Villain With A Side Quest

The air in the Spell Casting classroom hummed with unspoken tension that made Kieran's neck tingle. He slipped into his usual spot near the middle of the room—close enough to watch everything, far enough to stay unremarkable. The old chair creaked beneath him, echoing his hidden restlessness. These past few days had felt like dancing on the edge of a knife, each step measured between showing too much and too little. Today, though... today felt different. Even the air whispered of change.

'Things are shifting,' he thought, his fingers tracing idle patterns on the worn desktop. 'The rules are about to change, and I need to be ready.'

His thoughts scattered as a woman walked in. She wasn't what anyone had expected—she couldn't have been more than twenty-three or twenty-four, surprisingly young for an Academy teacher. Her black hair was pulled high and swayed as she walked, while stubborn strands fell loose around a face that held both wisdom and something darker, harder to name. Maybe it was the sharp line of her jaw or the way her amber eyes held secrets just out of reach.

Those eyes swept across the room like torchlight, and when they found Kieran, time seemed to slow. He kept his breathing steady, his face calm, but his mind raced. 'There's something about her... something that doesn't fit. Like a word that looks wrong but you can't quite say why.'

"Professor Selene Ardent," she said, her voice carrying a natural power that filled the room. "I'll be your Spell Casting teacher from now on." A slight smile played at her lips. "And yes, I see those looks. You wanted someone older, didn't you? Someone with gray hair and a long beard? Well, life is full of surprises."

A few students laughed—awkward, uncertain sounds that faded quickly. Most stayed quiet, trying to figure out how to take this unexpected turn. Kieran just watched, noting every detail.

"Listen well," she continued, settling on the edge of her desk in a way that looked relaxed but ready. "I'm not here to go over old ground or waste time talking about theories. Professor Aldryn has taught you about working with elements. By now, you should know that having a natural gift with one element doesn't mean you can't use others—it just means trying to use other elements will drain you faster than a desert sun."

She paused, her eyes sparking with hidden amusement. "So today, we're doing something different. Today, you're going to show me what you can actually do with all those lessons in your heads."

The mood in the room shifted like wind before a storm. Students who had been slouching sat up straight, trading looks that ranged from eager to worried. Kieran felt his heart beat faster, though his face stayed carefully blank. 'This isn't just about skills,' he realized. 'She's watching how we handle ourselves.'

"Find a partner," Selene said, pushing away from the desk with easy grace. "We'll keep it simple—attack and defend. Stay within safe limits for now. I'd rather not spend my first day explaining why half of you need healing."

Chairs scraped and voices murmured as students hurried to pair up. Kieran didn't move, knowing what would happen. Like a shadow finding its owner, Kael appeared beside him.

"We seem to keep finding each other," Kael said softly, one eyebrow raised in what might have been jest or doubt.

Kieran allowed himself a small smile. "Maybe fate has plans for us."

"Fate is for dreamers," Kael replied dryly, but something in his voice suggested he was playing along, even if he didn't believe it.

As their classmates began practicing, Kieran's mind worked on deeper mysteries. Kael only ever used wind magic—nothing else. No matter what happened, no matter the challenge, always wind. That kind of limit wasn't natural, even for someone born with a strong gift.

'Either he's hiding something,' Kieran thought, 'or something's holding him back. But what could bind someone's magic like that?'

A flash of movement caught his eye. Professor Selene had shifted, and something about the way she moved woke old instincts in Kieran's mind. Her stance was too aware, too ready. She hadn't learned fighting in a classroom—she'd learned it in the streets, where a moment's distraction meant pain.

'Time to look deeper.'

He remembered Professor Aldryn's teachings about seeing soul cores —a skill that needed careful control to sharpen one's sight for a moment. Most students had struggled with it for weeks. Kieran had mastered it in secret, practicing in darkness until it came as naturally as breathing.

Keeping still and calm, he let his essence flow into his eyes like water filling a bowl. The world changed, colors bleeding into impossible shades that danced between real and unreal. He glanced at Kael first, seeing what he expected—a pale blue light, pure and clear, marking him as a wind-worker.

Then he turned his enhanced sight toward Selene.

What he saw made his heart stumble. Her soul light blazed like a captured star, deep gold that spoke of power far beyond mastery. But it was wild, untamed—the kind of power that came from fight and survival rather than gentle teaching and family gifts.

'She's like me,' the thought hit him hard. 'She fought her way up from nothing.'

"Your eyes are glowing," Kael whispered, barely making a sound.

Kieran blinked, letting his sight return to normal. "Just trying something," he said smoothly, but his thoughts raced ahead.

Selene being here broke all the Academy's usual rules. Someone so young, so powerful, and so clearly common-born should never have become a teacher. Unless...

'Unless someone wanted her here for a reason. But what? And who?'

The question pulled at him, but he pushed it aside. He had to decide something more urgent. His careful act of being barely good enough was becoming dangerous rather than helpful. With someone like Selene watching, with Kael's growing suspicion, pretending to be weak wasn't just risky—it could get him killed.

'Time to change the story,' he decided. 'Not show everything, but... adjust it. Show enough skill to be interesting, but not enough to be threatening. Let them see the promise, but not the power.'

"Alright, enough practice," Selene's voice cut through his thoughts. "Let's see what you can really do. Kieran, Kael—front and center."

Kieran felt the weight of the room shift toward them. He could already hear the whispers starting.

"Him? But he's just a dark affinity user. He barely won against Marcus."

"He jumped fifty ranks... from luck. Right?"

Selene's gaze pinned them both. "Show me something worth remembering."

Kieran and Kael faced each other. The weight of expectation pressed down on Kieran, but he welcomed it. This was his chance to rewrite the narrative, to steer the whispers about his so-called "luck" in a direction that suited him.

For weeks, he'd kept his abilities carefully veiled. Ever since his match against Alexander Vale—the top-ranked Year Two student—rumors had spread like wildfire. Some said he had cheated, others claimed he had used some forbidden trick to win. After all, he had beaten a prodigy in a match that only allowed enhancement magic, despite refusing to use any himself.

Kael, always the enigma, studied him with his usual detached intensity. His fighting stance was loose, yet every muscle in his body coiled like a drawn bowstring. The Academy had noticed his bizarre limitation—he only used air magic. Yet, that single element had made him a formidable opponent. Even restrained, Kael's instincts and raw talent made him one of the most unpredictable fighters in their class.

Selene's voice cut through the charged air. "Begin."

Kael moved first. A razor-sharp gust of wind tore toward Kieran, but he had anticipated it. Twisting his wrist, he summoned a sheet of stone from the ground, the earth rising like a shield. The moment the wind blade struck, Kieran melted the stone into water, dispersing the attack and shifting his position in one fluid motion.

The crowd gasped.

"Did he just use water and earth back-to-back?" someone murmured.

"But he's a dark affinity user!" another whispered.

Kael's eyes sharpened. He barely hesitated before launching forward again, his movements swift and precise. Wind magic granted him incredible agility, making him a blur as he weaved through Kieran's defenses. Kieran countered with fire, summoning roaring tongues of flame that forced Kael to retreat.

Kael exhaled sharply, and the fire was instantly snuffed out by a calculated burst of compressed air. He didn't give Kieran a moment's rest, dashing in close with a blindingly fast spin-kick reinforced by wind essence. Kieran barely raised an ice barrier in time, the impact sending shards of frozen water scattering across the ring. His muscles ached from the strain of rapid elemental shifts, but he refused to back down.

A deep, familiar voice echoed in his mind—the entity that had become both his curse and his salvation.

'Interesting. You finally stop pretending, yet you still hesitate. What are you afraid of?'

'I'm not afraid,' Kieran shot back mentally, dodging another air burst. 'I'm being careful.'

The entity chuckled, a low, knowing sound. 'No. You're holding back because you still care what they think. Prove them wrong. Show them the truth.'

Kieran gritted his teeth. Fine.

He surged forward, his hand crackling with lightning. He wasn't just going to play defense anymore. Electricity arced toward Kael, forcing him to jump back, but Kieran wasn't done. He stomped his foot against the ground, sending a ripple through the arena as jagged rock spires shot up to limit Kael's movement. A flick of his fingers sent a wave of water rushing toward the airborne opponent, ice forming instantly to trap him mid-air.

Kael twisted, wind surging around him as he shattered the icy prison and landed gracefully. His expression remained unreadable, but there was something in his eyes now—a flicker of uncertainty.

No one spoke. The entire class watched in stunned silence.

"Kieran's using all four base elements…" someone finally whispered. "How? He's supposed to have a dark affinity!"

"Impossible. Even those with strong affinities struggle to control opposing elements."

Selene leaned forward, her amber eyes burning with intrigue. "This is getting interesting."

Kael adjusted his stance. He wasn't done yet.

Kieran met his gaze head-on. He had shattered their expectations, but this wasn't over. Kael was still fighting at a fraction of his true strength, and Kieran could feel it. Whatever was holding Kael back—it was more than just preference. There was something deeper there, something that didn't add up.

Kael inhaled sharply, and the air around him shifted. His next attack wouldn't be like the others.

Kieran steeled himself.

'Let's see what you're hiding, Kael.'

Selene raised a hand, preparing to intervene if necessary, but the battle had already reached its climax.

And then—

Everything blurred as Kael vanished from sight.

The duel was about to take a turn no one expected.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, Kieran heard the entity's chuckle. 'Well now. This just got interesting