CHAPTER FOURTEEN: Kindling Heartfire

The words he uttered hit me like a punch to the gut.

"I want you back, Karina."

It's only been a few days since our encounter at the school cafeteria, yet there's something different about him that I can't discern. The deceptive warmth was no longer seen with the way he gazed at me. His eyes were still piercing, yet it was filled with unspoken emotions—regret, longing, and a quiet yearning. And the way he carried himself was no longer loose or casual, just by standing in front of me wearing his fencing gear, he exudes an air of dominance and royalty—like the Achilles Dimitri I know from my world.

It was as if the king who had yearned for me until his death had emerged from the pages of the book and claimed the body of the Achilles Dimitri from this world. But I knew that was impossible. The spell wouldn't allow their souls to cross worlds like that because of its conditions—or so I believed.

The thought of him coming emerging from the book sent a shiver down my spine, but I refused to let it show. Even with my restless heartbeat, I stood my ground and reminded myself that there are no longer dark mages in the empire, and even if there still left, the spell that Karina used to switched souls with me would not work for those two.

"I want you back, Karina Azalena." He reiterated, taking small steps to narrow the distance between us.

"Want her back? She was never yours." Kai Alaric, who was usually calm and collected, blocked his path after making a sharp remark about my relationship with him. I couldn't see his expression well, but seeing Keiran's uneasiness behind Achilles, I knew that there would be a disaster if I let them be.

I was about to take charge of the situation when Achilles Dimitri made a defiant response.

"Her heart was once mine. I just need to earn it back." There was no arrogance in his voice; rather, it was a bit low and strained. His tone had a soft edge of pleading, almost like he was trying to keep his emotions in check. His pride may have been preventing him from sounding weak, but there was definitely a hint of longing underneath.

I glanced at Kai Alaric, who was now gripping my wrist rigidly beside me, his jaw clenched tightly. It was clear that he wouldn't let Achilles Dimitri push me around again—not without a fight. The tension in the air was palpable, and the weight of Achilles' words made the spacious gym feel like it was closing in on us.

"If her heart could be earned easily just by winning a match, then…" Kai Alaric shifted his gaze at me, his golden eyes burning with clear determination. "I'll seize it."

I stared at him in awe at his declaration, my mind was thrown in turmoil. His last set of words echoed in my head, each one sending ripples in my system. What did he mean by that? There's a mixture of disbelief churned inside me. His gaze was scorching, melting, but I couldn't look away. My heart was pounding, racing in sync with my thoughts, yet I couldn't make sense of the rush of emotions sweeping me away.

Three words. I couldn't believe that those three words would be enough to unravel me. Hearing him say it so confidently and decisively—it was both overwhelming and unsettling. The sound that my heartbeat was deafening. His declaration, may it be serious or not, there's one thing I can't deny—I'm deeply affected by him.

"Did he just—that wasn't just a challenge right? It was a declaration." I heard Jaxon whispered to Lila from behind me.

"Whoa, did he just indirectly confess?" Lila responded, as if her inner thoughts spilled out into her words.

The air around us seemed to tighten, pulling everyone's attention back to us. I thought Keiran was already childish enough to make our sparring into something akin to an official match, but these two were in a whole other level—their immaturity was on a full display, radiating through their icy glares and tense postures.

Even the other students who had just come in to start their training began to gather, their curious glances and hushed murmurs amplified the already thick tension in the air.

It wasn't just curiosity—they could sense it too, the unspoken animosity crackling between them like an electric current. It was palpable, too impossible to ignore, as though the weight of their history had suddenly filled the room—heavy and suffocating—like an elephant in the room that refused to stay buried in the past.

"Aren't they from the fencing club?"

"What's their deal?"

The murmurs around us grew louder, fragmented sentences slipping through the crowd, like ripples in still water.

"Aren't those two from fencing club? The former and the current captain."

"Are they rivals or something?" Someone added, their tone laced with curiosity and excitement.

The room buzzed with speculation, each comment fueling the spark that ignited earlier, feeding the crackling hearth until it blazed like a raging inferno.

What they had probably isn't just a simple disagreement. It seemed that the rivalry they share in this world runs deep. I could feel the weight of their history pressing against me, a reminder that the Karina of this world might not have given me all the pieces of information she had with Achilles Dimitri—or maybe she too had no clue what was really going on between these two.

I exhaled slowly. I had enough limelight for today. I could only tolerate Keiran's childish behavior, and anymore of that is beyond my patience. I don't want to gather any more unnecessary attention, "Both of you, stop your nonsense." I interrupted firmly, forcing my voice to remain steady. The fear I felt at the thought of Achilles Dimitri emerging from the pages of the book melted away, replaced with the realization that Kai Alaric's declaration dawned on me.

"If you want to fight, don't drag me into it." I snapped coldly, pulling my hands free of Kai Alaric's firm grasp. But instead of releasing me, he slid his hands into mine, intertwining our fingers, before shifting his gaze back to Achilles Dimitri whose darkened demeanor fixated on our clasped hands.

"I'll take that challenge on her behalf." Kai Alaric said with finality. "Let's do the duel of sovereignty. If I win, you'll leave her alone."

Achilles Dimitri raised a brow, crossing his arms, "And if I win?"

Kai Alaric chuckled with confidence, "You won't." he proclaimed.

--

I gnawed my lip in frustration as the entire fencing club—their coach included—was making the necessary preparations for the match. Things escalated quickly when their coach learned that Kai Alaric had challenged Achilles Dimitri to a Duel of Sovereignty. It seemed that it wasn't just an ordinary match within the fencing club, it was akin to The Cast of Pride in my world—an event that only occurred when two individuals threw their gauntlets, challenging one another in the name of honor and pride.

The Duel of Sovereignty was a rite of passage within the fencing club every year, reserved for identifying who would take the crown of the next club president. The only way to take the crown was by defeating the current president in this ceremonial duel, regardless of how long you have been in the club. Despite being a newcomer to the fencing club, Kai Alaric won the title fair and square when it was time for the former club president to step down. No one managed to take the title from him ever since—until he decided to quit the club. Achilles, being the vice president of the club, assumed the position, bypassing the rite of passage entirely, also because Kai Alaric find it troublesome. This could be one of the reasons why they don't get along, Achilles Dimitri's pride was wounded by Kai Alaric unknowingly.

"Stop chewing your lips and take this instead." I shot sharp glares at Kai Alaric when he appeared in his fencing gear, offering a cup of cube ice in one hand while holding his epee on the other. If it's his way of apologizing for dragging me into their fight, I'm not buying it. He didn't look apologetic—not in the slightest, despite how he tried to portray it.

I harshly grabbed the cup from him and immediately munched on an ice cube, hoping it would ease my frustration even just a little. I'm afraid that I'd end up injuring him if I didn't.

"What you're trying to do is unnecessary." My voice was calm, but the frustration was clear in the way I bit the ice to pieces. It only made Kai Alaric laugh—eyes filled with mix of amusement and fascination—as he watched me, his eyes shifting from lighthearted enjoyment to genuine intrigue as he observed my every move.

I stopped gnawing the ice, with narrowed eyes I asked him, "You find the situation funny?" Out of frustration, I stood up to leave. But, just like earlier when he stopped me from leaving, his hands now covered in leather gloves, enveloped mine as if it were the most natural thing to do.

"I'm not sorry." I hissed at him, clearly seeing that he was looking for a beating. He casually pulled me on his side as he gently fiddled with my hand and continued making excuses, "He's talking nonsense, and I felt the urge to put him to his place."

I took a deep breath, not taking back my hand from his firm grasp. "I know we're friends but you don't really have to do this. I can fight for my own fate."

"I know."

"You know? Then why—"

"It riled me up. When he declared that he only needs to earn back your heart, I couldn't hold it in anymore." His voice was calm, but his eyes were burning with rage.

For a moment, we both locked eyes, unwilling to look away—gauging each other's expression. His golden irises flickered with unspoken thoughts—like a fire scarcely contained, a puzzle hardly complete—there's a conflict of desire smoldering in those intense, unwavering eyes. I could almost feel the weight of his silent challenge pressing against me—an irresistible urge to unravel the mystery surrounding him.

"It was nothing but a childish provocation." I turned my gaze away. "I'm not stupid to engage in a fight I can't win." I added, before popping another ice cube in my mouth—not to ease my frustration, but to steady myself against the churning waves of emotion threatening to drown me.

"I know."

My laugh was laced with sarcasm as I shifted my gaze back at him, "Yet, you still let this happen, Kai Alaric Ashford?" I pointed at the gymnasium, now filled with students and professors, their faces a mix of intrigue and impatience.

Kairos laughed heartily, finally let my hand go, and picked up his epee. "Don't worry. I won't lose."

"That's not the point—why are you even taking things this far—"

He hushed me by pressing his finger to my lips, cutting me off mid-sentence. His gaze softened, and for a moment, I saw something in his eyes that I couldn't name—something that I still don't have the courage to give a name to.

"You're not dumb, Rin. Don't make me say it, when you're clearly not ready to hear it." His voice was steady, but there was a nuance of something else—something that made my breath hitch and my heart leap.

For a heartbeat, the gymnasium, the crowd, the world, the bet, even Achilles Dimitri—all of it faded in the background—as if none of it mattered—leaving only the depth of his words and the silent sentiment lingering between us.

He was the first to break the silence, pulling away and putting on his mask as he prepared for his match, just as their coach called him.

"It can wait—the other side of the story." He said, his words shrouded in mystery, before leaving me astounded and marched at the center, where Achilles Dimitri watched us with a conflicted expression.

"Did they forget we were even here—or are they just completely ignoring our existence?" Keiran finally voiced his astonishment to the twin, who was also sitting behind me after Kai Alaric left.

None of the twins bothered to respond. Jaxon simply sat in silence on Lila's left side, acknowledgement was clearly visible on his face. Lila, who sat between the two men, cupped her cheeks with both hands. Her fingers pressed gently against her skin as she stared at me with luminous eyes. A playful smile tugged at the corner of her lips, a clear indication of how much she loved the scene that unfolded before her. The sight of Kairos and me had caught her in a moment of pure delight.

I shot Keiran a glare, chewing on another ice cube, "It's your fault, you goddamn show-off!" I hissed before shifting my gaze back to the match, hoping it would end quickly.