It was still early when the sun had risen over Havenbrook. Kai, Lia, Aurelia, and Eldrin gathered outside the inn to head back to Elaris. As they were putting away their supplies, loud conversation caught their attention as a group of travelers gathered nearby, the voices booming with excitement and intrigue.

"Did you hear?" breathed one man low to his companions. "This morning Ronan Asher, young son of House Asher, is to be challenged by Dorian Fronston. Fronston came into Havenbrook last night, from the western Hart province, only to challenge him."

When the duel was mentioned, Kai's ears pricked up. Nobility and their fights were stories he'd only heard whispers of in passing, ones that felt as far from his own life as the stars.

"It was bound to happen," said another witness. "Since Ronan defeated Dorian in last year's annual competition, they've had it in for each other. Ronan is practically a prodigy—he entered the early stage of Essence Calibration at sixteen! Havenbrook hasn't seen someone that talented in years."

Gasps of amazement circulate the crowd as one adds, "But Dorian just entered the Essence Calibration stage too. They say he prepared himself to prove he is now stronger than Ronan. A duel between them will be unforgettable."

Kai and Lia exchanged a glance with bright eyes full of excitement and curiosity. They turned to Aurelia, pleadingly.

"Could we… could we watch the duel?" Lia asked, her voice almost reverent. "We'd never get to see something like this back in Elaris!"

Aurelia let out a small sigh but smiled as she gave in to their enthusiasm. "Very well," she said. "Just promise to stay by my side. Duels between nobles are intense, especially when it's about pride and family honor."

The city arena was full of vitality, as locals, merchants, and travelers packed within it, watching the two young nobles clash. Duels hardly ever occurred outside of competitions formally held and this duel was not one to take place in smaller cities such as Havenbrook. When Kai found a seat amongst the crowd, Aurelia kept a close eye over them.

Dorian Fronston and Ronan Asher stood in the center of the arena. Dorian was a youth with fiery eyes and red wild hair that screamed of intensity; his face reflected the intensity of his bloodline. He was a member of House Fronston, a bloodline of the Scarlet Wolf that gave him abnormal strength and resilience in battle. Opposite him stood Ronan Asher-a man whose composure matched his nobility. His blue locks hinted at his heritage, sharing the same ancestry as the Lightning Eagle. Those bloodline people were known for their swift reactions and lightning-based skills. He stood there, his face nothing like he cared if winning or losing today would make a difference.

Dorian snickered. "Ronan Asher, I see nothing has changed. As smug as ever. That was a fluke last year-I'll make sure everyone knows that today."

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Ronan met his gaze with a calm indifference. "If you think it was a fluke, then prove it. But we both know how this will end."

Dorian's jaw set, his fists clenching as his Essence flared around him, a faint red aura tinged with the fury of the Scarlet Wolf. "I've grown stronger, Asher. I'll show you the power of my bloodline."

With a burst of Essence, Dorian just attacked Ronan, his movements fueled purely by aggression. Each strike he gave had an explosive force resonating throughout the arena. Ronan, on the other hand, moved fluidly, easily dodging and blocking all of Dorian's attacks with a calm that never faltered.

As the duel continued, Ronan retaliated with pinpoint, controlled strikes, and his fingers crackled with lightning energy. He easily parried Dorian's punches, and his blue Essence shimmered around him. Kai and Lia barely kept their eyes off the action, captivated by this seamless display of skill.

As Dorian's frustration rose, he fed more Essence into his strikes, and every punch thumped through with an intense red glow. Still, however, Ronan's fast moves countered him, lightning techniques holding Dorian back at arm's length. And with a perfect strike at the last possible moment, Ronan struck Dorian in the abdomen, forcing him back a few feet, breathless.

The crowd cheered as Dorian managed to get to his feet, his pride forcing him not to give in fully. But even he couldn't deny the result. He nodded stiffly at Ronan after a tensed pause, acknowledging that Ronan was indeed good before leaving the arena.

The roar of the crowd slowly dissipated and fell into an incredulous silence as Kai sat by Lia, drinking in every moment of this battle just played out. The youths there, both but three, four years their elders at most, showed moves he had never seen done - at least not among someone his age, maybe beyond, he could only ponder that in the following breath he could not draw again without having a little drop forming on the edge. End.

"Ronan and Dorian are only sixteen, and they're already so strong…," she whispered. "We haven't even started cultivating yet. How can we ever catch up to people like them?"

Kai nodded in agreement, the weight settling within his heart as well. That duel was inspiring, but it made him acutely aware of the gap between him and those nobles with lines of blood. Could this commoner, without heritage or fame, ever really hope to achieve that sort of power?

Aurelia saw what was on their faces and reached out to place a light hand on Kai's shoulder. "Strength is not a matter of noble lineage or early rising," she said quietly. "True strength lies within, in resolve, and in courage. You two have potential, but you have to shape it yourself."

The words were a small solace, but as Kai turned back from the arena and into the fading light, doubts crept. They had left him with more questions than answers, and he questioned if ever he would be able to stand beside people like Ronan and Dorian.