The sound of swords resonated through the practice grounds, filling the air with air of combat.
There A boy with dark raven hairs and pale complexion stood at the center, his black eyes burning with concentrated intent. His looks spoke of nobility, but in reality, he was not the born noble. He was a commoner who was adopted by the House Draquemort—Rey White.
Standing opposite him was his opponent,the princess of this kingdom ---Merlin. Dressed in a combat suit that was designed to be both quick and protective. Her golden hair fell down her back, shining with the sunlight, and her sharp yellow eyes shone with untamed determination.
"I'll defeat you today, Rey!" Merlin shouted, cinching her hand around her sword.
Rey's eyes grew cold with her words. He had battled her many times in the past few days, and each battle had been a struggle of wills and skill.
"I won't let it happen, Princess," Rey said back to her, his voice unwavering.
Without further ado, he charged forward, his sword clashing against hers with unrelenting ferocity. Merlin clenched her teeth, deflecting his blows, but the sheer force behind Rey's strikes drove her back inch by inch.
The battle raged on, the ring of their blades echoing in the courtyard of the Draquemort Mansion. Servants and knights stood by in silent expectation, whispering among themselves as the two young warriors pushed each other to their limits.
Merlin attempted to regain the initiative, moving into a counterattack stance, but Rey was quicker. Taking advantage of the opening, he pushed forward, backing her up until her heels struck the cold stone wall at her back.
"This is it," he thought.
With a final blow, Rey knocked her sword from her hand, and it clattered to the ground. A harsh gasp left Merlin's mouth as she stumbled and fell to the ground, her breathing harsh from the ferocity of the bout.
There was silence for a moment. Then, Rey reached out to her.
"You did well," he said, his tone gentler now.
Merlin gazed up at him, frustration and respect dancing in her golden eyes. Then, with a little huff, she let him pull her up.
The bout was finished, but the competition between them was far from over.
"Well done, both of you."
A voice echoed across the training grounds, shattering the moment of silence.
They spun to view the source, and there, standing with a look of quiet command, was a girl with striking white hair and crimson eyes. Her beauty was no less than Merlin's.
Athena Draquemort.
"Merlin, you have to admit it now—Rey is much stronger than you," Athena said, folding her arms.
Merlin took a small sigh, wiping at the sweat that spread across her forehead. "Yeah, I know," she confessed, though her face was filled with dissatisfaction.
It had been days since her arrival at the Draquemort estate, not for simple reasons but for something much heavier—the formal annulment of her engagement with the former young master of the Draquemort house.
Daemon.
It was when she encountered him. Rey, the new adopted son of the Draquemort family.
On the outside, he appeared to be a mere common boy, taken in by nobility. But she quickly destroyed the illusion when she sparred with him.
Merlin had been hailed a genius since birth. Her awakened bloodline was more powerful than any she had ever met. She had battled countless warriors, nobles, and knights—yet no matter how fiercely she battled, she could not defeat Rey.
And it frustrated her.
She remained lost in thought when Athena's voice brought her back.
"Anyway—" Athena turned to Rey, her red eyes unreadable . "Rey, only ten days until the entrance exam at the academy. You haven't changed your mind yet?"
"No," Rey replied with a quick assurance.
"But why?" Athena's frowned. "If you use the letter of recommendation that Father has already written out for you, you won't have to deal with all of that hassle."
"I know," Rey replied, his tone steady and unshakeable. "But still, I want to do this by myself." His black eyes were set in unshakeable conviction. "Your father has done so much for me. This. this is something I have to do myself."
Athena studied him for a moment before exhaling. "You're really stubborn," she muttered, but there was a faint smile on her lips. "I'm sure you'll take the number one rank at the academy."
"I'll try my best," Rey replied, a warm smile tugging at his lips.
Athena's expression shifted slightly, and then she murmured, almost absentmindedly, "You really are different… unlike a certain former brother of mine."
Silence descended on the training grounds like a thick fog
Rey was silent.
Merlin, on the other hand, felt her chest becoming heavier at those words.
Daemon.
Her fingers involuntarily clenched into fists at the mere sound of his name. The mere mention of it was enough to make the air around her thick.
Memories crept up
Her ex-fiancé. The ex-heir of House Draquemort.
Athena instantly picked up on the change in Merlin's expression. Her own eyes opened a little wider, and she quickly caught on to her error.
"Merlin, I'm sorry," Athena spoke softly. "I didn't mean to—"
"It's all right, Athena," Merlin interrupted her, making a smile appear on her face. "Really."
Athena remained unconvinced, but Merlin quickly diverted the topic. "So, Athena, are you going to take the entrance exam?"
"Nope," Athena replied, regaining her composure. "I'll take Father's recommendation letter. That way, I'll have more time to prepare for the academy itself."
Merlin nodded. "That's a smart choice. What about you, Rey?"
"I'll do it my way," Rey answered without hesitation. "I want to earn my place there, not have it handed to me."
Athena sighed. "You really don't change, do you?"
Merlin smiled. "I'll do the same thing as Athena. The recommendation track suits me best." She spoke in a cool, collected manner.
Rey nodded marginally, but there was something unreadable behind his black eyes.
"Well then, I should be off," Merlin said, sweeping aside the lingering tension. She looked at Rey first and held out her hand. "Let's meet again at the academy."
Rey shook her hand solidly. "Yeah."
Next, she addressed Athena, also shaking her hand.
"See you there," Athena smirked.
As Merlin turned to leave, the tension between them felt slightly released. Yet as Athena and Rey observed her receding form in the distance, past the courtyard, neither of them could rid themselves of the unspoken tension still hanging between them.
For some wounds never really healed.
And at the academy, the past had a tendency to come back.