"It's news at 7 a.m. My name is Rose, broadcasting from UN 360 News, Red City branch—"

Kael groaned from the couch, covering his ears with a pillow.

"Ughhh… can't we watch something else apart from the news? Every morning it's the same boring faces talking about boring things."

Maya, cross-legged on the rug with her cereal, raised a brow.

"What do you even want to watch at this time?"

Kael sat up, his hair messy, but his voice suddenly solemn.

"The new episode of Battle Through the Heavens. It airs today. I won't forgive anyone who makes me miss it."

Maya almost choked on her cereal.

"Wait—that show? I thought they stopped airing it years ago."

Kael shook his head with the seriousness of a scholar defending his thesis.

"Nope. Still running. And the fight between Xiao Yan and the Fire Lotus Sect is today. If you spoil it for me, Maya, I swear I'll make you trip every time you walk through a door for the next week."

Maya snorted.

"Please. As if I'd waste brain cells watching your overdramatic wuxia cartoons."

Kael's eyes narrowed. "Blasphemy."

---

Out the Door

It was Monday morning, and instead of rushing to class like normal students, the two of them were bickering like an old married couple.

Kael dressed in a crisp black fitted turtleneck, sleeves rolled up just enough to reveal his toned forearms. A slim charcoal blazer hung loosely over his frame, paired with tailored dark trousers. The look was simple, but on him, it screamed quiet menace mixed with devastating handsomeness. A faint golden chain peeked from his collar, and his hair—though falling over his eyes as always—seemed freshly brushed, giving him an almost princely air.

Maya, of course, refused to be outshined. She wore a cream-colored blouse tucked into a pleated navy skirt that swished just above her knees, the kind of outfit that blended school uniform neatness with playful charm. A delicate silver bracelet jingled lightly on her wrist, and her long green hair flowed down her back like a glossy river. The faint gloss on her lips made her look effortlessly radiant, the type of beauty that could silence a hallway without even trying.

Together, they were an eye-catching pair—Kael with his dangerous cool, Maya with her goddess-like glow.

And they spent the entire walk to school… arguing.

"I'm telling you," Kael said, shoving his hands into his pockets, "Xiao Yan could easily one-shot that elder if he used the flame lotus properly."

Maya rolled her eyes. "You do know they drag those fights out for like ten episodes, right? Your protagonist is the most long-winded fighter I've ever seen."

Kael clicked his tongue. "That's called building tension, Maya. You wouldn't understand."

"Oh please," she scoffed. "I'd rather watch cooking shows."

---

The Summons

The two reached the school gates still bickering, much to the amusement of the students who had grown used to their daily performances.

Not long after first period began, a boy from the athletics club rushed into Kael's classroom.

"Kael! The Sports Master wants to see you. Right now."

Kael raised a brow, pushing off his desk lazily.

"Huh. Guess I'm popular today."

Maya called after him, her voice carrying a teasing edge.

"Don't break the poor man's heart with your mysterious bad-boy act."

Kael smirked but didn't bother replying.

When he entered the sports office, he realized he wasn't alone. A handful of the school's top athletes were already inside—runners, football stars, martial arts prodigies. All of them looked confused, whispering among themselves.

The Sports Master, a tall man with a whistle perpetually hanging from his neck, stood with his arms behind his back. His voice was unusually serious.

"I called you all here because there's something important I need to tell you…"

He began explaining, but his words grew hazy, distant. Kael tilted his head slightly, sensing something off.

And then—

A strange fume hissed from the air vents, curling through the room like invisible snakes.

Kael's pupils narrowed under his hair.

[Highly intoxicative miasma detected. Commencing detoxification process…] Augustus' calm voice rang in his mind.

Before Kael could even move, half the students collapsed with a heavy—

THUD.

One by one, the bodies hit the floor.

Kael clenched his jaw, his senses sharpening instantly. This was no ordinary summoning. Someone had set a trap.

The sports master's voice had long since faded into the background. That sickly, invisible haze thickened around the athletes, a creeping toxin that slithered into their lungs and weighed down their bodies.

Hissss…

The miasma grew denser, coiling like venomous smoke. One by one, the other students collapsed, their limbs twitching slightly before going still.

[Warning: Toxic concentration surpassing threshold.] Augustus' voice rang in Kael's head, sharper than usual. [Activating rapid detoxification protocols.]

Kael clenched his fists, staggering as his vision swam. "Damn it… I can barely hold…" His eyes glowed faintly with streaks of yellow lightning, speed force crackling instinctively through his veins.

[Temporary neutralization successful. Hold your breath.]

Kael inhaled deeply, bracing himself. But the miasma wasn't ordinary poison—it was engineered, layered with supernatural energy that clung like tar. The longer he resisted, the more it dug in.

His body shook violently. Sweat trickled down his temple, his shirt clinging to his skin. He looked around—every athlete was already unconscious, sprawled helplessly across the floor. Only he still stood, teeth gritted, every muscle straining to fight back.

[Kael, your body is approaching its tolerance limit.] Augustus' tone had lost its usual smugness. [If this continues, your organs will—]

"Shut up… I can handle… a little—more—" Kael rasped, his knees buckling. Lightning sparked weakly around him, a pale shadow of his true speed force.

The miasma swirled thicker, as though mocking his defiance. His heart pounded in his chest—the dual thrum of two epic cores fighting to stabilize him—but even they began to falter.

Finally—

THUD!

Kael collapsed beside the others, his body twitching once before going completely still. His consciousness slipped into blackness, the faint glow in his eyes fading out like dying embers.

The last thing he heard before darkness swallowed him was Augustus' voice, laced with unease for the first time:

[…This isn't natural. Someone wants you unconscious.]

And then, silence.

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