-of-place smile, contrasting with the eyes burning with contained fury, with vivid resentment.
"For someone who said it was 'nothing personal'... you're hitting pretty hard, don't you think?"
Caster's gaze narrowed, growing colder. There was something lethal now in his posture — like a blade about to be unsheathed.
He took a step forward, but his leg gave out for a moment. He limped. The injury caused by Kaelis was finally taking its toll.
Outside the ring, Awakened Rock watched in silence, analyzing every detail with almost clinical attention.
'It was just a kick… and still caused this much damage. And the other one… he's been beaten from start to finish, yet he's still standing, still wants to fight.'
Caster, now limited, and Kaelis, still recovering from the previous impact, were trapped in a dangerous dance. Both knew they couldn't go on much longer.
Victory would depend on strategy.
Caster needed to think fast. His opponent wasn't just resilient — he was disciplined, adaptable, and, most dangerous of all… unpredictable. Kaelis had taken far too many blows for someone without formal training, and yet he was still there, steady.
Kaelis, on the other hand, already had a plan.
He took two steps back. His heels were just a few centimeters from the edge of the painted circle that marked the combat area. The crowd murmured, surprised by the boldness — or insanity — of the move.
But Kaelis knew what he was doing.
According to the rules set by Rock, there were only two ways to win a fight: force your opponent to fall on their back… or push them out of the ring.
And Kaelis intended to use that.
He slid his left foot slightly back, keeping the right one forward, aligned with his shoulders. His knees were bent, body slightly leaning forward. The center of gravity, now lower, made any attempt to knock him down much harder. His wings folded behind him — the smaller acting as a counterweight, the larger as a stabilizer.
His fists were raised, but not in a boxing guard. His fingers were half-open, hands positioned at face level, ready to grab, pull, lock. It was a stance designed to survive in the midst of chaos — not meant to display power, but to subdue, control, endure.
He took a deep breath, eyes fixed on the enemy ahead. The pain still throbbed through his body, but now it was part of the stance. Part of the plan.
This was the stance of someone who no longer intended to run.
Kaelis didn't need to be faster than Caster.
He just needed him to take a wrong step.
And that step… he knew it was coming.
Here and now… The next move would decide the winner and the loser.
The Sleepers held their breath, eyes wide, fists clenched against their own bodies. The anxiety was so palpable that the air in the dojo felt heavier.
No one dared to move. No whisper, no sound. The absolute silence was sharp.
Even Awakened Rock, always stern and unshakable, watched with intense focus — arms crossed, his expression filled with anticipation, as if expecting to witness something he hadn't seen in years.
Kaelis subtly dragged his front foot forward, shifting his center of gravity even more. It was a slight adjustment… but revealing. The tension in his muscles said it all: he was ready for the impact.
On the other side, Caster leaned his torso forward, mirroring the movement with precision. He dragged his foot, preparing for the lunge. The air around him seemed to distort for a moment — a sign that his Aspect was about to activate.
And then, like a silent thunder…
In the blink of an eye, Caster vanished.
The end of the fight had begun.
But at the very moment Caster vanished from sight, Kaelis moved. Shifting to the right with almost instinctive precision, he anticipated his opponent's trajectory — as if he had already read the steps before they were even taken.
Caster noticed, but wasn't shaken. It was still part of his plan. Using his supernatural speed, he vanished again, reappearing right behind Kaelis, ready to end the fight with a single strike.
However...
The instant Caster reappeared, Kaelis's left arm swung back with ferocity. His open hand grabbed the collar of Caster's dobok, pulling it with sudden, brute force.
The Sleeper shuddered — not just in surprise, but from pure instinct. For the first time in the fight… he felt fear.
'How did he predict that too!?'
Before he could escape, Kaelis locked him in a tight hold, trapping his torso and arm like an iron shackle. Caster's breath caught for a moment. The grip was suffocating, crushing — like he was being torn from his own body.
Desperate, he threw his weight back and drove a violent knee into Kaelis's ribs. The dry sound of impact echoed… but the young man didn't yield.
Kaelis let out a low grunt. Pain exploded through his abdomen, but he ignored it with brutal determination. His feet rooted themselves into the ground with supernatural strength. A muted roar escaped his throat as his wings partially opened — the smaller one stabilizing his stance, the larger acting as a counterweight.
Caster tried to break free. Tried to use his speed. But it was too late.
Kaelis bent his knees.
Twisted his hips.
And then launched upward in a single, perfect motion.
Caster's body was ripped from the ground — the world spun. The two ascended in a brutal arc, bodies intertwined like iron in a storm. For one eternal moment, they floated, suspended in the air, as if even gravity waited to witness the outcome.
A suplex.
Pure.
Instinctive.
Relentless.
The fall came like the end of thunder. Kaelis rotated in the air, guiding the motion with the momentum of his right wing. His body turned over Caster's, directing the strike's trajectory toward the edge of the ring — and beyond.
The silence inside the dojo was absolute. Every spectator had become a statue.
Then, the impact.
Both fell outside the combat area.
But Kaelis landed on top, crushing Caster against the dojo floor, beyond the marked boundary.
The sound of the impact was a deep boom, echoing like thunder against the dojo walls. The echoes reverberated across the tatami. The ground trembled. And the world seemed to breathe again — gasping.
The echoes of the fall still vibrated in the bones of those watching.
And in that moment, it became clear to everyone...
The fight was over.
Silence.
For one eternal second, no one dared to move.
Then, little by little, came the whispers — low voices full of astonishment and disbelief. Some murmured in awe, others with quiet respect. And there were those whose eyes revealed a hint of fear.
Kaelis rose slowly. His entire body ached, every muscle throbbed, but he stood firm. His eyes were downcast, his breathing uneven. Blood still dripped from his nose, staining the white dobok, streaking the fabric with red — but he didn't care.
On the other side, Caster remained lying down, eyes fixed on the ceiling. He was gasping, paralyzed — not by pain, nor by exhaustion. But by the awareness of defeat. A defeat he hadn't foreseen. A strength he hadn't expected.
"You..." — he murmured, voice hoarse — "you really got me."
Kaelis wiped part of the blood from his face with a bloodied hand before turning away. His wings trembled slightly behind his back, responding to the tension still vibrating in his body.
His gaze met that of Awakened Rock.
The instructor watched him with arms crossed, expression grave and eyes sharp as blades.
"It's not technique yet, that's instinct. Rooted. True strength. This... can be forged in all of you." — declared Rock, his firm voice cutting through the silence like a command.
Kaelis nodded silently. There was nothing to say. His words were carved into the bruises. In the aching bones. In the blood.
But inside him, something pulsed differently.
He had fought against a true Sleeper.
And won.
--------------------------------------------------
After the final match, the introductory class came to an end.
Most of the Sleepers were leaving the dojo limping, aching from their crushing defeats against Nephis — while Kaelis and Caster bore on their bodies the marks of an intense and memorable duel.
They all headed to the locker room. After a quick shower to wash away the sweat and dried blood from his nose, Kaelis stayed behind longer than the others, focused on a process that was becoming more and more part of his new routine: drying his wings.
It was a tedious task. The larger feathers of the right wing required care and patience, while the left one — shorter and imperfect — created an uncomfortable sense of imbalance whenever he moved his shoulders too quickly.
Finally, after drying off completely, Kaelis got dressed inside one of the closed stalls and stepped out.
As soon as he did, he immediately heard the excited voices of the other Sleepers. A lively group had gathered around Caster in the hallway, as if he were a celebrity.
"Caster, your fight was incredible!"
"That combo against Nephis was insane!"
"Even without a True Name, you beat her… and almost beat Kaelis too!"
The compliments flowed like a waterfall. Caster wore a modest smile, but it was clear how much he enjoyed the attention.
To his slight dismay — or perhaps surprise — he wasn't the only one receiving attention.
As soon as Kaelis appeared, the hallway fell silent for a brief moment before all eyes turned toward him.
"Kaelis! That throw was insane! How did you even do that?"
"Seriously, that suplex… I've never seen anything like it!"
"You held Caster! Caster!"
Caught off guard, Kaelis paused for a moment, looking around, unsure of how to react.
But then, something changed within him.
He felt their euphoria. The excitement. The genuine admiration in their smiles and wide eyes. And more than that… he felt it in himself.
The Defect lit up like a quiet flame, fed by the emotions around him.
A wide, involuntary smile spread across his face. His heartbeat quickened. Dopamine surged through his bloodstream like a warm, gentle storm. His expression overflowed with enthusiasm.
He found himself talking, laughing, answering questions as if he were on stage.
But deep down… he knew.
He was trying, unsuccessfully, to control his emotions. But he was exhausted — and that made the Defect harder to contain. The barrier between what he felt and what he absorbed was as thin as wet paper.
'Ugh… damn Flaw. I must be grinning just as wildly as these Sleepers…'
While his classmates bombarded him with questions about how he had managed to defeat Caster, Kaelis answered with simplicity and a contained smile. He said it had been "pure luck... and a bit of combat knowledge he'd picked up at a gym he used to go to".
They could never know the truth — that his Defect had whispered Caster's cruel and impatient thoughts straight into his mind. That he had heard his opponent's plan seconds before the execution.
It was easy to lie. Natural. Maybe even too easy.
But then, cutting through the group's excitement, a Sleeper with a snobbish posture and a mocking smile approached. Arms crossed, chin raised, and a gaze full of disdain.
"Sure, let's give all the glory to the Little Angel because he deserves it..." he said, sarcasm dripping from every word. "But let's be honest, the most impressive thing here was Caster beating Nephis."
He had voluminous, disheveled hair falling carelessly over his forehead. His body seemed thin, with no notable muscle — but there was something in his eyes, something arrogant and calculating. A kind of confidence that didn't come from physique... but from power.
"But what do you mean, Stephen?" asked one of the nearby Sleepers.
Stephen smiled with false modesty.
"I'm not taking anything away from Kaelis, of course not. I just think Caster beating Nephis, someone with a True Name, is something far more extraordinary."
He gave a dry laugh, then continued with disdain:
"True Name? Who needs that? Unlike Kaelis, Nephis is just an aspiring."
The words hung in the air like a blade. For a moment, there was silence. And then, Caster's gaze narrowed.
A cold chill passed through the more attentive Sleepers. His eyes were dark, his expression hardened like stone. The kind of anger that doesn't come with shouting — but with silence.
Stephen frowned, confused by the reaction.
"Something wrong?"
Caster clenched his teeth, jaw pulsing.
"I'd expect that kind of comment from anyone... but from you, Stephen? You, who are also a Legacy?"
Stephen raised an eyebrow.
"And why? Is there something special about that little peasant girl?"
The moment the word "peasant" left his mouth, Kaelis felt it. The Defect burned inside him, catching Caster's fury with an almost suffocating intensity. A wave of hatred—alive, vibrant... and dangerously silent.
"Peasant...?" Caster repeated, his voice low and deep. "You really don't know who she is?"
Kaelis narrowed his eyes. From the first moment he had seen Nephis, he had felt something different about her. A weight none of the others carried. She was distant, quiet... but there was power hidden behind the calm.
'So she really isn't just a common Sleeper… But who is she?'
Caster hesitated. He opened his mouth, closed it again. His gaze wandered for a second, as if debating whether or not to speak. At last, he took a deep breath and said, firmly:
"She is Nephis… of the Immortal Flame Clan."
The silence was immediate and absolute.
It was as if the entire dojo had frozen.
Stephen turned pale, his eyes wide. Kaelis felt the air leave his lungs and, in an involuntary whisper, murmured:
"She's... the daughter of Broken Sword?"
Caster nodded slowly.
"Not only that. Her mother is the Smile of Heaven. And her grandfather… is the Immortal Flame."
This time, no one said anything.
Her name already carried weight. But now... it was the weight of a legendary dynasty.
In the few years Kaelis had access to the academy—before his siblings were born and life became more difficult—he vividly remembered the lessons about the Immortal Flame Clan.
Nephis's grandfather had been a landmark in history—the first human to conquer the Second Nightmare, paving the way for an entire new generation of heroes. Her father... was an even greater legend: the first to conquer the Third Nightmare and earn the title of Saint.
They, along with their companions, were among the greatest names of the human race. Icons. Pillars of bygone eras. Their deeds were studied, admired, retold like myths in schoolbooks—and yet, they had been real. People whose decisions had shaped the world.
Now, upon hearing Caster's words, everything made sense. Nephis's presence, her unshakable composure, the silent respect... even the way Caster called her "miss."
She was part of awakened royalty.
The revelation echoed through the room with the weight of a muffled thunderclap. And, as if giving voice to what everyone was thinking, Stephen asked in a low, hesitant tone:
"Then… why is she... so abandoned like this?"
The answer came dry. Painful. A sentence.
"Because they're all dead. The Immortal Flame Clan is gone."
The atmosphere in the locker room grew dense, almost oppressive. As if the air had been replaced by mourning. No one dared to speak, not even to breathe too loudly. Even the most arrogant felt small in the face of the tragedy revealed.
Caster lowered his eyes, the shadow of the past heavy on his face.
He let out a long sigh before finishing:
"Nephis is... the last of the Immortal Flame Clan."
And in that moment, Kaelis felt something unexpected grow inside him — it wasn't admiration, nor respect. It was pity. A silent sorrow that slid down his chest and burned like hot ash.
The white-haired girl, so cold and calculating, so firm and untouchable... was, in the end, just a lone survivor.
The last heir of a fallen empire.
--------------------------------------------------
Late at night, just before sleep, Kaelis was alone in his dormitory.
Sitting on the edge of his soft bed, feet touching the cold floor, he was getting ready to finally rest.
The mental exhaustion weighed on his shoulders like lead. He had just finished the research assignments Professor Julius had given him — all focused on the complex and enigmatic runic language of the Spell. Pages upon pages of dense reading, demanding exercises, symbolic translations and interpretations. A true test of patience and focus.
Now, the clock showed just past one in the morning, and Kaelis already felt disheartened just thinking about having to wake up early once again.
"It's going to be exhausting to handle Julius's classes while still keeping up with combat training..." — he murmured to himself, stifling a yawn.
"But it's fine. No use complaining. I just have to do my best... and stay alive, right?"
After saying that, he looked at his right hand — more specifically, at the ruby embedded in the hilt of the bastard sword he was holding. The stone looked alive in the dim dorm light and pulsed with a crimson glow.
Three quick flashes.
Kaelis smirked. In the silent language he had developed with the demon inside the sword, that signal meant only one thing: he was complaining too much.
'You think I talk too much, huh?' — he thought, not hiding the weariness in his eyes.
Setting that aside for a moment, Kaelis leaned back a little more on the bed... but didn't lie down.
There was still something important he needed to do before sleeping. Something essential.
Because in the Realm of Dreams, ignorance could be fatal.
And he knew — with a certainty that pressed against his chest like a bad omen — that he would never survive in there if he didn't understand how it worked.
Now was the time.
Kaelis needed to understand how his Aspect ability worked.
And though he knew this, he was anxious. Uncertainty consumed him. A heavy, oppressive fear nested in his chest — not fear of the unknown, but of himself.
The memories were still vivid... all the destruction he caused when he became an Angel in the Inverted Cathedral, and all the chaos he unleashed in the floating city, killing all its inhabitants — Kaelis trembled with fear.
But he knew it had to be done, for the sake of his own survival.
The room was dark, submerged in an almost absolute silence. Only Kaelis's restrained breathing filled the space—irregular, hesitant, as if something ancient within him was whispering for him to stop, to not take the next step.
But he didn't stop.
Kaelis removed the shirt he was wearing. His skin still carried marks… not physical ones, but memories. Nightmares. Blood and light intertwined as remembrance within his soul.
He closed his eyes.
He felt the pulse of his Aspect ability resonating in the depths of his soul—a golden heat that burned, but did not scorch. A heat that carried weight… and mourning. And as he touched it, something came loose.
It was then that the world breathed differently.
The air grew denser, heavier, as if time itself had slowed. A golden glow, almost sickly, began to spread from his collarbone — running across his skin like living roots, like branches of judgment. The runes appeared one by one, slowly tracing themselves around his neck, down his arms, and across his chest like incandescent tattoos made of sacred pain.
Kaelis's breathing grew uneven.
'It's starting...'
Kaelis's breath caught.
For a moment, his body bent as if about to collapse — but it didn't fall. Something beyond the physical held him up, something invisible and inescapable.
A sudden pain pierced his mind like a blade of light. But it wasn't just physical pain — it was deep, silent, and cut through the layers of his being. His soul was changing. Not just touched, but redrawn, torn apart, and reshaped all at once.
Memories came like storms.
Screams. Distant bells. The insane clamor of the sacred city. The crowd kneeling, begging for salvation. Blind, irreversible faith. And then… the betrayal. The moment he raised the sword and judged — not with hatred, but with the bitter justice of someone too broken to hesitate. The moment he fell.
A hoarse cry escaped through his clenched teeth, muffled and primal, like the growl of something ancient forced to awaken.
His soul burned. His skin began to crack.
It was as if Kaelis's body were turning into glass under pressure, fractures spreading in patterns both beautiful and painful, threatening to shatter at any moment. Golden runes emerged between the fissures, tracing his body like the inscriptions of a sacred sentence. And from within them… thick black smoke exhaled, as dense as living shadow — as if light itself were bleeding a curse.
His wings trembled.
The right one opened with a shiver, feathers growing in volume and grandeur. Every fiber seemed reinforced by a living sculpture of light — but not pure light. It vibrated, fragmented, with dark tones flickering between the cracks of its golden glow. It was beauty and decay fused into a single image.
The left one did not grow. It didn't need to... Yet it shone with a restrained and fierce glow, like a repressed desire becoming flame. Like a dream that was never allowed to bloom. Its silent fury was a reminder of everything that had been denied.
His eyes burned.
When he opened them, Kaelis gasped.
He saw… souls.
Paths of light and shadow wove around everything. And when he looked at himself, the shock nearly brought him to his knees. His blood flowed through veins like strands of living gold, spiraling with a sacred glow. But that gold was mixed with something else — a warm shadow, pulsing, almost sentient.
A guardian?
A parasite?
There was no clear answer.
Whatever it was, it was not simple.
His soul wasn't just evolving.
It was being revealed.
He saw the souls of everyone in the dormitories, on every floor, in every room.
Arcane runes shimmered in his irises, sacred symbols corrupted by the cracks in his soul. His skin had become paler, almost luminous. Golden blood flowed through small veins in his arms, releasing a dark mist, alive — as if it breathed on its own... as if it felt.
Looking around, he seemed to glance at the corners of his dorm room...
But he saw beyond the physical.
Reality, once veiled in matter, shadow, and light, opened like a book of invisible pages. His breath stopped. His heart slowed. Each beat echoed like a hammer striking stone.
And then, he saw.
Not walls, beds, or furniture. But souls.
Shimmering and fragile, pulsing in the dark like forgotten stars. Each one danced to the rhythm of its own melody. Some peaceful. Others restless. Some so faint they seemed on the verge of vanishing.
There was light. Hundreds of points pulsing in different tones — not of color, but of essence. Souls. People. Existences condensed into living cores, each like a candle lit in the vast dark of night.
Below, on the lower floors, he felt the restless stirring of a boy in a fevered dream. On the floor above, someone murmured names while crying in silence — tears their mouth would never confess.
Cassia. In her bed. Her fragile body curled into itself, arms wrapped around her legs. Her soul did not cry out loud… it pleaded for mercy.
Kaelis felt it all.
Not with his ears.Not with his eyes.
But with his soul.
As if the souls were notes of a hidden song, and his body had become an instrument capable of hearing it.
Each life — each pain, each silence — echoed within him.
Kaelis... no longer felt human. He was something beyond that.
A sensation similar — though far weaker — than when he had become an angel and destroyed the Inverted Cathedral.
He understood, felt, and perceived.
Kaelis watched everything in silence. He didn't know how he was doing it — only that he could.
A superhuman calm and clarity within his soul.
And by observing… and understanding the souls…
Kaelis knew that something wasn't right.
Still seated, he slowly lifted his gaze toward the darkest corner of his dormitory — a space where light seemed to refuse entry, as if reality itself rejected it.
There, at the edge of his new perception — where his soul brushed against something that should not exist — something was there.
A shadow.
Something without a body.
Without pulse.
But it was watching him.
It was a presence that did not belong.
It did not breathe. It did not move. It made no sound. And yet, it was alive. Silently present, like a forgotten memory or an echo out of place.
Kaelis could feel it.
And worse… he could see it.
With a disturbing calm, he stood up. Not out of fear.
But because of something much deeper.
Understanding.
The shadow didn't flee.
It simply remained there, unmoving, without face or defined form, as if it were a torn piece of reality itself. It had no eyes, no mouth — and yet, he felt its gaze.
Cold. Empty. Calculated.
It was the gaze of a predator.
The kind of attention that watches in silence. That measures. That waits for the right moment.
But now… now it had been seen.
And for the first time, the shadow felt something.
Fear.
Kaelis stared at it with the same coldness with which he had judged the faithful of the sacred city. There was no anger in his eyes, only the certainty that he knew what it was.
Or worse… that it should not exist.
The runes gleamed in his irises like divine blades, radiating judgment.
And when he spoke, his voice came out low, calm — but carried the weight of ancient, absolute power, as though he had always known the intruder from the very beginning.
"You..."
"What are you doing here?"
"You're not supposed to be here."
The shadow did not answer.
But it recoiled in silent alarm.
Like an animal caught in the act, it shrank back abruptly, sliding through the darkness of the dormitory with unnatural haste — slipping beneath the door in a movement subtle, fluid, and wrong, like smoke fleeing from the light.
It was fleeing.
Fleeing like a specter returning to its master.
To the common eye, it would have been invisible. Undetectable. Just an absence.
But to Kaelis… it was like witnessing a silent scream tearing through the night.
He didn't know what it was — whether it had a name, a form, an origin. He only knew that it wasn't there of its own will.
It had been sent.
Commanded.
Watching him had been only a part of something greater. And now… it was going back to report.
Kaelis stepped forward, his gaze locked on the gap beneath the door as if he could pierce through it with sheer will. A quiet urge filled his chest: to pursue. To discover. To purge.
To cast out what had dared to touch his soul.
But then…
His body shuddered.
A dry tremor, like a tree struck by lightning. His muscles gave out. His mind wavered. And, like glass splintering under pressure, his ability… broke.
Fractured Seraph deactivated.
Not violently. But with a lament.
A silent collapse.
Kaelis fell backward onto the floor, the dull impact cushioned by the thin mattress he hadn't reached in time. His chest heaved, and he felt the runes on his skin extinguishing one by one — like candles smothered by wind.
The golden light faded.
The dark mist dissipated.
And with it… his angelic form withdrew, leaving behind only silence.
And the emptiness of one who had touched something that perhaps should never have been awakened.
Even as his gaze pierced through the walls, Kaelis wasn't looking for the souls glowing around him — those slumbering presences, fragile and flickering like tiny human constellations.
No.
He felt them, yes… but they were not what drew the fire of his attention.
His eyes followed the trail of what had escaped. The shadow.
It slipped away like a dark whisper through the cracks of the world, fleeing to reunite with the one who had sent it.
And it was then that Kaelis felt it.A deep shiver in his soul, as if the very core of his being had bent, tensed… rejected.
That shadow… wasn't just foreign.
It was antagonistic.
As if the world had been split into poles — light and dark, flame and void — and that entity was the absolute denial of everything that lived within Kaelis.
A spiritual repulsion, a visceral echo of aversion that his soul could not ignore.
'This feeling…'
He had felt it before.
Only once.
At that time, Master Jet had taken him to meet a boy who, like Kaelis, had also been marked by the Spell. A Sleeper destined to walk the Realm of Dreams.
A short-statured boy, pale-skinned, with hair as black as his eyes. A living void disguised as flesh.
It was in that moment, upon facing him, that Kaelis had felt his soul tremble. And now, without a shred of doubt, he knew the truth.
"Sun…less…" — he murmured, voice thick with exhaustion, before his eyes rolled back and the world slipped away.
His body collapsed to the floor.
Mind, body, and soul had crossed the limit. Consciousness left him in silence.
And in that instant…
The balance shifted.
The fractured angel — the Broken Vow — and the creature of darkness — Lost from Light — had finally come to understand the existence of one another.
Not through words.
Not through gestures.
But through pure instinct.
And in that brief, silent encounter, their souls screamed at each other.
Not in greeting... but in absolute denial.
Because what is born of light cannot accept the darkness...
And what was forged in shadow will never allow itself to be illuminated.