Chapter 24

Peace. Serenity. That was what Xain felt in this moment.

He was home, surrounded by his friends and his brother. The sun streamed in through the windows, filling the room with a comforting warmth. Everything was perfect. Nothing to worry about. Nothing chasing him. Just the simple joy of being in a place that felt safe.

"Ah~ This is the life," he sighed, stretching lazily.

A hand clamped down on his shoulder.

"Wake the fuck up, 'hero.' We got a tournament to win."

His blood ran cold. That voice—he knew that voice. He hadn't heard it in years. He shouldn't be hearing it now. Before he could react, the world was ripped out from under him, and he was yanked away from his peaceful home, screaming as he was hurled into the dirt.

Pain jolted through him. The deafening roar of a crowd swallowed everything. He scrambled to his feet, breath heaving, eyes darting wildly—there were thousands, no, tens of thousands of people in the coliseum stands, cheering, jeering, screaming loud enough to shake the earth beneath him.

And in front of him—

A monster of a man, built like a mountain, towering over him with a weapon bigger than Xain himself.

The blade came down.

"AHH!"

Xain shot up, screaming. His breath came in ragged gasps, sweat sticking his clothes to his skin. His eyes darted around the dimly lit room, his heart hammering in his chest. No coliseum. No crowd. No mountain of a man trying to turn him into paste. Just the familiar walls of his room at the Raging Eagle.

"Oh goddess," he whimpered, pressing a hand to his racing heart.

A voice groaned in his head, clearly unimpressed. *The first thing you do when you wake up is yell? You do realize there's another person inside of you trying to sleep, right?*

Xain winced. "I'm sorry, I just... I had this nightmare about the tournament. Getting crushed." He slumped forward, rubbing his temples before letting out a pitiful whine. "Ugh~ why did I agree to this? I don't want to go."

*What, already forgot about the debt you owe that albino thief?* Ercale snarked.

Xain dragged his hands down his face in sheer agony. "Of course not. I am going to participate, I just don't want to."

*Then get up and get ready. The tournament starts at ten. It's around eight right now.*

Xain groaned but forced himself out of bed, his movements sluggish as he shuffled over to the chest at the foot of it. He knelt, opening it to retrieve his thieves' garb.

*Why did I hear her voice?* He wondered as he began putting on his clothes.

That nightmare—no, that moment—felt too vivid. Too real. *Is that what happened last night? Was she somehow trying to come out while Mae was staring at me?*

His fingers paused as he fastened the last of his gear. *I already have enough problems. All of which are entirely my fault. I don't need another one.*

His shoulders sagged as he exhaled slowly. "Whatever. I just have to hope I can keep that particular side of me in check."

Ercale's voice cut in, sounding skeptical. *What are you talking about?*

Xain waved a dismissive hand. "Nothing. Just trying to mentally prepare myself."

Ercale scoffed. *I'd worry more about your physical preparation than your mental, ape. The people in this tournament are going to be strong. Almost definitely stronger than you.*

Xain sighed, running a hand through his hair. "You don't have to remind me. I know." he said, trying to sound dismissive—but, he knew Ercale was right. He was almost certainly going to be outmatched, both in strength and skill. Without Ercale's help, he could only rely on his trickery and experience. But those would only take him so far.

*What should I do?*

His eyes flickered back to the chest.

"Hmm..."

He knelt down again, digging through his belongings until his fingers brushed against something. His grip tightened as he pulled it free, holding it up to the light.

"Maybe," he muttered, eyes narrowing. "Maybe this will give me the edge I need."

Meanwhile

Downstairs, Zee hummed happily to herself, a stark contrast to her demeanor the day before. Her sudden cheerfulness didn't go unnoticed—especially by the three sitting at the same table as last evening. Larkin, Mae, and Drack exchanged glances, each silently questioning what had caused the shift.

Mae arched a brow, leaning forward slightly. "Why do you look so happy, little sister?" she asked, her voice laced with curiosity.

Zee turned toward her with a playful smile. "It's a secret," she said, pressing a finger to her lips. "But it's something that will make a certain someone very happy."

Mae folded her arms, tilting her head. "Uh-huh~ I'm kind of getting jealous, Zee. Despite having your big sister right here, you're going to be cheering for someone else?" she said, feigning hurt.

"Don't worry, Mae! I'll be cheering for you too!" Zee assured her, her smile unwavering. "It's just that, between you and Xain, I'm going to be cheering for him."

Mae blinked, caught off guard by how blunt she was. Larkin let out a short laugh. "Wow, that's direct. Thought you'd try to be a little more subtle about it."

Zee giggled. "Why would I?"

Drack grunted, shifting in his seat. "Speaking of that boy, where is he?"

Almost as if on cue, a voice rang out from the stairs. "Right here!"

All four of them turned toward the sound, but as soon as they laid eyes on Xain, their reactions shifted from casual interest to surprise.

Xain stood there, dressed in his usual thieves' garb—but it had changed. Modifications had been made, pieces added. Armor. White armor. White feathers. The stark contrast against his black and blue clothing made the additions all the more striking. The armor covered his chest, his knees, his shoulders, his forearms, and his elbows, each piece strapped on as if taken off something else.

Mae and Drack exchanged uncertain glances, unable to place the armor, but Zee and Larkin recognized it immediately.

Larkin's eyes narrowed slightly. "Is that what I think it is?"

Xain smirked, stepping forward with a confident energy.

"I'm ready for the tournament!" he declared, giving a thumbs-up, his voice carrying far more certainty than before. After all, he was wearing angelic armor.