CHAPTER 36: THE SILENCE BEFORE

The arena erupted into absolute chaos.

"Did she just—"

"PETRA BLACKTHORNE JUST CHALLENGED KAEL ASHFORD!"

"The Ashford kid? Are you serious?!"

"What the hell is happening today?!"

Students were on their feet, shouting over each other in complete disbelief. The systematic destruction of Gareth Thorne had already sent shockwaves through the Academy hierarchy, but Petra’s sudden challenge to an seemingly random noble had turned confusion into pandemonium.

"This is insane!" a girl screamed above the noise. "First some nobody mining duke’s son challenges the S-ranked monster, and now she’s going after Ashford?"

"Wait, wait, wait," another student called out, frantically waving his hands. "Kael Ashford... that’s the fire awakening, right? The SS-ranked one from the ceremony?"

"SS-ranked fire manipulation," someone confirmed. "But he’s what, Novice rank? Just awakened a few weeks ago!"

"Exactly! So why is Blackthorne targeting him?"

The crowd pressed forward against the barrier, trying to get a better look at both Petra, who stood calmly in the center of the arena with that angelic smile, and Alex, who remained perfectly still in his seat high in the stands.

"She just obliterated Thorne without even trying," a House Noble student said, his voice shaking. "she made him look like a child playing with toys!"

"Did you see that final attack? She cut through three feet of stone with compressed air!"

"And Thorne never even got to use his second ability. She ended it before he could deploy whatever trump card he was hiding."

"That wasn’t even a fight. That was a demonstration. She was showing off."

Around the arena, students were trying to process what they’d witnessed. Gareth Thorne being helped off the arena floor by Academy healers, blood still flowing from the deep gash across his cheek. The trenches carved through solid stone by invisible blades of compressed air. The casual way Petra had dismantled every defense, every strategy, every desperate gambit.

"She fought the entire duel with just swordsmanship," someone whispered in awe. "The air manipulation was just the finishing move. Everything before that was pure skill."

"Pure skill that made an Adept-level earth manipulator look like a first-year student."

"And now she wants to fight the Ashford boy? Why?"

"Has to be the SS-ranked fire ability. That’s the only thing that makes sense."

"But he’s untrained! The Ashfords might be a top family, but Kael’s the youngest son. He wasn’t even getting proper attention until he awakened with that ridiculous fire rank."

"Maybe that’s exactly why she’s interested. SS-ranked fire manipulation is legendary. Even untrained, that kind of raw power..."

"Plus the kidnapping incident," another voice added quietly. "Surviving professional spatial manipulators isn’t something you do with just raw power. There has to be more to him."

"What kidnapping incident?"

"Keep up! Before the Academy, Ashford was taken during a royal convoy attack. Spatial gates, professional extraction team, the works. But somehow he and the Millbrook girl both made it out."

"That’s... that’s not normal. Spatial kidnappers are A-rank minimum. They don’t just let their targets escape."

"Exactly. So either he had help we don’t know about, or Kael Ashford is hiding capabilities that kept him alive in a situation most awakened wouldn’t survive."

In the noble section of the stands, the conversation had taken on a different tone entirely.

"The Ashford family will be furious," a girl with the crimson trim of House Noble whispered urgently. "Challenging their heir to a public duel? That’s a direct insult to their status."

"Their youngest heir," another corrected. "Kael was practically ignored until the awakening ceremony. His brothers got all the training, all the attention, all the resources."

"Which makes this even stranger. Why challenge someone who’s effectively untrained?"

"Maybe she knows something we don’t. The Ashfords are secretive about their training methods. What if the kidnapping incident revealed abilities he’s been hiding?"

"Or maybe surviving something like that changes a person. Gives them experience the rest of us don’t have."

"Or maybe she’s just bored. We all know how she gets when things become too predictable."

"Bored enough to potentially start a family feud? This could have political consequences far beyond the Academy."

"Look at her," someone hissed, pointing down at Petra. "Does she look worried about political consequences?"

Indeed, Petra stood in the center of the arena like she was posing for a portrait. Her katana was sheathed, her uniform immaculate despite the battle, her angelic smile radiant under the magical lighting. She looked like she was enjoying every second of the chaos she’d created.

"She’s not even looking at Ashford anymore," a student observed. "She made her challenge and now she’s just... waiting."

"Waiting for what?"

"For him to respond, obviously. You can’t ignore a formal challenge from an S-ranked awakened. Especially not in front of the entire Academy."

All eyes turned toward Alex’s position in the stands. He sat perfectly still, his pale eyes fixed on Petra with an expression that revealed absolutely nothing. Students craned their necks trying to read his reaction, but his face might as well have been carved from stone.

"Is he even going to answer?"

"He has to. Refusing a formal challenge? That’s social suicide."

"But accepting it might be actual suicide. Did you see what she did to Thorne?"

"At least Thorne had combat training and dual abilities. Ashford’s got raw power but zero experience."

"SS-ranked raw power. That has to count for something."

"Against technique like that? Against compressed air blades that can cut through stone? I don’t think so."

Professor Leo stood at the edge of the arena, clearly struggling with the unprecedented situation. Two formal challenges in one day, both involving the Academy’s most dangerous student. His weathered face showed the strain of trying to maintain order while protocol demanded he allow the challenges to proceed.

"Students, please return to your seats," he called out, but his voice was nearly drowned by the continuing uproar.

"Return to our seats?" someone shouted back. "Are you kidding? This is the most excitement the Academy’s seen in years!"

"First Thorne comes out of nowhere with dual abilities!"

"Then Blackthorne demolishes him without breaking a sweat!"

"And now she wants to fight the SS-ranked fire awakener!"

"This is history in the making!"

In the betting section, pure chaos reigned as students frantically tried to adjust odds and place new wagers.

"What are the odds on Ashford?"

"There are no odds! Nobody saw this coming!"

"Has to be at least a hundred to one against him. Blackthorne just proved she’s untouchable!"

"But SS-ranked fire manipulation... that’s got to be worth something!"

"Worth what? Being incinerated slightly faster?"

"You’re all missing the point," a sharp-voiced girl from House Academic interrupted. "Why is she challenging him at all? Blackthorne doesn’t do anything without a reason."

"What do you mean?"

"Think about it. She could challenge anyone in the Academy and win easily. She just proved that. So why pick the youngest Ashford son? What makes him interesting to someone at her level?"

The question rippled through the crowd, creating pockets of intense speculation.

"Maybe she knows something about his training we don’t."

"Or maybe the SS-ranked awakening wasn’t the whole story."

"What if he’s been hiding abilities? Like Thorne was?"

"The Ashford family is traditional fire manipulation. They don’t do hidden abilities."

"But the kidnapping incident..." someone whispered. "You don’t survive spatial manipulators and professional extraction teams without something more than basic fire abilities."

"Wait, what kidnapping?"

"You didn’t hear? Before arriving at the Academy, Kael Ashford and that time manipulation girl were both taken by spatial kidnappers. Professional operation, A-rank abilities minimum."

"And they survived?"

"Not just survived. Escaped. Or were rescued. Either way, that kind of experience..."

"Changes everything," someone finished grimly. "Maybe Petra heard about the incident. Maybe she wants to test someone who’s already proven they can handle real danger."

"Or," a cynical voice added, "maybe she just wants to humiliate another overconfident noble in front of the entire Academy."

"Overconfident? Ashford’s barely said a word since he arrived!"

"Exactly. Maybe that quiet confidence is what caught her attention."

High in the stands, Alex remained motionless while chaos swirled around him. Students were openly staring now, waiting for any sign of how he would respond to Petra’s challenge. Some were taking bets on whether he would even acknowledge her.

"He’s got to respond soon," someone muttered. "The silence is getting awkward."

"Maybe he’s calculating his chances. Noble families are good at risk assessment."

"What chances? She just carved trenches through solid stone with air pressure!"

"SS-ranked fire manipulation, though. If anyone could match that kind of power..."

"Power versus technique. We just saw how that ended with Thorne."

"Thorne was earth manipulation. Fire is different. More destructive, harder to defend against."

"Also harder to control. One mistake and he could kill her by accident."

"Or himself. SS-ranked abilities are dangerous even to their users."

The debate raged on while Professor Leo continued his attempts to restore order. Academy staff were moving through the stands, trying to get students to return to their seats, but nobody wanted to miss whatever happened next.

"This is going to be legendary," a student whispered, his eyes bright with anticipation. "Whatever happens, people will be talking about this day for years."

"If there’s anything left to talk about when it’s over."

Down in the arena, Petra finally moved. She took a single step toward the stands, her winter-blue eyes still locked on Alex’s position. Her angelic smile widened slightly, and when she spoke, her voice carried clearly across the sudden hush.

"The challenge stands, Kael Ashford. I’ll be waiting for your answer."

The words hung in the air like a blade suspended over the crowd’s collective throat. Students held their breath, waiting for Alex’s response, for some sign of how this unprecedented situation would resolve.

Then every person in the arena felt it.

A chill that had nothing to do with temperature crawled up their spines. Hair stood on end across eight hundred students and faculty alike. Petra’s confident smile faltered for the first time since entering the arena. Professor Leo’s hand instinctively moved to the weapon at his side.

Even Alex felt it—a primal wrongness that made his enhanced instincts scream warnings he couldn’t identify. Something fundamental had shifted in the air around them, like the moment before lightning strikes when the very atmosphere holds its breath.

"What—" someone started to whisper, but the words died in their throat.

The sensation built, pressing down on everyone present with the weight of something vast and hungry awakening. Students looked around wildly, trying to identify the source of their sudden terror, but found only each other’s wide, frightened eyes.

Whatever was coming, it was already too late to run.****