The rain had stopped, but the air inside the academy still felt heavy, like a storm waiting to return.Days had passed since the raid, yet the tension hadn’t faded. Students whispered about “the Retaliant,” half in awe, half in fear. The once-busy courtyards now grew quiet whenever Oliver appeared. He had become both a legend and warning.Billy noticed it too. “They look at you like you’re a ghost,” he muttered as they crossed the courtyard.“Maybe that’s what I am,” Oliver said softly.Billy gave a crooked grin. “Then you’re the first ghost who can punch holes through steel.”But behind his humor, Oliver saw the truth, fear lingered in both of them. They were waiting for the next move. Because Sikes Wilbert never stayed silent for long.That move came two days later. A message appeared on Oliver’s desk during morning class. A thin envelope, no signature. Only his name, written in perfect handwriting. He hesitated before opening it.Inside was a small black card. A symbol was engrav

The morning sky glowed pale gold, soft light filtering through the academy courtyard. The air felt calm, almost too calm, the kind that comes before a storm.Students gathered for morning drills, forming neat lines on the practice field. Their chatter filled the air until the instructor’s whistle cut through the noise.“Focus up! Defensive forms, positions!”Oliver stood in the front row, shoulders squared. Sweat already traced his neck, though the air was cool. He exhaled slowly, trying to quiet the hum under his skin, that pulse of energy that hadn’t stopped since the night in the tunnels.Billy nudged him from behind. “You good, man? You look like you’re about to melt the floor.”“I’m fine,” Oliver muttered.He wasn’t. The System had been whispering since dawn, quiet, rhythmic, like breathing that wasn’t his own.[Energy reserves: 132% of stable output.][Recommendation: Discharge.]He tried to ignore it. The class began their formation drills. The sound of synchronized steps echo

The night after the rooftop fight, the academy refused to sleep. Rumors spread like fire through the dorm corridors. Every whisper carried a new version of the same story, Oliver Vale, the unstable student, the Retaliant, the one who fought the Iron Banner and lived.By morning, the academy was a pressure cooker. Fear hummed in the walls. Even the teachers spoke in hushed tones. “He blew up the roof.”“No one saw the attackers leave.”“They say his eyes glow like an awakened beast.”Oliver walked through the cafeteria with Billy at his side. Conversations stopped when he entered. Eyes followed him everywhere.He sat down with his tray of untouched food. Billy sat across from him, muttering, “You know, being famous isn’t as fun as people think.”Oliver didn’t respond. His gaze was distant, fixed on nothing. Billy sighed. “You didn’t sleep, did you?”“No.”“You’re thinking about what Kael said.”Oliver nodded slowly. “She was right. The more I use this power, the less it listens to me.

The sun never rose peacefully over the academy again. It was chaos from the first light. Sirens wailed through the corridors, red lights flashing across the walls like blood pulsing through veins. Iron Banner enforcers flooded every hall, armored in black gear marked with Sikes Wilbert’s insignia, the iron crest that gleamed coldly under the fluorescent lights.Students were dragged out of rooms, questioned, scanned for traces of residual mana from the tower explosion. Panic buzzed like static.Oliver watched from the second-floor balcony as the scene unfolded below. Dozens of students stood in lines, whispering to each other, afraid to move. The smell of burnt circuitry still lingered from the east ridge where the communication tower had fallen. Beside him, Billy muttered, “They’re not investigating. They’re hunting.”Oliver’s expression was unreadable. “Then they’re wasting their time.”Billy turned sharply. “You think Sikes doesn’t know it was us? He’s just buying time to make i

The announcement hit like a thunderclap across the academy. By noon, the entire campus was buzzing with one headline: “Faction Arena Challenge Declared by Sikes Wilbert.”Posters appeared on the digital boards, glowing red and gold. The Iron Banner’s crest gleamed above a single line of text: “Faction Wilbert vs. Unaffiliated Combatant, Oliver Beckett.”Students crowded the courtyards, whispering and speculating, their voices like a low swarm of insects. “He’s actually challenging Sikes?”“No one’s that crazy.”“He’s dead the moment he steps into the ring.”From the dormitory balcony, Billy tossed a pebble at the railing. “You really did it this time, kid.”Oliver stood beside him, staring down at the distant arena where workers were setting up the energy barriers. “He forced it. I just said yes.”Billy turned to him sharply. “Saying yes to Sikes is the same as signing your own death form.”Oliver’s tone was calm, almost too calm. “If I keep running, more people get dragged in.”Billy