Chapter 63: Unmoved
Mira Hawthorne stood in the center of the dueling courtyard, arms crossed, cloak fluttering behind her as students whispered from the shadows. Her challenge had been posted for two days. Open. Direct. Public.
And unanswered.
Her eyes narrowed as she scanned the Soul Board's ranking column again.
Rank 7: Mira Hawthorne.
Rank 26: Cassandra Ikemba.
No response. No scheduling. No reply.
Again.
Mira's jaw tightened.
---
Later that evening, the Ikemba quarters were quiet, dark trees lining the perimeter of the inner estate. Cassandra sat under the veranda with a steaming teacup beside her, polishing her scabbard slowly. Her domain had matured slightly since the last battle—Null Field had stabilized its core response—but she remained calm, indifferent to the chatter surrounding her recent victories.
Footsteps approached.
"I thought you were simply ignoring the challenge because you hadn't heard it," came Mira's voice.
Cassandra didn't look up. "I heard."
"You declined."
"I didn't respond."
Mira stepped closer, her tone sharper. "That is a decline."
Cassandra finally glanced at her. "Not really. It just means I don't care."
Mira's eyes flared. "What are you so afraid of? Losing?"
Cassandra set her scabbard down with deliberate care. "If I were afraid of losing, I wouldn't be ranked 26."
"Then what is it?" Mira demanded. "You climb ranks like it's nothing. You refuse the Soul Board. You ignore public duels. What game are you playing?"
Cassandra stood, her gaze cool and unreadable in the moonlight. "I'm not playing any game."
"You owe the board an explanation."
"No," Cassandra said softly. "I don't owe anyone anything."
Mira's frustration cracked into anger. "You're wasting potential. You're wasting an opportunity to be seen. You're—"
"I didn't come here to be seen," Cassandra interrupted, her voice low and absolute. "I came here to surpass. The only duel that matters to me is the one at the top. And I won't waste my time with a battle that serves your ego more than my growth."
The words hit hard. Mira stiffened.
"Then say it plainly," Mira said, struggling to stay composed. "You think I'm beneath you?"
Cassandra turned away, walking back to her seat.
"No," she said without turning back. "I think you're a distraction."
Mira clenched her fists. "You'll regret that."
Cassandra didn't answer.
The silence was the loudest rejection of all.
---
By the time Mira stormed off, several Soul Academy students had already heard the story. Some were stunned by Cassandra's calm defiance. Others whispered that her rise wasn't just about rank anymore.
She wasn't climbing to be noticed.
She was climbing to be untouchable.