Three Days After the Tournament Announcement
The days since the training week began were a blur—too many hours of sparring, magic, and bruises. Yet, despite their exhaustion, one question remained nagging at the Crimson Class: What happened in the sealed zone?
The footage was corrupted. The instructors were silent. Only fragments of information made it back.
"Tomorrow," Chris said one night, his voice low and determined. "We find out."
The following morning, they set their plan into motion.
The Sovereign Class members, upon their return, walked through the halls with bruises and scratches—but no explanation. No answers.
"Let's see who we can catch," Kira said, his eyes narrowed in a way that made his presence almost invisible. "We'll need someone who's willing to talk."
It was Sage who found their target. She noticed a lone figure standing near the courtyard, looking at the swirling skies above. A figure with calm, controlled movements that reminded her of the storm—steady, relentless.
Rhea, the Sovereign Class representative.
Her hair fluttered like the wind itself, strands of silver interwoven with hints of blue that caught the sun. She was as tall as Chris, with a presence that commanded attention without trying.
Wind magic flowed around her, an invisible breeze that adjusted the very air. A breath of power.
She hadn't noticed them yet, but it was clear from the way she stood—ready, almost waiting for someone to approach.
Lina, always quick on the uptake, nudged Chris. "You think she'll talk?"
Chris hesitated. "She's the class rep. If she wanted to hide what happened, she would've."
The Interview
Rhea turned just as the Crimson Class approached.
Her calm blue eyes swept over them, and for a moment, her expression softened. "I didn't expect visitors. Especially not from Crimson Class."
Chris took a step forward, his voice measured. "We have a question. About the fight with the Shadow King."
Rhea's posture didn't change, but the wind around her seemed to grow sharper, more pronounced. "You want to know what happened."
"Yes," Chris said, nodding. "We saw the footage, but it wasn't enough."
"Curiosity kills, you know," she said, her tone light but knowing. "Still, I've learned that knowing the unknown is sometimes more dangerous."
The wind around her shifted in intensity, swirling her silver hair in slow spirals. It was like the air itself responded to her mood.
"You fought it, didn't you?" Kira asked, his voice quiet but firm.
Rhea tilted her head, considering the question. "Yes. We fought. But not in the way you think. What you saw on the screen wasn't the real fight. It was... muted. The Shadow King, as you call him, has evolved. Or maybe this one never was him. It was something else."
"Faster than Leo's clone?" Chris pressed.
"Faster," she confirmed, eyes narrowing. "And far more... aware. It adapted quicker than we could respond. For a moment, we thought we were fighting the remnants of a king. But the moment I summoned my wind—he turned it against me."
She paused, her gaze drifting toward the horizon as the wind wrapped tighter around her. "I couldn't even feel the air when he moved. It was like the entire world bent to his will. It was not like a man. It was like... a force."
Lina's hand tightened around her dagger. "And the others? Did they—"
Rhea raised a hand, cutting her off. "Don't mistake that fight for a test of strength. That wasn't about power. It was about control. We thought we could overwhelm it, but it was playing a game, making us chase our own moves."
She looked directly at Chris, her eyes sharpening. "You, in particular, would've struggled. Your power... you don't control it. It controls you. Same as the wind—it can take you higher, or it can tear you apart."
Chris swallowed, the weight of her words sinking into him. "Then how did you win?"
Rhea's eyes darkened, her voice softening. "We didn't win. We survived. And barely. The rest of the Sovereign Class was lucky to escape with their lives."
She paused, taking a long breath. "But if you want the truth—we're still not sure it's gone. What we fought wasn't an enemy. It was a memory. An echo of something... much worse."
The conversation lingered in the air, thick with unspoken tension. The wind seemed to hold its breath, waiting for what came next.
Chris hesitated, then took a deep breath.
"Rhea," he said slowly, "I need your help."
Her expression remained unreadable as she met his gaze. "With what?"
"I... don't know how to control Ignis," he said, his voice firm but tinged with vulnerability. "It's too wild, too consuming. Every time I try to use it, I feel like it could break me—or everyone else around me."
The wind shifted again, swirling lightly at her feet. Rhea didn't speak at first, simply observing him.
Finally, she nodded. "You're right to ask for help. But you should know—controlling it means you'll need to face what it wants from you. Ignis is a part of you. And it's only as strong as the storm inside you."
Chris took another step forward, his resolve firming. "I need to learn. I can't afford to lose control like I did last time. It nearly killed us all."
Rhea smiled slightly, her lips curving up just enough to reveal the edges of her teeth.
"You've got guts," she said, almost amused. "Fine. I'll help you. But I'll warn you—this will be more than just training. It will be a test of everything. If you're not ready to face what's inside, you... then this will only make it worse."
Chris nodded, determination hardening in his chest. "I'm ready."
Rhea turned, the wind rising with her motion, and beckoned him to follow.
"Then we begin, but first I need to catch up with the current situation of my class. Let's meet in an hour from now on your training grounds."
She disappeared in between her sentence and the wind continuing the sentence.
"show off" Dice murmured.
They turned back and left.
Rhea appeared at the bank of the ocean wind blowing swirling her hair into spirals.
A shadowy figure appeared beside her facing her opposite direction.
"Do you think it was necessary to accept his request to become his trainer."
"So long as I can look down on him I don't mind"
"You never change do you"
She smiles. "Why should I?"
The wind intensity increases.
"Don't you think it will be best if you also decide to help you class"
The figure disappears as soon as she finished her sentence.
"You also haven't changed huh….." She disappears.