The hot water felt good. It washed away the sweat and the dirt. The pain in his chest was still there, a dull ache where Marcus had kicked him. But his mind was clear.
He had lost the duel. But he had survived. He had fought back. That was more than he could say for his first life.
He turned off the water. He grabbed a rough academy towel and wrapped it around his waist. He felt tired, but it was a good kind of tired. The kind that comes after a hard fight.
He pushed open the door to the shower room and walked out.
A girl was standing there, waiting for him.
She had long, dark hair and her arms were crossed. She was tapping her foot on the stone floor. She looked annoyed.
"Finally," she said. "You're here." "come with me"
Ivan stopped. He looked at her, then down at himself. He was wearing nothing but a towel. Water was still dripping from his hair onto his shoulders.
"Uh," he said. "I'm... naked."
The girl, Romana, just looked at him. She did not seem to care. "You are fine. The towel is covering you."
'Is she serious?' Ivan thought.
"Can't I just go put some clothes on?" he asked. "Then we can go wherever you want."
"No time," she said, already turning away. "Come on. It won't take long."
She started walking down the hall. She clearly expected him to follow.
Ivan hesitated for a second. He looked back at the changing room. He looked at the girl walking away. He let out a sigh. This was already a strange day. What was one more weird thing?
He tightened the knot on his towel and followed her.
They walked through empty hallways and up several flights of stairs. The cold stone floor was uncomfortable on his bare feet. He felt stupid. He felt exposed.
She led him to a heavy wooden door. She pushed it open. It led to the rooftop of the academy barracks.
The cool night air hit his bare skin. He shivered.
Someone else was already there.
It was Marcus. He was leaning against the edge of the roof, looking out over the academy grounds. When he heard the door open, he turned.
He saw Romana. Then he saw Ivan, standing there in just a towel.
Marcus stared for a second. Then he burst out laughing.
"What the fuck!" he laughed, pointing at Ivan. "Why are you naked?"
"Shut up," Ivan said. He felt his face get hot. "She kidnapped me. I just got out of the shower."
Marcus laughed even harder for a moment, then he managed to stop. He pushed himself off the wall and took a step closer. He was limping slightly.
"You know what's next, right?" Marcus said, his voice serious now. "Tomorrow, we start the survival training. In the forest. But I can't walk right on my ankle because of your little kick."
He glared at Ivan. "Now look at the mess you've put me in."
Ivan couldn't believe it. "Don't put the blame on me, Marcus. It was a duel. You started it. You almost broke my skull."
"And what makes you think I won't throw you off this roof right now?" Marcus said, his voice low and angry.
He moved fast. He closed the distance between them and his hand shot out. He grabbed Ivan by the neck. His grip was strong.
Ivan's heart jumped. His mind raced. He could feel the power in Marcus's hand. He knew this weak body stood no chance.
"You'd be in trouble," Ivan managed to say. His voice was tight. "I'm... the prince, Marcus. Killing me makes the Emperor your enemy."
It was a weak threat. He knew it. But it was the only card he had to play.
Marcus just stared at him, his eyes full of anger. For a second, Ivan thought he might actually do it.
Then, Marcus pushed him. Hard.
"Get out of here," he snarled.
Ivan stumbled backward. The push made the knot on his towel come loose. The towel started to fall.
"Whoa!" Ivan yelled. He let go of everything else and grabbed the towel with both hands, pulling it tight against his waist just before it fell off completely. He probably looked like an idiot.
Marcus just watched him, then shook his head. A strange look crossed his face.
"You know what," Marcus said, turning away. "I'm letting you leave. Just because I was impressed by that bullshit speech you gave the instructor."
He didn't look at Ivan again.
Ivan didn't wait for him to change his mind. He nodded quickly, turned around, and walked back through the door, holding his towel very tightly. He left Marcus and Romana alone on the rooftop.
As he walked back to his room, his mind was racing. The forest training. He remembered it.
In his first life, that test was where everything went wrong for him. He got lost. He was scared. He was weak. He quit. He gave up and left the academy in shame. That was the start of his reputation as the "failure prince."
'Not this time,' he thought. The feeling was a hard knot in his stomach. 'This time will be different. I have to survive. I have to get stronger. I have to protect them.'
This was his second chance. He would not waste it.
***
The forest was dark. The only light came from the moon, a pale sliver in the sky.
A small group of men sat around a campfire. They were bandits. Their clothes were rough, their faces were dirty, and their swords were sharp. They were laughing and drinking.
Then, one of them went quiet. "Listen."
They all stopped. They heard it. The sound of footsteps. Someone was walking through the trees, coming closer.
They stood up quickly. They grabbed their swords and their bows. They were ready for a fight.
A figure stepped out of the darkness and into the firelight.
It was a boy. He looked about seventeen years old. He had dark hair and a relaxed smile on his face. He didn't look scared at all.
"What the hell are you doing here, kid?" one of the bandits asked.
Another one grinned, showing yellow teeth. "What really matters is what you have on you."
The boy looked at them. He seemed calm. "Oh, hey guys," he said, his voice friendly. "I think you have to leave this area."
The second bandit laughed. "And who the fuck are you to tell us what to do? State your name and your purpose before we cut your throat."
The boy's smile got a little wider. It was an arrogant smile.
"Well," he said. "My name is Jin. And my juniors are coming to this forest tomorrow to train."
He looked at each of them, his eyes seeming to sparkle in the firelight.
"So I suggest you guys leave. While I'm still being nice."
The first bandit had heard enough. He roared and charged forward. He swung his heavy sword right at Jin's head.