"Gods, this will be hectic"
Right on cue, the front door slammed.
"BROTHER—"
"—WE'RE HERE."
Solace didn't have an opportunity to brace before arms wrapped around him from both sides.
"Careful," Solace muttered, smiling despite himself. "I'm still fragile."
"That's what you said before trying to spar us blind," Noah replied. "Lies. All lies."
Luna took his hand gently. "Are you nervous?"
"A little," Solace admitted. "Mostly about the company."
"Oh, please," Noah said. "You're lucky. You get us."
Solace tilted his head. "That's precisely what worries me."
The ride was noisy.
Noah complained about the early hour. Luna tried to keep him from leaning out the window. Solace sat between them, cane folded against his knee, absorbing the hum of the engine and the faint pressure of the city growing denser around them.
When the car finally stopped, Solace stepped out and immediately felt the difference.
The air here was cleaner. Filtered. Almost sterile.
The building itself was massive. Glass and white stone layered together in a way that felt less like architecture and more like a statement. Everything here was designed to look expensive without trying too hard.
"Wow," Noah muttered.
Luna squeezed Solace's hand. "We're here."
"I can tell," he said. "It smells like money."
They hadn't even reached the entrance when footsteps approached from the front.
Measured. Confident. Familiar.
"You're early," Principal Niccole Richards said.
Solace straightened instinctively. "Good morning, Principal."
Noah stiffened. Luna bowed slightly without thinking.
Niccole glanced at the siblings, her silver hair catching the light. "You must be Noah and Luna."
"Yes, ma'am," Luna said quickly.
Noah hesitated, then added, "Ma'am."
She turned back to Solace. "Ready?"
Solace nodded in turn.
"Good," she said. "Let's not waste time."
The treatment room was quiet in a way that felt deliberate.
Machines hummed softly, not loudly enough to distract but not quietly enough to let your thoughts wander too far. The chair Solace was guided into was warm, molded perfectly to support his spine and neck.
A healer spoke in calm tones, explaining procedures Solace only half followed. Something about neural pathways. Essence scarring. Residual damage.
Niccole stood nearby
"Will it hurt?" Noah asked from the corner.
"Yes," the healer replied without hesitation. "Briefly."
"That's reassuring," Noah muttered.
Solace exhaled. "Let's do it."
The moment the device activated, pain bloomed behind his eyes.
Not sharp. Not blinding.
Deep.
Like pressure releasing all at once.
He clenched his jaw, fingers digging into the armrests as warmth flooded his skull. Essence moved. He could feel it, sliding into places that had been empty for too long.
Then—
Light.
At first, it was unbearable.
White flooded everything, chaotic and overwhelming. His breath hitched as his vision flickered, blurred shapes crashing into one another without meaning.
"Easy," the healer said. "Don't force it."
Solace blinked.
Once.
Twice.
The light softened.
Edges formed.
A ceiling.
Smooth. White. Slightly cracked near one corner.
He stared.
Actually stared.
"I—" His voice broke. He swallowed. "I can see."
Solace lifted a hand and laughed softly, almost disbelieving. His fingers were pale. Scarred. Real.
He turned his head.
Noah. Grinning like an idiot.
Principal Richards, meeting his gaze calmly.
"Well," she said. "That settles that."
Solace breathed out, something heavy finally leaving his chest.
"Thank you," he said quietly.
Niccole nodded once. "Don't waste it."
Solace was suspicious of Nicole's behavior. She definitely knew something. Either about him that made him so special or the future. He was not exactly sure what this feeling was, but he had a strong feeling that he should investigate this deeply.
And now that his vision had returned, he was going to do exactly that.
First, he was going to investigate this issue. He had knowledge of the novel. He knew various church bases and gangs related to the church. Furthermore, he was also going to track down which gang was the one responsible for Sarah's death. Of course he was going to involve others in this, specifically Lily.
But before that, let's focus on the tournament first.
And the days passed, Solace gave the oral exams that the academy had allowed him to give.
The day of the tournament arrived. But with it came a message. It wasn't from the principal, nor was it real.
Solace stood in front of his bathroom mirror, and in front of him for the first time ever since arriving in this world. The shimmering runes changed.
The system now showed a new set of runes floating in front of him.
______________________________
A quest has been issued.
______________________________