Lux's hand closed around Dominic's, and with a short pull he was hauled back to his feet.
His legs protested for half a second, then steadied. His breathing was still rough, chest rising fast, but it didn't take long for him to rein it in. The ache was there—everywhere—but it was the dull kind, the kind that meant he'd pushed himself hard instead of breaking something.
Rese stepped forward, arms crossed.
"Dominic Fulgur wins," she said, clear and firm. "First to kneel."
Lux let out a breath through his nose and nodded. Losing stung more than he'd expected.
It wasn't anger. Not at Dominic. Not even at the outcome itself.
It was disappointment. A quiet, sour feeling sitting somewhere behind his ribs.
He knew, logically, that he'd been outmatched. He knew Dominic had more experience, cleaner control, better fundamentals. But knowing something and feeling it were two different things. For a moment—just a moment—he'd really thought he might pull it off.
"Hey."
Dominic's voice cut through the spiral.
Lux looked up to see him grinning, hands on his hips, clearly still riding the high of the fight.
"That was way better than I expected," Dominic said. "Seriously. You weren't kidding about the whole 'barely trained' thing, were you?"
Lux blinked. "You still think I was lying?"
"It's not that," Vale said, stepping closer before Dominic could answer. His tone was calm, thoughtful. "It's just hard to wrap your head around."
Lux turned to him.
"You kept up longer than most people would," Vale continued. "Not because you were stronger, but because you adapted fast. That says more than how quickly you advanced."
Lux frowned slightly. "I don't really get what you mean."
Rese sighed, rubbing her temple like she was already tired.
"Your circulation is messy," she said bluntly. "No offense."
"Oh," Lux said. "…none taken?"
She continued anyway. "You needed a few seconds before the match just to fully spread it through your body. Dominic doesn't. He's already circulating before the fight even starts."
Dominic smirked,"Praise me more."
"And because of that," Rese ignored, "every movement you made cost more than it should've. You risk overheating faster for what's basically the same result."
Lux slowly pieced it together. "So… I was wasting energy."
"Pretty badly," she confirmed. "Which means the only reason you didn't fail immediately is because you've got an absurd amount to work with."
Dominic's eyes lit up. "Exactly! You were fighting at like—what—one-fifth the efficiency I am and still didn't fold. That's insane."
Lux scratched the back of his head. "That… doesn't really feel like a compliment."
"It is," Vale said. "You just don't know enough yet to hear it."
Dominic leaned closer, animated now. "And your style—man. It was weird."
Lux stiffened. "Weird bad?"
"Weird amazing," Dominic corrected. "It felt like you were everywhere at once. Like a storm that keeps shifting right when you think you've got it pinned down."
Lux hesitated. "I didn't really… fight much before."
Dominic raised a brow. "Really?"
"Mostly running," Lux admitted quietly.
Something flickered in his chest as the thought surfaced—faces, voices, bodies. Varik and Gavin. He's still so reliant on the memory of them, even though he told himself that he only has himself to rely on.
Not yet, apparently. Still not yet.
Before the weight could settle, a fist popped into his field of vision.
Lux looked up.
Dominic was holding it there, expectant.
"What?" Lux asked.
Dominic grinned. "I heard once that people used to do this. Like, way back. It's supposed to mean respect."
"…You mean a fist bump?"
"Yeah! That." He nodded. "I figured it wouldn't the situation. It was a fun duel."
Lux stared at it for a second.
Then he smiled—small, genuine—and lifted his own fist.
"Yeah," he said, tapping knuckles with Dominic. "It was fun."
Rese crossed her arms and looked between the three of them.
"Alright," she said dryly, "this is all very wholesome and heartwarming, but I'm pretty sure the event is basically over by now."
That wiped the smiles off their faces fast.
There was a brief, shared pause—then realization hit all at once.
Vale exhaled through his nose. "Yeah… four children from influential houses disappearing at the same time isn't exactly ideal."
"Three children," Rese corrected. "And a ward."
Lux winced. "That sounds worse when you say it like that."
Rese was already moving. "Then let's go before someone starts counting heads."
They didn't bother arguing. The four of them turned and broke into a run, weaving back through the corridors toward the main hall. They kept their pace quick but controlled—fast enough to make up for lost time, slow enough not to draw attention. No augmentation. No flaring senses. The last thing they needed was someone noticing them.
Despite the sprint, none of them were truly struggling. Their breathing stayed steady, legs moving easily, bodies responding like this was what they were built for.
They reached the familiar stretch of hall they'd left from only minutes ago. Music still drifted through the open space, softer now, conversations thinning as the evening wound down.
All four of them sighed in relief, then Dominic took a breath and burst out laughing.
Rese shot him a look. "What is wrong with you?"
He waved a hand, still grinning. "Nothing, nothing. I just—man, I haven't had that much fun in a while."
Vale adjusted his jacket and let out a quiet sigh, the corner of his mouth lifting. "I'll admit, it was pretty entertaining."
He glanced at Lux. "You're kind of a breath of fresh air compared to the rest of our peers."
Dominic leaned closer to Lux, mock offense in his voice. "Wow. Does that include me?"
"And me?" Rese added flatly.
Vale didn't even hesitate. "No."
Dominic laughed again. "Rude."
Lux smiled, a little shy but genuine. "Honestly… this was probably the most fun day I've had for as long as I could remember."
Rese looked away with a soft scoff. "Unbelievable. I'm surrounded by idiots."
All three of them turned their eyes on her at once.
She held for a second—then sighed. "…Fine. It was a little fun."
That did it.
The four of them laughed, their voices overlapping, swallowed halfway by the fading music and the hum of departing guests. Even so, it felt shared—like something that belonged just to them. Suddenly in that moment all the worry Lux had about coming here, the nervousness and worrying about etiquette vanished.
He just enjoyed the moment.
Not long after, the gathering began to dissolve for real. Families regrouped. Carriages and vehicles were called. The hall slowly emptied of its energy.
Before splitting off, Dominic stopped short and turned back toward Lux.
"Hey," he said, digging into the inside pocket of his jacket. "How do you want our contact info?"
Lux blinked. "Our… what?"
Vale paused, then looked at him a little more closely. "You don't have a C-Tag yet, do you."
Lux hesitated, then shook his head. "I—sorry. I don't actually know what that is."
That earned him three different reactions but all of them shared the same origin. Resignation.
Dominic stared for half a second, then sighed with a smile. "You're too unreal."
Rese rolled her eyes but didn't look surprised. "Upper City tech. You wouldn't have access to it anyway."
Vale nodded. "Each city runs its own network. C-Tags only work here. I'm sure even the Outer Sector had Network Nodes. Unless you were really far out."
"Oh," Lux said, a little embarrassed. "That… makes sense."
Dominic shrugged. "No problem then."
He pulled a slim stylus from his pocket and grabbed a folded card from the nearby refreshment table. "Just write it down."
Vale did the same, neat and precise. Rese followed, her handwriting sharp and confident.
They handed the card back to Lux, three Serial IDs etched into it. A string of numbers and letters that, to Lux, had no business being together.
Lux accepted it carefully, like it mattered. "Thank you. I'll make sure not to lose it."
Dominic grinned. "Good. You don't get to dodge me now, rival."
Lux smiled, small but genuine. "I won't."
They separated soon after, each returning to their respective families.
Lux spotted Vincent and Cylia near the edge of the hall. He straightened instinctively and approached, offering a respectful bow.
"Patriarch. Lady Cylia."
Cylia smiled the moment she saw him. "Looks like you had a good time," she said lightly. "While I was busy fending off arrogant flies."
Lux blinked, then promptly tripped over his words. "I—uh—I mean—"
She laughed. "Relax. I'm joking."
Then, softer, "It's rare for anyone to actually enjoy these things. If you did, that's not a bad thing."
Vincent studied him for a moment, calm and unreadable as always.
"Did you gain anything from tonight?" he asked.
Lux inhaled once, steadying himself. A slight smile was on his face. When he answered, his voice was clear and had a hint of confidence.
"Yes, Patriarch."