The midterms were over for me, but there were some students who I was excited to see fight, so I stayed back. The afternoon sun had begun to set as I watched the remaining fights from the sidelines, my uniform still torn from my earlier match with Jin Ha-Yun.

Solara placed a hand on my chest and healed my small wounds while congratulating me on them. Nebula just nodded, though her eyes momentarily lingered on Solara’s hand before looking away.

Prince Orion’s match came soon, and he only managed to scrape by, which wasn’t good. His performance against a third-year left much to be desired. The prince's face was red with either exertion or embarrassment as he left the arena, unwilling to stand there and observe the rest of the matches.

“Damn, he looks mad,” Solara said, holding back a giggle. “It’s pleasant to the eyes.”

“Yeah, but I don’t like how he glared at me before leaving,” I shook my head, watching the guy leave. “It’s not as if I’m at fault for his performance.”

“Whatever, leave him,” Nebula said. Before we could converse any further, her name was called. Nebula looked at me, then at Solara, and then walked into the center of the arena.

Nebula's trial came after a few others’. She faced Eira Frostbane, that girl from that stupid birthday party, the little sister of Sebastian Frostbane, who Lilian had defeated; like her brother, she had an Ice Affinity. She was a [Ice Mage]. The contrast between Nebula's blood manipulation and Eira's frost techniques created a spectacular display. Their powers clashed in crystalline formations - blood against ice - as they fought for dominance.

Nebula tried making her blood burn hot, but it froze against Eira’s ice. So she used frozen blood instead, but that was like using a kitchen knife in a sword fight. Eira’s personality and allegiance with Victor aside, her family name was formidable. Frostbanes weren’t weak. With a Level of 71, she didn’t let her family name down.

However, Nebula had grown significantly during our training. She demonstrated perfect control over her blood magic, switching between burning and frozen intensity and creating intricate patterns that overwhelmed Eira's defenses. Her movements reminded me of our practice sessions, each stance precise and calculated.

When Eira unleashed her [Frost Nova], Nebula countered with [Blood Glacial Prison], trapping the senior student in a cage of frozen blood. It was a technique we'd developed together during our headache-inducing training sessions.

The professors nodded approvingly at her display of both power and control, announcing her pass.

Solara's match proved equally impressive. She faced Marcus Steele, a Level 69 wind specialist known for his aerial combat. Their battle took to the skies, Solara's phoenix wings against Marcus's wind manipulation. The armor Durnan crafted for her gleamed in the sunlight as she soared through the air, flames trailing behind her.

Marcus was good, excellent even, for his level, but Solara had spent countless hours perfecting her aerial maneuvers. Her movements had improved dramatically since the Winter Festival and were fluid and precise. When Marcus tried to trap her in a wind vortex, she burst through it with a corona of flames, earning gasps from the crowd.

Her finishing move combined aerial acrobatics and concentrated fire magic, leaving Marcus singed but impressed. Professor Thorne didn't even wait for the dust to settle before declaring her pass.

By day's end, only three students from Class S failed their combat trials. Professor Oran Valmyre and Professor Lysandra Thorne stood beside Professor Katheran who called us into lines. He praised our overall performance while emphasizing areas for improvement.

“There will not be a scoreboard for these fights,” he added. These are simply midterms, so don’t look forward to any changes because of your performances. You simply passed, understood? If you want a scoreboard, there will be the Summer Tournament later. Just keep pushing yourselves. Now, leave. We’ve got other first-year classes to go through.” His sunglasses reflected the setting sun as he dismissed us, annoying some students that no detailed results would be posted.

With that, the midterms were truly over, and now we could focus on more important matters.

****

A few days since then, I wandered through the observer seats, the afternoon sun stretching long shadows across the massive colosseum.

This time, first-year students from different classes and students from other years took their seats. The second-year Class-S students occupied the arena, and there was one match I wouldn’t miss. It was happening right now, but I first had to find a seat.

A familiar head of red hair caught my eye a few rows down. I stepped quietly closer and slipped into the seat right behind my sister. She didn’t notice at first—too caught up in what was happening below. The scent of burnt ozone from magical clashes and the crowd's intense roars could pull anyone into focus.

A faint smile played on her lips, but her eyes gave her away. She looked... surprised.

"He's gotten better, hasn’t he?" I said, and she turned, her crimson hair shifting as she glanced back at me. "Iaskin, fighting against the heir of House Frostbane? Who would've thought?"

Down in the arena, the air practically buzzed with energy. Iaskin moved like I’d never seen him move before—fluid, confident, his hands surrounded by bright flames as he closed in on Sebastian Frostbane. The same guy who’d been trouble for Lilian during Victor’s stupid party.

Fire and ice clashed, filling the arena with steam and hissing air as the two of them went at it. Sebastian’s frost magic was sharp and precise, creating barriers and spears of ice, but Iaskin's flames burned right through them. The temperature down there swung from freezing to scorching so fast it was hard to keep up.

"[Infernal Wave]!" Iaskin’s voice rang out loud. He threw out this massive wave of fire that swept across the arena like a tidal wave. Sebastian threw up an ice dome to counter, but it wasn’t enough. The fire hit, and the dome vanished in a burst of steam almost instantly.

Their levels were not close. Iaskin was Level 70, while Sebastian was Level 88. Despite that, Iaskin's control was on another level. Every move was deliberate and calculated. This wasn’t the same brother I’d been watching months ago.

"Yeah, it’s... unexpected," Riasmin said, her eyes locked on the fight as Iaskin dodged a flurry of ice spears. "Hah, I am so jealous. You know, I wanted to be the one fighting him, but they didn't let me. Siblings and all. Dammit, do they really think I'd go easy on him or something? I might lose my favorite child perks if things keep going like this, ugh. Both of y'all are picking up the pace."

I chuckled at her words while she shrugged. "Regardless, this is surprising."

"You think?"

"Heh, you learn to be sarcastic with me now, brat?” she scoffed, giving me a sidelong look. “Anyways, I think seeing his younger brother, who's been a cripple all this time, take things seriously finally lit a fire under him."

So that’s how she was perceiving all this? I guess she didn’t ask what his Level was, so she wasn’t as surprised. I noted and looked for the perfect words to approach this. "Still, sis," I said, leaning forward, my tone dropping. "Doesn’t this feel a little... off to you?"

Her smile faltered, and she gave me a questioning look. "What do you mean?"

I’d been getting set astray from approaching this subject repeatedly, but no more. I had to confront this, confront my brother, and make him stop. He wouldn’t listen, get mad, and be stubborn, but I had to do it. I couldn’t let him get caught into this Outer God Cult bullshit and get himself killed.

"I mean, I’ve got proof," I said, my eyes flicking to hers for a moment before returning to Iaskin as he launched another spell, his flames growing more intense with every attack.

“Iskandaar,” her voice was now stiff, serious.

I didn’t look at her. I stayed silent, observing Iaskin’s match as the professors stopped the fight and announced his pass. The Outer God Cult doesn’t just take—they corrupt. What if he’s already too far gone? What if the brother I’m trying to save is already… gone? I knew logically that was impossible; he wouldn't be allowed to roam outside by the cult priests if he was that far gone. It couldn’t happen this fast, either. So fear wasn’t logical here, but…

"...Can we talk after this?” I asked, turning to her, brows tight in thought. “I wasn’t planning on dragging you into this, but it’ll be easier if you’re involved."

****

The dorm room was dimly lit, and the only sound was the low hum of a magical lamp giving off a warm, flickering glow. It was barely evening, yet the atmosphere felt so grimly dark.

"Here, young lady," Lilian set a steaming teacup in front of Riasmin, who’d been quiet for what felt like forever. I’d just laid everything out, accusing Iaskin and explaining his allegiance with the Outer God Cult.

As for the ‘proof’ I mentioned earlier. But my in-depth explanation and Iaskin’s sudden growth that she’d seen with her eyes convinced her. She wouldn’t jump and beat him up, but she was willing to follow my interrogation plan.

“Young lady,” Lilian called again, pulling Riasmin out of her gaze.

“Ah, sorry. Thanks,” she blinked and reached for the cup, pulling a polite smile on her face. She lifted it to her lips, her gaze locked on mine, and took a slow sip. She didn’t even blink at the heat or flinch at how hot it must have been. She drank it like it was nothing, her movements smooth and practiced.

“Hah,” she said, voice flat, wiping her lips and setting the cup down. “The matches must be done by now, Iska. C’mon,” she nudged me, her tone light but carrying this edge of urgency. “Let’s go and… congratulate him.”

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

I stood, sliding my chair back and hearing a soft scrape across the floor. "Lilian," I turned to my maid, "do as planned."

"Yes," she nodded and watched us go, her expression hard to read, though her tail flicked just once—some tiny sign she was also worried about all this.

The corridor felt cool, and night air drifted through open windows as we walked. Rias led the way, her strides so long that I had to speed up to keep pace. The Colosseum rose ahead of us, looking pretty grand in the fading light of the day.

“C’mon, keep up,” she said, throwing me a look over her shoulder. “You’re not bailing on me now, right? Stop being so dazed, even I pulled myself together.”

I matched her steps, my mind buzzing. What am I even gonna say to Iaskin? How will he take it? How will we convince him? Ugh… Question after question spun in my head, and I still had no answers.

As we approached the colosseum, the sound of voices grew louder, and the buzz of post-match conversations filled the air. We were about to enter when I stopped.

"Hey, wait," I called and pointed a finger in the distance. “Look over there. He already left the arena.” Riasmin followed my finger to find Iaskin in a side alley behind the colosseum.

He was deep in conversation with some girl I’d never seen before. She had dark hair, dark eyes, and wore thick glasses that reflected what little light was in that alley. She looked totally normal—like the kind of student you’d forget in a crowd. But something about her gave me the creeps.

Rias didn’t hesitate. She walked right over, her expression changing into a big friendly smile that reminded me of our grandfather. “Look at you, hanging out with friends when you didn’t greet your siblings after that insane performance, you brat?” she said, making Iaskin flinch. “And who’s this cutie beside you?”

Iaskin turned around, and guilt flickered across his face. The girl followed his cue, bowing politely. “Ah, I’m sorry to intrude, senior. I was simply—”

“Save it,” Riasmin cut her off, her tone playful and friendly. “Who are you, keeping my brother here all by himself? Is he harassing you?”

“Sis!” Iaskin called.

The girl straightened before bowing deeper. “I’m a third-year student, Avenora, Class B. I was just talking about academic matters with Iaskin. He’s a very nice guy, and he’s not harassing me.”

I studied her more closely. Her politeness felt too perfect, every word neatly placed. I had the urge to use [Insight] on her, so I did.

[Avenora, Level 90.]

…Didn’t she say she’s a third-year? She was stronger than even Princess Jin Ha-Yun. There was no chance she was just a normal third-year, and she was from Class B, not even Class S. I activated my Demonic Sphere immediately.

The energy swirling around her practically punched me in the gut.

My jaws clenched, and my brain instantly connected the dots to the Outer God Cult. Is she one of their priestesses? Or just another victim?

Riasmin, clueless about the danger standing right in front of us, crossed her arms. “Academic matters at this hour? In a side alley? Really? You can be honest.”

Avenora’s smile stayed fixed. “I promise you, it’s not shady at all. We were just—”

“Enough,” Iaskin snapped, his voice hard. “It’s none of your business, Sis. Just drop it.”

The way he was acting only made me more suspicious. Iaskin and Riasmin started to have an argument, and I took that chance to take a step forward and locked eyes with Avenora. “Let’s ignore them, and tell me what are you really doing here?” I asked, my voice low.

Her dark eyes turned to me, and she didn’t back down, remaining calm as ever. “Just offering some advice to a younger student. That’s all.”

I watched her face closely, forcing a smile to hide my suspicions. “Giving advice now? That’s pretty generous for a senior. Must be your guidance that made him so strong?”

“Perhaps.”

“That sounds like a yes,” I said, “I'd have asked for some help myself, but you don’t exactly look like the ‘academic mentor' type. No offense.”

Her eyebrows lifted just a little as I leaned back against the alley wall, making myself look more relaxed than I felt. “Oh? And what do I look like, then?”

“Someone who’s more than she lets on.” I let my voice drop a notch as if I was teasing her. I didn't want to appear too serious here. “Those glasses of yours fail to hide just how deep your eyes are, you know.”

She laughed softly, tilting her head just enough to make me wonder if she was sizing me up. The way her dark eyes, so dark that one might miss the red within them, sparkled behind the lenses made her seem almost innocent—if you ignored that predatory edge simmering just beneath the surface.

“Flattery and wit,” she said, her lips curling into a smile as her eyes glinted brighter. “You’re quite the charmer, Iskandaar Romani, more than your brother. I wonder how far you think that’ll get you.”

Her tone was light, but something shifted in the air between us. That was when I felt it; an attempt. A subtle push trying to slip into my body, like invisible fingers searching for cracks in my defenses. My Demonic Sphere instantly picked it up, and my Qi smacked that intrusion aside without so much as blinking—or losing my smile.

Her eyes trembled just a fraction. It was the first real reaction I’d gotten out of her, but that sly smile stayed perfectly in place as we stood there, locked in this quiet game of cat and mouse.

The playfulness in our exchange hardened into something sharper, though neither of us called it out. I wonder what she thought of me—did she think I was just playing with her, or did she realize that I knew her little secret?

“Wait—hold on.” Riasmin’s voice cut through the tension as she turned away from Iaskin, full of disbelief. “Are you two... flirting?”

Before I could answer, Avenora chuckled and turned to Iaskin. “We’ll pick this up later, Iaskin. You've been improving greatly, and I like that. See you,” she said quietly, sounding more like a warning than a courtesy.

Then she stepped out and melted away into the crowd, leaving the alley silent except for the faint city buzz.

Iaskin rubbed the back of his head, shrugging. I observed him as Riasmin sighed, her expression softening a little. “Let’s get out of here,” she said, gently touching Iaskin’s shoulder. “We should eat something good to celebrate your intense performance, no?"

He stood there a moment longer, then finally nodded. “Sure thing, sis.”

Riasmin and I exchanged glances. Together, we led him into the streets, away from Avenora and whatever secrets she was spinning. We headed for the Fenixia Mansion, feeling a web of tension clinging to our clothes.

****

The evening air felt cold as winter's last chill tried to press its dominance on Waybound City. Iaskin walked between his brother and sister, their footsteps echoing down the quiet streets of this magical place. Moonlight spilled across the cobblestones in a silver glow.

Even though the air was freezing, and Iaskin felt this warm rush in his chest—he was still riding the high from his fight with Sebastian Frostbane, which had gone way better than he’d expected. Truly, it was a great decision to join that Cult.

“Hey, why’re we heading to Solara’s place?” he asked, both amused and curious. He tugged at the collar of his uniform, letting a blast of cold air hit his neck before he buttoned it back up.

Iskandaar, who was walking ahead of them, glanced over his shoulder. “We hang out there a lot lately. It got renovated, looks awesome now.”

“Really?” Iaskin smirked. “How’d Solara get that kind of cash? Don’t tell me she’s loaded even after her family's fall.”

Iskandaar shrugged. “She’s not. I pitched in.”

Iaskin snorted. “You? Sure. Father is not giving you money for stuff like this, stop lying.”

Riasmin, on the other side of Iaskin, just rolled her eyes. “You two talk too much.”

They kept walking in a comfortable silence, the familiar streets guiding them as they neared the Fenixia Mansion. Iaskin hadn’t ever been here before. Even in dim light, its architecture was easy to spot—fancy yet old in a cool way.

Stepping through the main gates, Iaskin stopped short in surprise. The renovations had totally changed the place. The yard was full of neatly trimmed grass, and a flower garden adorned the front. The main hall felt cozy and welcoming, the walls had bright tapestries, and the polished floors shone like mirrors. The smell of something delicious made his stomach rumble.

“Wow, Solara really went all-out,” he said, actually impressed. He’d expected maybe a few new things, but this was on another level. “Did y’all have a celebration today or something?”

“Not really. I knew your match was today, and I felt you’d do well, so I prepared all this,” Iskandaar said while leading them through various hallways until they reached a spacious garden. Moonlight made pretty patterns on the ground, and a small pond with benches around it gave the space a peaceful vibe. Iaskin gave a low whistle.

“This is awesome,” he said, stepping toward the water. It was calm as glass, reflecting the moon perfectly. “I see why you guys hang out here.” He was happy that his younger brother had been enjoying his life these days and in a better way than before.

Riasmin leaned against a bench. “Yeah, it’s nice. Iskandaar’s little group has been here a lot lately.”

Iaskin nodded, taking in the fresh night air that smelled like flowers and grass—way different from the noisy halls of the academy. But as they stood there, a weird feeling crawled up his spine. The mansion was almost too quiet.

“Where is everyone?” he asked, frowning.

Iskandaar and Riasmin exchanged glances.

“They should be around,” Iskandaar said. “Let’s look.”

That was fine with him. He followed his siblings as they checked room after room—the living room, kitchen, even a library—but found nobody. It was odd, but his siblings also looked confused. Then they noticed a slightly open door and strange voices came from inside. Iaskin nudged it and stepped through.

The sight made his blood run cold.

The walls were a deep red, covered in odd characters that he could only guess were from some country in the east. It was hand-painted with blood, and it looked scary. A heavy pressure was in the air, making the whole room feel suffocating. His gut screamed to leave, but he just stood there, heart hammering in his chest.

“What... is this?” he mumbled, voice barely above a whisper. The symbols pulsed like they were alive, and his body found the whole room... wrong.

“Welcome, brother-in-law,” said a voice that made his spine tighten. He turned to the side to find Nebula standing with her arms crossed, her fingers red. She… she was the one who’d drawn this. Beside her, Solara and Iskdandaar’s maid whose name he’d forgotten also stood.

Before he could back away, the door slammed shut. Iaskin spun around, pulse thudding in his ears. His siblings, Iska and Rias were blocking the exit, their expressions grim.

“Wh-what’s going on?” he stammered, trying to keep his voice steady. His eyes darted between them in total confusion.

Riasmin stepped closer, anger lighting up her eyes. “I don’t know, Iskandaar set it up. A Runic Array for Demons or something,” she said, and he opened his mouth to laugh, but she spoke over him. “I see it’s working on you. Your body is trembling.”

Iaskin froze, looking down on his hands. His eyes widened as he saw his hands tremble. Shit, what the hell?!

“Tell me. Where’d you take our brother, demon?” Rias hissed, red hair swaying like flames as her every word dripped with venom.

Iaskin’s mind went blank. He understood what was happening but had no clue what they meant. The tension in the room felt like a blade pressed against his neck. He tried to speak, but the words got stuck.

That eerie red chamber seemed to close in on him, and the symbols mocked him from the walls. His body was unwilling to listen to him.

“W-what are you talking about? I am Iaskin!” he forced out, his voice shaking. He was really confused. He knew why this array or whatever was working on him, but they were wrong. “I haven’t done anything to anybody.”

Iskandaar stayed quiet, his stare rock-hard, while Riasmin moved another step, grabbing him by the collar. “Don’t play dumb. We know about the Outer God Cult,” she snapped. “We know you’re involved.”

A burst of fear flooded Iaskin. How did they—?

Riasmin cut off his thoughts, her tone rising. “You demon. Cooperate now, or I will hand you over to the Church of Light and watch them skin you alive!”

Shit, shit, shit! They’re misunderstanding me! His head spun, half panicking and half clueless. He didn’t know how they’d found out, but clearly this was serious. And they were wrong! He wasn't some demon; he was indeed their brother.

The red walls, the strange lettering, and the accusations were all pointing to a fate about to go downhill fast. Trapped before the siblings he trusted more than anyone, Iaskin realized there was no escape.

The door was sealed, and it felt like the world was closing in on him.