As Nico walked alongside Jenna, the usual light conversation between them faded into the background of his thoughts. Something didn’t feel right. A nagging sensation crept into his mind, and he couldn’t shake the feeling that they were being watched. His eyes flicked over his shoulder every now and then, catching brief glimpses of the empty streets behind them, but nothing seemed out of place.

Still, the uneasy feeling lingered.

Jenna was talking about her plans for the weekend, but Nico wasn’t paying attention. His senses were tuned in to something else now. He wasn’t sure if it was his paranoia or instinct, but it felt like there was someone following them—someone who was deliberately staying out of sight.

“Hey, Nico?” Jenna asked, her voice pulling him back to the present.

“Huh? Sorry, what?” he replied, blinking and trying to focus on her.

She gave him a small smile. “I asked if you had any plans this weekend. You seem a little distracted.”

He forced a smile. “Yeah, sorry, just... thinking about school stuff.”

Jenna didn’t seem convinced, but she let it slide. As they continued walking, Nico’s senses sharpened again. Whoever was behind them was good at staying hidden, but not good enough to escape his notice completely.

He couldn’t let Jenna get involved in this. If someone was following them, there was no telling what they wanted—or what they might do.

“Hey,” Nico said suddenly, stopping in his tracks. Jenna turned to him, confused.

“What’s up?”

“I, uh… I just remembered I have something to take care of. I think I’ll head home on my own from here,” he said, trying to keep his tone casual.

Jenna frowned. “You sure? I can walk with you a little longer if—”

“No, no, it’s fine. Really.” Nico forced a chuckle. “Just some stuff I need to handle. I’ll catch up with you later.”

She looked at him for a moment, clearly unsure, but eventually nodded. “Okay, if you’re sure. Take care, Nico.”

“Yeah, you too.” He gave her a quick wave as she walked off, disappearing around the corner.

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Once Jenna was gone, Nico’s expression darkened. His heart began to pound, but not from nerves—this was different. This was preparation. The tension in his muscles was growing, the anticipation of something about to happen.

He walked forward a few more steps, letting the silence stretch out around him. The street was eerily quiet now, just the sound of his own footsteps echoing off the buildings.

He stopped, standing in the middle of the sidewalk.

“Alright,” Nico called out, his voice cutting through the silence. “I know you’re there. Stop hiding and come out.”

For a moment, there was no response. The air felt still, the tension rising.

Then, a figure emerged from the shadows.

A man stepped out from an alley, dressed in a baggy jacket and pants, with white sneakers that seemed oddly pristine. His hair was styled in a modern mullet, the sides shaved close while the rest flowed messily down the back. There was something unnerving about him—his presence was calm, almost too calm, as if he had all the time in the world.

“Finally,” the man said, a sly smile curling on his lips. “Took you long enough to notice.”

Nico’s eyes narrowed, his body tensing. “Who are you? Why are you following me?”

The man didn’t answer right away. Instead, he took a few steps forward, his hands stuffed casually in his pockets. His gaze was sharp, assessing Nico with a level of intensity that made Nico feel like he was being weighed, measured. Judged.

“Who I am doesn’t matter,” the man finally said. His voice was low, almost mocking. “What matters is that I’m here to deliver a message.”

Nico clenched his fists. “A message?”

The man’s smile widened. “I’m challenging you.”

Nico blinked, confusion flashing across his face. “Challenging me? What the hell are you talking about?”

The man tilted his head slightly, amusement gleaming in his eyes. “The interschool Martial Arts Power Bearing Tournament. Four months from now. I’m inviting you to fight.”

Nico’s confusion deepened. A tournament? Why would this guy care about me?

“You’ve got the look of someone who’s just starting to realize what they’re capable of,” the man continued. “But you’re still weak. You’re sloppy, untrained. You’ve got potential, but potential doesn’t mean anything without discipline.”

Nico gritted his teeth. “You don’t know anything about me.”

The man chuckled softly. “Oh, I know more than you think.”

There was something unsettling about the way he said it, the way his eyes seemed to pierce through Nico. Whoever this guy was, he wasn’t just some random challenger. He knew something. And that made Nico’s skin crawl.

“What do you want?” Nico asked, trying to keep his voice steady.

“I want to see if you can survive,” the man replied simply. “Train hard, Nico. If you show up at the tournament, you might make it past the first round. Maybe. But if you don’t… you’ll never know how far you could’ve gone.”

Nico took a step forward, his anger rising. “Why should I even listen to you? What’s your deal?”

The man’s smile faded slightly, and for the first time, his expression turned serious. He met Nico’s gaze, his voice dropping to a lower, more dangerous tone.

“I’m the second.”

Nico’s eyes widened, a chill running down his spine.

The second? That could only mean one thing.

The Sacred Commandments—the top ten power bearers in the school. If this guy was telling the truth, that meant he was the second-strongest student in the entire school, one of the most feared and powerful individuals in their ranks.

Nico’s mouth went dry.

“You’ve got four months,” the man said, his tone casual again, as if they were discussing the weather. “I’ll be watching. Don’t disappoint me.”

Before Nico could respond, the man turned and walked away, disappearing into the shadows as quickly as he had appeared. Nico stood there, his mind racing, his heart pounding in his chest.

The second Sacred Commandment… challenging me?

The gravity of the situation hit him all at once. Whoever this guy was, he wasn’t playing around. The interschool tournament was infamous for being brutal, a competition where the strongest power bearers from different schools clashed in a display of skill, power, and determination.

And now, he had just been thrown into the middle of it.

Nico clenched his fists, a mixture of fear and determination flooding his veins. If he wanted to stand a chance, he had to train. Hard. He couldn’t afford to stay weak, not when someone like him was watching.

For the first time in days, Nico felt the weight of his power—both the potential and the danger it held. Four months. That was all the time he had to prepare.

And if he failed?

He didn’t want to think about that.