The hallways of ElderGlow Academy were always filled with students, but today, none of that mattered to Damon.

He walked in silence, his fingers intertwined with Anaya’s, feeling the warmth of her hand against his own. It was a simple gesture, yet one that held unspoken emotions between them.

Romantic relationships between students weren’t forbidden, but the academy had its rules. Only Year Two students and above were allowed to openly acknowledge their relationships. The academy was a place meant to train warriors, not nurture love.

But right now, Damon couldn’t care less about the rules.

Anaya walked beside him, her steps light, her face radiant. She looked completely healthy, as if the past few days had been just another routine. But Damon? His body told another story.

Beneath his academy uniform, various parts of his torso and arms were wrapped in bandages. His muscles still ached with each step, a dull pain serving as a reminder of the battle he had fought—and the price he had paid.

He exhaled and turned to Anaya.

“How long was I out?” he asked.

Anaya’s grip on his hand tightened slightly, a flicker of worry flashing across her eyes before she smiled softly. “Two days.”

Damon frowned. “Two days…”

She nodded. “And in two more days, the Grand Contest will begin.”

The words sent a jolt through Damon’s system. He had been lucky to wake up before the competition started.

If he had remained unconscious, there was a real possibility he would have been substituted by another student.

“Damon?”

He looked up, only to be swept into Anaya’s arms. She wrapped herself around him in a tight embrace, her head pressed against his chest.

“I missed you,” she whispered.

Damon felt her sincerity in those words. For the past two days, she must have been worried sick about him.

He slowly brought his arms around her, pulling her closer. Without thinking, he tilted his head down and captured her lips in a soft, warm kiss.

Anaya melted into the kiss for a moment before pulling back slightly, looking into his eyes.

Damon shook his head. “I couldn’t afford to stay unconscious for long. I still have a long journey ahead of me. I can’t afford to be tied down.”

Anaya’s lips curled into a playful smile, though her eyes held a trace of sadness. “Then let’s not waste any more time.”

She grabbed his hand and pulled him forward. “Come on! The others are waiting for us.”

Damon allowed himself to be dragged along, his steps gradually gaining strength. He had just woken up from two days of unconsciousness, but that didn’t matter. The real battle was just beginning.

When they reached the private training quarters, Damon was immediately met with an impact to his chest as Daveon rushed forward, hugging him fiercely.

“Damon! You’re awake!” Daveon’s voice was a mix of relief and excitement. “You scared the hell out of us! I thought you were gonna stay unconscious forever.”

Damon let out a small chuckle, patting Daveon’s back. “I’d have been disappointed if I missed the competition.”

Daveon grinned and finally stepped back, but Celeste remained in the background, watching them with an unreadable expression.

Only now did Damon fully remember what had happened in their last battle.

Celeste had tried to kill him.

She had been operating under her assassin’s instincts, seeing him as a threat that needed to be eliminated. But instead of her attack succeeding, he had commanded her own weapon to turn against her.

His stomach twisted slightly. He had never meant to harm her, only to defend himself.

Taking a deep breath, Damon stepped forward, stopping just a few feet from her.

“Celeste.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Hmm?”

“I remember what happened between us.”

Celeste’s posture stiffened slightly, but she remained silent.

Damon bowed deeply. “I didn’t mean to hurt you like that. I only reacted on instinct.”

For a moment, there was only silence. Then, to his surprise, Celeste also bowed.

“If I hadn’t taken things too far and attacked you like an assassin instead of a teammate, neither of us would have been injured.” She straightened, meeting his gaze. “I was wrong, too.”

Damon studied her expression carefully before offering his hand.

“Let’s put that behind us,” he said. “We need to work together if we’re going to do well in this competition.”

Celeste hesitated for a moment before taking his hand and shaking it firmly.

“No grudges,” she said.

“No grudges,” he echoed.

Daveon clapped his hands together. “Good! Now that that’s settled, can we talk about strategy? Because if we lose this competition, I am never going to hear the end of it from my father.”

Anaya giggled. “You sound scared.”

“Of my father? I am scared.”

Damon chuckled but nodded. “Alright. Let’s focus.”

Before they could get into serious discussions, however, the door to their training room swung open.

A woman with a commanding presence strode in. Despite the casual smirk on her lips, her eyes held the sharpness of a seasoned warrior.

Ex-General Leana.

A former military leader and now their guardian at ElderGlow Academy.

She took one look at Damon and let out a low whistle. “Well, well. Look who finally crawled back from the land of the unconscious.”

Damon smirked slightly. “Good to see you too.”

Leana crossed her arms. “You picked a hell of a time to wake up, kid. The competition is happening here, in ElderGlow.”

Damon and the others nodded. They were aware. But that wasn’t all.

Leana’s smirk widened slightly. “That means tomorrow, the students from Crowgarth Institution and the other academies will be arriving.”

Her gaze swept over the group, and suddenly, the playful air around her vanished.

“I’ll give you one piece of advice,” she said, her voice dropping to a serious tone. “When they arrive—do not show them any weakness. None at all.”

A heavy silence fell over the room.

Damon’s fingers curled into a fist. Weakness? That wasn’t an option.

He had two days to get back to full strength.

Two days to ensure that, when he stepped onto that battlefield, he would be ready.

Failure was not an option.

“Yes, Miss Leana!” All four students responded in unison.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep