The world thought justice was served.
Official statements were released.Clipped, sanitized.
"Vaelric Thorne formally reprimanded.""Placed under probation.""Future participation under evaluation."
Xyprus holds all fighters to the same standard.
It was a lie.
Behind the Curtain
The tribunal chamber was swept clean.No documents published.No video archives stored.
What happened to Kairon Vex after the match?Filed under "medical recovery."No mention of the assault.No follow-up investigation.
And the sucker punch?
That footage still existed — raw, brutal, undeniable.
But it wouldn't for long.
Inside the Vault
A low-lit room buried beneath Xyprus' data division.Ten operators worked in silence.
Each one loyal to House Thorne.
"Trace all uploads. Scrub duplicates.""Flag and suppress any reposts. Strike news accounts quietly.""Feed AI-generated variant clips — obscure the real footage in noise."
Within 48 hours, most of the world believed the punch never happened.
The few who still talked about it?
Labeled conspiracy theorists.
The Game Within the Academy
Vaelric walked the halls as if nothing happened.
Students parted. Some out of respect. Others out of fear.
The probation badge?Never pinned.No class restrictions.No tournament locks.
Because Vaelric didn't need forgiveness.
He had leverage.
Deep Inside Xyprus — Political Entanglement
Several academy board members were indebted to House Thorne.
Their families protected. Debts paid. Promotions earned.
Vaelric had helped fund entire departments.Back-channeled influence to upgrade weapon programs.He had even handpicked instructors.
The tribunal?
"A formality," murmured Councilor Gresh."Just enough drama to keep the wolves at bay."
Instructor Rhys, Furious
He slammed his fist on his desk.
"No expulsion? No public archive?""He struck a fellow student after the match!"
Kaien Suro stood quietly beside him.
Then spoke:
"He's not just a student, Rhys. He's a symbol."
"Symbols don't fall. They get repainted."
Rhys turned away, disgusted."Then the academy's already lost."
Meanwhile – Underground Echoes
Despite the suppression…
Clips of the punch resurfaced in encrypted networks.
Hacked drones.Anonymous student leaks.Re-edits set to music, shared in slum circles.
To the upper class, Vaelric was still king.
But to the streets…To the poor…To those like Kairon…
Vaelric Thorne had become something else.
A symbol of the rot.Of the privilege that breaks and buries.
Final Scene – Kairon's Bedside
His jaw still healing. His body still weak.
But the room was dark. Quiet.
He held a cracked tablet.
On it, the original footage — stored in an offline chip drive.
He watched it again.
Not the punch.
But the moment before.
When he stood.
When Vaelric hesitated.
When the crowd began to turn.
Kairon didn't speak.
But in his eyes was something clear:
He fears me.He hit me not to win...But to silence the truth.
And truth never stays buried for long.