Chapter 13 - Pressure
The atmosphere inside the training hall had changed completely after the free challenges began.
Earlier, the hall had felt organized.
Structured.
Now—
it felt like controlled violence.
Second-year students filled different combat platforms while weapons clashed constantly beneath glowing rune lights overhead. Astral energy flickered violently throughout the massive arena while groups gathered around ongoing fights loudly.
And in between all of this Seren and Rivan looked happier than any normal person should.
"This," Rivan announced while watching two students nearly destroy a training platform nearby, "is true academic culture." Seren finished the sentence
"I sometimes wonder where you to came from" Kaelan replied calmly.
"You people lack vision."
Rivan suddenly countered him.
"I think someone lost consciousness over there."
"That's the spirit," Seren said proudly.
Meanwhile—
Lyra quietly regretted joining the second year division.
She stood near one side of the hall while trying very hard not to attract additional attention.
That became impossible the moment several second-years recognized her.
"The dual-affinity first-year?"
"She actually beat Darius earlier."
"I heard Bradmore personally approved her transfer."
"That sounds terrifying."
Lyra already felt tired.
Then—
"Lyra!"
A familiar voice echoed from the entrance.
Amy pushed through the crowded training area before stopping near the group with visible excitement.
"Oh wow," she said immediately while looking around. "This feels like war"
"That's because it is," Rivan answered proudly.
Amy blinked once.
"...Who are you?"
"Rivan."
"That explains absolutely nothing."
"What! you don't know me? I am the most important member of Blackcrest"
Meanwhile Seren looked deeply interested already.
"You actually came."
"I said I would," Amy replied proudly before immediately turning toward Lyra. "So? Has anything happened yet?"
Lyra narrowed her eyes.
"Why do you sound hopeful?"
"Because I believe in your ability to attract problems naturally."
"That's offensive."
"It's accurate though."
Multiple people nearby visibly agreed.
Amy eventually moved beside Seren while observing one of the nearby fights.
"This looks way more intense than first-year combat."
"That's because second-years abandoned peace long ago," Seren explained.
"That is not funny"
Kaelan looked exhausted already.
Meanwhile—
across the hall—
Erix stood near one of the weapon racks quietly adjusting black combat gloves around his hands.
Still composed.
Still distant.
Still looking mildly irritated by existence itself.
Amy noticed him immediately.
"Oh."
Rivan followed her gaze.
"Oh no."
"What?"
Seren suddenly smiled lazily.
"You know," he said lightly, "speaking of entertainment—"
Lyra immediately looked suspicious.
"No."
"You don't even know what I'm about to say."
"I know enough."
Seren ignored her completely before casually raising his voice across the hall.
"Erix."
Several nearby students immediately looked interested.
Across the room, Erix glanced toward them calmly.
Seren smiled wider.
"You should spar with Lyra."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Several second-years immediately turned toward them.
Rivan visibly straightened like someone witnessing divine intervention personally.
Amy looked moments away from spiritually ascending.
Meanwhile—
Lyra stared at Seren with betrayal.
"You truly are a terrible person."
"I've been honest about that from the beginning."
Erix remained silent briefly.
Then—
"Fine."
That single word somehow made the surrounding atmosphere louder instantly.
"Oh this is happening."
"She's doomed."
"That feels terrible."
Lyra regretted her thought of being relieved seeing this guy before.
Meanwhile Seren looked deeply satisfied with himself.
"See?" he said proudly toward Amy. "Academic culture."
Amy nodded immediately.
"I am learning a lot, senior."
Traitors.
The central combat platform cleared quickly afterward as students gathered nearby with visible interest.
Even Mrs. Bradmore glanced toward the arena without interrupting.
Wonderful.
Absolutely wonderful.
Lyra stepped onto the platform while preparing herself for suffering.
Across from her—
Erix picked up a training blade calmly before walking toward the center.
No nervousness.
No excitement.
Nothing.
Like this was simply another normal exercise.
That irritated her immediately.
"You look very relaxed for someone about to get hit," Lyra muttered.
"You sound confident for someone already annoyed."
Several nearby students laughed quietly.
Rivan immediately shouted from the side:
"Lyra if you survive this I'll call you 'Big sister' tomorrow onwards"
"That sounds fake!"
"It is!"
Amy looked delighted already.
Meanwhile Seren crossed his arms lazily beside her.
"Lucian will regret missing this..."
Kaelan remained silent, though his attention never left the platform.
Mrs. Bradmore eventually raised one hand.
"Begin."
Erix moved first.
And immediately, Lyra understood the difference between him and everyone else she had fought that day.
He was fast.
Not recklessly fast.
Controlled.
Every strike precise enough to feel calculated beforehand.
Lyra barely blocked the first attack before the impact forced her backward.
The second strike followed instantly.
No wasted movement.
No unnecessary aggression.
Just overwhelming skill.
Lyra dodged sideways before countering quickly—
and Erix blocked it effortlessly.
Like he already knew where she would attack.
Annoying.
Deeply annoying.
"You're predictable when irritated," Erix observed.
"Oh, I'm glad my suffering is educational."
"I would appreciate it more if you learned faster."
That irritated her even more.
Lyra attacked again, faster this time.
Erix stepped aside smoothly before redirecting the strike completely.
The difference between them became obvious almost immediately.
He wasn't struggling.
Not even slightly.
And somehow that bothered her more than arrogance would have.
Because he wasn't mocking her.
He simply existed several levels above her.
Around the platform, the atmosphere gradually shifted.
The earlier amusement faded as more students began watching seriously.
Even Seren tilted his head slightly.
"...This feels unfair."
Amy frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"He's treating this like child's play."
Rivan looked thoughtful.
"That has to be emotionally devastating."
Lyra heard that.
Unfortunately.
Their blades collided again.
Erix pressed forward without pause, steadily forcing her backward across the arena.
Every movement cornered her carefully.
Not enough to overwhelm her completely.
Enough to pressure instinct.
Enough to force reactions.
And suddenly—
Lyra understood.
He wasn't trying to win.
He was testing her.
"You're doing this intentionally."
Erix redirected her next strike effortlessly.
"You noticed."
"That's not an answer."
"It's enough."
The response irritated her immediately.
Their weapons clashed again.
Erix gave her no room to recover, each strike pushing her toward instinct instead of thought.
Toward astral reinforcement.
Toward the thing she kept avoiding.
"You're playing with me," Lyra snapped.
"No," Erix replied evenly. "I'm confirming something."
Before she could respond, he attacked again.
Faster this time.
Lyra instinctively pulled astral energy into her arms to strengthen the block—
and froze.
The training hall vanished.
A violent cracking sound tore through her mind like shattered glass.
For one horrible second, all she could remember was unstable astral spiraling beyond control.
Pain.
Fear.
That crushing helplessness she never wanted to experience again.
Her breath caught sharply.
The reinforcement collapsed before it could fully form.
Not here.
Anything but this.
The hesitation lasted barely a second.
But Erix noticed.
And this time, Mrs. Bradmore noticed too.
Near the edge of the arena, her expression sharpened immediately.
Beside Seren, Kaelan's gaze shifted toward Lyra in sudden understanding.
But he remained silent.
Lyra quickly stepped back, forcing herself to steady her breathing.
Then anger replaced the panic almost immediately.
Because now she understood.
He knew something was wrong.
And he kept pushing anyway.
"That's enough."
Confused murmurs spread around the platform.
The spar had slowed now, turning into something far stranger than a normal match.
Erix lowered his blade slightly.
"You cut your astral flow the moment pressure increases."
Silence spread briefly around the arena.
Lyra tightened her grip around the practice sword.
"How did you notice that?"
"You hesitate before reinforcement," Erix answered. "Then you shut it down before it stabilizes."
Another clash rang sharply through the hall.
"You retreat afterward," he continued evenly. "Like you're afraid of your own astral."
The words hit harder than the strikes.
Around them, students exchanged confused looks.
Even Amy's expression changed slightly.
Because this no longer sounded like ordinary combat criticism.
"You forced me to use it on purpose," Lyra realized quietly.
"Yes."
The blunt honesty caught her off guard.
"Why?"
Erix's gaze never left hers.
"Because during real combat, hesitation gets people killed."
The words struck harder than the spar itself.
Before Lyra could stop it, the memory surfaced again—
shattered astral light,
power spiraling violently beyond control,
that suffocating fear crawling through her chest.
"You don't know anything," she snapped.
Then she attacked him.
Too fast.
Too angry.
Her blade cut toward Erix hard enough to surprise several nearby students.
Erix blocked smoothly—
but the moment Lyra tried to reinforce the strike with astral flow, fear crashed through her again.
The energy collapsed instantly.
So did her balance.
Her footing slipped beneath her—
the world tilted sideways—
and before she could hit the ground, strong arms caught her securely.
Silence spread across the entire training hall.
Lyra felt genuine horror crawl into her soul.
Absolutely not.