An Unexpected Victory

Lucian's POV:

I walked toward my seat, positioned just behind Aria, hoping she'd reconsider accepting the challenge. Reed wasn't going to make this easy on her. His deliberate challenge seemed like an invitation for her to take revenge for the earlier incident in the mess hall.

I sank into my seat with a sigh, casting a glance at Zane and Ryker. They looked as intrigued as they were entertained.

Her friends' voices were filled with concern, calling out to her from the sidelines. "Aria, please, you don't have to do this," her roommate urged, anxiety lacing her words.

"Listen to us," the air elemental from earlier added, his voice wavering. "Reed's a final-year fire elemental. You're not ready for this, not against someone like him."

But Aria only smiled, calm and unbothered, as though the arena wasn't about to erupt into chaos. She nodded, brushing off their worries as if walking into danger was as casual as a stroll. I watched her, the strange pull of worry tightening in my chest. Why should I care? She was stubborn, practically daring the consequences. And yet, the tension in my gut refused to dissipate.

She walked toward the arena, and my gaze followed her.

"She actually went for it," Zane muttered, disbelief mingled with something like admiration in his tone.

Ryker leaned forward, raising an eyebrow. "Gutsy, sure, but reckless. Reed's out for blood. She's going to regret this."

As she reached the center of the arena, she paused. For a split second, I thought she might back down, but Reed's voice broke the silence like a whip.

"What's this? Running away from the match?" His smirk was dripping with disdain. "If you can't accept, then apologize. You've embarrassed me enough already."

Zane scoffed next to me, folding his arms. "Reed's really not letting this go, is he? Always has to have the last word."

"Typical Reed," Ryker added with a grin. "Aria doesn't stand a chance. I give her two minutes, tops."

I stayed silent, my eyes locked on Aria. She met Reed's sneer with a steady gaze, unyielding.

"I'm not here to prove anything to anyone. I know exactly how capable I am. So why should I accept your challenge?" she replied, her voice unwavering. "And why should I apologize to you? For what? To make you feel better?"

A murmur spread through the crowd. People shifted in their seats, surprised by her defiance. Even I leaned in, a small part of me impressed by her boldness. Reed stepped forward, flames flickering around him.

"What do you want, then?" he snarled, his voice like a low growl. "What's it going to take for you to accept?"

Her answer was clear, unwavering. "If I win, you'll apologize to Calen. Right here, in front of everyone. And you'll promise never to mess with any air elemental again."

The arena fell into stunned silence. Zane's jaw dropped, and Ryker let out a low whistle.

"Did she just say that?" Zane asked, his voice full of disbelief.

Ryker chuckled, shaking his head. "That girl's got guts, I'll give her that. She's either really brave or really clueless."

Reed sneered. "Apologize to Calen? Promise not to touch air elementals? You really think you can beat me?"

Aria met his gaze, her expression never breaking. "If I win, that's the deal."

As Reed scoffed, his gaze flickered toward Celeste, who was watching with a calculating, almost predatory look. This wasn't just about Reed anymore. Celeste had noticed my interaction with Aria last night and now, I understood—she was behind all of this. Reed wasn't just acting on his own. He was her puppet, pushed forward by her silent hand, like a pawn in a game she was orchestrating.

"Looks like it's about to get messy," Zane murmured, his eyes flicking between Reed and Celeste. "Do you think she knows what she's up against?"

"I don't know," I muttered, keeping my focus on Aria. "But we're about to find out."

The arena was thick with tension, the air crackling with anticipation. Aria stood her ground, and despite my better judgment, I couldn't shake the feeling that this wasn't going to be as easy as anyone thought. Something in the air told me this was only the beginning of something far more dangerous than any of us had anticipated.

Ryker and Zane, my best friends, flanked him on either side, their expressions mirroring my curiosity, though with an added dose of skepticism. "This shouldn't take long," Ryker muttered under his breath, his voice laced with amusement. "He's fire; she's air. Easy win for Reed."

Zane chuckled, shaking his head. "I'll bet you a gold piece it's over in under five minutes. I mean, come on, an air elemental? Against Reed?"

I barely acknowledged their banter, my attention solely on Aria. She looked calm, almost unnaturally so, her stance loose but unyielding. There was a hint of something... assured in her gaze that piqued his interest. Why isn't she intimidated?

"Let the match begin," Master Orin's voice echoed.

As Master Orin announced the match's start, Reed wasted no time. Flames erupted from his hands, lashing out toward Aria with brutal force. The crowd gasped, the heat from the fire radiating across the arena. But Aria didn't flinch. She didn't move as the flames approached—she simply raised her hand, and with a single, effortless flick, a gust of wind blew the fire away, extinguishing it as if it were nothing more than smoke.

My eyes narrowed, impressed, though I couldn't let it show.

"What the—" Zane choked out, his eyes wide. I could only watch, shock tightening my chest.

Ryker nudged me. "She's got more control than I thought. She's barely even flinched."

"Still," Zane muttered, his voice skeptical, "she's up against fire. How long can an air elemental hold up?"

I kept my gaze on her. Aria moved with the ease of someone who had danced with danger before. Her fluid, almost graceful motions deflected every attack Reed threw at her, effortlessly turning each fireball aside like water slipping past a stone. The crowd was murmuring now, shocked by the unexpected spectacle.

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Reed's frustration grew, his attacks becoming fiercer, more frantic. But Aria remained calm, her smirk barely visible as she toyed with him. The arena was silent, stunned by her control.

I couldn't tear my eyes away. There was something thrilling about watching her fight, something magnetic in the way she commanded the wind. But deeper than that, a strange unease gnawed at me, a worry I couldn't explain. I'd seen battles before, plenty of them, but this... it was different. And the fact that it was Aria in the center of it all only made it more complicated.

Zane glanced at me, raising an eyebrow. "Not bad for an air elemental, huh?"

"More than not bad," I replied, my voice quiet, betraying my neutral expression.

Ryker snickered. "Bet Reed didn't see this coming. Think she might actually win?"

The question hung in the air, and I felt my jaw tighten. Win? Against Reed? It should have been impossible. Yet here she was, handling it like a seasoned fighter. A swell of pride rose in me, but I forced it down. I couldn't afford to be invested in this.

Reed sneered, his bravado faltering as he tried to reassert himself. "Impressive," he taunted. "But how long do you think you can keep dodging?"

I felt a flicker of satisfaction as Aria didn't back down; instead, she responded with a mocking smile, her voice steady. "Dodging? No, Reed. I'm just giving you a chance to show what you've got. So far... it's not much."

A low murmur spread through the crowd, and despite myself, I found my lips curling into a small, approving smile. She wasn't just dodging; she was toying with him. It was almost as if she was inviting him to try harder, just to see if he could actually land a hit. The way she handled herself—so effortlessly, so confidently—was mesmerizing.

"Did she just...?" Ryker's voice trailed off, his disbelief palpable.

I could barely contain my surprise. How much power did she have? How long had she been hiding it? I'd thought her to be just another air elemental—weak, unremarkable. But now? Now, she was holding her own, if not completely dominating Reed. I couldn't look away.

Reed, no longer able to hide his frustration, summoned a massive inferno, a blaze that seemed intent on wiping her out. The flames twisted and writhed toward her with terrifying force. My heart skipped a beat. Would she be able to stop this?

I felt a surge of protectiveness I couldn't explain. Was I really feeling like this? For her?

But Aria didn't flinch. Her hands extended outward, and with a mighty gust of wind, she tore the flames apart. The shockwave from the blast sent Reed stumbling backward, his composure completely shattered. The crowd fell silent for a split second before they erupted into gasps and whispers.

Zane's voice broke through. "She's... actually winning."

And then I saw it—the change in her. The shift in her stance, the intensity in her eyes. She wasn't just defending herself anymore. She was taking control.

"Are you sure you're a final-year fire elemental? You don't seem to have much fight in you," she taunted.

Her words were like a spark to dry tinder. Reed's face twisted with rage, his pride shattered. He launched himself at her again, but this time, she didn't wait for him. She summoned a powerful cyclone, wind swirling violently around her, her power crackling in the air.

The ground beneath her feet trembled as the whirlwind took shape, a force of nature that hurled Reed across the arena with frightening ease. He crashed to the ground in a heap, completely defeated.

The arena went deathly silent as Aria stood there, untouched, her breathing steady, her expression cool and composed. She was untouchable. The crowd stared at her in stunned silence, unable to process what they had just witnessed.

I felt a swell of pride—an emotion I hadn't expected to experience. She had completely shattered the expectations of everyone in this arena. But there was something else too—something deeper, a protectiveness I couldn't quite shake.

Zane turned to me, his mouth agape. "Did you know she could do that?"

I shook my head, still staring at her. "No," I muttered. "I didn't."

The arena was still humming with the aftermath of Aria's victory, her figure standing out as she caught her breath, victorious. But I couldn't stop watching her, pride swelling in my chest, only to turn into something far sharper as I noticed her gaze drift back to Reed. He was slowly getting to his feet, dusting off his clothes, his pride wounded in a way I doubted he'd ever admit.

She turned toward him, her voice ringing out across the arena, clear and confident. "Remember what we agreed on, Reed. Time to fulfill your end of the deal."

The noise of the crowd died down, all eyes flicking between the two of them. I could see the tension in Reed's stance, his jaw set, his face flushing with suppressed anger. But her words cut through him, leaving no room to hide. She had won fairly, with skill, and her voice carried a weight that made even the most skeptical in the audience pause.

I watched, a smirk threatening my lips as she held her ground. Reed's shoulders slumped as he finally caved. Reluctantly, he turned toward Calen, his voice low but loud enough for everyone to hear. "Sorry, Calen. I never should've messed with any air elemental."

A hush fell over the arena, the apology lingering in the air. It was thin, insincere even, but it was there. Reed—the unstoppable fire—had been humbled, not by brute force but by skill and strategy. She hadn't just won; she'd made a statement that even I couldn't ignore. Air elementals weren't weak, and Aria's actions had forced everyone to acknowledge that fact.

I glanced at my own friends, catching their subtle nods of approval, but my focus kept pulling back to her. She was standing there, framed by her friends, as they celebrated her victory with unrestrained pride and laughter. The way she held herself, unapologetic and strong—it stirred something deep within me, something I couldn't quite shake off.

As the crowd dispersed, she turned to her friends with a sigh, that fierce confidence settling into her usual calm. "Well, as much as I'd love to keep celebrating, I have way too many assignments waiting for me. I think a trip to the library is in order."

Esme laughed, rolling her eyes at her. "Always the studious one, aren't you?"

Calen grinned. "We'll join you. Besides, someone needs to make sure you don't get buried under all that work."

They started toward the library, their easy camaraderie a stark contrast to the intense atmosphere of the fight. Yet I remained where I was, watching her walk away, my eyes fixed on her, unable to look away.

It was as if she could sense me. She turned, and our eyes met. In that moment, everything around us faded away—the crowd, the noise, even the sense of rivalry I'd convinced myself was all there was. Her gaze held mine, and I felt it, that unknown connection, like a pulse echoing between us.

A flash of frustration crossed her face, and she quickly looked away, as though shaking herself from a trance. I watched her go, feeling an ache that was both maddening and magnetic, a pull I didn't want yet couldn't deny.

She disappeared from view, leaving me standing there in the emptying arena, the memory of her defiance and confidence burned into my mind. The way she'd handled Reed, the way she held her ground—it had been impressive. But it was more than that; it was a challenge I hadn't anticipated, a reminder that maybe I wasn't as untouchable as I thought.

As I finally tore my gaze away from where she'd disappeared, I felt a nudge on my shoulder. Zane was grinning at me, an eyebrow raised in amusement. "You look like you've seen a ghost, Lucian. Or, should I say... a very captivating air elemental?"

Ryker chuckled, crossing his arms. "Didn't know you were so invested in the arena matches, Lucian. Should we be worried about our stoic prince's heart beating a bit faster?"

I shot them both a warning glare, but it only fueled their laughter.

"Come on, admit it," Zane continued, waggling his eyebrows. "She's got a spark. I mean, the way she made Reed apologize? That's the kind of boldness that even you have to appreciate."

"Not to mention," Ryker added with a smirk, "you've been staring long enough to get a decent view from a mile away."

I rolled my eyes, though a smirk tugged at my lips despite myself. "You both really have nothing better to do, do you?"

"Wrong," Zane said, clapping me on the back. "We've got classwork to finish up. Can't have our top-student image slipping just because the prince got... distracted."

Ryker snickered. "Yeah, wouldn't want people thinking you're going soft on us. Come on, let's go polish our crowns in the library."

I gave them both a sarcastic look, but I knew they were right. We all had reputations to maintain, and as much as I wanted to stay in the arena, reliving the fierce look in her eyes, there were duties to tend to.

With a final glance in the direction she'd gone, I allowed Zane and Ryker to lead me out. The teasing continued all the way, but their words couldn't shake the image of her from my mind.