A/N: Vice Principal Harlow Dubois was a character that was originally introduced in Chapter 46: Points and Bodies.
Dawn hadn’t even begun to think about breaking.
Kael slipped from Sage’s bed. The room was dark except for the faint glow of the city lights filtering through the window, and Sage’s breathing was slow and even—deep in the sleep of soone who’d exhausted themselves completely.
He found his clothes scattered across the floor like evidence of a cri.
Dressing in the dark took thirty seconds. Leaving took longer than it should have.
Kael paused at the door, looking back at the shape of Sage buried under rumpled sheets and golden fur.
Even in her sleep, damn she looks so hot and sexy. The sharp edges that defined her waking personality smoothed away into sothing almost peaceful.
He turned the handle. Eased the door open. Slipped through the gap—
Sage opened her eyes as she murmurs,
"That rat."
The hallway was empty at this hour—most students still dead to the world, recovering from their own activities or simply exhausted from training. Kael’s original plan had been to find Rue, run through so sparring drills, maybe grab breakfast afterward.
But he was reconsidering.
If he walked into Rue’s room slling like Sage—sweat, sex, fox musk—she’d know imdiately. And Rue’s response to discovering he’d just fucked her sister wouldn’t be anger. It would be competition. She’d drag him to her bed and spend the next six hours making absolutely certain he forgot anyone else existed.
Not that he’d mind, exactly. But he had rune practice to do—Master Finnick had assigned a new set of Rank 4 patterns that were giving him trouble.
Runes now. Rue later.
A/N: I know you’re feeling those lines.😏😏
He headed for the training grounds instead.
Two weeks dissolved like morning frost under sunlight.
Kael threw himself into consolidation with the sa obsessive focus. His newly achieved Mana Heart realm demanded attention—the core’s integration with his cardiovascular system needed to be stabilized, the enhanced mana flow required familiarization, and the increased regeneration rate had to be calibrated.
The rune work was slower but no less important.
Rank 4 patterns were fundantally different from anything below. Where Rank 3 runes enhanced single items, Rank 4 marks affected areas—thirty-ter zones where mana behaved according to his specifications. A Mark of Dampening could suppress fire manipulation. A Sigil of Warning could alert him to any living presence. The applications were limited only by his creativity and control.
Finnick watched his progress with sothing that might have been approval, though the old man would die before admitting it.
A/N: Does this nigga ever get satisfied with anything, I an anything.
"Marginally less offensive than last week," he’d grunted after Kael successfully inscribed a stable Barrier Sigil that held for three full minutes before dissipating.
High praise, coming from him.
The inter-academy tournant lood on the horizon, but three months felt both too long and not nearly enough.
Then the announcent ca.
The Auditorium was the largest enclosed space of the academy—a cavernous room that could seat ten thousand and still feel empty. Crystal chandeliers hung from a ceiling painted to resemble the night sky, complete with constellations that actually moved in real-ti. The seats were arranged in tiered semicircles around a central stage, each one cushioned with mana-infused fabric that adjusted to the sitter’s comfort.
Kael arrived late, as usual.
The Gold, Silver, and Bronze class students had already filled the lower sections, their conversations creating a low hum of anticipation. He scanned the stage as he walked down the aisle, picking out familiar faces.
Instructor Victor stood near the left flank, arms crossed, his twin blades visible at his back even in formal dress. He caught Kael’s eye and flashed a smile and as they both greeted each other with a nod.
Master Finnick occupied a spot near the right, his ancient features arranged in their default configuration of mild irritation. Kael waved at him. The old man looked through him as if he didn’t exist.
The old guy is still the sa as always. I would have suspected he is an imposter if he had replied.
Professor Gideon Locke—now Spirit Soul Rank 6, according to academy gossip—stood with the other combat instructors, his tal-manipulation aura subtly visible to those who knew what to look for. The beast clan teacher, a massive Wolf-Kin woman with silver fur and golden eyes, occupied a space of her own, radiating the particular intensity of soone who could kill everyone in the room without breaking a sweat.
And behind them all, slightly elevated on a platform that hadn’t been there during previous assemblies—Vice Principal Harlow Dubois.
Kael had tried to analyze her once before, during the end-of-year-one mission review. The System had warned him off. Now, with Spirit Eyes of the Dark Emperor active, he tried again.
The results were... inconclusive.
He could see her cultivation base—sort of. It was there, massive and deep, but trying to focus on it was like trying to grab smoke. The mont he thought he had a reading, it slipped away, reford elsewhere, refused to be pinned down.
One thing he was certain of: she was at least Origin realm. Possibly higher.
He found a seat at the front, dropping into the chair beside Karacus Drakemore.
The dragon-kin didn’t even acknowledge him.
Karacus was impossible to ignore even when he wasn’t trying. Six feet eight inches of compressed muscle and scaled skin, with a build that reminded Kael of old manga characters—broad shoulders, narrow waist, the kind of physique that ca from generations of selective breeding for combat perfection. His white hair fell past his shoulders in a silken cascade, matching the white clothing he always wore. His eyes were pale blue, almost colorless, and his expression held the particular indifference of soone who had never once in his life felt threatened by another person.
He didn’t even glance at Kael.
Charming as ever, Kael thought
Vice Principal Dubois stood.
The room fell silent instantly. Not because she demanded it—because her presence commanded it. Even without releasing any aura, even without speaking, the simple act of her rising was enough to quiet a thousand chattering students.
"Congratulations, Students of Heaven’s Gate Academy." Her voice was calm. "Despite the brutal settings of the academy, we have one hundred and forty students remaining. That is quite impressive compared to the last set."
One hundred and forty. They’d started with nearly three hundred across all four sectors.
"The inter-academy tournant is not just a competition between academies to see which is best." Dubois paused, letting the statent settle. "The tournant helps determine the resources allocated by the Inter-Galactic Federation—which so of you will likely join at the end of your education here."
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