What comes next

"You put everyone's life at stake."

The Principal's voice was firm, his aged hands resting on the wooden desk. His sharp eyes locked onto Ash, who stood on the other side of the table. Beside him, the assistant stood with her arms crossed.

"That wasn't part of your permit, Ash," she added, her tone laced with disapproval.

Ash sighed but held his ground. "I was training him to awaken his first stage."

"And?" the assistant pressed.

"But his first stage got out of control," Ash admitted. "I was about to handle it until you interfered."

The assistant scoffed. "Interfered? It looked more like a battlefield than a training session."

"It won't happen again, Miss," Ash said, offering a half-smirk. "But—"

He glanced at the Principal. "I want to keep training Avasyu. He has potential greater than mine, and I want to witness the moment he achieves his true strength."

The Principal and the assistant exchanged glances, their silent conversation weighing the request.

Finally, the Principal spoke. "You two are banned from the training hall and all training activities until the physical exam—one month from now."

Ash frowned but didn't argue.

"After that," the Principal continued, "I have something in mind for both Class S and Class A. You'll know when the time comes."

Ash nodded, then turned and left without another word.

Then Ash made his way to the nurse's office.

Avasyu sat on the bed, the nurse beside him, speaking in a quiet tone. His face still bore faint bruises from their fight, but his eyes were sharp.

Ash leaned against the doorframe. "May I enter?"

The nurse turned. "Yes."

Ash walked in and immediately asked, "Is he okay?"

The nurse nodded.

Then, without hesitation, Ash asked, "Do you have multiple personalities?"

Avasyu blinked. "Huh?"

"Um… no? I don't think so."

Ash crossed his arms. "Then do you even know what happened back there?"

Avasyu looked at him, confused. "What do you mean?"

The nurse's expression tensed. "Ash, he doesn't need to know right now—"

But Ash ignored her. He grabbed Avasyu's wrist and pulled him up. "Come with me."

"Ash—"

"Just trust me."

Then they arrived at the ruined training hall.

Ash let go of Avasyu's wrist and pointed at the massive hole in the wall.

Avasyu stared in shock. "Did I… do that?"

Ash didn't answer. Instead, he led him to the field. Scorch marks. Cracks. A blackened crater where Avasyu had thrown his punch. Sliding marks where they had clashed.

Avasyu's breath grew unsteady. His fists clenched. "All of this… because of me?"

His heartbeat pounded in his ears. "Did I hurt someone?"

Ash placed a firm hand on his shoulder. "Hey, relax."

"But—"

"You didn't harm anyone," Ash assured him. "Well, except me." He grinned. "I can still feel that punch in my stomach."

Avasyu hesitated. His chest felt tight.

"My grey eyes… they really do bring chaos, don't they?"

Ash snapped his fingers in front of Avasyu's face. "Oi, look at me."

Avasyu met his gaze.

"As long as I'm with you," Ash said firmly, "there will be no casualties."

"You are not cursed."

The words lingered in the air.

Avasyu lowered his head, his expression unreadable.

But Ash wasn't done. He tilted his head, observing him. "The real issue is your emotions."

"My emotions?" Avasyu asked, still in a daze.

"Yeah. While we fought, I noticed something weird. Your emotions kept changing—shy, angry, reckless, calm, then completely out of control. It wasn't normal."

Avasyu frowned. "What do you mean?"

Ash studied him carefully. "It was like a fluctuating graph. Up and down. Constant shifts."

Avasyu hesitated. "That… doesn't mean anything."

Ash narrowed his eyes. "Are you hiding something from me?"

Avasyu tensed. "N-no, nothing."

"Are you really Avasyu?"

Ash leaned in slightly, one eyebrow raised, his smirk playful but his gaze serious.

Avasyu huffed, feeling slightly teased. "Of course, I'm real."

Ash smirked. "Hmm… your emotions are still fluctuating."

Avasyu frowned. "No, they're not."

"Or… maybe they are." He crossed his arms, frustrated. "Why is that happening?"

Ash burst into laughter. "Ha! How old are you again?"

Avasyu thought for a moment. "Umm… I think I'm 18? I kinda forgot."

"Then I guess it's just your age messing with your emotions." Ash grinned, still laughing.

"But," his voice turned serious, "you do need to learn to control them."

"Why?"

"Because our emotions directly affect our powers," Ash explained. "If you can't keep them in check, your powers will control you instead of the other way around."

Avasyu's expression grew thoughtful. "Then, show me how."

Ash sighed, stretching his arms. "I would, but…" He looked at Avasyu. "We're banned from training for a whole month."

He placed a hand on Avasyu's shoulder and groaned dramatically. "I'm gonna die of boredom."

Then he let out a loud yawn. "In fact, I'm already sleepy."

"Hooaah."

"Let's go sleep."

Avasyu thinking ,"How the hell is Ash this stupid!!"

And with that, both of them returned to their rooms.Avasyu needed rest. But for Ash, it was just the beginning of a long, dull month.

From the next morning, their dull routine began.

Avasyu's days were structured. Wake up early, attend class, study everything—combat theory, power classifications, strategies—then return to his room, study some more, eat, and rest.

Ash's days, however, were pure boredom.

He'd wake up only because Avasyu forced him. Attend class, barely listen, then fall asleep mid-lecture. Once class was over, he'd go back to his room… and sleep some more.

Rinse. Repeat.

The only thing that made his days tolerable was talking to Avasyu about superpowers.

Over the course of the month, they discussed their abilities in detail—how they worked, how they could evolve, what their limits might be. Through these late-night talks, they grew closer, their rivalry morphing into genuine friendship.

By the end of the month, they weren't just training partners anymore.

They were best friends.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the one-month ban ended.

The academy released the timetable for the upcoming Physical Evaluation.

It was exclusive to Class S and Class A—the strongest students in the academy.

Avasyu and Ash scanned the details.

"Finally!" Ash grinned. "We can use our powers again."

Avasyu nodded, his fingers tightening around the paper. "I want to activate my first stage again. I need to control it… feel it with my own eyes."

For the first time in weeks, excitement surged through them.

But neither of them knew—

This evaluation was only the beginning.

A spark in the storm.

A trigger for the chaos that was about to unfold.