The courtyard behind the training facility was quiet that morning. The usual chatter of students warming up or practicing had died down, replaced by the steady sound of wind brushing across the grass. The semester had settled into its usual rhythm, but beneath that calm, the air felt heavy again—like something was quietly waiting to happen.

Arios stood by the side wall, running through his morning drills with a wooden practice sword. His movements were sharp but measured, each swing following a clean pattern. There was no need to rush. No need to force anything. The repetition was what mattered. It cleared his head.

He had gotten used to the quiet again, though the events with Instructor Garron had left a shadow behind. The academy moved on quickly after the expulsion, but people remembered. Whispers came and went. A few curious looks lingered on him when he walked through the hallways. He ignored them.

When he finished his last swing, he exhaled and lowered the sword, wiping his forehead with the edge of his sleeve. He glanced around. The yard was mostly empty except for a few scattered students. Then his gaze caught someone walking toward him.

Regulus.

He wasn't wearing the academy's usual training uniform this time. His shirt was untucked, sleeves rolled, and there was a faint bruise still visible along his jaw. His eyes had the same sharpness as before, but something else was there now—anger mixed with something heavier, something that looked like pride barely holding itself together.

Arios stayed silent as Regulus stopped a few steps away.

"You've got some nerve," Regulus said, his voice low.

Arios didn't respond immediately. He rested the wooden sword on his shoulder. "You're back."

"Suspension's over," Regulus said. "Not that it's any of your business."

"It became my business when you tried to hit me with a sword last time," Arios said.

Regulus's jaw tightened. "Don't act like you didn't humiliate me on purpose."

"You swung first," Arios said flatly.

Regulus took a step forward. "You think that matters? You didn't have to make me look pathetic in front of everyone."

Arios tilted his head. "You mean you didn't need to lose."

"I didn't lose," Regulus snapped. "You got lucky."

Arios gave a faint shrug. "If that's what helps you sleep."

Regulus's hand clenched into a fist. His eyes burned, but Arios didn't move. The tension between them was enough to draw attention from a few passing students, who slowed to watch from a distance. The memory of their last fight still lingered among the academy's rumor circles.

Regulus stepped closer again. "You think I'm scared of you?"

"No," Arios said. "But you should be smarter."

"Smarter?" Regulus repeated, his voice rising. "Don't talk down to me."

Arios sighed quietly. "Then stop acting like someone who needs to be talked down to."

Regulus's face twisted, and for a second, it looked like he was going to swing. Arios didn't flinch. His stance didn't shift. He just looked at him, steady and quiet.

Then a voice cut through the tension.

"That's enough."

Both of them turned.

Chase was standing a short distance away, hands in his pockets, eyes half-lidded as if he had been watching the entire time. His tone wasn't loud, but it carried easily. Students who had been lingering immediately backed off.

Regulus straightened slightly. "Chase—"

"I said that's enough," Chase repeated, his voice colder this time. He started walking toward them, his pace unhurried but deliberate. "You just got reinstated, and this is how you start your first day back? Picking fights?"

Regulus hesitated. "He started—"

Chase's eyes flicked toward Arios for a second, then back to Regulus. "He didn't start anything. You walked up to him."

Arios stayed quiet, watching them both. Chase's expression was calm, too calm. There was no visible irritation, but something about his tone carried weight.

Regulus opened his mouth again, then stopped. He looked down, biting the inside of his cheek.

Chase reached him and stopped just short of Arios. For a moment, the three of them stood there, no one speaking. The silence stretched.

Then Chase said, "We're not done with Class D."

Regulus looked up sharply. "What do you mean?"

Chase's eyes narrowed just slightly. "It means you don't waste time fighting someone one-on-one when we still have work to do. Focus."

Arios's grip on his sword tightened a little. "So you're still planning something."

Chase turned his gaze toward him. "Planning something? No. Preparing, maybe."

"Preparing for what?" Arios asked.

Chase gave a faint smile. "You'll see."

Regulus frowned. "You're really going to just let him stand there and talk like that?"

Chase looked at him. "Regulus."

The tone was enough. Regulus shut his mouth again.

Chase looked back at Arios. "You're not as careful as you think you are. You move quietly, but you still make noise."

Arios didn't respond.

Chase smiled again, though it didn't reach his eyes. "You think because Garron's gone, this is over. It's not. You pulled one weed, not the roots."

Arios said evenly, "Then maybe I'll keep pulling."

Chase tilted his head slightly. "Be careful with that mindset. Eventually, you'll dig too deep."

Arios didn't blink. "That's fine."

The two of them held each other's stare for a few seconds. The air between them felt heavier, though neither moved an inch.

Finally, Chase broke the silence. "Regulus."

"Yeah?" Regulus said.

"Go back to class."

Regulus looked uncertain. "But—"

"That's an order," Chase said without raising his voice.

Regulus clenched his jaw but obeyed, giving Arios one last sharp glare before turning and walking off. The sound of his shoes against the stone faded slowly until it disappeared behind the main building.

Chase stayed where he was.

Arios finally lowered the wooden sword. "You're handling him differently."

"He's useful," Chase said. "But easily provoked."

"Sounds familiar," Arios said.

Chase's expression didn't change. "I could say the same about you."

"I'm not working for anyone."

"That's what you think," Chase said quietly.

Arios narrowed his eyes. "You're not making sense."

"Maybe not to you," Chase said. He looked out toward the yard. "The academy runs on influence, not fairness. You of all people should know that now."

"I know," Arios said. "But that doesn't make me part of your game."

Chase gave a faint laugh. "Everyone's part of it, whether they know or not."

Arios didn't respond.

Chase continued, "You think what happened to Garron changed something, but it didn't. You just shifted the balance a little. People like him are easy to replace."

Arios looked at him steadily. "You sound confident."

"I am," Chase said. "Because the council protects its own. You took down one name, but the system still stands."

Arios stepped forward slightly. "Then maybe it's time someone challenged that system."

Chase looked at him again, expression calm but sharp. "You talk like you're the hero in a story. You're not."

Arios said nothing.

Chase continued, "You don't understand what you're walking into. You're still treating this place like a battlefield with clear sides. It's not. It's a web. Everyone's tied together in ways you don't see."

"I'll cut the threads," Arios said simply.

Chase actually laughed this time. "You're consistent, I'll give you that."

Arios didn't move. "You're wasting my time."

Chase's tone shifted, a slight edge now. "You're getting reckless. And that's going to get you hurt."

"Then try it," Arios said.

Chase's eyes narrowed again. "You're not the only one who can fight."

Arios's hand flexed slightly on the sword handle. "Then prove it."

For a long moment, Chase looked like he might actually take the challenge. His expression didn't change, but there was a flicker in his eyes—a calculation. Then he relaxed slightly, his tone returning to that detached calm. "Not today."

Arios's jaw tightened. "Then stop wasting my time."

Chase smiled faintly. "You think this is a waste? You should be paying attention."

"To what?"

Chase gestured lightly toward the building behind him. "To the council's next move. You think they're done investigating Garron's connections? They're not. And when they reopen that file, your name's going to come up again."

Arios didn't answer.

Chase continued, "They don't like people who upset balance. You've already done that once. You think they'll let you do it again without a cost?"

Arios looked at him. "If it comes to that, I'll deal with it."

Chase gave a quiet laugh. "You always say that."

He turned to leave. "Enjoy your peace while it lasts, Arios."

Arios watched him walk away. The breeze picked up again, brushing across the empty field. For a moment, he stood there, unmoving. His grip on the sword loosened slightly, then dropped to his side.

He knew Chase wasn't bluffing. Whatever that conversation had meant, it wasn't just about Regulus or Garron. It was something bigger. Something moving behind the scenes again.

---

The rest of the day passed quietly on the surface. Arios went to class as usual, took notes, kept his head down. But his mind wasn't on the lectures. Every word Chase had said played back again and again. "We're not done with Class D." That wasn't a threat—it was a declaration.

During lunch, Lucy noticed his silence. "You're thinking again," she said.

He looked up from his tray. "Always."

Liza glanced between them. "What happened?"

"Regulus tried something," he said. "Chase stopped him."

Liza frowned. "Stopped him? That's new."

"Chase told him something," Arios said. "'We're not done with Class D.'"

Lucy's eyes narrowed. "Meaning?"

"Meaning they're planning something again."

Liza leaned back. "What's left for them to do? Garron's gone."

Arios shook his head. "Garron was a piece. Not the board."

Lucy exhaled. "So they're still moving pieces."

"Exactly," Arios said.

Liza folded her arms. "And what's your plan?"

"Wait," he said.

"Wait?"

He nodded. "They'll move soon. I'll be ready."

Lucy frowned. "You're acting like this is a war."

"It's not a war," Arios said. "It's a pattern."

Neither of them argued. They'd learned that once he made a decision, he didn't change it easily.

By the time classes ended, the sky had started dimming again. The academy grounds grew quieter as students returned to their dorms. Arios walked alone toward the back path, where the lamps hadn't fully turned on yet.

Footsteps echoed behind him. He didn't turn.

Regulus's voice came again. "You think this is over?"

Arios stopped walking but didn't look back. "Didn't Chase tell you to stand down?"

Regulus's steps got closer. "I don't take orders from him."

"You do now," Arios said.

Regulus's tone was sharp. "You got lucky last time. I've been training since the suspension."

Arios turned slightly, his expression unreadable. "Good for you."

"I'll prove it," Regulus said. "Next time, I'll put you down."

Arios looked at him evenly. "Then don't miss."

Regulus's jaw clenched. "You think this is funny?"

"No," Arios said. "But it's predictable."

That seemed to push Regulus over the edge. He grabbed Arios's collar, but Arios didn't react. His eyes stayed fixed on Regulus's.

"Go ahead," Arios said quietly. "Do it."

Regulus's grip faltered for just a second, enough for Arios to grab his wrist and twist. He didn't apply pressure, just enough to make him release. Then he stepped back.

Regulus's breathing was uneven. His frustration was obvious. "You think you're untouchable."

"No," Arios said. "Just better prepared."

Regulus's glare deepened, but then a familiar voice came again from the shadows near the walkway.

"Regulus."

Chase stepped out once more, his hands in his pockets. "You really don't learn."

Regulus froze. "I wasn't—"

"Save it," Chase said. "You're embarrassing yourself."

Regulus looked down, but Chase's expression stayed calm, almost indifferent.

"I told you," Chase said slowly, "We're not done with Class D. You'll act when I say so. Not before."

Regulus swallowed hard. "Understood."

Arios watched them both quietly.

Chase gave him a faint glance. "You always seem to be in the wrong place at the right time."

"Maybe it's the other way around," Arios said.

"Maybe," Chase replied, smiling faintly. "Either way, keep your guard up."

He turned again, motioning for Regulus to follow.

Regulus hesitated, glaring one last time at Arios before walking after him. Chase didn't look back.

When they were gone, Arios stood there for a while, the faint hum of the evening wind filling the silence. His pulse hadn't changed. His expression didn't shift. But something about Chase's tone, the way he said it—*We're not done with Class D*—echoed again.

He looked up toward the academy's tall clock tower in the distance. The faint sound of bells began to ring. The rhythm of the campus returned to its usual calm, but his mind didn't.

Something was brewing again. And this time, Chase wasn't hiding.

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