The day slipped by in quiet hums of thought until Eran let out a long, soft sigh, his body sinking deeper into the mattress. His eyes drifted toward the ceiling once more, the faintest curve of a smirk still lingering at his lips. Sleep pressed against him like a gentle tide, tugging him down into its grasp.

THE NEXT MORNING...

A fresh light spilled across the chambers, threading through the tall frame of his window. It struck his face with a warmth he wasn't ready to accept. Eran groaned low, turning away from it, pressing his cheek against the cool sheet as the faint chatter of nobles drifted through the dome... carefree laughter, the sound of footsteps, the hum of voices starting their day.

But then...

A knock. Firm. Cutting through the noise outside.

Eran's brow furrowed, his thoughts pausing mid-thread. Selene had been here yesterday, her words still lingering in his mind... she'd be away for the week, occupied with preparations.

His thoughts shifted instinctively to Miyu, but dismissed it just as quick; she didn't even know where his chamber was. Or so he believed.

Before he could spiral deeper, a voice slid past the door.

"Eran."

His chest stilled for a moment. A familiar tone... steady, refined, unmistakable.

Miyu.

Eran pushed himself upright, feet brushing the floor as he crossed to the door. His hand lingered briefly on the handle before he turned it with a soft click.

There she was.

Miyu—standing tall in the corridor, her poise as flawless as ever, the kind of grace every noble envied. She tilted her head slightly, a faint smile curving her lips.

"E-Eran…"

For a heartbeat, his gaze lingered on her, the poise, the quiet curve of her smile...

"Oh, Miyu." His smirk tugged upward, calm and unreadable. "I never thought you'd find your way to my place."

Eran stepped aside, giving her the space to pass. She slipped in without a word, her presence filling the room as he closed the door behind her with another soft click.

And then, without hesitation, Miyu parted her robe lightly, leaving only the tight fabric that clung to every curve of her. As she moved with quiet grace, settling slowly beside the bed.

Eran's gaze lingered on her for a brief moment, his voice low and calm.

"I'm quite surprised you came to my chambers."

Miyu let out a soft chuckle, tilting her head slightly.

"I hope I didn't interfere with your sleep, Eran. Though… I might help you clean your face."

He let out a soft sigh, smirk tugging at his mouth as he rose from the bed.

"Well… you caught me, Miyu."

The sound of water trickled as he leaned over the basin, rinsing his face with steady movements.

From where she sat, her voice carried across the room, smooth and poised.

"It seems you were still asleep when I arrived.

Eran straightened slowly, wiping his face before returning to her side.

"Perhaps I was more tired than I thought."

Her violet eyes caught him as he sat back down, a smirk tugging faintly at her lips.

"Not like you always do."

She brushed her fingers lightly along Eran's arm, her breath slipping out in a slow exhale as her gaze locked on him.

"Well… you know that, don't you?"

Eran didn't shift, his smirk faint and calm.. almost as if he already knew what she was about to say.

Miyu's lips curved as her voice dropped slightly.

"Eran, you heard what Professor Selene said, didn't you? The duel... it's only a week away now."

His gaze stayed on hers, steady and unreadable. He gave no reply, letting the silence linger between them.. heavy and knowing.

Miyu leaned in slightly, her tone sharp and probing.

"Eran… how do you plan on it? This isn't like the other trials. Not some meaningless test of mana flow or a hand pressed to a crest. This is different."

"This duel…" Her voice lowered, steady but edged, "it won't just draw the eyes of the Grade D nobles. The higher grades will be watching as well."

Her gaze lingered on him, tilting her head slightly as she exhaled.

"It is more than a fight. It's our pride.. a noble's pride. We represent our bloodline, our strength, our worth as young potentials. This duel decides whether we climb further in rank and grade… or remain where we are, chained in place."

For a moment her tone softened, though her eyes never left his.

"And for the commoners—" her words slowed, deliberate, "they won't just fail. They'll be stripped of their grade entirely… erased from the hierarchy itself."

But then she lifted her head again, her eyes meeting his with a faint smile. Something unspoken passing between them. Her hand brushed softly against his wrist, fingers lingering, her violet gaze glimmering as if it cut deeper than her words.

"I know you're different, Eran," she whispered, low enough that it felt like a secret. "I know you hide your strength… your power. No one else would believe a commoner could play such tricks, but I've seen it."

Eran leaned in closer, with a warm breath.

"Well… I guess you think what I think, Miyu."

Her eyes flicked toward him catching his smirk, and for a heartbeat she held his gaze before speaking...

"Firstly… if a commoner, before the eyes of everyone, could seize even a spare chance of victory… then he is qualified for a position. But if he fails, just as every noble expects..." she exhaled slowly, her violet eyes glimmering as they lingered on him "...then he will be stripped of his grade, cast aside as unworthy. That is the way the hierarchy stands."

Eran's thoughts stilled for a brief moment, sinking deeper into the chains of the hierarchy, everything he had come to understand so far, and the truths that lingered beneath its surface. A faint smirk curved his lips; the more he unraveled, the more he realized there was still to grasp. And here before him stood Miyu, a high-born noble carrying the weight of pride and privilege, someone who understood the hierarchy's chains better than most.

Her voice cut softly through his thoughts.

"But Eran… how will you play in the duel if you're masking your true strength?"

Her eyes glimmered as she stared at him, unblinking.

"I… I can help. But you know I can't just stand there doing nothing. Everyone expects something from me. And this duel.. it isn't like the last trial. This one will draw an audience. A large one."

Eran's gaze flicked toward her, though his thoughts trailed back to what Selene had told him yesterday. She had been chosen among the jurisdiction members. That alone shifted the balance. It could give him every chance he needed.

Perhaps what Miyu said carried more truth than he wanted to admit. She had already decided—helping him was one thing, but standing idle was another. Not in the final duel. Not when every noble would be fighting to defend their pride. And certainly not when half the academy still remembered her performance in the Grade C chambers, a display that had left them all in awe.

Eran tilted his head back slightly, his eyes tracing the ceiling as if it might hold an answer. She's really a noble with promise… a future carved for greatness. The thought lingered, edged with something like admiration.

Well… with the rate of Miyu's power, it would be difficult for her to act any less. Holding back would only raise suspicion among the other nobles.

But with Selene seated on the jurisdiction table… perhaps only a little display from me would be enough. Just enough to earn a passing glance, just enough to keep my mask hidden without anyone noticing.

As his thoughts spiraled further, Miyu's voice cut sharply through them.

"Eran!"

His head tilted slightly, snapping back to the present as he realized he had nearly forgotten Miyu was still sitting close beside him.

Eran gave a quiet laugh, low and unhurried, the sound breaking the silence that had weighed between them.

Miyu tilted her head, her violet eyes narrowing with that knowing glimmer. "You're going so far, Eran. You've already drawn up some ideas, haven't you?"

His smile curved faintly, unreadable as ever. "Well, Miyu… you're right. Everyone knows the kind of power you carry, and the nobility in your blood. It's going to be hard for you to hold back on that day. If you do, it might raise suspicion among them all."

Miyu exhaled softly, as her gaze drifted to the golden-crest banner tied around her wrist, the same one Evelis had handed them earlier. She turned it between her fingers, the faint shimmer of its runes catching the morning light, then raised it just enough for Eran to see.

"Or... is it because of this?" she murmured. "The Nexus Core. You know what it means, right? It balances...and boosts our of mana."

***

A/N: please do well to drop a review as well.

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