The training hall was empty except for the rhythm of my fists.
Bang!...Bang!..Bang!!!....
Each strike rattled the heavy bag, chains squealing with the force. Sweat dripped into my eyes, stung my skin, but I didn't blink. I didn't stop.
This was my ritual. Punches until my arms went numb. Five hundred pushups until my chest collapsed against the floor. Shadow sparring until my magic burned in my veins.
Most days, it was enough.
Not today.
The storm in my chest howled too loud. The bond burned hotter than usual, that cursed string tugging on my finger no matter how much I tried to ignore it. Serie Winston. Her face wouldn't leave my mind. The way she jumped. The way she lived.
I hit harder. The bag swung wildly, smacking the wall with a hollow thud. My knuckles throbbed. The storm didn't quiet.
"Damn f***k it! " I muttered, stepping back. My breathing was sharp, uneven. Shadows weren't enough today. I needed pain. Real pain.
Man to man.
I knew exactly who could give it to me.
Ruan...
He'd been here since my first week. Forced himself into my life, called me his brother even when I told him to shut up. Stubborn bastard!…..But he was the only one who understood because he was chained here like me. His father was one of the trustees, but that didn't mean he grew up in privilege. No, it meant his scars went deeper, carved by the very hand that was supposed to protect him.
I messaged one word: Fight
No reply. I didn't need one.
Air split a heartbeat later, a gust of wind knocking my hair across my face. Ruan appeared in the blink of an eye, his trademark grin already in place.
"Tch! Tch! ...Already beating up bags, huh?" he said, bouncing on his toes. Then his fist snapped forward faster than lightning--
Crack!!
His knuckles connected with my cheek. My head snapped sideways.
I rubbed my jaw, smirking through the sting. "Ouch. Good one."
He grinned wider. "What's the problem this time?"
I didn't answer. I swung. My fist smashed against his jaw, wiping the smile for half a second.
"Ou-ouch!" Ruan staggered, rubbing his chin. "Relax, bro!"
I didn't. My silence was enough. He knew me well enough not to press.
"You know me, Ruan," I said, voice low. "Just speed up "
His grin came back, sharper this time. "Gladly "
And then we clashed....
The air exploded as he blurred into motion. His ability bent light itself--one second in front of me, the next behind. A jab slammed into my ribs, sharp enough to knock the wind from me.
I twisted, striking back. My fist grazed his shoulder, not enough. I summoned shadows into my knuckles, dark fire sparking as I drove another punch forward. He ducked. His speed turned him into a phantom, just out of reach.
"Too slow!" he taunted, voice echoing from three places at once.
I snarled, sweeping my leg across the floor. He leapt--right into my upward fist.
Crack!
His nose spurted blood. He stumbled back, laughing. "Ouhoo...Finally!"
He darted forward again. His punches came in flurries--ten, twelve, fifteen in the space of a breath. I blocked what I could, took the rest, my skin burning with bruises.
I countered, fists fueled with shadow magic, striking hard enough to send shockwaves through the mats. He blurred aside at the last second, reappearing behind me and slamming his palm into my back. I flew forward, hit the ground, rolled, came up grinning.
"Ah!...Better," I growled.
We went at it like wolves. The hall shook with every impact. Fists cracked against ribs, forearms, jaws. Blood spattered across the mats, but neither of us slowed.
Ruan's speed was nearly impossible to follow, but I'd fought him enough times to predict his rhythm. I lunged when he blurred, caught him mid-step with a hook across the face. He spun, hit the ground, rolled, and laughed like a madman.
Two hours blurred into three. Every blow carried rage, laughter, something raw. Until our lungs burned and our legs wobbled like lead.
At last, we both collapsed onto the mats, sprawled flat, staring up at the ceiling.
For a long moment, silence reigned. Then Ruan broke it with a howl of laughter. Loud, reckless, shameless.
I chuckled quietly beside him. Not because it was funny...nothing was...but because the storm inside me had dulled. Beaten into silence for now.
Ruan rolled his head toward me, grinning despite the blood streaking his lip.
"Let's hit the fresher's party later. You remember that girl? The thief with the goggles?"
I knew who he meant instantly. Serie Winston.
Ruan's goggles had ended up in her bag by mistake on orientation day. She'd tried to return them, but Ruan never let the chance for an argument go. He knew she wasn't a thief, but he enjoyed seeing her flustered. He enjoyed pressing where it hurt.
And I had been there too. That was the first time I saw her. The first time I felt the cursed tug at my ring finger. Outside, in weaker magic, it had been faint--almost ignorable. But here, in the University's strong magical field, the truth burned undeniable.
The bond was real. The irritation permanent.
I must've drifted into thought too long, because Ruan nudged me with his elbow.
"Oi, Kael.... I'm talking to you." His grin turned wicked.
"Let's go do something. You know me...I like breaking fragile things. And she's got plenty of temper to break. Weaklings like her don't last long."
My chest tightened.
I ignored it. My face stayed still, cold as stone.
"Fine," I said.
Ruan laughed, stretching his arms.
"Good. You break bones, I break spirits. Together, we'll have fun."
He didn't know the truth. He thought it was just a game.
I didn't answer. My eyes drifted to my hand, to the cursed thread burning faintly against my skin.
For him, it was sport.
For me, it was survival.
I would break Serie Winston not for fun, but for freedom.
Serie Winston!!
Weakling!.. Irritation...Bond!!!
She wasn't supposed to last. She wasn't supposed to matter. And yet---
The mats trembled beneath me as my power flared without warning, shadows licking across the floor.
Ruan's eyes widened for the briefest second.
I clenched my jaw, forcing the power down, but the thought still struck, sharp and merciless...
If I can't break her… then maybe this bond will break me first.....