The morning before the Dawnforge Tournament felt… off.
Not tense.
Not dangerous.
Just strangely, unnervingly quiet.
As if the entire city of Nexara was holding its breath again.
Raze Arcwell stood alone in the Arcwell estate courtyard, practicing slow, deliberate strikes with weighted batons.
Not the Starbreaker suit.
Not any upgraded training device.
Just the same Arcsteel batons he had used since childhood—the tools that grounded him more than anything else.
He always returned to the basics when he needed to think.
Tap.
Step.
Shift.
Strike.
His movements were steady and precise.
His thoughts were not.
Astra.
Round Two.
Nightveil.
The weight of the world watching him.
Too many things waited for him beyond tomorrow's sunrise.
Raze exhaled, resetting his stance.
◆ ◆ ◆
From the upper balcony, Luna watched with her arms crossed.
"He's pushing harder than usual," she murmured.
Rose joined her with a cup of tea, her expression soft and knowing.
"That's how he stabilizes himself," she said. "Before anything important… he always goes back to where he began."
Luna puffed her cheeks slightly.
"I wish he didn't remind me so much of Father sometimes."
Rose smiled into her cup.
"That's a compliment, Luna."
Luna's cheeks went red instantly.
"...No it isn't."
◆ ◆ ◆
Down in the courtyard, Lily tip-toed behind Raze with a giant blanket draped over her—her best attempt at a spooky ghost.
She crept closer…
Closer…
"BOO!"
Raze didn't even flinch.
"Lily. I can see your feet."
The blanket dropped dramatically as she huffed.
"You're no fun when you're focused!"
Raze cracked a smile.
"Give me five minutes."
"Nope."
She grabbed his sleeve and tugged with all her six-year-old strength.
"You're done now."
He blinked.
"…That wasn't a request, was it?"
"Nope!"
Raze sighed, defeated by a child, as she dragged him toward the cherry blossom trees.
They sat under the shade, petals drifting gently in the wind as Lily leaned her head on his arm.
"Are you nervous about tomorrow?" she asked quietly.
Raze hesitated.
"…A little."
"Good."
He stared at her.
"Good?"
"Yeah! That means you care! Heroes who don't care lose early. But you care, so you'll win!"
Her logic was questionable.
Her confidence was not.
Raze laughed softly, tension easing from his shoulders.
◆ ◆ ◆
Later that afternoon, the doorbell rang.
Raze walked over to open it—
and the door burst open before he touched it.
Roger Castellan marched inside, carrying a massive bag of snacks.
"EMERGENCY PRE-TOURNAMENT PARTY!"
"No," Luna said immediately from the living room.
"Yes," Roger replied, sweeping past her.
"No."
"Yes."
"NO."
"Yes—because Astra is already here."
"...What?"
Astra Noire stepped into view holding the pastry box Rose had given her last time.
Luna's eye twitched dangerously.
Raze blinked. "Astra? Why are you—?"
"She said she wanted to check on you," Roger announced proudly.
"And she owes Lily a rematch in plush-throwing combat."
Astra turned scarlet.
"I did not say that! I only came to return a plate. Lily asked me to help her build a pillow fortress—I did not volunteer!"
Lily zipped into the room.
"Astra! The pillow war begins NOW!"
Astra sighed as Lily latched onto her leg.
Raze turned to Roger.
"Why are YOU here?"
Roger opened a soda dramatically.
"Emotional support. And snacks."
Luna groaned into her hands.
"Our home is turning into a public park…"
But she didn't kick them out.
◆ ◆ ◆
The living room quickly transformed into a chaotic wonderland of cushions, blankets, and Lily's suspicious engineering.
Astra sat stiffly on the couch, unused to the warmth of a loud, messy household.
Lily climbed into her lap and placed a dragon plush in her hands.
"You're the dragon queen now."
Astra blinked.
"…I am?"
"Yes."
Astra accepted her fate.
Roger sprawled across the floor with chips.
"Tomorrow's gonna be wild. You and Astra might fight, huh?"
Raze nodded quietly.
Astra glanced at him, expression unreadable.
"You should rest. Tomorrow matters."
Lily pointed at both of them with all the authority of a tiny general.
"You two better not hurt yourselves tomorrow."
Raze and Astra both looked away immediately—at identical angles.
Roger whispered loudly,
"Oh yeah, there is DEFINITELY tension here."
A pillow smacked him in the face. Courtesy of Luna.
◆ ◆ ◆
Night settled softly over the Arcwell estate.
After everyone left and Lily fell asleep in her blanket fort, Raze stepped onto the balcony for air.
Astra was already there.
She stood beneath the moonlight, wings folded neatly behind her, staring over the glowing skyline of Nexara.
"You were quiet today," she said without turning.
"You were too," Raze replied.
A moment passed.
Astra exhaled.
"Tomorrow… I won't hold back."
Raze nodded.
"Good. I don't want you to."
She turned to him, golden eyes sharp yet soft.
"You've changed, Raze. You're stronger. I can feel it. But strength alone won't defeat me."
"I know."
"Then why do you look calm?"
Raze looked at the city—quiet, glowing, waiting.
"Because today reminded me that no matter what happens tomorrow… I'm not facing this world alone."
Astra's expression softened.
"That is… good."
She stepped off the balcony edge, floating gently.
"Sleep early," she said softly.
"Tomorrow, we decide who moves forward."
With a rush of wind, she soared into the night sky.
Raze watched her disappear among the stars.
His heart steady.
His resolve sharper than ever.
Tomorrow, the world would watch him again.
And this time—
he intended to show them everything.