"Winner, Lucavion."
The match was his.
But as he stepped away, that old sense of triumph—the kind that usually lingered in the wake of a clean, earned victory—didn't come.
Instead, it left a hollow hum in his chest.
Not regret.
Not quite sadness.
Just… complexity.
He had won.
And still, somehow, he felt like he was catching up to someone who had already fought their way ahead.
Jesse wiped the sweat from her brow, orange eyes steady on him.
Not angry. Not pleased.
Just there.
She gave a single nod.
Lucavion returned it.
Because beneath the clash of steel and the ache of time—
They finally saw each other.
****
The duel had ended.
The blade was sheathed. The cheers had quieted. The announcer's voice faded into the air like smoke.
And Jesse returned to the Lorian delegation.
