It was just like her to smile like that. Confident, annoying, but somehow reassuring.
Zena had agreed to be my partner.
I didn't know what to feel. Part of me wanted to run. Another part—the part that remembered the name Akido Akino—knew there was no escaping her. Not in this life.
The school courtyard had transformed.
Banners of violet flame waved in the wind. Students stood around a raised platform surrounded by glowing rune circles—each shimmering with a different hue, showing the power types of the participants. At the center: the Duel Grounds, shaped like a crumbling coliseum, floating just slightly above the earth. Classic academy flair.
The announcement boomed across the grounds:
"Today begins the Trial of Flame Bonds! Duos shall face duos. Victory shall require not just strength—but connection."
I flinched at that word. Connection.
Zena leaned in. "You good?"
"Yeah. Let's just win and get those pills."
Round 1: Sparks and Strategy
Our first opponents were a pair of twins—mirror-like in both looks and movement. Their element? Wind and Illusion.
The battle started fast. Wind blades slashed through the air, illusions warped the battlefield. For a moment, I was thrown into a fake memory—back into a dream of Ivy.
My guard dropped.
But Zena's hand found mine.
Snap.
The illusion broke.
"You're here. Not there," she said firmly, and in that moment, I remembered: Zena had always been louder than memories.
I released a soul flare—a technique not even I remembered learning. Blue flame surged from my arm, spiraling like a dragon. Zena matched me with a strike from her twin daggers, both glowing with red sigils.
Wind shattered. Illusions cracked.
Round one: ours.
Round 2: Past Meets Present
Second round. Our opponents wore Flameheart Academy badges with gold rims. Elite class. Their fire attacks were brutal—coordinated like soldiers. One wielded a greatsword. The other, strange paper charms that exploded on contact.
This time, we were the underdogs.
We got hit hard.
I fell to one knee.
"You said you didn't want to be obsessed," Zena said beside me, panting. "But obsession can be fuel. Let it burn for you."
Then she yelled, "Akido! Open your flame!"
Something snapped in me.
A name. A sword. A battlefield.
Daido Hans.
A burning greatsword formed in my hand—glowing like the sun before dusk. I didn't know where it came from. I just knew... it was mine.
With a battle cry, I surged forward. Zena leapt beside me. Together, flame and form, we tore through the elite duo.
Round two: victory.
Final Round: The One Who Waited
Our last opponents were different.
Silent. Cold. One girl, one boy. Both wore veils over their faces. No emotion. No talking. Their presence sucked the warmth from the air.
They moved like shadows.
Every move we made, they predicted.
Zena got slashed in the arm. I barely blocked a blow that should have split me in two. They weren't just skilled—they were... connected. In a way Zena and I weren't. Not yet.
"You don't trust me," she whispered through gritted teeth.
I stayed silent.
"You still think I'm chasing you out of obsession..."
Another strike came. I blocked it, barely.
Zena turned to me, bleeding, tired, but determined.
"Akido. You're more than your past. But I'm not chasing your past. I'm fighting with your present."
I didn't answer. I just stepped beside her.
For once, I moved first. She followed.
Perfect sync.
Flames burst in dual colors—blue from me, red from her.
Twin arcs clashed with the enemy's blades. The shockwave shattered the runes beneath us.
Their masks broke.
The girl had white hair.
The boy had faded red eyes.
And in that instant—I saw a glimpse of Ivy.
And someone who looked like... me.
But younger.
Before I could think, the judge raised his hand.
"Final Match Concluded. Winners: Akido Akino and Zena Hoshikai."
As we stepped off the arena, Zena grabbed the sleeve of my jacket.
"You still don't get it, huh?"
I turned to her. "Get what?"
"I don't just know your past. I was part of it."
And then she walked off, leaving me with the scrolls, the pills, and a question that wouldn't stop echoing:
Who was Zena... really?