Chapter 30: Threads of Victory, Seeds of Malice
The sun dipped low in the sky, casting golden light across the grand arena as the cheers of thousands roared like thunder. Kai stood motionless in the center of the shattered ring, his chest rising and falling slowly. Dust danced around him, lit by flickering glimmers of ki. Opposite him, Lysa lay unconscious, her body cradled gently by tournament healers already rushing to her aid.
The announcer's voice barely rose over the roar: "Victory… Kai of Emberlight!"
A wave of awe washed through the arena. The shockwave from Kai's Reality Severance had left a visible gouge in the arena floor and cracked one of the stone viewing platforms near the judges' table. Even now, faint traces of his ki still lingered in the air like heat rippling from an inferno.
In the stands, Vale stood with arms crossed, her eyes glinting. "He used it," she whispered, almost proud. Beside her, Ren clutched the railing with wide eyes.
"What was that?" he asked. "That wasn't any technique he's shown before."
Vale didn't answer right away. Instead, she whispered to herself, "He's walking the path alone now."
As Kai walked back toward the exit tunnel, the crowd parted like water. Some whispered. Others bowed their heads slightly, unsure whether in fear or respect. He passed through them without a word, silent and calm—but inside, his body still vibrated with the echo of the strike.
Elsewhere, in the Shadowed Pavilion of the Veyron Sect
Auron Veyron's fists clenched tightly, the wood beneath them creaking under the pressure. He sat on one knee before a figure cloaked in black and red silk, seated atop a small dais beneath crimson lanterns.
"That display," Auron hissed. "It was no mere fluke. That technique—he split the world for a breath."
The sect master, Lord Kael Veyron, studied him in silence. His eyes, cold and calculating, flicked toward the faint light spilling through the silk curtain at the chamber's entrance.
"Kai of Emberlight," Kael finally spoke, "has become more than a rising star. He's a threat."
"To me?" Auron asked.
"To us all," Kael answered. "He is a destabilizing force. A wild element. Already the council eyes him with interest, and some with favor. If left alone, he will become untouchable."
Auron's lips parted, but Kael continued, pulling a small onyx case from the folds of his robe. He set it before Auron with deliberate care.
Inside: a single black pill, etched with swirling red veins. It pulsed faintly, like something alive.
Auron paled. "That's—"
"Yes," Kael said. "A forbidden relic. But necessity supersedes tradition. You will consume it."
"You want me to kill him?"
"No. I want you to erase him," Kael said. "Make it look like he vanished in the night. He has no clan, no noble bloodline to avenge him. Do this… and your ascension within the sect is assured."
Auron took the box with trembling hands. His pride warred with fear. But his hatred was louder.
Later That Night – Emberlight Pavilion
The stars shimmered faintly above as Emberlight's disciples celebrated their victory. Paper lanterns floated in the courtyard, laughter and music rising with the night breeze. Kai sat with Vale and Ren beneath a low canopy, a drink in hand, smiling faintly as Ren animatedly retold parts of his own earlier match.
"You should've seen his face when I flipped behind him!" Ren laughed, miming the motion.
Kai chuckled. "You're getting too good at showing off."
"Damn right I am."
Vale raised her glass. "To victories earned, and threats yet to come."
They toasted.
But as the laughter rang on, a shadow slipped from the edge of the crowd.
Kai excused himself quietly and slipped out through one of the garden paths, letting the night wind cool his head. He needed a moment of silence. Of breath.
He reached the edge of the koi garden, where stone lanterns flickered and water trickled quietly down carved stone.
And then—he froze.
A pulse of ki. Wrong. Twisted. Unnatural.
From the darkness, a figure emerged. Auron Veyron.
But not the same Auron. His body rippled with unstable energy, veins glowing faintly red beneath the skin. His eyes, once sharp and proud, were now feral and unfocused.
Kai's gaze narrowed. "What did you do?"
Auron's grin was wide, maddened. "I did what had to be done. You're a threat. I'm the solution."
The black pill's power had surged through him, elevating his rank by 2—but at a cost yet unknown.
Without warning, Auron charged.
The silence shattered.