Three days passed.
But the echoes of the duel hadn't faded. The ground had healed, but the sky hadn't forgotten. Even now, the clouds over the Divine Academy remained unnaturally still—as if waiting.
In the Upper Halls of Authority
A council of instructors and divine adjudicators gathered in tense silence.
"Jiwoon is a danger," one elder snapped.
"That gauntlet of his reacted to Aven's highest decree."
Another spoke, more cautiously.
"Aven hasn't spoken since. But he didn't lose… did he?"
None had an answer.
Because what happened that day wasn't a defeat…
It was a shift.
Meanwhile – Training Fields (Private Zone)
Jiwoon stood alone, barefoot, surrounded by broken stone dummies.
Each of his strikes wasn't fueled by anger—but by focus.
"Control the fragments… don't let them control you."
The Sinbound Gauntlet flickered again. He clenched his fist.
Something stirred inside it—a whisper, faint but clear:
"More… there's still more… don't suppress it—unleash it."
He ignored the voice.
But just barely.
Suddenly—
A shadow descended.
Aven.
No warning. No crowd. Just presence.
He stood across from Jiwoon in the ruin of the field, cloak fluttering behind him.
"That punch… it wasn't meant to kill, was it?"
Jiwoon didn't stop moving. He threw another jab into a training block—shattering it.
"If it was, you wouldn't be standing."
Aven stepped closer. His tone changed—not pride, not authority.
Curiosity.
"What are you really fighting against?"
Jiwoon turned. For a long moment, he didn't speak.
Then:
"The future. The one I saw… in myself."
Aven's golden eyes narrowed.
"…You saw it too."
"I lived it."
Silence.
Then Aven extended a hand—not in friendship, but in warning.
"The next time we fight… I won't hold back. You shouldn't either."
Jiwoon looked down at his gauntlet.
It pulsed again—heavier this time.
"Next time… I might not have a choice."