THE THRONE THAT HEAVEN FEARED

CHAPTER 7: THE RIVALS DOUBT

The heavy iron gates of the sparring pits groaned as they slammed shut behind me. The air here was thick with the scent of old sweat and iron. Rafe Valerius stood in the center of the ring, his face twisted into a mask of pure, unadulterated loathing. He wasn’t wearing his student robes; he was in full combat gear, his knuckles white as he gripped a practice spear.

"You're late, janitor," Rafe hissed, his voice echoing off the stone walls.

"I had floors to scrub, Rafe," I said, my voice flat. My chest still burned from the Void-Devouring Seal’s hunger, but I kept my posture slumped. "What do you want?"

"What do I want?" Rafe stepped forward, the spear tip whistling through the air to rest just beneath my chin. "You made a fool of me in the courtyard. You broke the Pulse Pillar. You’ve got the whole Academy whispering that a Thorne rat might actually have teeth."

"It was a fluke. The machine was old," I replied, staring directly into his eyes.

"Liar!" Rafe roared. He swung the butt of the spear, catching me in the ribs. I let the blow land, stumbling back. "You didn't fall. You didn't burn. My father is asking questions, Cassian. He doesn't like questions that don't have answers."

"So you brought me here to answer them?" I coughed, tasting blood.

"I brought you here to break you," Rafe said. He reached into a pouch at his belt and pulled out a shimmering, crimson-veined pill. "I’m going to show everyone that you’re just a hollow shell."

"Is that a Blood-Ignition Pill?" I narrowed my eyes. "Those are forbidden in sparring, Rafe. They burn through your lifespan."

"For you? It's worth a few years," Rafe sneered. He swallowed the pill.

Immediately, his skin turned a violent shade of red. His eyes began to glow with a frantic, unstable blue light. The air around him hissed as bolts of lightning, three times larger than the ones in the courtyard, began to arc wildly.

"Now," Rafe grinned, a manic edge to his voice. "Defend yourself. Or die."

He moved like a blur. CRACK. His fist slammed into my shoulder. I didn't dodge. I felt the surge of his lightning—now amplified by the pill—flood into my system. It should have vaporized my joints. Instead, the Seal in my chest hummed with delight.

Internal Voice: [HIGH-GRADE FUEL DETECTED. COMMENCING SIPHON.]

"Is that all?" I taunted, spitting a mouthful of red onto his boots.

"Shut up!" Rafe screamed. He rained down a flurry of punches—left, right, a knee to the gut. Each strike carried enough voltage to power a district. The students watching from the upper gallery cheered, thinking they were watching a massacre.

"Look at him!" someone yelled. "Rafe is turning him into charcoal!"

"Why isn't he falling?" Elena’s voice rose above the rest, filled with confusion.

Rafe was panting now, the red glow of the pill starting to flicker. He grabbed my collar, pulling me close. "Why... why aren't you... breaking?"

"You're hitting me pretty hard, Rafe," I whispered, my hand reaching up to grip his wrist. "But I think you’re losing your touch. You feel a bit... light."

"What are you talking about?" Rafe tried to pull away, but my grip was a vice.

"Your lightning," I said. "It’s not as bright as it was a minute ago. Are you getting tired?"

Rafe looked down at his own hands. The blue sparks were fading, replaced by a dull, smoky gray. "My... my core. It feels cold."

"Maybe you should hit me again," I suggested, pulling his fist into my chest. "Give it everything you’ve got."

Rafe let out a guttural scream of frustration. He channeled every ounce of his remaining power—not just the energy from the pill, but his actual, permanent cultivation base—into a final, desperate strike.

"DIE!"

The explosion of light was deafening. Dust filled the pit. When it cleared, I was still standing. I hadn't moved an inch. But Rafe... Rafe was trembling. He looked smaller. His hair, once vibrant and full of energy, looked thin.

"My power..." Rafe whispered, his voice cracking. He tried to summon a spark, but only a thin wisp of black smoke drifted from his fingertips. "Where is it? What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything, Rafe," I said, stepping closer as he backed away in terror. "You gave it to me. Remember? You said I was a good conductor."

"You... you’re stealing it!" Rafe shrieked, his eyes wide with a realization that came too late. He looked at his hands again. The golden aura of the Valerius family was gone. In its place, a dark, oily stain was spreading across his skin.

He looked up at me, his face pale, his arrogance replaced by a primal fear.

"What are you doing to me?!" he screamed, his voice echoing through the silent gallery. "I can't feel my core! Cassian, stop! My aura... why is it turning black?!"

I didn't answer. I just looked down at him as the stolen lightning settled deep into my marrow, making me feel stronger than I had in a lifetime.