The medical team arrived in seconds.
Oliver stepped back as the unconscious boy from Squad Falcron was lifted onto a floating stretcher. His pale silver hair was matted with sweat and a thin trail of blood ran from his nose, but his expression had settled into a blank, eerie calm.
Oliver stared after him.
"Before this life…"
That phrase echoed in his skull like a haunting refrain.
"Hey," Aria said softly, stepping beside him. "You good?"
"Yeah," Oliver lied.
Aria frowned. Her storm-grey eyes studied his face, and for a moment, Oliver thought she might press further. But then Lira jogged over, her short dark hair tousled and eyes glowing with excitement.
"We actually won," she breathed. "That was insane. Did you see Garek throw that dude like a sack of potatoes?"
"I heard it," Garek said proudly, strolling over with a bruised cheek and a swollen knuckle. "And it was glorious."
Oliver didn't smile.
He was too distracted.
Up in the stands, Captain Kaien Deros was still seated. Watching.
Not smiling.
Not clapping.
Just watching.
Inside a private observation chamber two floors above the arena, three instructors argued behind closed doors.
"He shouldn't have collapsed like that," muttered the tall woman with violet eyes. "Something in him broke."
"Or was triggered," said another, adjusting his glasses. "When Vale hit him that final time, there was a neural spike—our monitors picked it up. It wasn't pain. It was… memory."
"Memory?"
The third voice was softer, older.
Captain Deros.
"He knew him. The boy from Falcron—he recognized Oliver."
"Impossible. They've never met."
Deros shook his head.
"Not in this life."
Later, as the team returned to the waiting chambers, Oliver lingered behind.
The halls of the Grand Hall of Trials were quiet now. No more roaring crowds. Just stone walls and whispering lights embedded in the ceilings.
He checked the system.
New Trait: Combat Sync Level 1 UnlockedYour battle instincts adapt faster under pressure. Reaction speed +5%. Pattern recognition slightly increased.
System Reminder: Current Power Level - Rank 1 (High)Threshold for Rank 2: 87% completeCore Development: Fragment 2 detected… Locating.
His head throbbed.
He exhaled slowly and leaned against the wall.
He hadn't told anyone about the system. He couldn't. The others had started to notice his rapid growth—but so far, no one had asked the question.
He needed to keep it that way.
Back in the squad's waiting room, Garek was regaling Lira and Aria with an exaggerated version of his takedown, complete with sound effects.
"—and then I swung him by the ankle and bam! Into the wall. Pretty sure I saw his soul leave his body."
Aria rolled her eyes. "You hit him once, and then he fainted from shock."
Lira laughed. "To be fair, it was a solid hit."
Oliver entered quietly.
The chatter stopped.
"You alright?" Lira asked.
"Yeah," Oliver said. "Just needed air."
"You sure that guy didn't mess with your head or something?" Garek asked. "The way he looked at you… gave me chills."
Oliver hesitated. "He… said something weird before passing out."
The others waited.
"He said he remembered me. From before this life."
Silence.
Aria's expression tightened. "That's not something you just say in a fight. That's something people say when they mean it."
Lira stood. "You think it has something to do with your father?"
The mention of his father sent a sharp pang through Oliver's chest. He shook his head.
"No idea. But if this tournament is about more than just rankings… I think we're about to find out."
Elsewhere in the academy, hidden far beneath the training grounds, a door unlocked for the first time in decades.
A pair of violet eyes stared at the glowing symbol carved into the stone—an eye wrapped in flame.
"He's waking up," the voice whispered.
"The next Corebearer."