The day had finally arrived — the penultimate day before the War Games. The first special exam of the school year, and it had already become the most talked-about event on campus. The air buzzed with tension, every hallway, classroom, and courtyard alive with speculation and barely-contained excitement.
Whispers spread like wildfire.
The name Kai lingered on the edge of every conversation. The boy who didn't belong — the outlier who dared to exist in a world of Awakened prodigies. To most, he was nothing more than an anomaly, someone who should have stayed in the shadows. But somehow, he had become the center of it all.
And now, his very place at the school was on the line.
The boy who shouldn't have mattered suddenly mattered far too much.
He wasn't from one of the great families. He didn't have an inherited bloodline ability. He didn't have the legacy of a famous family backing him. But somehow, against all logic, he'd become the one to watch.
Some feared him. Others mocked him. But all of them were watching.
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With Mr. Yu away on official school business, Professor Thawne took over homeroom, his easygoing demeanor putting the class at ease.
After running through the usual announcements, he got to the part everyone had been waiting for — The War Games.
"Alright, everyone, listen up," Thawne said with a light clap of his hands. "I know you've heard this a hundred times, but I'm required to go over the rules one last time. So, stay with me, yeah?"
His tone was casual but clear as he went through the rules, making a few lighthearted remarks to keep the room engaged. Students chuckled here and there, but everyone still paid attention. He kept it simple, focused, and, most importantly, quick.
Once he finished, he glanced at the two leaders. "Alright, You'll both meet with your teams in the assigned auditoriums to plan your strategies. No classes today, so take full advantage of it. Trust me, you'll want to be ready for tomorrow."
The bell rang, signaling the end of homeroom.
Chairs screeched as students stood, slinging their bags over their shoulders. The quiet hum of whispers quickly grew into a buzz of excitement and nerves. Groups of students began heading toward their assigned auditoriums, their minds already turning to plans and tactics.
The countdown to the War Games had officially begun.
Kai walked the hall with his hands in his pockets, head down, doing his best to avoid the eyes fixed on him from all directions. It was a routine he was getting used to.
But then, something unusual happened.
"Kai!"
A familiar voice rang out from behind him, smooth but commanding enough to make him stop. He turned to see Rebecca Chronoa striding toward him, Her silver sleek hair framed her sharp, elegant features, Her cool, piercing eyes locked onto his, making it impossible to look away. The blue uniform she wore fit her perfectly, highlighting her figure and adding to her natural charm.
Without warning, Rebecca reached out and hooked her fingers around Kai's hand, pulling him closer with a gentle tug.
"Walk with me," she said
Kai raised an eyebrow, tilting his head just enough to give her a curious look. "Did you miss me that much?"
Rebecca glanced up at him and she leaned in just a bit.
"That's not a bad thing, now is it?"
"Not at all, princess," he said while offering a small, theatrical bow as they began walking together.
It left her half amused, half exasperated. But she didn't let go of his arm.
the spectators gawking at the "couple" with wide eyes and hushed whispers. Some were pointing, others already pulling out their phones. It was all part of the plan.
They walked together, side by side, and it was as if the world had stopped to watch. Every pair of eyes in the hallway tracked their every move. Girls whispered behind cupped hands, and boys glanced at Kai with a mixture of confusion and envy.
One student muttered, "No way she's into him."
Another replied, "They're literally holding hands, idiot."
Kai could hear them all, but he kept his expression neutral. Rebecca, however, smiled like she'd just won a game only she was playing.
Their path eventually split near the entrance of the west and east auditoriums, where both teams would gather separately
Rebecca slowed her pace as they neared the divide, finally letting go of Kai's arm. Her fingers lingered for half a second longer than they needed to, a subtle detail that didn't go unnoticed by the onlookers.
She turned to face him, tilting her head ever so slightly, her silver hair catching the light just right. Her eyes softened in a way that could make the coldest heart melt, and her lips curled into the faintest pout
"You'll come find me later, right?" she asked, her voice as sweet as honey. Her eyes gazed up at him, wide and vulnerable, like she was a lost kitten searching for comfort.
It was unfair. No, it was diabolical.
Kai's mind came to a screeching halt. His gaze locked with hers, and for a split second, he almost forgot the entire act.
"Damn… she's good." he thought
But Kai was never one to back down from a challenge. He grabbed her arm gently, his expression softening into one of pure sincerity. "Of course," he said, his voice low and steady. "I'm literally counting down the minutes".
Her lips curved into a small, satisfied smile as she slowly pulled her arm back. "Good," she murmured.
Just as she turned to leave, Kai leaned in without warning and pressed a kiss to her cheek.
Rebecca froze. Her eyes went wide .A rush of warmth flooded her cheeks, deepening into a vivid red that spread like wildfire.
"See you around, princess," he said, his tone was so casual it was infuriating.
Her eyes darted around, scanning the crowd of wide-eyed onlookers whose jaws were practically on the floor. She could feel the heat crawling up her neck.
Her gaze snapped back to him but he was already walking away, hands in his pockets like he didn't have a care in the world.
"You—" she started, but her words caught in her throat. She knew she couldn't call him out, not without blowing everything up. Her fingers curled into fists at her sides, her face still as red as a tomato.
"I'll get you back for this. You have my word" she vowed silently.
Rebecca stood there, still rooted in place as he walked away. Her hand slowly lifted to touch her cheek, fingers brushing over the spot where he'd kissed her. Her lips pressed into a firm line, and she exhaled sharply through her nose.
Her face was still burning red.
Her teammates called for her from the west auditorium. "Rebecca! You coming?"
She snapped out of her daze, letting out a small, controlled breath. "Yeah. I'm coming."
But as she turned to walk toward her team, she felt all the eyes still on her.
But the faint red glow on her cheeks lingered longer than she wanted it to.
-----
West Auditorium
At the center of the stage, Isaiah Salvatore stood tall on the podium, commanding the attention of every student in the room. The highest-ranked student of their year exuded an aura that was impossible to ignore.
He stood in silence, patiently waiting as the last few stragglers found their seats. A sly, smile spread across his face, his glowing blue eyes sweeping over the room like a blade.
Those piercing eyes seemed to cut straight into their very souls, leaving an unsettling feeling in their wake, as if he could see right through them. It was almost like they like he didn't quite belong in the same space as everyone else.
He took a step forward, his hands clasped behind his back "We all know what's ahead, and we all understand why we're here," he began.
"Let's focus on the only thing that matters — the three win conditions for the special exam"
"Take down the Queen, wipe out the entire team, or have the most players standing when time runs out.
"The most obvious strategy," he continued, a sly grin tugging at the corner of his lips, "would be to go straight for the Queen and end it before it even begins."
Rebecca, seated toward the middle of the crowd narrowed ever so slightly, "Knowing him, he could probably do it alone if he wanted to," she thought.
Isaiah continued, pacing slowly across the stage like a general inspecting his troops. "But where's the fun in that?" He raised his arms in a theatrical sweep. "I know what you're all thinking. You want points. You want to go up a rank or two. You want glory." His voice was honeyed poison, sweet but sharp. "And that's fine. I'm not here to take that from you."
Murmurs spread like wildfire. Students exchanged glances, some of them nodding in agreement, others still unsure of his intentions.
Isaiah's smile turned colder. "Which is why we're doing this the old-fashioned way."
"All out war..."
*****
East auditorium
"How many people here have actually fought Isaiah? " Alexandria asked as she stood on the podium
"Anyone?" she prompted, tilting her head slightly,
The students exchanged uncertain glances, unsure of what answer she was fishing for, or if she even expected one. Most sat quietly, wondering what point she was trying to make.
"And why is that important?" Fex Caster asked.
Alexandria's sharp gaze fixed on him. "Do you want to win?"
"Obviously," Fex replied with a shrug, his tone casual.
"Good," Alexandria said, her voice steady. She turned her gaze to a figure in the crowd. "Blake, you fought Isaiah recently. What did you think of him?"
The room shifted as eyes landed on blake Before he could answer, someone else in the crowd spoke up.
"Fight? You're calling that a fight?" they said with a laugh. "Calling that a fight would insult every fight in history."
A few chuckles broke out, but Alexandria's sharp glare quickly silenced them. Crossing her arms, she looked back at the group.
"Go ahead and laugh," she said coldly. "But if we don't take this seriously, none of us will be laughing when this exam is over."
Her words cut through the laughter like butter
Blake shifted uncomfortably in his seat, the weight of her gaze pressing down on him. He hesitated, then spoke
"He...he was perfect"
The room grew quieter, the weight of his words sinking in.
"He doesn't just overpower you," Blake continued, his hands gripping the edge of his seat. "He outthinks you. Every move you make, it's like he's already five steps ahead. I had never been more helpless in my entire life."
Kai, seated among the crowd, leaned back slightly, absorbing every word. He couldn't disagree. His mind replayed the fight between Isaiah and Blake—a one-sided display of strategy and dominance.
Isaiah was flawless. Too flawless.
Alexandria nodded slowly, letting his words settle over the group. "That's exactly what I wanted to hear," she said.
Fex raised an eyebrow. "So what's the plan then? If he's as untouchable as Blake says, what do we do? Surrender?"
"Not a chance." Alexandria's voice was firm as she turned and walked toward the massive board at the front of the room.
She picked up a laser pen. "The Salvatore family has guarded the mechanics of their Gift so closely that only a handful of people truly understand how it works." She paused.
"Fortunately for us, I'm one of those people."
As she began to write, her voice carried a tone of authority. "Isaiah's ability, God's Eyes, operates in a unique way."
She drew a series of lines across the board, sketching out what looked like a web of interconnected threads.
"He perceives something he calls 'threads.' Each thread represents a potential probability, possible outcome of an action or event."
Alexandria underlined the word "threads" as she continued. "When Isaiah focuses on a specific thread, his surroundings blur momentarily. In that moment, he experiences a brief vision of the outcome tied to that thread."
She turned to face them, tapping the board with the chalk for emphasis. "And by mentally 'tugging' on a thread, he can manipulate the likelihood of that outcome, strengthening or weakening it to his advantage."
She began to add colors to the diagram, explaining further as she worked.
"Gold threads signify outcomes most likely to benefit him"
"Red threads represent dangerous or harmful possibilities."
"And grey threads are neutral, indicating outcomes that are inconsequential."
Stepping back from the board, she surveyed her work. "Isaiah doesn't just see what might happen; he bends the odds to ensure things happen the way he wants."
Alexandria faced the room again
"This is why Isaiah feels untouchable."
The room grew quieter, the gravity of her explanation settling over the students.
"So...in reality we are basically fighting a fucking fortune cookie."