The clock marked the start of the third morning class, and Class B's room buzzed with scattered voices some loud, others thick with drowsiness or boredom. Students were spread across desks, organizing books, laughing, or halfheartedly warming up for another ordinary day of training. Ash Aragon, as usual, sat at the back, eyes closed and head slightly lowered. He wasn't asleep he was meditating. Even amid the noise, his body remained motionless, as if detached from this world.
That morning, he was more introspective than usual. He mentally replayed the fight against Claire. That moment when their eyes met. The weight of her gaze. The pressure she emitted had been real, but there was something else something he couldn't name. Had he felt curiosity? Interest? Or was it simply the tension of facing a powerful opponent? The question echoed in his mind with no answer.
Elsewhere in the room, Lina was whispering with two classmates, holding back laughter while sneaking glances at Ash.
"He's in that deep-focus mode again… looks like he could explode someone just by looking," one of them said.
"I wouldn't doubt it," Lina replied. "But he's actually cool… just seems like he lives in another world."
The sound of their voices was interrupted by a metallic creak. The classroom door opened slowly. No one paid attention at first. But within seconds, silence fell like mist across the room.
Two pairs of footsteps echoed across the marble floor. Claire walked in first.
All eyes turned. Her jet-black hair fell over her shoulders with perfect symmetry, and her clear blue eyes scanned the room with surgical precision. Each step she took seemed part of a meticulously rehearsed choreography. Beside her, Blair appeared with a teasing smile on her lips, her usual carefree aura following her like perfume.
The students looked at one another—confused, stunned, nervous. No one knew why two legends of Class S had entered. Never, in any semester, had students from the elite Class S descended to visit Class B. It was as if heaven had touched the ground.
Ash opened his eyes. His muscles tensed instinctively. He hadn't expected this. Not like this. Claire saw him. For a moment, she hesitated. Her breath caught for just a second. Seeing Ash there, without armor, without a sword, his face relaxed from meditation, struck her harder than she expected.
Blair immediately noticed and murmured under her breath,
"Careful not to trip over your own heart."
Claire ignored her. Or tried. But her eyes did not look away. She walked firmly to the back of the room, eyes locked on Ash. Every student followed the scene. Some exchanged shocked glances. Lina's eyes widened.
Ash stood up slowly. The movement was smooth and controlled. His gaze met Claire's. There was no arrogance, no surprise only curiosity, and something else… restrained.
Claire stopped in front of him. They were so close they could hear each other's breathing.
"Ash Aragon," she said, her voice calm but low. "We need to talk."
"Now?" he replied, without breaking eye contact.
"Now."
Blair let out an exaggerated sigh.
"So tense. I can almost smell the electricity in the air. Hi, Class B! Loving the vibe!" She waved at the students, who had no idea how to respond. A few smiled nervously. Most froze.
Ash walked with Claire out of the room under the stunned stares of his classmates. Once the door closed, Lina exhaled the breath she had been holding.
"What… was that?"
"I… don't know," one of her friends replied. "But I felt something strange. It looked… personal."
In the hallway, Claire stayed silent for several seconds. Ash waited patiently. He was in no rush. He wanted to understand why she had sought him out.
"You're making me uneasy," she finally said, without looking directly at him.
Ash raised an eyebrow.
"What kind of unease?"
"The kind that makes me watch your movements even when I don't want to. The kind that makes me think about how you fight… how you look at me… and what's behind those red eyes."
Ash said nothing. Not out of coldness. He felt the same a silent magnetism he still didn't know how to process.
"I'm not used to losing control," Claire continued, finally turning to face him. "And somehow, since I fought you, I feel like I lost a little."
"Maybe… you didn't lose anything," Ash said. "Maybe you just discovered there are more ways to control than you thought."
Claire bit her lower lip slightly. Ash noticed, and inside, something warmed in his chesta feeling he hadn't allowed himself to name in years.
"I came here to understand this," Claire said. "To understand what you are… and what you're doing to me."
Ash took a step closer. Claire didn't back away.
"And did you find any answers?"
She shook her head slightly.
"No. But I'm willing to look."
There was silence. Dense, full of meaning.
"And you?" she asked. "What do you see when you look at me?"
Ash hesitated. It was hard to put into words.
"A cold, perfect strength. But sometimes, I see cracks. And through them… something human. Something beautiful."
Claire felt her heart race. The ice she had built for years was starting to melt in front of him. She looked away, embarrassed, though her posture never wavered.
"Don't say things like that," she muttered.
"Why not? Are they lies?"
"No… but they're dangerous."
Ash smiled, just slightly. A rare smile.
"I've lived surrounded by danger. I think I can handle this too."
Claire looked back at him. The world seemed suspended in that instant.
They parted with no touch, no promises. But both knew something had changed.
When they returned to the room, curious eyes followed them. Blair, leaning against the wall, only smiled.
"That was quick," she said. "But I saw her eyes. You think Claire is made of ice? No. She's burning inside. And you'll all see what that fire can do."
The class resumed. But nothing returned to normal that day. And for Claire… even less.
That night, lying in bed, Claire stared at the ceiling, eyes open, fingers clasped over her chest. She replayed the moment Ash looked at her. Not just saw her he truly saw her. She felt unguarded, exposed… but alive.
She closed her eyes and whispered to herself:
"Ash Aragon… who are you, really?"