The Anomaly's Path

The heavy click of the door lock sounded like a death sound.

Left alone under the cold, silent stare of my older sister, I swallowed hard and pulled the white blanket higher, matching her stare with the most innocent look I could make.

Sylvia did not move. She stood perfectly straight, her Student Council Vice President uniform clean, her sharp ocean-blue eyes locked on mine. The power in the VIP suite was so heavy it crushed the air around my bed.

”So...” Sylvia finally spoke, her voice smooth, low, and terrifyingly calm. ”You are awake.”

”Sylvia,” I said, giving a weak smile. ”You missed the party. Roan and Alice were just here. They punched me in the stomach. Honestly, I am the victim—”

Thwack!

Before I could even finish my sentence, Sylvia closed the distance like a flash of light and drove her fist directly into my stomach.

”Oof—!” I gasped, doubling over as the air left me, my bandaged chest hurting badly. I scrambled back against the headboard, holding my gut. ”What is wrong with everyone today?! Why does everyone want to hit me?!”

”To see if you are actually alive, or if you just lack a working brain,” Sylvia said, pulling her fist back and smoothing her sleeve without a single hair falling out of place. Her sharp eyes burned into me. ”A victim? You told your own watcher to drive a blade through your chest. Do you know how reckless you were, Leo?”

”It was a smart—”

”Shut up,” she snapped, her tone cold. ”If you want to die so badly, just tell me. I will gladly skin you alive myself, save the academy the paperwork, and ensure you do not embarrass the Celestial name by bleeding out on an official tournament stage like a reckless dog.”

I gulped, scared. When Sylvia threatened to kill you, she meant it.

”And besides,” she went on, her body stiff as she stared at me, though a hint of deep tiredness flickered in her eyes, ”...you owe Seris a big apology.”

I blinked. ”Seris? But I—”

”Because of your recklessness, she had to step in and handle the mess,” Sylvia said coldly. ”If you ever do something like this again, and especially if you drag her into your crazy plans, I will personally make sure you regret living. Do you understand?”

”Yeah... yeah, I get it,” I muttered, looking away. ”I’ll apologize to her later.”

Sylvia stared at me for a few more seconds, checking my power. Finally, the heavy pressure in the room lessened a little. She let out a long, quiet sigh. ”...How are you feeling now?”

”Like I got hit by a cart,” I said, rubbing my stomach. ”But... I will live.”

”Good. Then keep yourself in this bed. The professors are still locked in the council chambers arguing over the tournament rules because of your little stunt. The official results won’t happen until tomorrow.”

She turned toward the door. ”Do not make me regret leaving you in one piece.”

The heavy doors opened and closed, and the freezing storm of her presence finally vanished.

I slumped back into the pillows, letting out a massive breath. ”Man... she is genuinely terrifying.”

Taking a moment to collect my thoughts, I stared up at the ceiling. The room was finally quiet. No Roan, no Alice, no suffocating older sister.

Nova, I called out.

Ding.

[I am here, Host.]

Good. Now can you explain a few things? I asked, flexing my fingers as a heavy weight moved under my skin. First, tell me what happened during the fight. And second... how did I break through two sub-ranks?

The blue and black screen flickered, showing lines of text as Nova’s voice echoed in my mind.

[To put it simply, Host: you forced your Soul Flame past its limit to eliminate a Master High monster. The flame turned inward, starting to erase your own body.]

My eyes widened. Erase?

[Correct. But your bloodline fought back, trying to rebuild what the flame was destroying. Your body became a warzone between total erasure and survival. Your mana channels were cracked and burned, and your core was overloading.]

I swallowed hard, remembering the pain before I blacked out. So how am I sitting here?

[To fuel this survival, you drained the whole Gate’s energy. Your body took in cold, leftover power, and the very force holding the Gate together. That huge amount of energy passing through your core did not just burn you — it stretched you. It widened your paths and forced your body to handle a level of power that should have killed you.]

A realization dawned on me. So my body learned to hold more power... my channels are wider, and my core is stronger. My bloodline has adapted to the Soul Flame’s erasure, and my healing was pushed to its limit.

[Exactly. You have been rebuilt from the inside out. A breakthrough is just the body growing to hold more power. You survived the strain, so your body was ready to hold more.]

And the sub-ranks?

[You were Expert Low before the fight. You skipped Expert Mid and reached Expert High. A jump of two sub-ranks. It did not come from normal training. It came because your body adapted to survive a Master High threat. You survived what should have killed you. Also, your control over your powers is now much better than before.]

”That actually makes sense,” I muttered aloud. It was a massive leap, but I had literally put my life on the line to earn it. The heavy, unfamiliar weight of the mana spinning inside me felt completely different now.

[You have also gained new skills and better stats. Would you like to see your status screen now?]

New skills? That’s a jackpot but...

I shook my head, closing my eyes. ”No, later. Right now, I just want to sleep. But not here.”

Moving slowly, I pushed the blanket aside and swung my legs over the edge of the bed. My muscles hurt, but the new power of Expert High kept me steady.

I quietly left the VIP suite.

_

As I walked toward the exit of the medical wing, I ran into Lyra, who was standing in the main hall. She stopped, her eyes narrowing as she looked at me.

”Young Master,” she said, her voice perfectly smooth but carrying a hint of disapproval. ”Why are you out of bed?”

”I’m fine, Lyra,” I said, offering a tired smile. ”I’ve already recovered. It’s just some lingering fatigue. I’m going to sleep, but I want to do it in my own dorm.”

Lyra stared at me, clearly assessing my condition. I knew her well — if I stayed here, she would likely sit by my bedside and watch over me the entire night, refusing to rest herself.

”Go back to your own room and get some sleep, Lyra. That’s an order,” I added softly.

She paused, then bowed elegantly. ”As you wish, Young Master. Please ensure you do not push yourself further.”

Once she walked away, I left the medical wing and walked through the quiet campus toward the elite housing area. The night air was cool, a nice change from the stuffy medical wing.

Soon, the big building came into view. I took the elevator up to the third floor, which held my private suite.

I walked down the long, soft-carpeted hall. At the very end, past my own doors, was Seris’s room. But as I reached my own doors, I stopped. There was something sitting on the floor right outside my room.

I leaned down, my brow furrowed, and picked it up.

It was a small, neatly wrapped package. Attached to the front was a tiny note with a single, awkwardly drawn little star in the corner. Written next to it in shaky handwriting that looked like a child’s were three simple words:

Get well soon.

I stared at the paper, a small smile tugging at my lips. Honestly? It was silly. Was this really her idea of a get-well message? I didn’t even need to open it to know who left it. My eyes drifted down the dark hallway, locking onto the quiet door at the very end.

Seris.

I unwrapped the paper package, and as expected, there was a chocolate bar inside. Or rather, half of a chocolate bar — more than half of it had already been eaten, leaving only a few pieces behind.

A soft chuckle escaped me. I really hadn’t expected this from her.

Especially when I was the one who owed her an apology for being a reckless bastard on that stage. Holding the half-eaten wrapper, a strange warmth settled in my chest. I couldn’t quite explain it, but it made the heavy tiredness feel a little lighter.

”Damn it, Leo,” I muttered, shaking my head. ”How am I supposed to make this up to her?”

What was the best way to apologize? She liked to eat... so maybe I should take her out for a nice dinner?

A dinner? That almost feels like a dat—

I cut myself off, as I quickly shook my head. What the fuck is wrong with me? Why am I getting flustered? It’s just a normal dinner. I owe her a huge apology anyway.

I let out a long sigh, pushing the thoughts away for now. ”I’ll figure it out tomorrow. I’ll find a way to make it up to her.”

Unlocking the doors, I stepped into the quiet comfort of my room, tossed the note onto the table, and collapsed onto my giant master bed.

The soft sheets felt great, and within seconds, the tiredness of the day finally caught up to me, pulling me into a deep, dreamless sleep.