The academy bell rang sharply through the morning air, its metallic echo rolling across the stone courtyards and open corridors. Students filtered through the halls, uniforms crisp, conversations low and restless as another day began.

  Lea walked beside Axel, chin lifted with unmistakable pride. Tucked firmly under her arm was the wolf plushie.

  Axel glanced at it, unimpressed.

  “Must you carry that wolf plushie with you?”

  Lea looked at him as if he had just insulted royalty.

  “But of course, not like I have received many gifts from you in the past.”

  Axel exhaled through his nose, choosing not to argue that.

  “On a separate note, I still can’t believe you 3 were spying on u.s”

  There was a small pause between them as they continued walking, the noise of the academy swelling around them.

  “But not just that, the fact that y'all couldn't even spy properly.”

  Lea stiffened slightly, and Felix, who had been trailing just behind them, stepped forward in protest.

  “In our defense, couldn't you have picked a building that wasn't about to collapse on itself?”

  The memory of splintering wood and crumbling stone was still fresh enough to make all of them grimace.

  They reached their classroom just as the final bell rang.

  Mr. Spear stood at the front, hands clasped behind his back, posture rigid. His expression was more severe than usual.

  “We got last-minute news, an important person is coming from Ordine to conduct an inspection on our academy.”

  A wave of murmurs swept through the room.

  Lea leaned slightly toward Axel, brows furrowed.

  “Did we not just have a demonstration? What more do they want from us?”

  Mr. Spear’s jaw tightened.

  “I agree with you, but we must do as they ask.”

  A small pause followed as he scanned the room slowly, making sure he had everyone’s attention.

  “As per his request, we are to line up in 2 lines facing each other, in the south courtyard.”

  Chairs scraped against stone as students stood. The air felt subtly different now.

  They filed out toward the south courtyard and formed two lines as instructed, facing one another across the open space. The sky above was clear, sunlight reflecting off the academy’s pale stone walls.

  Axel crossed his arms, irritation written plainly across his face.

  “All of this work for some scum from Ordine.”

  Lea nodded faintly.

  “Indeed, but it sounds like it’s a very important person.”

  Axel scoffed.

  “Probably some wannabe on a power trip.”

  From across the courtyard, a voice carried smoothly over the quiet.

  “Some wannabe on a power trip? After all the moments we shared, those words truly sting, you know.”

  Every head turned.

  A figure stood at the far end of the courtyard, posture straight, expression composed. Giola walked forward with deliberate confidence, each step measured, as if the space already belonged to him.

  Axel’s expression darkened.

  “Giola…”

  Giola stopped directly in front of him, towering slightly, eyes calm but sharp.

  “Just the guy I was looking for, let’s go on a walk, shall we?”

  Axel didn’t move.

  “And if I refuse?”

  Giola stepped closer, standing directly in front of him, looking down with quiet authority.

  “Trust me, this isn't for you to refuse.”

  The courtyard had gone completely silent.

  They began walking across the courtyard.

  Students remained lined up in two silent rows, forming a corridor of stone and tension. Every eye followed them. The air felt heavier with each step, the focus narrowing until it was just the two of them.

  Giola broke the silence first.

  “So… How have you been?”

  Axel scoffed. “That’s your best? You had a whole day since I humiliated you to come up with something.”

  Giola let out a low laugh. “I don’t usually do this. I’m more bite than bark, you know.”

  Axel rolled his eyes and stayed silent.

  Giola noticed. His smile thinned slightly.

  “I just realized we never had the chance to talk.”

  “Never had the chance,” Axel replied evenly, “or outright refusal to do so?”

  Giola gave a short chuckle. “You got me there.”

  Axel’s patience was wearing thin. “What do you really want, Giola?”

  “To teach you something I learned at about your age.”

  Axel said nothing now, but his attention sharpened.

  “Do you know what most people know me by?”

  Silence.

  Giola studied him. He realized Axel didn’t know or simply wouldn’t answer.

  “Well,” he continued, “to most people I’m known as the Godless Reaper.”

  Axel remained unfazed.

  “Very talkative, I see,” Giola went on. “Do you think anyone ever wondered why ‘godless’ was given to me?”

  “Because of your weird obsession with them,” Axel answered flatly.

  Giola laughed again, softer this time. “Quite the sense of humor. Let me reveal to you what most will never know.”

  His voice shifted.

  “This story begins when I was younger than you. I had a loving family. My mother… is an important religious figure. I still don’t know exactly what she did. And my father, a captain for Ordine. A strange dynamic, but that was my family.”

  They continued walking. The courtyard seemed smaller now.

  “I grew up praying daily. In a way, it brought my mother and me closer. My father disapproved. He believed strength came from your soul and your soul alone. They argued often, but he always let it go.”

  Giola’s gaze remained forward.

  “When training became grueling, it was comforting knowing I had faith… and her… to return to. Until one day, like you, everything changed.”

  Axel felt the shift.

  “I came home from the academy, and my mother was gone. The house was quiet. All I saw was my father entering through the back door. His knuckles were covered in blood.”

  For the first time, Axel’s jaw tightened.

  “I didn’t know what to think. I only asked one question. Where was mother?”

  Giola’s lips curved faintly.

  “He said she was taken away. Awaiting trial. I wasn’t allowed to see her. Not until the day of judgment.”

  They reached the midpoint of the courtyard.

  “I was in the front row. I watched my father bring her to the execution altar.”

  A few students shifted uncomfortably.

  “The judge read the charges. Traitor to Ordine. That was all they said. I know now they were removing her.”

  His eyes remained empty.

  “She saw me in the crowd. Her lips moved. She told me never to stop believing.”

  Axel’s steps slowed.

  “I began praying. To any god that would listen. To any god that would rescue her.”

  Giola’s tone did not rise.

  “I prayed as I heard her screams. And when I finally looked…”

  A small pause.

  “I watched my father drive nails through my mother into a purple cross.”

  The courtyard was completely silent now.

  “I stayed near her for two days. Prayed day and night. Never left her side. Not a single god answered.”

  His voice hardened.

  “She smiled at me one last time.”

  Another step.

  “Anger consumed me. Two days of prayers. Nothing.”

  He exhaled slowly.

  “I vowed to permanently silence all prayers, and anyone foolish enough to believe in them.”

  Axel kept walking. He did not look at him.

  “As you can imagine,” Giola continued, “my story has a very happy ending. I became the perfect soldier. So perfect, I even executed my own father. They couldn’t risk him leaking valuable information.”

  He turned his head toward Axel, studying him.

  “That’s your happy ending?” Axel asked.

  “Yes. It was beautiful.”

  Giola’s eyes sharpened.

  “You have no idea of the clarity that comes with killing.”

  Axel didn’t know how to respond.

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  “So what’s the lesson from all of this?”

  For a moment, Giola looked almost distracted.

  He glanced around.

  “Look at this. We’re right back where we started. Not that big of a courtyard.”

  A small pause.

  “But yes. The lesson is very simple.”

  He noticed Axel’s gaze shift, just slightly, toward Lea. Axel gave her a subtle, reassuring look.

  Giola saw it.

  And smiled.

  “Everything you hold dear can be lost in an instant.”

  The scythe materialized in his hand.

  In one fluid motion, Giola pivoted and charged toward Lea.

  “GET DOWN!”

  Lucio moved before anyone else could react. He lunged forward, tackling Lea out of the scythe’s path. The blade skimmed across his back as they fell, slicing through fabric and grazing skin.

  Lea’s breath caught as she saw the cut forming across his back.

  “Are you okay?”

  Lucio forced himself upright despite the sting spreading through his shoulders.

  “Do not worry about me. Wake up, Axel. We need to work together against him.”

  Giola stood calmly, watching them regroup.

  “You seriously think three inexperienced brats can beat me? Do not get cocky just because you go to a fancy school and can beat some low-level soldiers around.”

  Axel stepped into position behind Giola, lowering his stance.

  “Doesn’t matter how much stronger you are. You won’t lay a finger on her, got it?”

  Felix shifted to the side, completing the formation. The three of them formed a triangle around Giola.

  “Man, this isn’t very smart, you know?” Felix muttered.

  “He isn’t giving us much of a choice,” Lucio replied. “Either we beat him, or he will kill Lea.”

  Axel glanced toward Miria.

  “You stay in front of her. If all goes south, protect her.”

  Miria nodded and moved into place in front of Lea without hesitation.

  Giola began laughing, the sound echoing across the courtyard.

  “So we are doing this then? Bring it.”

  The three of them charged at once.

  From three angles.

  None of them landed a hit.

  Giola moved with minimal effort, slipping between their attacks as if they were predictable drills.

  “Come on,” he taunted. “So much anticipation. This cannot be the best you got.”

  Lucio focused, recalling what Prius mentioned.

  There.

  He stepped in sharply, trapping Giola’s right leg within his zone, anchoring it in place.

  For a brief moment, Giola’s movement stalled.

  Axel reacted instantly, driving several solid punches into Giola’s torso. Felix followed with his own strikes before retreating to avoid the arc of the scythe.

  Giola straightened slowly.

  “You know what,” he said, almost amused, “I was genuinely surprised. My turn now, okay?”

  He hurled the scythe toward Lucio.

  “Let me show you just how worthless you are.”

  In the same instant, Giola disappeared.

  He reappeared directly where the scythe hovered, right in front of Lucio.

  “You are far too naive. You thought you won simply because you trapped me? Like, I wouldn’t have an answer for that?”

  The blade angled toward Lucio’s torso.

  Just as it was about to split him in half, a bomb detonated nearby, exploding into a dense cloud of smoke. The courtyard filled instantly.

  Lucio reacted on instinct, diving back through the smoke and narrowly escaping the strike.

  Through the haze, Axel burst forward.

  “Don’t forget, there are three of us.”

  He drove a powerful kick into Giola’s stomach, sending him skidding backward across the stone.

  Giola rose slowly.

  “You are so fun,” he said. “Maybe I should put these away so I don’t risk cutting my fun.”

  The scythes dematerialized in his hands.

  “Where were we? Oh, right.”

  He released an overwhelming surge of power.

  Heat flooded the courtyard. The air grew thick and almost unbearable. Several students collapsed from the intensity alone.

  Axel’s eyes widened.

  “This is absurd…”

  In the blink of an eye, Giola vanished.

  He reappeared behind Felix, wearing the most sinister grin.

  “And you are out.”

  Felix barely had time to react.

  Giola’s kick slammed into his ribs. The impact fractured them instantly, sending Felix flying into the crowd.

  He clawed at his chest, unable to draw breath.

  His mouth stretched wide in agony, but the courtyard heard only silence.

  “Dammit, Felix!” Lucio shouted.

  “Did someone say you could take your eyes off me?”

  Giola appeared directly in front of Lucio.

  “Give your best shot. Come on.”

  Lucio launched into a barrage of punches and kicks, but none of them connected. Giola dodged effortlessly, barely appearing to exert himself.

  Axel dashed forward to intervene.

  Giola stopped him instantly.

  “Who said you could move? Now go back to your spot like a good little bitch.”

  He drove his forehead into Axel’s.

  The impact dropped Axel to the ground. Blood began to flow down his face.

  Giola reappeared in front of Lucio once more.

  Lucio stood frozen for a split second.

  “If you will not strike,” Giola said calmly, “let me show you how it’s done.”

  He began striking Lucio repeatedly, each blow landing cleanly until Lucio could barely remain standing.

  “I will give you this,” Giola said. “You are still standing, even though…”

  He stepped closer and tapped Lucio with a single finger.

  Lucio collapsed to the ground.

  “Barely.”

  Giola turned slowly.

  His eyes settled on Axel.

  Axel’s thoughts spiraled.

  This is crazy. We stand absolutely no chance. No matter how much determination we have, the gap can’t be closed just because we want it to be.

  Giola’s voice cut through his haze.

  “Focus now. He had given up. Don’t do the same.”

  The words hit harder than the blows had. Axel felt as if something drained from him. His confidence slipped away, leaving behind doubt.

  I saw that day through Father’s eyes. I witnessed it from his view… but the hopelessness was lost on me. Is this how you felt, Father? What drove you forward that day?

  For a moment, the battlefield blurred.

  Then he saw Lea.

  The promise came back to him.

  He understood then what his father had carried. It was never just his own life. It was the weight of others.

  Axel steadied himself.

  “Don’t worry, Giola,” he said, voice low but clear. “I’m not done just yet. As long as I draw breath.”

  Giola’s lips curved slightly. There was something in that smile, satisfaction, maybe even happiness. It was unfamiliar to him, but he welcomed it.

  Axel moved first.

  He dashed forward, attacking from angles meant to force Giola to respond rather than counter. Blind spots. Shifting rhythm. Quick changes in direction.

  Giola blocked.

  Again.

  And again.

  Is he forcing me to defend? Giola thought. He will have a bright future… unless I put that light out indefinitely.

  Axel caught the smallest hesitation.

  He drove his fist straight into Giola’s jaw.

  For a second, everything stopped.

  The courtyard fell silent. Even Giola paused, head turned slightly from the impact.

  “You amaze me,” Giola said evenly. “But I came here for something, and I’m not leaving until I achieve it. So now you must step aside.”

  “I will not…”

  “I wasn’t asking.”

  Giola vanished.

  He reappeared directly in front of Axel and drove a kick square into his stomach.

  Axel was sent flying across the courtyard, crashing through stone and into the academy wall. Rock shattered around him. He landed hard, half-buried in rubble.

  He fought to stay conscious. The pain pulsed through him.

  “Is this really it?” he murmured weakly. “I’ve done worse than my father. He protected Mother and me… I wasn’t able to protect her.”

  Across the courtyard, Giola redirected his attention toward Miria and Lea.

  “I suppose,” he said calmly, “despite what you just saw, you will not step out of my way?”

  Miria stood her ground.

  “I will not. She is my friend, and I will not do any less to make sure she is safe.”

  Giola smiled.

  “I like the devotion. But you cannot hope to stop me.”

  A brief silence followed.

  “If you insist,” he added, “who am I to deny your will?”

  He began walking toward her.

  Miria saw it, the opening. She knew what she could do.

  But fear gripped her.

  She remembered what she had done to Prius. The unsettling sensation of that attack. The weight of it. The aftermath.

  Giola noticed the fear in her eyes.

  It wasn’t directed at him.

  That made him curious.

  “Do it,” he said softly. “Do not hesitate. I will kill your friend.”

  Miria’s eyes widened. Her body refused to move.

  “I will only give you a minute to decide.”

  Her vision blurred as tears formed.

  I cannot lose her. No matter what. I must do this.

  Time stretched.

  “There is no other way,” Miria whispered.

  “STOP!”

  Lea’s voice rang out.

  “I appreciate what you were willing to do for me,” Lea said, voice shaking, “but I can sense the fear. Don’t do it.”

  “But.”

  “Time’s up.”

  Giola closed the distance instantly. His hand wrapped around Miria’s neck. He lifted her off the ground and choked her until her body went limp.

  He let her fall.

  “Before you die,” Giola said, turning to Lea, “remember this sight. It was your doing. She could have saved you both.”

  A pause.

  “Now you will die.”

  Across the courtyard, Axel’s eyes began to close despite his efforts.

  Darkness crept in.

  A voice spoke from within, a reassuring voice.

  “What is it that you most desire right now?”

  “I just want one more chance,” Axel whispered. “One more chance to save her. To protect her as my father would have.”

  “What a noble wish,” the voice replied. “I shall grant you some of my strength.”

  A brief silence.

  “Go on. Protect her.”

  Back in the courtyard, Giola drew back his fist.

  “I promise you,” he said to Lea, “it will be over in an instant.”

  As he began his punch, a sudden burst of heat spread across the courtyard.

  It was different from Giola’s presence. Where his power felt suffocating, this felt steady. Warm.

  Giola felt it.

  What’s this now? Who’s releasing this heat?

  He continued his punch. That was what he came for.

  A flash of light appeared in front of him.

  He couldn’t make out the figure at first.

  When the light faded, he saw it clearly.

  Axel.

  Giola stared.

  “How are you still moving?”

  Axel didn’t answer.

  Lea looked up in shock. She thought it was over.

  Giola’s punch continued forward. It tore through Axel’s upper right shoulder and still connected with Lea, sending her flying into a tree.

  She struck the trunk and fell to the ground.

  Unconscious.

  Alive.

  Axel remained standing.

  Giola did not move at first.

  His fist was still buried in Axel’s shoulder.

  Blood ran down Axel’s arm, but he did not fall.

  Giola slowly pulled his hand free.

  He took a step back.

  The smile that had rested on his face since the beginning of the fight faded without him noticing.

  He looked for weakness within Axel and found none.

  “How… are you still standing?”

  Axel did not answer.

  Giola’s jaw tightened.

  He turned slowly toward Lea.

  “I must make sure Lea is...”

  His body finally gave in. He collapsed.

  Giola let out a short laugh.

  “At the end of the day, you just delayed the inevitable.”

  He turned toward Lea.

  She lay motionless against the tree.

  Dust settled around the courtyard.

  No one moved as Giola raised his hand again, the courtyard frozen in a silence that seemed to stretch without end.

  “Stop right there, dammit.”

  Mr. Spear’s voice cut across the courtyard.

  He stepped forward, shoulders squared, jaw set.

  “I watched my students fight while I stood still. I watched them suffer. I failed them as their instructor. That ends now.”

  Giola turned slowly.

  “And you are supposed to stop me?”

  “Supposed?” Mr. Spear replied. “No. I will stop you. That’s a promise.”