Chapter 57: The Everdusk Gardens

(Cadel’s POV)

I braced myself as Scarlette continued to hammer down blows on me. Carefully, I deflected her strikes just enough to avoid injury while allowing her to keep her momentum intact for practice.

Despite the ferocity of her attacks, there was a sense of calculation behind them now, as though she was probing my defences rather than simply trying to brute-force her way through. It was an intense altercation as each clash reverberated through the room, but the reinforced Abizium were able to absorb the force without issue.

After a few more vicious yet futile attacks, Scarlette’s form began to waver. Moments later, she stumbled to the floor, landing on all fours. She was panting heavily as sweat dripped down her face.

I knelt down to check in on her. “Wasn’t too bad now, was it?”

She had enough energy left to force out a dry laugh. “Shut up.”

“But for real though, that was really impressive.”

“Thanks, but there’s… much more to work on.”

“Yeah,” I said, helping her sit up. “But take it easy for now. We can’t have you collapsing right before the tournament. Let’s give it an hour before you try again. In the meantime, we’ll focus on some easier precision training.”

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For the remainder of our session, Scarlette briefly went in and out of falcon form a few more times. While she managed to retain control during each attempt, it became evident that she couldn’t sustain the form for more than a minute before fizzling out from exhaustion.

Furthermore, while she was more confident in the technique after today’s training, she had admitted that she wasn’t sure if she could pull it off during the actual tournament. It was an understandable concern as there was no replicating the adrenaline and intensity of a real match. Therefore, we had decided that instead of regularly abusing that technique through her matches, she would only use it as an absolute last resort.

By the end of the day, even I was beginning to feel the effects of fatigue. Scarlette, on the other hand, looked like she was barely staying upright… which made it all the more impressive when she eagerly accepted our friends’ invitation to join them for dinner in Jonah’s room.

“You guys must be starving after all that training! Don’t you dare hold back!” Kaede warned.

“This is some good pizza!” Scarlette exclaimed, stuffing another slice into her mouth.

“There’s no way Hawaiian is better than pepperoni,” Jonah objected. “I’m sorry, but pineapple does not belong on pizza. I’m like, totally judging y’all right now.”

“You’re literally the only one here who has an issue with it,” Scarlette retorted.

“Now, now. There’s a reason we ordered both,” Kaede chided. She turned to me, changing the topic. “You guys will be heading out for two weeks, right?”

“Pretty much,” I replied. The Everdusk Gardens, the site where the tournament will be held, was about a 20-minute bus ride from the two participating schools. Despite the relatively short travel time, the organisers had provided accommodation for all the participants. It was probably meant to keep things smooth and avoid competing with spectators for transport. While the entire Island generally didn’t have too much traffic apart from the city centre, I imagined that it would rapidly clog up at the venue.

“So, we won’t be coming back to the dorms until it’s all over,” I added.

“Are the matchups out yet?” Jonah asked, leaning forward with interest. “I wanna know who you’re fighting.”

“Not yet,” I said. “We’ll get more info during the opening speech. For now, we just have to show up at the foyer the morning after tomorrow and catch the buses to the Gardens with everyone else.”

But that was a concern for another day. Tonight was about enjoying the company of friends and unwinding after all our hard work. We had a free day tomorrow, but I’d already advised Scarlette to use it to rest up and get our things packed for our short stay at the Gardens.

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After a good day’s rest and a final check of the bags, I met up with my friends back at the dorm square. Apart from Scarlette, they were all dressed in casual home clothes—they had specifically got up at 7 in the morning just to see us off.

“Go out there and win, okay?” Kaede said as she stifled a yawn.

“We’ll do our best,” Scarlette reassured her.

“You guys owe us a meal in return if y’all don’t win it,” Jonah laughed.

Mira stepped forward, surprising Scarlette with a hug. “Stay safe out there.”

“I—yeah, I’ll try,” Scarlette blabbered in response.

Mira turned to me next, pulling me into a hug as well. “That goes for you too, Cadel.” It was a surprisingly bold gesture for someone as soft-spoken as her, but no one teased her for it.

“Alright,” I said, returning her embrace.

“Let us know when you’re in action! We’ll come cheer you on,” Kaede added. “Besides, it’s semester break. We’ve got plenty of free time.”

After saying our goodbyes, Scarlette and I made our way to the foyer. Upon arrival, we noticed a couple of other first-year students already there. It also looked like the second and third-years were being assembled elsewhere.

Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a girl waving her arms enthusiastically in our direction.

“Ugh, she’s already here…” Scarlette muttered under her breath.

She was, of course, referring to Zara. Standing beside her was her partner, Kerri, who gave us a reserved wave in greeting.

“Excited for the competition?” Zara asked us as we approached them.

“Can’t wait,” I replied honestly.

The next few minutes passed in an unfortunate exchange of small talk, mostly between Zara and me. Scarlette meanwhile, kept unusually quiet, while Kerri didn’t seem like the type to talk much either.

As more people arrived, I recognised a couple of faces from the briefing the other day, mostly keeping to themselves or with their partner.

Then a boy walked into the scene. The atmosphere dimmed noticeably as people started sneaking furtive glances in his direction. Asher Marez had arrived, accompanied by another boy who I assumed was the other representative from his class.

Personally, Asher had piqued my interest ever since that day at the arcade. I hoped that either Scarlette or I would have the chance to face him.

Apparently, he wasn’t considered strong enough during the Pre-Enlistment Practical Assessment to avoid being placed among the lowest-seeded participants for the tournament. Yet, his clean victories in the DreamVerse told a different story. Then again, it was clear the arena environments had often worked in his favour. It seemed that I would have to properly evaluate him in a neutral setting.

“Everyone, line up in two rows, in order of your classes. If you’re the only one from your class, you may leave a gap. I will now be taking attendance,” Dr Connor announced as he arrived.

We obediently did as we were told, expediting the process as he swiftly went down the row. When he reached Scarlette and me, he took our names down just like everyone else’s, showing no indication of anything unusual.

“We’ll be taking two buses to the venue. Mrs Chermaine here will oversee over the latter half of you,” he instructed, introducing a middle-aged lady standing by his side. He walked to roughly the middle of the row and drew an invisible line. “Everyone in front of this line, follow me.”

We happened to be in his group, so we followed him and boarded the bus. Scarlette claimed the window seat and let out a wide yawn. “Wake me up when we get there,” she mumbled, closing her eyes.

Someone’s relaxed. Or maybe she was just pretending. Sometimes acting calm could trick your brain into actually feeling that way. Either way, I decided to stay awake and take in the passing scenery on the way to the Gardens. Who knows? Maybe I’d spot something worth remembering.

To my dismay, nothing in particular stood out to me until we reached our destination. The Everdusk Gardens were certainly imposing, though not quite the grandiose marvel I had initially imagined. The main compound consisted of several floors, each layered on its own tier, creating a terraced effect that gave the structure a striking silhouette against the sky.

True to its name, the facility was adorned with a surprising amount of well-maintained greenery. A cascading display of vines and plants spilled from one tier to the next. I couldn’t help but imagine that the architect behind this impressive structure had probably taken inspiration from the legendary Hanging Gardens of Babylon.

“We’re here,” I nudged Scarlette awake.

“Wha… so fast? I thought we just—woah.” She looked out the window in awe. “Okay, that’s pretty cool.”

We stepped off the bus and gathered in an open area nearby. On the opposite side of the square, I noticed several Horizon High students doing the same. A few of them were already staring in our direction, and some of my schoolmates were returning the favour. The tension in the air was unmistakable, and it was clear the hostility would only escalate from there.

Soon enough, we would be engaging in combat, but for now, all we could do was wait while the adults got everything organised. A few minutes later, I noticed more students from our school join us in the square. I assumed they were our seniors. If anything, the animosity they emanated surpassed our own.

“I heard they were upset because members of their school had attacked us. It’s probably a senior-junior overprotective thing,” Scarlette whispered, as if reading my thoughts.

Before the tension could spill over, it seemed as if everything was ready as everyone was shepherded to their respective accommodations.

“See you in a bit!” Scarlette waved as the girls went to the floors somewhere above us.

Well, it looked like I’d be alone for the time being.

“Right, let’s check out the room, shall we?” I thought to myself as I headed toward my assigned quarters.