CHAPTER 191: WITH TIREL

A few muttered interpretations, others simply stared, wide-eyed, unsure whether to admire his control or fear the intensity behind it.

Jae stood alone now, the heat of battle still clinging to his skin, the air heavy around him. Sweat clung to his temples, the edge of dust and ash still scattered across his hair and clothes.

He drew a slow, steady breath, the faint residue of his own mana swirling along his arms and shoulders. The gash across Sun’s arm had been sealed by the healers, their soft glow fading now, but the weight of what had happened pressed down on the field like an invisible storm.

The ground beneath him still bore the scars of the duel, the cracks, the scorched soil, the smudges of blood and dirt that no spell could erase.

A soft movement drew his attention. Elise had finally stepped forward, threading her way carefully through the murmuring students.

Her dark hair brushed her shoulders, slightly tangled from rushing, and her eyes were wide with worry. Unlike the sharp edge in Byun’s stance, her presence radiated warmth and care.

She didn’t scold or question; she simply reached him, her hands glowing faintly, not to chastise, but to steady, to soothe the exhaustion that clung to him as visibly as his sweat and grime.

She pressed her hands against his shoulders and back, the light of her mana warming the tight muscles and easing the lingering ache in his arms.

Her eyes flicked briefly to the subtle bruises along his forearms, the strain in his shoulders, the remnants of the invisible weight he had carried from the Sovereign Veil, and then back to his face, which remained set and unreadable

"You shouldn’t have pushed yourself like that," she whispered, soft enough that the crowd’s murmurs faded against it. Her palms glowed faintly, steady, breathing life and focus into him without a word of rebuke. There was worry there, yes, but also trust, a belief that he could hear her concern without needing to bow or apologize.

Jae’s gaze softened just slightly, the tension around his jaw loosening, not because she forced it, but because her calmness cut through the haze of adrenaline and lingering heat. He exhaled slowly, letting some of the pressure from the fight seep out with it.

"I’m fine," he muttered, voice low, almost reluctant to let her know that he felt the strain at all.

"You’re not," she said, her tone gentle but firm, her fingers gliding over his muscles with careful precision. "That fight left more strain than you realize. You can’t keep burning yourself out like that, diving headfirst into every clash as if the world itself will bend to your will."

Her touch never faltered, her hands steady even as her eyes betrayed the tiniest flicker of fear, the kind that comes from seeing someone you care about teeter on the edge of too much, too fast.

Jae let out a low breath, staring at the cracks in the dirt below his boots, letting her presence anchor him. For a moment, all the fire, all the heat, all the chaos of the duel seemed distant, manageable through the subtle pressure of her hands.

"I’ll manage," he said finally, a whisper more to himself than to her.

Elise shook her head slightly, her gaze lingering on him with quiet worry. She didn’t press further; she simply stayed, radiating calm and steadiness, a subtle tether to reality amid the echoing chaos of the field

Jae didn’t answer. Not aloud. The whispers of the students swelled again, carried with awe, fear, and excitement. The healers carefully carried Sun away, their robes brushing the dirt as they moved, the fading glow of their mana casting fleeting shadows across the scorched ground. Byun’s last words, sharp and dark, lingered at the edge of his mind like a shadow he couldn’t shake.

His hand curled loosely at his side, fingers flexing once, twice, letting the residual tension seep into the air without speaking it aloud. The thought burned quietly in his chest, relentless and steady, unspoken but unyielding:

I’ll keep getting stronger. Whatever it takes.

xxxx

Jae sat on the edge of his bed in the dim glow of the single candle flickering on his nightstand, the small dorm room feeling stuffy and close.

The stone walls seemed to press in, echoing the weight in his chest from the blowout with Byun earlier that day.

His blonde hair was already tousled from running his hand through it one too many times, that go-to move when embarrassment or confusion hit him like a bad spell.

Red eyes stared at the floor, calm on the surface but strong underneath, hiding the frustration bubbling up. His image around the academy was slightly trashed right now, whispers calling him the reckless farmboy who had attacked the crown prince.

Byun had laid into him in the courtyard, all protective fire about Jae being to reckless and egoistic, and now it felt like everyone was side-eyeing him.

Tirel was right there beside him, her red hair spilling over her shoulders like a warm cascade, those matching red eyes soft with concern as she leaned in close.

She was curled up against his side, her body heat chasing away some of the chill, that sultry curve of her well-endowed behind shifting as she adjusted on the mattress.

They’d been talking for a bit already, her flirty voice cutting through his mood like a gentle breeze. She was a fire mage through and through, always drawing him in with that siren pull, and tonight she was all about consoling him.

"Listen, Jae," she said, her hand resting on his thigh, fingers tracing lazy circles. "Byun’s just worried, you know? He’s your friend, always has your back. But this fallout... it’s messing with your head too much. And the way people are talking? Your image isn’t that bad. They’re just jealous of how you carry yourself, calm, strong, always smirking like you own the place. Girls notice that stuff"

Jae let out a low chuckle, rubbing his hand through his hair again, the gesture making his cheeks warm a bit. "Jealous, huh? More like they think I’m the problem. Feels like my rep’s circling the drain."