The next day, the academy was noisy again.
Everyone talked about the dungeon.
Some students were scared.
Some were excited.
But most were confused.
"How did we survive that?" they asked.
No one had the answer.
Except Eiden.
And he wasn't talking.
---
In the cafeteria, Kai stood on a table.
He shouted loudly, so everyone could hear.
"I know who saved us!"
Students looked up.
Whispers filled the room.
"It was that quiet kid," Kai said, pointing at Eiden. "The weak one!"
Everyone turned to Eiden.
He was eating his food slowly.
He didn't react.
---
Kai jumped down and walked toward him.
"I saw what you did," he said.
"You used something strange. That wasn't sword skill!"
Eiden wiped his mouth with a napkin.
"Then prove it," he said softly.
Kai blinked.
"What?"
---
"Challenge me," Eiden said. "In front of everyone."
The room went silent.
Then someone gasped.
A duel?
Here?
Now?
Kai laughed.
"Fine! Let's do it!"
---
Soon, the students gathered in the training field.
The sun was high.
Two boys stood in the center.
One loud.
One quiet.
Kai grinned, swinging his sword fast.
"I'm going to crush you."
Eiden stood still.
His eyes calm.
His sword lowered.
---
"Start!" a teacher called out.
Kai rushed forward.
His sword slashed fast.
Powerful.
Strong.
But Eiden moved just a little.
A step.
A tilt.
And the attack missed.
---
"Stop dancing and fight!" Kai shouted.
He swung again.
And again.
But Eiden's movements were too smooth.
Too clean.
No wasted motion.
He parried one hit—
Then another—
Then struck back.
One strike.
To the chest.
Kai fell.
Hard.
---
Gasps filled the air.
"He won…"
"Just one hit?"
"How?"
The teacher walked over.
"The duel is finished," he said.
Eiden nodded and walked away.
No smile.
No pride.
Just silence.
---
Elara stood at the back.
She stared hard at Eiden.
Her eyes narrowed.
"That's not just sword skill," she whispered.
Sera was next to her.
"He's amazing, isn't he?"
Elara didn't answer.
But her hands clenched.
---
Later that night…
In a dark room, Eiden sat alone.
He opened a book of old runes.
The page glowed faintly.
"I need to go deeper," he thought.
"If my old seals are breaking… then more is coming."
He looked out the window.
The moon was full.
And something—someone—was watching from the forest.