"Alright, now that you guys have mastered Zero-Point breathing, we move on to the next step."
As I spoke, a dark, predatory grin spread across my face—a remnant of the man who had once survived the cutthroat streets of Shang City. Both Ria and Kael visibly recoiled, a single bead of sweat popping out and rolling down their foreheads simultaneously. They had seen that look before, usually right before I put them through a training regimen that made their muscles feel like they were being rewoven by lightning.
"This isn't looking good," Kael muttered, his clouded eyes flickering with a hint of genuine dread. "What kind of training will the next one be?"
"Oliver, you're actually scary sometimes," Ria added, her metal arm emitting a small, nervous hiss of steam.
I chuckled, the sound hollow in the desolate silence of the North field. "Don't worry. I won't be starting the next phase right away. I want to give you both time to fully master the Zero-Breathing technique until it becomes as natural as your heartbeat. I will commence the true training after a month."
The two of them stared at each other in relief, then back at me. With a synchronized motion that showed just how much their discipline had improved, they put their hands together and bowed deeply.
"No problem, Sensei!" they shouted in unison. "We will take our time to practice the technique you taught us."
I nodded my head in approval, though I felt a twinge of discomfort at the title. Sensei. It was a heavy word, one that implied a bond I wasn't sure I was ready for, but in this world of cold Tiers, perhaps having a few loyal souls was the only way to survive the coming storm.
.....
After departing from the training grounds, I headed toward the Academy Library. My body felt light and athletic from the months of the daily grind, but my mind was restless. I needed to conduct personal research into the Veyron archives—specifically, the "Void-Fall" records that had been scrubbed from the digital servers.
The library was a cathedral of knowledge, with shelves that reached into the shadowed rafters and glowing data-crystals that hummed with ancient information. It was nearly empty, the silence so thick you could hear the dust motes dancing in the light.
However, as I rounded a corner near the Restricted History section, my heart skipped a beat. My face flushed—a physical reaction I couldn't control—as I sighted a lone figure sitting in the corner.
It was Suki.
She was tucked away in a quiet alcove, surrounded by heavy leather-bound tomes, making some personal research of her own. Seeing her up close was like being struck by a silent spell. Her long black hair, streaked with those ethereal blue stripes, waved past her eyes as she leaned forward. Her cheeks looked soft and perfectly sculpted, with a hint of pink color that made me want to reach out and pinch them just to see if she was real. Her lips were as red as a rose, and her long eyelashes cast delicate shadows over the pages she was studying. She was catching beauty personified.
"Hmmp… mmph." I cleared my throat, the sound echoing a bit too loudly in the quiet space.
Suki looked up, her icy blue eyes narrowing as she watched me help myself to a seat right beside her.
"Oh, hi," she greeted, her voice a cool melody.
"Hello," I replied, trying to keep my voice steady. "You've been busy."
"Yeah," she sighed, leaning back slightly. "You know... trying to live up to family expectations. What else is there to do?"
She spoke with a hint of helplessness that tugged at my chest. The Von Valerius name was a gilded cage, and I could see the weight of the Diamond Tier pressing down on her shoulders. I thought of the old world—of Tom and the simple dates we used to have before everything went to hell.
"Well, how about we stroll out together during the leisure period to pass the time?" I asked, staring at her with an intensity that dared her not to say no.
She searched my eyes for a long moment, looking for a sign that I was joking or perhaps trying to use her. Finally, she let out a breathy laugh that didn't quite reach her eyes.
"That... I cannot do."
Ouch. That stung a bit, I whispered internally, but I didn't let the rejection show on my face.
"Why?" I asked.
"Because my family is... strict," she replied, her gaze falling back to her book. "They would probably scold me for ever slacking off. Engaging in things such as having fun isn't permitted for someone in my position. They wouldn't like it."
I felt a surge of cold fury. Her family policies were archaic, designed to turn a living girl into a frozen weapon. To me, making things difficult for the woman I had always loved was the same as trampling on my own feet. If the Von Valerius family wanted to keep her in the dark, I would have to be the one to bring the light.
"How about I just stay here until you leave, then?" I asked, leaning back.
She looked surprised, then a small, genuine smile touched her lips. "No problem. Stay if you wish, but no distractions, okay?"
"Yeah. No distractions."
For the next few hours, the only sound was the turning of pages. But eventually, I broke the silence, bringing up a conversation about how she viewed the Academy. She didn't hesitate to reply, her guard slowly dropping as we talked. I kept the conversation going, weaving in jokes and stories from my former life , of course that made her laugh—a sound that felt like the first day of spring.
I asked her about the upcoming entrance tournament. To my surprise, she told me she wasn't participating.
"Diamond-Tiers are automatically qualified," she explained. "The Academy thinks it would be bullying for us to face the lower tiers in a public setting."
That put my mind at ease. Suki was the only person in this world I didn't want to face in a ring. Not because I feared her power, but because I couldn't bring myself to strike her, even in sport.
By the time evening arrived, Suki looked more alive than I had ever seen her. As we rounded up to leave the library, she was actually smiling—a sight that could have melted the very frost she commanded.
We strolled out of the library together, walking through the grand entrance hall toward the sunset. We were just two students talking, but in the eyes of the Academy, it was a scandal in the making.
A few yards away, hidden behind a decorative pillar, Caleb Cinandra watched us. His face twisted into a ferocious, predatory grin. He saw Oliver—the E-Rank trash—walking side-by-side with the Ice queen herself.
"Hahaha… Oliver, you have no idea what you've gotten yourself into," Caleb hissed.
He reached into the air, pulling a silver, glass-like device from his sub-spatial pocket. It was a high-grade Spectral Capture device. He adjusted the lens, secretly capturing crystal-clear images of Oliver and Suki in a seemingly intimate stroll.
"If I can't take you out in a fight, this is the only way to get back at you, loser," Caleb grinned darkly. "Let's see how the Von Valerius elders react when they see their precious Diamond-Rank fraternizing with a Veyron 'defect'."
.....
While Caleb plotted his petty revenge, the real danger moved in the shadows of the capital.
Across the barrier that protected the Academy district lay the city of Thailong, also known among the underworld as the Black Sin city. It was a forest of mass skyscrapers that pierced the smog-filled clouds, a place where money and Tier-status were the only laws.
In the penthouse of the tallest spire, a figure stood dressed in a tailored black coat that seemed to swallow the light. A silver long chain hung from his waist, clinking against the glass window as he stared out at the barrier blocking the threats of the outside world.
A pretty host in a silk gown served him a platter, and he took a glass of ice, swirling the cubes slowly. A holographic message flickered into life in front of him. It was a data packet from the Academy.
The man's name was Marcus and he stared at the image of Oliver Veyron—his face, looking regal and defiant in the one-star uniform meant for low-rankers.
"This is enough for you, Oliver," Marcus whispered, his voice like grinding stones. A dark, twisted smile played on his lips as he rolled the ice in his glass. "Not that I am done with you anyway. The Veyron name was meant to be buried. If you won't stay in your grave, I'll just have to build you a bigger one."
He took a slow sip of his drink, his eyes reflecting the cold, dark lights of the City of Black Sin. The hunt had officially begun.