Darkness.
Not the peaceful kind.
The suffocating, drowning, crushing kind.
Cale’s senses returned in pieces. His nerves were on fire, his skull felt fractured from the inside out, and his body was caught in a strange limbo between numbness and pain. His breathing was ragged, like his lungs had been half-filled with broken glass.
Then—his eyes snapped open.
The simulation had ended. He was back in the pod. The faint hiss of depressurization whispered around him as the chamber lifted open. He immediately regretted regaining consciousness.
Pain. Residual, leftover echoes of every shot, every stomp. His muscles spasmed and lancing strange echoes of pain rippled through his body. The pain was in his muscles, his bones, his mouth…
Cale wiped his mouth. He thought he could still feel the sand in his mouth.
I hate how real that felt.
“How are you feeling,” Aura asked concerned.
“Like absolute shit,” Cale managed to whisper.
“While there is no real damage, your nervous system thought there was. I can heal it, but I’ll need some Mana.”
Cale nodded. He plucked two mana crystals from his pocket and drained them. It was hard to control the energy, rattled as he was, but he managed to make it swirl around his solar plexus in a slow circular motion. It did not fight him, but he was so damn weak it was difficult to control.
After a moment, Aura sucked it in. A moment passed and Cale was already feeling better. It still hurt like hell, but especially the crushing headache started to fade immediately.
[A.U.R.A skill advanced.]
[Molecular Tissue Regeneration: 2]
There wasn’t nothing quite like pain. There was no denying its significance. No denying how it affected emotions and decisions. In his short life Cale was already no stranger to pain. Pain meant something was broken. Pain meant one shouldn’t push forward.
But with the help of Aura, it didn’t have to mean that. He could bend the rules. Pain was just pain. Just something to push through if his resolve was strong enough.
And that meant he could fight again.
Cale groaned and forced himself to sit up. The VR pod’s interior light felt like staring directly into the sun. His vision blurred, then adjusted. Across from him, Zavio was already standing, stretching, and checking his nails like this had been nothing more than a minor inconvenience. When Cale clambered out of the pod, Zavio watched him like a wolf at a crippled hare.
Zavio turned, grinning down at Cale.
“Wow,” he mused, smirking. “That was actually pathetic. Even for trash.”
Cale clenched his fists. He tried to push himself up, but his arms barely responded. The pain was receding ever so slowly, but his body still felt useless.
Fiara was suddenly next to him, pressing a hand on his shoulder.
“Cale, just relax. You shouldn’t move,” she said, voice unusually firm. “It’s over.”
Cale ignored her. He forced his shaking arms to lock beneath him, gritting his teeth as he pushed himself upright. His legs felt like lead. He was trembling. Weak. He hated it.
Zavio’s smirk grew. “Oh? Still got some fight left in you? That’s cute.”
Cale swallowed. He exhaled, slowly straightened his back—and looked Zavio straight in the eye.
His lips curled into a grin. He forced his eyes to focus. The pain was still bad, but Cale pushed through.
“Best of three.”
The room fell silent.
Zavio’s smirk froze for half a second, as if he hadn’t quite processed the words. Then—he laughed.
“Are you serious?” He gestured at Cale. “You’re not only trash, you’re stupid trash.”
Fiara grabbed his arm, whispering fiercely. “Cale, don’t do this. Your nervous system will overload. You’ll be in a coma for weeks.”
He pulled free.
His body hurt. Every joint, muscle and bone ached. His vision was blurry and his ears still had a slight uncomfortable ring to them.
But he wasn’t done.
Cale tilted his head, cracking his neck. Then, through sheer force of will—he took a step forward.
He wobbled. But he didn’t fall.
He took another step.
And another.
He was face to face with Zavio now. Zavio leaned back and watched Cale in disbelief.
Zavio looked at him like he was staring at an insect that refused to die. He scoffed. “You seriously think you’re gonna win?”
Cale exhaled, ignoring the pain. He grinned wider.
“I think I’m gonna enjoy trying.”
*
Ravia Wren stood in front of a massive, floor-to-ceiling mana-glass screen, her sharp amber eyes locked onto the live footage of the duel. The second round was just about to begin, the contestants materializing into the simulation.
She wasn’t alone.
Darius stood behind her, hands casually tucked into his pockets, watching the screen like it was the best entertainment of his life.
Ravia crossed her arms. “Best of three?” she repeated flatly.
Darius grinned. “I know, right? The kid is crazy.”
Ravia exhaled through her nose. She didn’t look away from the footage. “He should be unconscious.”
Darius shrugged. “And yet, there he is. Walking around like he didn’t just get murdered. He doesn’t even have Glassweed pills to give his nervous system a break.”
“The kid’s got guts,” Ravia said quietly. “I’ll give him that.”
Ravia studied the screen carefully. Cale was moving differently now.
Something had changed.
She narrowed her eyes. “What’s his Integra doing?”
Darius rubbed his chin. “That’s the million credit question, isn’t it?”
*
Zavio flicked his wrist, reloading his ornate pistol with a smooth motion. “Fine. Whatever. One more round before I put you down for good.”
Cale flexed his fingers. He could feel it. Something sharp, precise, electric humming in the back of his mind.
Aura’s voice purred with satisfaction.
“Oh, my dear Cale,” she sang, almost gleeful. “Now, we’re getting somewhere.”
Cale inhaled sharply. The red orbs of prediction flickered into his vision again—except this time, they were different.
Sharper. Faster. Clearer.
And every single one was appearing exactly where Zavio was about to shoot.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
Aura laughed, absolutely thrilled.
“Predictive Model at 90% Accuracy!”
Cale grinned.
Zavio fired.
And this time—
Cale didn’t just dodge.
He moved before the shot was even fired.
*
Ravia leaned in slightly, arms still crossed, but her amber eyes were locked onto the screen.
Darius, standing beside her, whistled low. He looked entertained.
“This is…” Ravia muttered, tilting her head. “Different.”
“Oh yeah.” Darius grinned. “This is real different.”
On the massive mana-glass screen, Cale was moving like a different fighter.
No more desperate scrambling. No more struggling to keep up.
Now, every time Zavio fired—Cale was already gone before the shot left the barrel.
It was uncanny.
Ravia narrowed her eyes. “His reaction time…”
Darius smirked and leaned back. “It’s not reaction time.”
“What do you mean?”
“It simply can’t be,” Darius said and shrugged. “Even I couldn’t react that fast.”
“If he is not reacting… He is…” Ravia started and trailed off.
Darius finished her thought. “He’s a little monster.”
Zavio fired three rapid shots. Cale weaved through them effortlessly, closing the distance.
Zavio clicked his tongue, stepping back. His confident smirk had faded into a thin, impatient line.
Ravia caught the tension in Zavio’s stance immediately. “He’s rattled.”
Darius nodded. “I’d be shitting bricks too if I were him.”
Then it happened.
Cale lunged forward, hoverboard tilted at an angle. Zavio fired directly at his chest—but Cale, instead of dodging, twisted his entire body in midair, launching himself from the hoverboard like a missile.
The hoverboard flipped up. Cale grabbed it mid-air with both hands.
And before Zavio could adjust—
CRACK!
The board slammed into Zavio’s face.
Ravia raised an eyebrow. “…Did he just—?”
Darius grinned wider. “Oh, hell yeah!”
Zavio staggered backward, stunned. His balance wavered—just enough.
Cale landed in one fluid motion, rolled forward, and delivered a brutal strike to Zavio’s ribs.
Zavio let out a guttural sound, stumbling. His grip on the pistol wavered.
Darius whistled. “You know, for a guy who just got shot twenty times a few minutes ago, the kid looks annoyingly fine.”
Ravia’s lips pressed into a thin, calculating line. “Little monster…”
“He’s about to win.”
Zavio backpedaled, panic flickering behind his eyes.
Cale pressed forward.
Ravia noted the shift in his posture—the way he moved now. This wasn’t a wild, desperate counterattack.
This was control.
Cale stepped inside Zavio’s range, locked eyes with him, and raised his fist.
And then—
A small silver cylinder dropped from Zavio’s sleeve.
The second it hit the ground—
BOOM.
A flash grenade.
Smoke and white-hot light engulfed the arena.
Ravia’s gaze flickered. “Good move by Zavio.”
Darius made a face and took a swig of his drink.
Inside the cloud, Cale stumbled back, blinded. He barely had time to react before—
CRACK.
A long, glowing whip of electric energy snapped out of the smoke and wrapped around his leg.
Ravia’s eyes sharpened. “Look at that. The kid made him use his trump card.”
Darius groaned. “Goddamn rich kids. Your brother just outright bought him a fifteen million cred Integra.”
Ravia raised an eyebrow. “Life’s not fair.”
Cale gritted his teeth, struggling, but the whip coiled tighter, locking his movement.
From the smoke, Zavio emerged, his face twisted in a furious, shaken snarl. His composure was gone.
His hands trembled. His breath came faster.
He wasn’t gloating anymore. He was pissed.
And scared.
Zavio yanked the whip, electricity surging through Cale’s body.
Cale jerked violently as a surge of electrical mana wracked his body. Ravia and Darius watched silently.
Then—
Zavio raised his pistol.
Darius sighed. “The kid fought well.”
Darius took a sideglance at Ravia, but she was dead quiet, just silently looking at the screen, swirling a drink in her hand, she hadn’t touched in a while.
Another shot.
And another.
And another.
Each one hammering into Cale’s chest, locking him in place, forcing him to endure every last second of it.
Then—one final snap of the whip.
Cale’s body collapsed into the sand.
Silence filled the room.
Darius exhaled through his teeth. “Damn.”
Ravia remained still. Watching. Thinking.
The screen showed Zavio standing over Cale’s fallen body. But he wasn’t smiling. He wasn’t celebrating.
He was breathing heavy. He was shaken.
He looked at Cale’s motionless form like he wasn’t sure if he’d won.
Ravia tapped her fingers against her arm. “Were we too hasty?”
Darius arched an eyebrow. “Are you, Ravia Wryn, asking someone a question?”
“Are you saying I think I know everything?”
“Your words, not mine.”
Ravia and Darius watched each other, eyes having a wordless conversation.
“He’s a huge risk, Darius,” Ravia finally said.
“How long did it take for you to get to Middle Body Tempering?”
“Fourth stage?” Ravia asked. “I started cultivation at seven, got there at nine.”
“Took me two years too,” Darius said. “I watched this kid go from base of second stage to fourth in two hours.”
Ravia scoffed. “It’s easier for adults, and you know it.”
“He took down Scarroid…” Darius said trailing off. “And…”
“And now he is fighting toe to toe with a Mana Circuitry cultivator,” Ravia finished the thought for him.
Darius shrugged, nonchalantly. “All I’m saying is, kid’s got potential.”
*
Cale’s body jerked violently as he was ejected from the simulation pod.
The world rushed back in—fluorescent ceiling lights, the cool bite of recycled air, the distant hum of the control panel.
Pain lingered in his limbs, residual echoes of electrocution still thrumming through his nerves. His fingers twitched. His chest felt hollow, tight.
Goddamn it hurts… But… It was a good try.
For a moment, he just breathed. With slow, lethargic movement he reached for his mana crystal pouch, and plucked three more crystals. Aura blabbed on about the nervous damage, but Cale didn’t want to listen. After feeding Aura the energy he just lied there and waited for the pain to recede.
[A.U.R.A skill advanced.]
[Molecular Tissue Regeneration: 3]
Then—he forced himself up.
Across the room, Zavio was already standing. His pod had opened a second earlier, and he’d stepped out with the same practiced ease as someone exiting a luxury vehicle.
But something was off.
The way he rolled his shoulders—too stiff. The way he adjusted his vest—too sharp.
The way his hands shook for half a second before he shoved them into his pockets.
He’s rattled.
Cale’s vision swam, but his grin felt sharper.
Zavio turned, masking his unease with a sneer. “And that’s how you put a dog down.”
Cale exhaled through his nose. His body was screaming, his muscles weak and sore, but his mind was laser-focused.
He wasn’t done.
He stepped forward.
“Again.”
Zavio’s smirk flickered. “…Excuse me?”
Cale stared Zavio down. “Again.”
Zavio laughed, but it was a half-second too late. “Are you brain-dead, trash? Best of three. I already won.”
Cale kept walking. Slow, steady.
“One. More. Time.”
Zavio scoffed. “It doesn’t matter how many times we fight. You’re not even Mana Circuitry. You can’t beat me, trash.”
Cale stopped a few feet away, tilting his head. His body was exhausted, but he didn’t care. He knew what he wanted. He wanted a win. And he was going to get it.
“You sure about that?”
Zavio’s jaw clenched.
Fiara rushed between them and turned to Cale. “You don’t understand. Your nervous system—”
“I’m fine,” Cale said.
Fiara blinked and then muttered. “You shouldn’t even be standing…”
Cale just grinned and gently pushed her aside without taking his eyes off Zavio.
“You idiot…” Fiara muttered.
Cale just kept his eyes on Zavio, hard and keen.
Zavio’s fingers twitched at his sides. “You’re not worth my time.”
“Yeah?” Cale raised an eyebrow. “Then why do you look nervous?”
Zavio flinched ever so slightly. There was a flicker in his eyes. A sharp inhale.
Then—anger.
Zavio scoffed, masking it with another sneer. “You’re beneath me, commoner. I entertained you long enough. Go crawl back to whatever gutter you came from. The record is set.”
Cale took another step forward. “One more. Off the record.”
Zavio’s teeth grit. “Pathetic.”
Cale smirked. “Scared?”
Zavio’s nostrils flared. “Know your place, you little—”
BZZT.
A voice cut through the room.
Ravia Wren.
“Zavio.”
The intercom crackled with static, then silence.
Zavio stiffened.
Ravia’s voice was smooth. Commanding. Absolute.
“You will fight one last time.”
Zavio turned toward the ceiling speaker, eyes flashing. “Madam Wren, I—”
“Was I unclear?”
Zavio shut his mouth.
Fiara swallowed hard.
Cale just grinned wider.
Ravia let the silence hang before delivering her final verdict.
“Step into the pod.”
Click. The intercom cut out.
Zavio’s fists curled. His face was unreadable. “This time I will break you, trash. Enjoy your coma.”
Cale cracked his neck, rolling his shoulders.
“This time…” Cale mused. “This time you’ll learn respect.”