Marina felt the cold wind on her face as she fled the infirmary.
Her heart was still pounding, her cheeks flushed not just from the run but mostly from the embarrassment tightening her chest. Shirei's expression kept resurfacing in her mind: the way he had looked into her eyes, the silence, his heavier breathing.
She was confused, unsure how to behave.
Shirei had always been kind to her, and yet the turmoil she felt beside him was new, unlike anything she had ever experienced.
Shaking her head, she tried to push those thoughts away. This was not the time to give in to emotions. Not with what he might be hiding, and especially not with the potential threat he represented to Lilies Park.
As she ran, the familiar sound of voices and shouts from the arena caught her attention.
A training session was underway, and Marina realized that the buzz of combat and cries of exertion could be the perfect distraction from the confusion crowding her mind.
She took a deep breath and decided to head that way.
I didn't expect it to be open already after what happened… she said to herself with a hint of surprise. The children of Corgi and Cechela must've resolved everything quickly and healed the area. I wonder if my brothers too…
It annoyed her not to be up to date with the project, but she understood that Lorenzo was more than capable of leading the Seventh House in her stead.
Once at the arena, she paused to observe the scene.
The place remained vast, dominated by a large central space surrounded by stone steps crowded with other Blendbreeds. The difference in elevation hadn't existed originally; it had clearly been built to cover the damage from the clash with the Tenebrae.
Marina stopped lingering on the architecture and shifted her focus to the actual fights.
It was always impressive to witness those training sessions: the energy radiating from bodies in motion, the shouts of encouragement, and the clash of weapons.
Enough now, I'm starting to sound like a daughter of Sidal.
She narrowed her eyes and spotted a boy—the representative of the children of Ione—already moving confidently at the center of the arena. She guessed he was the one meant to lead the lesson, and the fact that he was handing out wooden weapons to everyone only reinforced her theory.
Gliomede Capobianco…
He was one of the few Blendbreeds over twenty, a natural hunter with a strong presence and a solitary style.
Marina hadn't had much chance to speak with him outside of the representatives' meetings, but Gliomede, with his watchful green eyes and upright posture, exuded an aura of maturity and experience.
He wore light armor that fit his frame perfectly, and the quiver full of arrows hanging at his side was a clear sign of his archery skills.
The son of the goddess of the hunt was giving a speech to the other Blendbreeds, his melodious and calm voice dominating the arena.
"Remember, we're not here to prove who's the strongest, but to understand our limits and surpass them. Self-control is fundamental. There are no shortcuts to improving in the art of combat, and it's best you understand that right away."
Marina listened attentively, noticing the respect the other boys and girls had for him. She was also intrigued by the choice—normally, that kind of lesson would've been led by a child of Sidal or Aesi.
After his speech, Gliomede signaled for the Blendbreeds to pair up and begin training. Driven, as always, by her relentless curiosity, Marina couldn't help but sit on the stone steps and start watching.
Among those present, she immediately noticed Lilia.
Her friend seemed more focused than usual—maybe she planned to vent some anger through the training.
Marina struggled to understand her at times. Lilia was very kind and affectionate toward her, but with others she came off as both too impatient and irritable, especially with the children of Cragar.
She watched her grip sword and shield, and remembered the day Lilia had told her the story. How Cragar had caused the death of the entire Rossini family.
"Lilia, you're paired with Eury," said a voice from the group.
She spotted a boy—presumably the one they had called—approaching her friend.
Eury was small and agile, with bright blue hair that stood out beneath the hood of a purple sweatshirt. The contrast between Lilia's seriousness and Eury's playful demeanor was immediately evident.
Marina adjusted her seat, curious to see how the clash would play out.
She paused for a moment on the color of the Blendbreed's hoodie.
Purple belonged to a specific deity.
A child of Rutia, the goddess of illusions.
The match-up clearly favored her friend, but the smile plastered on Eury's face held her back from deciding who would come out on top.
The Blendbreed extended a hand to Lilia and smiled.
"Nice to meet you! I'm Eury."
"Lilia," the raven-haired girl replied curtly.
"Oh! Pretty name!" They shook hands. "Is it a nickname or is that your real name? Me, for example, I go by Eury. I mean, my name is actually Eurydice—Eurydice Baldinucci."
The daughter of Torari didn't reply and broke the handshake.
"Yeah, I know what you're thinking: 'Eurydice?'" The Blendbreed rolled his eyes. "Yeah, Eurydice. Yeah, it's a girl's name. No, I'm not a girl. My mom—which is funny to say because technically I have two moms—anyway, my human mom was obsessed with mythology and wanted a daughter, and then I came out. Surprise!"
Marina smiled and thought about the phrase he had just said.
Unlike what common belief suggested, gods were capable of procreation regardless of the mortal's sex, as long as there was a place where the semi-divine embryo could grow.
She thought back to what they had studied in class and the methods involved in that process.
Right. Blendbreeds can grow within the Blooming Garden… better focus back on the fight.
She smiled at her own flaw: she thought too much.
The young boy caught her attention with a bow to the audience, followed by a second gesture toward his opponent. "Well, that's about it. Nice to meet you, Lilia."
Gliomede cleared his throat. "To your positions! The other pairs will wait for their turns."
Eury grinned. "Hey, just saying… go easy on me, I'm no warrior."
The daughter of Torari returned his smile with a sharp edge. "Good luck."
The match began with a certain level of caution. Lilia advanced with her shield firmly in front of her, watching her opponent closely, while Eury moved lightly, trying to keep his distance. He wasn't a physical fighter like the daughter of Torari, but Marina had already figured out he wasn't just a playful kid.
Lilia lunged and tried to strike with her sword. The slash cut through the air without hitting its target, but she didn't seem frustrated—she was almost smiling. She slowed down, trying to assess the best way to attack. Her brown eyes gleamed as she moved in circles, tracking Eury's movements.
The clash continued in that fashion for another minute, but Marina began to feel that something was off.
Lilia showed no frustration and didn't seem even remotely irritated, despite having not landed a single blow. Eury hadn't made the slightest move to attack, still holding his knife behind his back in a reverse grip.
With that sly smile of his, he looked like he was enjoying himself.
Marina instantly realized that the son of Rutia had been telling the truth. As stylish as it looked, the reverse grip only worked in action movies and staged fight scenes. In real combat, no one could use it effectively enough to make their weapon dangerous.
If the daughter of Torari would just wake up a little, the boy wouldn't stand a chance.
I just want to understand why she's so calm… the Lilia I know would never act like this in a fight.
The thought crept in that her behavior might be tied to her time at Daffodils Academy, but she couldn't have changed that much in so little time. There had to be something else, and she wanted to know what.
Without breaking her gaze, she let the mana flow from her divine core to her eyes, activating the peculiar technique of the children of Ien.
The world around her shifted, taking on hollow forms while glowing lines outlined every detail against the darkened background. The Blendbreed watched the fight closely, searching for a clue—and immediately spotted the real problem.
Between Lilia and Eury, a formless mass of mana with a humanoid shape moved independently, like a parallel version of the son of Rutia. Upon closer inspection, Marina noticed a red circle within the Blendbreed's green irises.
Lilia has fallen victim to an illusion, she confirmed, watching white rays shoot from the daughter of Torari's pupils and stop at the edge of the mana figure. He created an image to cover his presence and block Lilia's sight—so that's why she's missing every strike. Very… clever.
At a certain point, Eury's laughter grew louder, and Marina sensed movement to her left.
Suddenly, Gliomede stepped in.
Without a word, he drew an arrow from his bow and nocked it in a fluid motion. In an instant, it was coated in a silver sheen—a sign that the Blendbreed had activated his mother's power.
The son of Ione released the arrow, which sliced through the air with deadly precision and shattered the head of the false Eury, dissolving the entire illusion in a flash of light.
The arrow then stopped midair, spun on itself, and returned to the archer's hand after tracing a long arc upward.
Marina widened her eyes, amazed by the skill of the representative of the Eighth House.
Having studied their powers, she was sure the Blendbreeds of the Eighth didn't possess visual abilities on the same level as a child of Ien, and she saw no trace of mana around his eyes.
This could only mean Gliomede had done it thanks to the heightened senses granted by his Divine Path—and maybe some trick she wasn't aware of.
Simply incredible, she whispered.
Silence fell over the arena.
"Eury," Gliomede's voice was calm, but his tone firm. "This is training, not a duel. You need to focus on improving your skills, not on confusing your opponent. If you rely only on illusions, you'll never develop true mastery with weapons."
The words hit the boy hard—his smile vanished instantly. He gave a small nod of apology, but the damage was done.
Lilia had fully snapped out of it, and, furious at being toyed with, prepared to attack with renewed energy.
Gliomede approached Marina as the fight between Lilia and Eury resumed. The daughter of Ien greeted him with a slight smile, still a bit nervous after witnessing such a decisive intervention.
"Are you feeling better?" Gliomede asked, his tone gentle and curious. "Normally, I'd ask you to join the others, but I know the children of Cragar keep giving you trouble. And then there's what happened with the son of Tefine. I was on sentry duty… I'm sorry I couldn't help in time."
"It's fine. We managed."
Marina shrugged, trying to hide the inner turmoil she felt.
"I'm still not feeling quite right, though," she replied, trying to keep her voice light.
She wasn't ready to talk about it and hoped he wouldn't press further.
"What matters is learning how to manage your mind. A strong mindset creates a strong body," he said after a brief pause, trying to reassure her.
"Our power doesn't just come from strength or technique, but from the ability to stay focused even in the toughest moments."
Marina listened to Gliomede's words with care, but her gaze was still lost in the clash unfolding before her eyes. The son of Ione spoke wisely, and yet she could feel that the knot inside her—woven from confusion and vulnerability—would not come undone so easily. The thought of Shirei wouldn't be leaving her mind any time soon, nor would everything concerning the future of the Park.
She nodded slightly, unable to form a true response, as her eyes returned to follow Lilia.
The fight resumed with renewed energy. The daughter of Torari, still enraged by Eury's illusion, attacked with ferocity. This time, she didn't let herself get distracted; her strikes were faster, more precise, and she clearly had learned from her mistake. Instead of trying to figure out what had just happened, she focused solely on hitting hard, using her physical strength to overwhelm her wiry opponent. The son of Rutia, now without his illusion, tried to defend himself, but the gap in skill and experience between the two was becoming apparent.
He was nimble, but not fast enough to dodge every blow.
The growing pressure from Lilia was starting to take its toll.
Marina could see the frustration building in the green eyes of the son of Rutia, as he struggled to stay focused despite the situation spiraling out of his control.
The raven-haired girl seized upon a moment of hesitation. With a sharp move, she slammed her shield against him, forcing him back a few steps, then followed up with her sword—not to harm, but to disarm.
The clash echoed loudly through the arena. Eury hit the ground, his dagger sliding from his hands, now reddened from impact.
"I surrender!" shouted the Blendbreed at once, raising his arms in a gesture of defeat. His breath was ragged, and his lips were pulled into a strained smile.
Lilia stopped, lowering both shield and sword, but not before casting Eury a look of pure triumph. The blue-haired boy stood slowly, trying to mask his loss with a joke.
"Guess it's just not my day," he said, attempting a grin as he picked up his dagger to hand it back to the tutor. "Always said I'd never win against a woman."
Gliomede stepped forward, watching the scene closely.
"You both fought well," he said with a small applause, acknowledging their effort. Then he turned his gaze toward the son of Rutia.
"Eury, remember what I told you. Your illusion is useful, but it's not a shortcut. You'll only grow if you also learn to rely on your physical skills."
The boy nodded, perhaps not entirely convinced, but enough to accept the advice. Marina felt an odd sense of kinship with him. She knew what it meant to feel inadequate or to fall short of expectations—a feeling that had haunted her often in the past.
The lesson continued with the other pairs of Blendbreeds, but Marina's attention was already drifting elsewhere. She had sunk into her thoughts, remaining seated on the stone steps as Lilia approached—still a bit sweaty, but clearly pleased with her victory.
"Shall we head home?" asked the raven-haired girl, smiling as she shrugged off her leather jacket and slung it over her shoulder. Her tone was more relaxed now that the tension of the match had faded.
The daughter of Ien nodded and stood up. "Yeah, let's go," she replied, trying to shake off the heaviness she felt inside.
As they walked side by side out of the arena, the two girls remained silent for a while, enjoying the quiet of the late afternoon. Shadows stretched across the paths of Lilies Park, and the first lanterns began to light up, casting a warm, gentle glow over them.
Lilia noticed her friend's silence and decided to break the ice.
"Did you see how that little brat tried to fool me with his illusions? Thought he was being clever, but I put him back in his place."
Marina offered a faint smile. "You were amazing, Lilia. I never doubted it."
"Well, I had to. I'm not the type to let someone make a fool of me."
Then her expression grew more serious. "You okay? You've been pretty quiet. Yesterday you seemed fine—what's changed?"
The blonde hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to say.
Lilia had always been strong-willed, even if a little stubborn. She, on the other hand, was a tangled mess of thoughts and conflicting emotions.
"Yeah, I'm fine," she lied at last, trying to mask her unease. "Just… got a lot on my mind."
"I get it," she replied simply. "Just remember you can always count on me, okay? I'm ready to smash some of those Cragar kids if I have to!"
Marina laughed, but nodded, grateful to have her by her side.
"Shirei and Dahlia didn't do anything to me… and you really should ease up on the hate."
"Absolutely not. Never."
They finally reached the Seventh House. The lanterns lining the path were now glowing with full warmth, perfectly lighting the way and creating a softer, more peaceful atmosphere than before. A calm evening, worthy of a gentle night. The daughter of Torari stopped at the threshold, gazing up at the now darkening sky.
"So, what are you doing after this?"
"I should head over to see Dahlia," Marina replied.
"Right… go ahead and ignore me for the little princess."
The daughter of Ien sighed. "Can you not?"
Lilia gave her a fake smile and walked off, leaving her alone.
I love you, my dear friend, but I'll never understand the way you behave.
Marina stayed there for a moment, watching the lanterns sway in the wind. With another sigh, she stepped inside to get ready.