Next Morning arrived gently.
Sunlight filtered through the curtains of the Arcwell estate, casting soft patterns across the bedroom walls. For the first time in days, there were no alarms,no tension humming in the air.
Just quiet.
Raze Arcwell lay still for a moment after waking, listening to the distant sounds of the house—footsteps in the hallway, the clink of dishes, Lily humming badly off-key somewhere downstairs.
His body still hurt.
The bandages around his chest pulled when he breathed too deeply, and his arms felt stiff, but compared to the previous day…
It was manageable.
Carefully, he pushed himself up into a sitting position.
"Don't move too fast."
Rose's voice came from the doorway. She entered with a calm smile, though her eyes still held traces of worry.
"I'm fine," Raze replied honestly. "Mostly."
She placed a tray on the bedside table.
"Breakfast. And before you ask—yes, the doctors approved it."
Raze laughed softly.
"That strict, huh?"
"They were very clear," Rose said dryly. "You're resting. No training. No experimenting. No Starbreaker."
"…I wasn't going to," he muttered.
She gave him a knowing look.
◆ ◆ ◆
Breakfast was quiet—but warm.
Roland read through a tablet filled with reports he pretended not to care about.
Luna sat across from Raze, watching him like a hawk.
Lily sat beside him, swinging her legs happily.
"BIG BROTHER," Lily announced, "since you're broken, we're playing inside today!"
Raze raised an eyebrow.
"…Broken?"
"Yes! So you can't escape!"
Luna snorted.
"That's not what recovery means."
Lily crossed her arms defiantly.
"It means he's mine."
Raze sighed in defeat.
"I see no flaws in this logic."
◆ ◆ ◆
The rest of the morning passed quietly.
No villains.
No news alerts.
No sudden disasters.
Just games.
They played board games in the living room—Lily changed the rules halfway through and still declared herself the winner.
They played card games—Luna accused Raze of cheating even when he clearly wasn't.
At one point, Lily stacked pillows into a "fort" and demanded Raze guard it while sitting down.
Roland passed by, paused, and shook his head.
"…I leave for one meeting."
For Raze, it felt unreal.
After everything—after Nightveil, the tournament, the pain—
This normalcy felt precious.
Fragile.
◆ ◆ ◆
That afternoon, Lionel Academy made its announcement.
Raze didn't hear it live.
The announcement echoed through the academy halls, broadcast across screens and student devices.
"The Hero Association and Lionel Academy have jointly decided—"
"—to cancel the remaining matches of the Dawnforge Tournament."
Murmurs spread instantly.
Students gathered.
Teachers watched carefully.
"Due to recent security risks," the announcement continued, "and to ensure student safety, the final round will not proceed."
Some were disappointed.
Others relieved.
"The remaining candidates will instead be ranked based on their performance in the previous rounds."
Holograms flared to life above the central hall.
Names appeared one by one.
Rank 1 — Astra Noire
Rank 2 — Gray Howitzer
Rank 3 — Rain Lancelot
Rank 4 — Roger Castellan
Rank 5 — Mira Goldhart
Applause followed.
Pride.
Bittersweet smiles.
A sense of something unfinished.
"The award ceremony will be held the day after tomorrow," the announcement concluded.
"Attendance is mandatory for all ranked candidates."
◆ ◆ ◆
Raze found out later that evening.
He lay on the couch scrolling idly through the Lionel Academy website when the headline caught his eye.
*DAWNFORGE TOURNAMENT CONCLUDES — FINAL RANKINGS ANNOUNCED*
He stared at the list for a long moment.
"…Figures," he murmured.
Luna glanced over.
"You don't look surprised."
"I'm not," Raze replied. "They made the safest choice."
She hesitated.
"…Do you regret it? Not finishing?"
Raze leaned back, eyes on the ceiling.
"…A little," he admitted. "But I got what I needed."
"What's that?"
He smiled faintly.
"I learned where I stand."
◆ ◆ ◆
That night, Astra messaged him.
Astra:
*I heard the announcement.*
Raze:
*Yeah. Congrats.*
Astra:
*It doesn't feel complete.*
Raze paused before replying.
Raze:
*It never does.*
A moment passed.
Astra:
*Rest properly. Next time… we will finish it.*
Raze smiled.
Raze:
*Deal.*
◆ ◆ ◆
The day ended quietly.
Dinner was calm.
Lily fell asleep early, exhausted from "winning" too many games.
The house dimmed.
Raze stood near his window, gazing out at Nexara's lights.
The tournament was over.
Nightveil was gone—for now.
The world had chosen caution over spectacle.
And yet—
Something had shifted.
The next generation had been tested.
Lines had been crossed.
Truths had been glimpsed.
Raze touched the bandages beneath his shirt.
This wasn't the end.
It was a pause.