Coming back to the academy was like waking up in someone else's dream, too clean, too normal compared to what he'd just been through. All the students inhaled deeply as they descended from the craft.
It was as they were cast into the abyss of hell. Some laid themselves wholly on the ground, coughing, while the rest kept on inhaling like it was their final breath to take.
As Leon descended, he gasped so hard all the students standing close to him moved far away. Then, as he moved to the academy's entrance door, he coughed.
His eyes widened as he saw stains of blood in his palm after using it as a shield to cover his mouth. 'How come I'm coughing blood?' he thought, but in that instant, Zoe paused as she reached him.
"The friendship or whatever you call it. The thing we had or discussed in the Shattered Land should stay in the Shattered Land."
After speaking, she opened the door and entered. But every time Leon's glance fell in her direction, their eyes met.
Her mouth said one thing, but her eyes hinted at something else entirely. Then, as she vanished, Tiger smacked Leon's back, causing him to cough harder.
"Hey!" Leon screamed through his cough as Tiger entered, laughing. Just as Leon started to look away, Tiger flicked him a crude gesture before disappearing into the crowd.
When Leon stepped inside, the students who hadn't joined the trials turned to stare. Their gazes clung to him—torn clothes, hollow eyes, hair hanging in a mess—like they were seeing someone dragged out of another world.
As he walked past, the whispers began to ripple. Voices low, urgent, impossible to ignore, following him while the rest of the survivors filed in behind.
"...Wait, weren't they about ten thousand in number?"
"...Yeah. Is it really true those who die in the trial just become meat for the creatures?"
"...I don't know. But what I know and have heard is, sometimes, they take the strong ones—I mean those who die—and place them in a lab for experiments."
"...What?! Experiments!"
"...I don't think that's true. But what I also heard is, their family just gets their uniform to bury."
"...If that's the case, then where do they place the body?"
The moment Leon moved past them, a stern-faced official stopped him in a haze.
"...Hey kid. Were you part of those who just survived the Shattered Land?"
"Yes, I'm part," Leon responded. Just as his voice faded, he began to move, thinking the man's interrogation had ended.
"Where are you going? Am I not talking to you?" the man yelled, letting Leon turn back in his direction in an instant.
"How in the world would you do that? Is that how your parents taught you?" he hissed. "I'm sure your blind mother would have done better if she had the chance to see."
"Sorry, sir," Leon apologized in a low and steady voice. But in his mind, he knew all that they wanted to see was his dead body, instead of him being alive.
Then, the man began asking him methodical questions about the terrain and his survival strategies.
Leon answered, but kept his words vague, mentioning the beasts but omitting the valley, the giant creature, and the full extent of Zoe's powers.
Then, he added by speaking of the crystal but omitted the part of him taking it. Right after the man's questions finished, he directed Leon toward a drawer, pulled out a clean uniform, and dismissed him.
Leon's body ached with a deep, bone-weary exhaustion, but his mind kept replaying the scenes of the Shattered Land incidents as he walked to his room.
On his walk back, all he wanted was a shower and a bed, but got none as he saw Mr. Lee also approaching.
Mr. Lee's face was tight with concern. "Leon. Come with me," he said, not waiting for an answer, and led him into a small, private study room.
"The school is buzzing," Mr. Lee said without preamble, closing the door. "They're saying you displayed a unique energy signature during the trial. Powerful. Unregistered."
'Zoe.' Her name bounced in Leon's mind, making his heart sink. They knew.
"They also know you allied with Zoe Qing," Mr. Lee continued, his voice lowering.
"That was both very brave and very foolish. You have made a powerful friend, but have also drawn the focused ire of Tiger Kang. His family does not take well to perceived… interferences."
"He threatened my family first," Leon said, the words tasting like ash in his vibrating skin.
"I know," Mr. Lee said grimly. "I've already sent Feng to keep a distant watch on your mother and sister. He is… discreet."
Leon felt a wave of relief so strong it almost buckled his knees. "Thank you, sir."
"Do not thank me yet," Mr. Lee warned. "This is only the beginning." He paused for breath.
"You passed the first trial. You have proven you have potential. That makes you a bigger target, not a safer one. The next trial will not be about survival against monsters. It will be about combat. Against the other students. Including Zoe and Tiger."
Mr. Lee handed Leon a new data-slate. The screen glowed, displaying a start tournament bracket. Leon's finger scrolled past unfamiliar names until it found his own.
And directly opposite it, in cold official text, was his first-round opponent: Kang, T.
A cold, sharp clarity sliced through Leon's exhaustion. This was no longer a threat muttered in a hallway. It was a scheduled event. An execution with witnesses.
"He will try to break you," Mr. Lee said, his voice low and grave, his eyes holding Leon's. "And he will try to take from you what he wants. You must be ready." He paused, caught a breath, and continued. "Don't just fight to survive, Leon. Fight to win."
Leon took the slate, his grip so firm the screen threatened to crack. The fear was still there, a cold stone in his gut, but he forged it into a weapon.
He thought of his father's cap, untouched by the fire. Of the golden sword. Of Lily's face, depending on him. Of his mother, still encouraging him.