Pain is always honest.
It never lies.
Never pretends.
And that day—
Xavier L'Amour finally felt it.
---
"The second stage test."
Professor Orpheus Vale's voice echoed through the massive stone arena.
The arena was circular.
The walls were tall.
Filled with runes.
Restraint runes.
Protection runes.
Runes—
to ensure no one died.
Technically.
"One-on-one combat,"
he continued.
"No lethal weapons."
"No intent to kill."
He paused.
His eyes were cold.
"But pain…"
"…is not forbidden."
Some students swallowed.
Some smiled.
Some—
were excited.
---
Names were called one by one.
Fire against wind.
Earth against water.
Light against shadow.
Some fights were quick.
Some were brutal.
But all had one thing in common:
Skill.
Power.
Arcanum.
Things Xavier did not have.
---
"Xavier L'Amour."
His heart beat once.
Hard.
He walked into the arena.
His steps were casual.
As usual.
As if he didn't care.
But—
he cared.
Very much.
He stood in the center of the arena.
Waiting.
Then—
his opponent entered.
A tall man.
Athletic build.
Short red hair.
Sharp eyes.
Confident.
Too confident.
"Darius Vorn."
Some students cheered.
"Oh, this will be fast."
"Poor Xavier."
"Luck won't save you here."
Darius smirked.
"So you're that lucky trash."
Direct.
No small talk.
Xavier smiled back.
"Heh. And who are you?"
Darius's smile didn't change.
"The one who's going to beat the hell out of you."
Fire appeared in his hand.
Red.
Hot.
Real.
Fire Arcanum.
---
"Begin,"
the Professor said.
Darius moved immediately.
Fast.
Not giving time.
The fire in his hand turned into a punch.
Xavier dodged.
Barely.
The fire passed his face.
The heat burned his skin.
It hurt.
Real.
Darius smiled.
"You're fast."
He attacked again.
And again.
And again.
Xavier kept dodging.
Left.
Right.
Back.
Always—
barely.
The crowd began to cheer.
"He can't attack!"
"He's just running!"
"Coward!"
Xavier heard everything.
But he focused.
Surviving.
Waiting.
As usual.
Waiting for luck.
---
Darius raised his hand.
Fire gathered.
Bigger.
Hotter.
"Watch this."
The fire changed shape.
Into—
a spear.
"Flame Spear."
He threw it.
Fast.
Too fast.
Xavier dodged.
The spear passed his shoulder—
and exploded behind him.
BOOM.
A wave of heat slammed into him.
His body was thrown.
He fell.
Hard.
His breath was gone.
Pain.
Pain.
Pain.
He tried to stand—
Too late.
Darius was already in front of him.
A fist—
coated in fire—
hit his stomach.
CRACK.
Xavier vomited.
Air.
Saliva.
And something that felt like his pride.
His body fell to the ground.
He couldn't breathe.
Couldn't move.
Couldn't—
be lucky.
---
Darius stood over him.
Looked down at him.
Not angry.
Not hateful.
Just—
disappointed.
"This?"
he said.
"This is the guy everyone talks about?"
He kicked Xavier.
Not hard.
Not weak.
Enough.
"To make a point."
"You have nothing."
Every word—
hurt more than the punches.
"No power."
Kick.
"No skill."
Kick.
"No pride."
Kick.
Xavier didn't fight back.
He couldn't.
He waited.
Waiting for something.
Luck.
Coincidence.
Miracle.
Anything.
…
Nothing came.
---
"Enough."
The Professor's voice.
Darius stopped.
Let out a breath.
And turned around.
As if Xavier wasn't even worth finishing.
The match—
was over.
The defeat—
absolute.
---
Xavier lay on the ground.
Staring at the sky.
Blurred.
Painful.
Humiliating.
For the first time—
he lost.
And nothing saved him.
No luck.
No miracle.
Just—
reality.
---
A few minutes later—
the arena was empty.
Only him.
And footsteps.
Slow.
He knew who it was.
Elowen.
She knelt beside him.
Her hand glowed.
Warm light touched his body.
The pain faded.
Slowly.
"Why didn't you surrender?"
she asked softly.
Xavier gave a small laugh.
It hurt.
"I don't know."
That was his honest answer.
Elowen looked at him.
Sad.
Not pity.
Sadness.
"That must have hurt,"
she said.
Xavier looked at the sky again.
"…Yeah."
Silence.
For the first time—
he didn't smile.
---
Deep inside him—
something moved.
Stronger than before.
Not to save him.
Not to protect him.
But—
to react.
To something new.
Something foreign.
Something—
he had never felt before.
Defeat.
And for the first time—
Xavier's luck
didn't feel like power.
But like—
a lie.