The training grounds weren't built for this.
Sure, they had barriers, plenty of space, and the Academy's best enchantments keeping things mostly under control. But somehow, I had a feeling that none of it would matter by the time Felix and I were done.
Not just because of the fight itself—though, yeah, that was a problem.
But because of the crowd.
Lyra stood with her arms crossed, watching us like we were two kids about to make the worst decision of our lives. A handful of other students had gathered too, whispering, shifting nervously, probably wondering if they should stick around or run before things got really out of hand. Even Damian and Ajax were here—though they mostly just looked entertained.
Felix rolled his shoulders, electricity crackling beneath his skin. His usual cocky smirk was there, but something about him had changed. Sharper. Focused.
I took a slow breath, feeling the mana flow settle inside me. No more fighting against it. No more losing control.
I was ready.
Felix tapped his knuckles together, golden sparks jumping between his fingers. "You ready for this?"
I exhaled, letting the mana flow guide me.
"Yeah," I said. "Let's go."
Felix moved first.
A crack of lightning, a blur of gold—he was fast.
I barely had time to react before he was already in front of me, throwing a lightning-charged punch straight at my ribs. I twisted just in time, but not enough.
His fist grazed my side, sending a jolt of raw electricity through my entire body.
The shockwave hit a second later.
The stone beneath us exploded, cracks spider-webbing across the ground as dust and debris shot into the air.
Felix grinned. "Gotta be quicker than that."
I shook off the lingering static in my limbs, rolling my shoulders. "Not bad."
Felix's grin widened. "Not done."
He surged forward, electricity coiling around his arms. I dodged the first strike, barely avoided the second—then realized too late he'd faked the third.
His knee slammed into my gut.
I stumbled back, coughing. The world tilted for a second.
Felix didn't give me time to recover.
A golden arc of lightning streaked toward me.
I reacted on instinct.
Mana flow pulsed through me, and I moved—ducking under the attack, sliding past his guard. My hand shot out before I could think.
And for the first time—I hit him.
My palm slammed against his chest, sending a ripple of force through his body.
Felix staggered, blinking in surprise.
Then he laughed.
"Oh, you are getting better." He wiped his lip, sparks dancing along his fingertips. "Still not good enough."
I smirked. "Guess we'll find out."
Felix didn't hold back.
Lightning exploded around him, crackling up his arms, glowing like a second sun. His next strike came from above—a downward kick, cutting through the air like a thunderclap.
I raised my arms to block. The impact sent a shockwave through my bones.
I gritted my teeth, forcing my feet to stay planted.
Felix pushed harder, golden electricity surging between us, pressing down like a collapsing storm—
But I wasn't budging.
Then I saw it.
An opening.
I moved—shifting my weight, twisting at just the right moment. Felix's balance wavered, and I used it.
I shoved him back.
He flipped midair, landing on his feet, a single boom of thunder splitting the sky as he hit the ground.
Felix straightened, rolling his shoulders. "That all you got?"
I exhaled slowly.
No.
Not even close.
Mana flow surged through me—strong, steady, right.
For the first time, I wasn't just reacting.
I was fighting.
Felix lunged.
I moved at the same time.
And then—
We collided.
A storm of motion. Every strike, every counter, every step—we were pushing each other past the limit.
Felix's lightning lashed out—I twisted through it. My mana flow surged—I aimed a hit at his ribs. He blocked, sparks flying.
We weren't holding back anymore.
The world blurred, the only thing that mattered was the next move. The next second.
Felix grinned, golden light flaring behind his eyes.
I smirked, shadows coiling at my fingertips.
Both of us knew—
This was it.
One final move.
Felix's body crackled with raw lightning, golden arcs wrapping around his arms, his chest, his legs—until he looked like a living storm. His energy surged outward, distorting the air itself, making the world around him tremble.
I stepped forward. The shadows curled at my feet, slithering up my legs like living ink, wrapping around my arms, my shoulders—until they coiled around my body completely.
I could feel the difference.
This wasn't just mana flow anymore.
It was absolute control.
Felix vanished. A burst of lightning shot toward me, faster than before, faster than I could track—
But the shadows moved with me.
At the last second, I twisted, wrapping my legs with darkness, using the extra force to pivot. My foot planted against the air itself, the shadows giving me an extra push—enough to dodge, enough to turn.
Felix's fist missed by an inch.
And in that instant—
I struck.
The shadows snapped out, wrapping around his ankle, twisting, pulling him into the air.
Felix's eyes widened—but his reaction was instant.
He flipped midair, twisting, using the momentum.
And then he was above me.
Lightning surged.
Shadows erupted.
We both swung.
BOOM.
The impact detonated the training grounds.
Stone shattered, the barriers cracked, the entire air pressure of the battlefield shifted—
And then—
Silence.
I fell hard and put a dent in the ground. Felix fell next to me, and we were both exhausted. For a moment, we just lay there, looking at the sky and trying to catch our breath. Then Felix laughed. I did as well.
Because damn.
That was good a fight.
Felix rolled onto his side, still grinning like an idiot. "You almost killed me."
I smirked, my chest still moving up and down. "No."
"You are too determined to give up."
He let out a weary laugh. "I guess that makes us both."
For a moment, we just lay there, taking in what had just happened.
Then Felix turned his head toward me, his grin fading into something else.
"You're strong," he admitted.
I blinked.
Then smirked. "Not bad for a dead guy?"
Felix shook his head. "Not bad for a king."
I froze.
Something in my chest twisted—something deep, something real.
Because this time?
I didn't feel the need to correct him.
Felix stretched his arms, groaning. "Rematch?"
I exhaled, closing my eyes for just a second.
Then I grinned.
"Yeah," I said. "You know it."
And just like that—
A rivalry was born.