Villain With A Side Quest

Alexander Vale walked through the Academy corridors, his mind still replaying the events of the duel. Kieran had defeated him. Not through brute force, not with overwhelming magic, but with sheer skill. No enhancements, no external spells—just pure technique. It gnawed at him.

What bothered him most wasn't just the loss—it was how Kieran had read his movements. While Alexander had relied on established forms, Kieran had moved like water itself, adapting and flowing around his defenses with an intuitive understanding that felt impossible for a first-year. Those golden eyes had seen through his techniques as if Alexander were moving in slow motion.

Diana Frost was waiting at the training grounds when he arrived. The third-ranked student of the second years, she had always been a fierce combatant, specializing in water magic and close-quarters combat. She was one of the few who regularly issued challenges, though Alexander had never accepted any of hers.

The moment she spotted him, her lips curled into a smirk. "So, the great Alexander Vale finally decides to show his face."

He didn't rise to the bait. He was here to train, to push past the frustration. But Diana wasn't about to let him off so easily.

"You know," she continued, circling him, "you've always turned me down. Every time I challenge you, you walk away. But now, after losing to a first-year, you suddenly find the time to train?"

Alexander exhaled slowly. "I don't have time for games, Diana."

"Neither do I. But if Kieran could beat you in hand-to-hand, maybe I can too." Her eyes gleamed with challenge. "Unless you're afraid?"

His jaw tightened. He wasn't in the mood for this. But the murmurs were already starting. Other students had gathered around, their curiosity piqued. He could ignore them. He could turn away, focus on his training, and let Diana have her moment.

Or he could remind her why she was third and not second.

"Fine." He stepped into the ring. "Let's get this over with."

Diana grinned. "Try not to disappoint me."

The moment the match began, she moved. Fast. Water magic enhanced her reflexes, letting her weave and strike with inhuman speed. She feinted left, twisted right, and aimed a sharp elbow at his ribs.

Alexander caught her arm before the strike could land. His grip tightened, and in a single fluid motion, he twisted her momentum against her, sending her tumbling.

She rolled with it, springing back to her feet, but he was already on her. A sharp strike to her shoulder, a sweep at her leg—she barely managed to evade. Her water magic pulsed around her, enhancing her balance, but Alexander was relentless. Every movement was precise, efficient. No wasted energy. No hesitation.

Diana grit her teeth. He was overwhelming her. Every strike she threw, he countered. Every opening she thought she saw, he shut down. It wasn't just speed. It wasn't just strength. It was control.

And then, just as suddenly as it had started, it was over.

Alexander moved in close, knocked her balance off with a calculated shift of weight, and drove her into the ground with a perfectly executed throw. She hit the dirt hard, breath forced from her lungs. When she looked up, he was already stepping back, completely unruffled.

"Are we done?" he asked, voice steady.

Diana clenched her fists. Alexander had beaten her effortlessly—no magic, no enchantments, just sheer skill. And yet, Kieran had done the same to him. The realization unsettled her. Alexander hadn't been at a disadvantage in his fight—he hadn't needed external magic to crush her just now. That meant Kieran had beaten him on pure technique alone. But how? A first-year, a dark affinity user no less, outmatching the strongest second-year in raw skill? It didn't make sense.

As Alexander turned to leave, the frustration momentarily resurfaced. He'd used the same defensive stance against Diana that had failed him with Kieran. But where Diana had charged in predictably, Kieran had somehow anticipated every counter, using subtle redirections that felt like fighting a master twice his age. The memory of those calculated movements—effortless yet deliberate—made Alexander's skin prickle. There was something unnatural about that level of insight in someone so young.

Diana crossed her arms, watching him leave. She was already looking forward to next week's training with Master Chen. There, all magic would be allowed. And when that happened, she had a feeling Alexander would remind everyone exactly why he was ranked first.*********

The Academy library's restricted section had always felt like a second home to Edmund. Tonight, however, its towering shelves and ancient tomes offered nothing but frustration.

"Damn it," he muttered, closing yet another dusty volume on magical lineages. Three hours of searching, and the name "Aerius" appeared only in passing mentions—whispers of an ancient bloodline that seemed to exist more in legend than historical record.

Edmund ran a hand through his hair, disturbing its usual perfect arrangement. The match against Kael had shaken him more deeply than he cared to admit. Not just the outcome, but the fundamental nature of what he'd witnessed. Kael's magic wasn't simply powerful—it felt *different*. Older. As if the air itself recognized him as kin rather than master.

His family signet ring caught the lamplight as he reached for another book. The Blackthorn legacy stretched back fourteen generations, each heir meticulously documented in the Academy's records. Power built upon power, knowledge upon knowledge. The very foundation of noble magical tradition.

And yet this... newcomer... had matched him using techniques that defied everything Edmund knew about magical theory.

A soft cough interrupted his thoughts. Madame Voss, the head librarian, stood at the end of the aisle, her face a carefully neutral mask.

"The restricted section closes in fifteen minutes, Prefect Blackthorn."

Edmund straightened. "Of course, Madame Voss. I'm just finishing my research."

Her eyes flickered to the stack of books on his table. "I've noticed your... particular interest tonight. Seeking information on obscure bloodlines?"

Edmund's diplomatic smile came automatically. "Just broadening my historical knowledge."

"Hmm." She adjusted her spectacles. "You might find it interesting that those seeking information on the Aerius bloodline often reach similar dead ends."

Edmund went still. "You've had others inquire about them?"

"Over the years." Her voice remained casual, but Edmund caught the careful consideration in her gaze. "Though never with quite the... intensity you've shown tonight."

Edmund weighed his next words carefully. Being prefect granted him certain privileges, but even those had limits.

"Madame Voss, as prefect, if there are additional resources that might be available—"

"There aren't." Her interruption was gentle but firm. "At least, not in this library."

The implication hung in the air between them.

"I see." Edmund began gathering his notes. "Thank you for your assistance."

She nodded once, then hesitated. "Prefect Blackthorn? A word of advice, if I may."

"Of course."

"Some bloodlines fade from record not because they've died out, but because they chose to step away from history's gaze." Her eyes met his directly. "Sometimes, that choice was made for very good reasons."

Before Edmund could respond, she turned and walked away, her footsteps fading among the shelves.

---

The prefect's private study area provided enough space for Edmund to spread out his limited findings. Alexander Vale sat across from him, examining Edmund's notes with the same analytical focus he applied to tactical problems.

"Aerius," Alexander mused, tapping his pencil against a particularly sparse page. "Almost nothing concrete. References to advanced air manipulation techniques. Whispers about communion with elemental forces rather than control. But nothing solid enough to form a complete picture."

Edmund nodded, frustration evident in his shoulders. "All I've managed to confirm is that they were a branch of some older collective called the Kairos. Beyond that..." He gestured at the meager pile of notes.

Alexander leaned back, eyes narrowed in thought. "The way he fought you... that wasn't just skill or power. It was fundamentally different from how we're taught to approach magic."

"I know." Edmund's voice was quiet. "It felt like... like I was fighting against an entirely different magical tradition. One that works from principles I've never encountered."

Alexander picked up a particular page. "These fragmentary references suggest the Aerius family didn't just control air—they lived within it. Breathed with it. Some texts even suggest they could... become it, in ways that blur the line between mage and element."

Edmund's jaw tightened. "Exactly what I witnessed in our match."

"And Master Chen's reaction..." Alexander set down his pencil. "He wasn't surprised. At all."

"No, he wasn't." Edmund stared at the wall, thinking. "When I tried to access Kael's full records using my prefect authorization, I hit a wall. His file contained only basic information—name, assigned dormitory, general aptitude scores. Everything deeper was restricted."

Alexander raised an eyebrow. "Restricted from the prefect? That's..."

"Unprecedented." Edmund finished his thought. "In all my time as prefect, I've never encountered student records I couldn't access."

They sat in silence for a moment, the implications hanging heavy between them.

"There's more going on here than just a talented transfer student," Edmund finally said.

Alexander nodded slowly. "The question is whether we should keep digging."

Edmund picked up the page with the single reference to the Kairos. "Whoever they were—or are—they've gone to considerable lengths to fade into legend rather than history."

"And Madame Voss suggested there might be good reasons for that," Alexander noted.

Edmund met his friend's gaze. "Since when has that ever stopped us?"

Alexander's slow smile held equal parts concern and excitement. "I'll see what I can find about the Kairos. Maybe approaching from that angle will yield more information."

Edmund nodded, but his expression remained troubled. "Be careful. I get the feeling we're brushing against something... significant. Something that powerful people have worked very hard to keep buried."

"Including Master Chen?" Alexander asked quietly.

Edmund stared at the scattered notes, remembering the uncanny precision of Kael's movements, the way the air itself seemed to embrace him.

"Especially Master Chen," he said.