Sparring match

Days had passed since their arrival. The orphanage buzzed with quiet activity as children scattered through the halls, each lost in their own tasks. In the small room they shared, Nox sat on one side of the narrow bed while Maya perched on the other, the space between them feeling wider than it actually was.

"Hey Maya." Nox's voice cut through the silence, flat and direct. His dark eyes fixed on the white-haired girl across from him. "There's something I need to ask you."

Maya's head tilted, confusion flickering across her pale features. She said nothing, but gave a small nod that told him to continue.

"When I carried you that day," Nox said, his tone unchanged, "you were clutching a book. I tried to open it later. Couldn't." His eyes narrowed slightly. "What is it?"

Maya went still. Her fingers twisted in her lap as she stared at him, something heavy settling in her expression. Without a word, she reached under the bed and pulled out the leather-bound book he'd seen before.

"You told me to hold onto this," she said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper. "When we ran from the mansion. Don't you remember?"

Nox's face darkened. His jaw tightened, and Maya could see the disappointment flash in his eyes like a blade. The look made her stomach drop.

"I-it's our family's ability book," she rushed to explain, the words tumbling out. "It teaches everything. From basic channeling to... to evolution paths."

Nox leaned forward slightly, one hand moving to rest against his jaw. "Evolution paths?" The question came out sharp. "What does that mean?"

Maya's shoulders hunched. She looked down at her hands, her whole body starting to shake. The words seemed stuck in her throat.

Nox watched her tremble for a moment, then clicked his tongue in irritation. Useless. He stood up, the bed creaking under the shift of weight.

"It's evening," he said, already moving toward the door. "We have chores."

Maya's head snapped up, eyes wide with surprise. But then she scrambled off the bed and hurried after him, her earlier fear forgotten in a sudden burst of excitement.

They joined the other children for their daily tasks, working in silence until the house settled into quiet. Each child returned to their rooms as darkness fell outside the windows.

The next morning brought the usual sounds of the orphanage waking up. Children's voices echoed through the halls as they began their daily routines. In the kitchen, Nox stood at a wooden counter, his knife moving in steady, precise cuts through orange carrots.

Three other children worked nearby, but none at the same task. The kitchen smelled of bread and herbs, steam rising from pots on the stove.

"You know," said a voice beside him, "for an ex-noble, you're pretty good with that knife."

Nox didn't look up. His blade continued its rhythm as if no one had spoken at all.

The boy who'd commented had blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail, similar to Garron's style but somehow different. Less neat. His smile stayed friendly, but his eyes hardened when Nox ignored him completely.

The boy's teeth ground together, but he forced himself to keep working.

After breakfast, Nox searched through the orphanage halls for Garron. Empty office. Empty training room. Empty everywhere. The man had simply vanished.

A sharp whistle cut through the air outside. All the children, including Nox and Maya, gathered in the courtyard where morning light filtered through the trees.

The girl standing before them was short with brown hair that caught the sunlight. White bandages wrapped around her fingers like she'd been in a fight recently. She clasped her hands together and bowed her head low.

"Master Garron is away on business for several days," she announced, her voice carrying clearly across the yard. "I'll be leading training until he returns."

The other children immediately bowed in response. Nox and Maya exchanged a glance, then followed suit a beat behind everyone else.

"Take your stances!" the girl commanded.

The children spread out across the courtyard, their feet sliding into familiar positions. Legs apart, backs slightly hunched, arms loose at their sides. The formation looked like a small army preparing for battle.

"Begin the morning forms!"

What followed was a series of movements that flowed like a deadly dance. Punches cut through the air in precise arcs. Kicks swept in controlled circles. Bodies twisted and turned in patterns that had been drilled into them through countless repetitions.

Sweat began to bead on foreheads as the exercises continued. Breathing grew heavier. Some of the younger children struggled to keep up, their forms getting sloppy as muscles burned.

"Hold those positions!" the girl called out when she saw someone wavering. "Your life depends on perfect form!"

The session lasted until the sun climbed higher, casting shorter shadows across the stone courtyard.

"Alright!" The brown-haired girl clapped her hands together. "Next is combat practice. Find a partner and form lines!"

The children immediately began pairing off, voices rising as they called out to friends. The blonde boy from the kitchen walked straight toward Nox, that same friendly smile plastered across his face.

"Care for a spar?" he asked, stopping just close enough that Nox could smell the sweat on his clothes.

Nox said nothing. Just nodded once.

As they moved toward the sparring area, whispers began to ripple through the other children.

"Looks like Garvin wants to break another one," someone muttered.

"Can't say I feel bad for him," another voice added with a bitter laugh. "These nobles deserve what they get."

Maya caught fragments of the whispered conversations, and a cold dread began to settle in her chest like ice water. Her hands clenched into fists at her sides.

The first pair was called forward - Nox and the blonde boy, Garvin.

"Ready, partner?" Garvin asked, rolling his shoulders as they stepped into the marked circle.

Nox took his stance without a word, but something felt different about his opponent. Garvin's muscles seemed denser somehow, his skin taking on a slightly darker tone. The air around him felt heavier.

Maya pressed forward through the crowd of watching children, her heart hammering against her ribs. Something was wrong. Very wrong.

Garvin's smile widened as he looked at Nox, and there was something hungry in his eyes, like a predator sizing up its prey. His gaze lingered a moment too long, traveling up and down Nox's lean frame in a way that made several children shift uncomfortably.

"This should be... interesting," Garvin murmured, loud enough for only Nox to hear.

The brown-haired girl raised her hand. "Begin!"

Garvin moved like lightning.

His first punch came so fast that Nox barely had time to register it before knuckles slammed into his ribs. The impact sent a shock of pain through his entire side, and he stumbled backward, gasping.

But Garvin wasn't finished. He pressed forward, his movements smooth and controlled, like he was holding back just enough to make the fight last longer than it needed to.

Another punch caught Nox in the shoulder, spinning him around. A kick to the back of his knee sent him stumbling. Each hit felt like being struck with iron instead of flesh.

The watching children had gone quiet, all except for a few who whispered excitedly about technique and form. Maya's face had gone pale as snow.

"Come on," Garvin taunted, circling around Nox like a shark. "I thought nobles were supposed to be fighters. Show me something."

Nox straightened, wiping blood from his split lip. His eyes remained cold and empty, showing nothing of the pain or anger he might have felt. He raised his fists again.

Garvin's smile grew wider. "That's more like it."