Chapter 13: YIELD
The sun had barely risen, yet the courtyard buzzed like a coliseum before bloodshed.
Servants whispered. Young mages lined the sides, and even nobles showed up early—drawn by the promise of a rare duel between two rising stars of House Smith.
Logan stood on the field, face calm, arms folded behind his back. He wore a simple tunic, dark trousers, and his signature crimson cloak, fluttering slightly in the morning breeze.
Across from him, Darius stretched, flames licking off his forearms. His eyes burned with competitive fire. Six months of brutal training under Kael Thorne had molded him into a different beast—a weapon forged by will and hate.
He wanted to repay all the debts today. The humiliation he felt till now. Being overthrown by his younger stepbrother. Being looked down on even after awakening three elemental affinities. Even after being a prodigy amongst his peers, he was overshadowed. He couldn’t tolerate this. His pride couldn’t digest it anymore. He yearned to reclaim his pride again.
Kael walked between them, raising a hand to silence the murmurs.
"This is a controlled duel. No deadly strikes. First to surrender or collapse loses."
He looked at Logan, a subtle smirk on his face.
"Logan, raw talent doesn’t always beat hard work," Kael thought to himself. I will make sure both you and Ardyn are eating dirt today.
Logan said nothing. His gaze flicked over to Alice in the crowd. She gave a nervous smile.
Rudeous leaned in from behind her and muttered, "Darius will win. Logan’s talented, but he doesn’t push himself," Rudeous expressed his thoughts while seated with other family elders and the court mage Abraham.