Raiden Alaric

The first thing I noticed as consciousness crept back was the unfamiliarity of the ceiling, a vast, white expanse dotted with small, square tiles. Blinking slowly, I turned my head, trying to piece together how I ended up here. "I don't know this ceiling," I murmured, coughing from the pain in my chest and lungs.

A familiar chuckle came from beside me, drawing my attention. Chronos sat in a chair next to the bed, a look of mild amusement on his face. "Evangelion reference, I approve," he said.

I tried to sit up, then regretted it, a wave of dizziness forced me back down onto the pillows. As I moved, I felt the snug pressure of a Madela wrap around my chest, its warmth seeping into my skin similar to what Chronos had used except this seems to be of higher quality. The events of the contest rushed back, Yuki’s expression, her unrelenting assault, the release of her bind, the punch, me flying through the air... "Did I... win?" I managed to ask, my mind still foggy.

Chronos nodded, his expression showed something along the lines of pity. "In a manner of speaking, yes. You won by disqualification. Yuki removing her bind and unleashing her aura was a clear violation of the competition's rules. They had no choice but to disqualify her," he explained, handing me a water bottle. "Try not to talk too much just yet. You were hit in the solar plexus, right between your lungs. The strike impacted your lungs, causing a lack of oxygen to your brain, and that knocked you unconscious."

He paused, his gaze assessing as he continued. "Although I have to admit, Yuki has some impressive control. You see, if she wasn’t trained to a point where she could control her aura output, she could have driven her fist through your chest. Instead you walked away with almost completely shattered ribs."

My eyes widened at that revelation. I knew Ascendants were strong, but experiencing it first hand really settles it in. Regardless of how I felt after seeing aura used first hand, I was still in a state of disappointment.

"Disqualified, huh?" I echoed, a mixed feeling of relief and disappointment settling in. I didn't want a victory like that, but at the same time, from the way she looked resigned, I think this is how she wanted it to end. Where whoever set up our rule change, wouldn’t get the satisfaction of the win.

Although I do think she is kind of a bitch for using her aura on me as if I was also an Ascend-.

I lifted my wrists and wanted to scream all kinds of things that would make my mom force feed me soap until I move out. The damn Anchors probably made her think that I was an Ascendant and could take the hit.

Well, unfortunately, or fortunately for her I suppose, I am not Awakened yet.

Something else nagged at me while we fought. Every time I thought about ending the fight quickly, a deeper part of me resisted. My heart pounded, my focus narrowed—nothing mattered but the fight.

I only wanted… to win.

At first, I was thrilled, thinking I had found my revelation. But after a few moments, there was no resonance, no awakening. Maybe I’m getting closer?

Chronos leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. "So, despite the disappointment, you gained something valuable, right?"

I grinned. "Yeah, I stole all those techniques. I finally got to fight, to test myself properly."

"And with that said, what are your plans for the summer?" Chronos asked, his tone casual but loaded with implications.

Plans? Coming from Chronos, that could mean anything from slightly dangerous to outright insane. I eyed him warily. "What do you mean?"

"Let's just say," Chronos began, a twinkle of mischief in his eyes, "you're going to have a very busy summer. I'm signing you up for every martial arts contest that will take you. The more techniques you face, the more you'll learn."

The notion should have felt daunting, but as I lay there, a slow grin spread across my face. Despite the aches and the warmth from the Madela wrap soothing my bruised chest, the thought of diving headfirst into countless battles sparked an undeniable thrill within me.

Catching my excitement, Chronos's smile widened. "And, I’m going to teach you one new technique. But remember, you won't learn anything else until you've mastered it."

"One technique?" I repeated, excitement evident in my tone. "What is it?"

"You'll see," Chronos replied, standing up. "Think of it as a present."

"Present?" Before I could probe further, medical staff entered and checked on me. After confirming there were no issues, they removed the wrap. I noticed I was almost fully healed, though the soreness lingered. "You said my ribs were almost shattered. Just how high-ranked was that wrap to heal me so quickly?"

Chronos nodded towards the medical team. "These aren't just normal medical staff, they’re Ascendants, did you really think they’d rely only on wraps without proper medical expertise?"

As Chronos chuckled at my surprise, I sat up, testing my range of motion, surprisingly smooth and pain-free. "Guess I underestimated just how common Ascendants become once you get into that world."

He nodded, "Considering that these events are a hot spot for acquiring talent it’s only expected that they have Ascendants on standby for both the moderation and health of the contestants."

I swung my legs over the side of the cot, feeling the firm ground beneath my feet. The energy in the infirmary was an obvious contrast to the intensity of the ring, yet the buzz from the competition lingered in my veins. "So, as many contests as we can this summer, huh? That's going to be... intense."

"Exactly what you need," Chronos affirmed, his gaze sharp and encouraging. "It’s all about risk and reward. But we'll have to take it slow, your mother would have my head if I threw you into an underground fighting ring for potential Ascendants right away."

I shot him a hopeful look, and he winced seeing my excitement. “No, don’t even start thinking that’s where you’re heading right away.”

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“But… you said 'right away,' so technically, that means you will let me join those eventually, right?” I teased, wiggling my eyebrows.

He waved me off with a smirk, “We'll see. Now let's get going.”

I stood, stretching my arms above my head, a slight twinge reminding me of the recent bout. "And the technique you're going to teach me?"

“I’ll show you tomorrow at training. In the meantime, rest and look forward to it.” He paused before walking off, “Oh right, here you are.” He held a gold medal out to me.

I reached out to take it, my fingers closing around the cool, light disc. The medal was a simple circle of gold-colored metal, its edges slightly chipped to reveal the dull, grey substance underneath. Embossed on its surface was a crudely stamped laurel wreath encircling the word "Champion" in blocky, uneven letters that seemed to mock the very concept of victory.

The ribbon, a tri-color of red, white, and blue grosgrain, was frayed and hastily cut, its raw edges fraying further with each touch. It hung from the medal limply, an afterthought attached without care.

Holding it in my hand, the medal felt insubstantial, its flimsiness a stark contrast to what I felt. There was no sense of triumph in its touch, only a hollow reminder of a victory by disqualification, not by my skill. It felt undeserved, echoing the emptiness of a win not fully earned, intensifying the gnawing void inside me.

As I turned the medal over, examining its imperfections, each flaw seemed to resonate with my own feelings of dissatisfaction. Chronos saw my bitter expression and patted my back. "Don’t worry, real accolades are what you learned through experience, not something you put on a shelf."

image [https://i.imgur.com/QdHVgVk.png]

The drive home was quiet, giving me plenty of time to mull over the whirlwind of the past few days. I pulled my phone out to check the time, hoping I wasn’t getting home too late. It read March 21st, 5:43PM, I’m not late at all, we made really good time. As Chronos dropped me off with a simple nod, saying he'd see me tomorrow, I took a deep breath before heading to the front door, trying to switch from combat mode to home mode.

The lights flicked on as I pushed open the front door, and the room erupted with a chorus of "Surprise!" Balloons bobbed and streamers danced in the air, while my family's wide grins filled the space between. I blinked, stunned. My birthday. I'd completely forgotten. The events of the contest had consumed all my thoughts, pushing even this important day out of my mind.

"Rai, you look like you've seen a ghost," my mom joked, her arms wrapping around me in a hug that melted away the remnants of the day's tension.

I let out a surprised laugh, still disoriented by the sudden shift from combat to celebration. "I... totally forgot. Wait, it's my birthday?" My brain clicked, recalling Chronos’s earlier words about a 'present'.

That sly bastard timed it perfectly. Well played.

"Yeah it’s your birthday! How could you forget the day Mom makes her chocolate cake?" Iris chimed in, teasing. "Did someone hit your head too hard?"

Shaking my head, I stepped further into the warmth of home. The table was laden with food and in the center, a large chocolate cake waited with flickering candles. The normalcy of it all, the family chatter, the aroma of home-cooked food, it grounded me.

I began to share the day's events. "So, the competition," I began, finding all eyes on me, curious and supportive. "It started off easier than I expected. The first few matches weren't much of a challenge. Honestly, I was a bit disappointed."

They listened intently as I recounted the bouts, the crowd's energy, and the escalating intensity of each fight. "But then," I continued, "things picked up. I finally met fighters who pushed me, made me adapt and learn on the fly. It was... exhilarating."

I paused, the memory of the final bout surfacing. "The last match was against Yuki, the strongest I faced. It ended in a way I didn’t expect. She was disqualified." I obviously will not mention how exactly that disqualification came about because the last thing I need is watching my mom sprint out of the house at mock 12 to yell at Chronos.

My family's reactions were mixed, concern shadowed their faces, but pride was there too. "It sounds like you really found what you were looking for, even if it didn't end the way you hoped," my dad said, his voice warm.

"Yeah, I guess I did," I admitted, feeling a mixture of satisfaction and unresolved tension. "Every fight taught me something. Even the last one, in its own way."

My mom reached out, squeezing my hand gently. "Just remember, we're proud of you, not just for winning or for fighting, but for standing up there and giving it your all."

The warmth of her grip and the sincerity in her voice washed over me, anchoring me back to what mattered.

I nodded, feeling the weight and warmth of her words. "Thank you, I’ll always give it my all."

Soon the laughter and chatter began to settle, my mom disappeared into the kitchen, returning with a small plate in her hands. She placed it in front of me with a motherly flourish, a thick slice of warm chocolate cake next to a melting scoop of vanilla ice cream. The rich aroma wafted up, coaxing a genuine smile from me.

"Here, this should help you relax," she said, her eyes twinkling with affection.

I don’t know what made her assume I was so tense, but perhaps it was when I had talked about my disappointment in not really winning.

I took a bite, the warm chocolate mingling with the cool, creamy ice cream made my taste buds sing. The flavors melted away the residual stress from the day's events, drawing a contented sigh from me. For a moment, as the chocolate sweetness filled my senses, I forgot about fights and training and rivals.

"Nothing beats your chocolate cake, Mom," I mumbled through a mouthful, my spirits lifting.

My mom smiled, her eyes softening. "As long as you come back to have it, I'll keep baking it."

I smirked, “Be careful with that promise, leave me alone in the kitchen with one of these it will be gone in the morning.”

“Hey, that’s not fair! Save some cake for me too!” Iris pouted, feeling left out of the conversation.

As the night grew deeper I excused myself to head to my room. The weight of the day's excitement and the evening's joy hung pleasantly over me, like a comforting blanket. As I pushed open the door to my bedroom, a small, neatly wrapped package on my bed caught my eye. Curiosity piqued, I approached and picked it up, noticing a card nestled atop the wrapping paper.

"To Rai, from Mom, Dad, and Iris," the card read in cheerful, looping handwriting. Clearly Mom’s handwriting. Smiling, I pulled at the ribbon and unwrapped the gift, revealing a box that was unmistakably from a high-end sports brand.

Inside, nestled against crisp tissue paper, were a pair of training shoes by Aether Dynamics . They were sleek, their design cutting-edge, with a color scheme of dark blue and silver that gleamed under my room's light. The material was lightweight yet known for their durability, and the soles were designed for optimal grip and shock absorption, perfect for my training.

The brand was known for integrating new technology that provided extra cushioning and support, making them not just functional but also incredibly comfortable for long training sessions. Did I sell you on them yet? Well that’s too bad because these are one of a kind. On the side of each shoe, had my initials, R.A. embroidered on them. I was so excited and happy about them I almost slept with them on.

Running my fingers over the smooth fabric and sturdy seams, I felt a surge of gratitude. These weren’t just like the rest of my shoes, they were top-of-the-line, likely costing more than any shoes I’d ever owned. They symbolized not just a gift for my birthday but recognition from my family that they understood and supported this path I had chosen.

Climbing into bed, I set the shoes aside with a promise to myself to make every moment spent in them count.