Aurox woke to the soft sound of the arm he had customized himself so it wouldn’t be jarring. Natural light slipped through the half-drawn curtains, painting the dorm room in warm golden tones. The world was calm — at least for a few more minutes.

  He stretched slowly and dragged himself to the bathroom. He brushed his teeth mechanically, and when he raised his eyes, he saw himself in the mirror. His bck hair was messy and longer than he should’ve let it grow. He let out a tired sigh.

  “I guess I’ll have to cut it… again. What a waste of time.”

  He took a quick shower and dressed in a simple shirt and comfortable pants. Nothing that stood out — just the way he liked it. Then, he headed to the dorm’s small shared kitchen, where the air still carried a faint scent of st night’s coffee.

  He knew that in a few hours, Mika, Kael, and Nina would show up hungry, as always. And, as always, he’d cook for everyone. Not out of obligation, but because… it felt good. Even if he thought his cooking was only average.

  He started frying eggs in an old pan while humming softly. That’s when he heard a faint noise at the window. He turned and saw a small shadow trying to sneak through the gap.

  It was the leaf-monster.

  Aurox smiled. He walked to the window and opened it carefully. The creature clumsily scurried along the frame and climbed his body with surprising agility, settling on his shoulder like a living brooch.

  “Hey, little one,” he said softly. “Did you see anything interesting st night?”

  The insect responded with a series of barely audible chirps. Nonsensical sounds to anyone else, but to Aurox, they were understandable — like a coded nguage.

  Nothing unusual.

  Some second-year students were waking up early, training, forming groups. Some were pooling money to hire private instructors. Nothing dangerous. Nothing arming.

  “Huh… so the semester really has started.”

  He finished preparing breakfast, ate in silence, and when he was done, gently picked up the small creature.

  “You can rest now.”

  The insect dissolved into golden dust particles that floated briefly before being reabsorbed by the Book of Legends. Aurox walked to the living room, sat on the floor, and pulled the book close.

  He closed his eyes. Took a deep breath.

  He knew what he wanted to create. He had rehearsed it a thousand times, but always hesitated.

  Not this time.

  “Watcher of the skies, your eyes see the horizon, and your descent is majestic.”

  The book responded with a warm pulse, draining his energy. One, two, three seconds...

  Nothing.

  Another pulse. Aurox clenched his teeth and pushed more magical power into the Book of Legends.

  And then, it was like being pulled into a whirlpool of ink.

  His consciousness dissolved, and when he came to, he was in a pce shrouded in dense mist. The ground beneath his feet made a familiar sound — the sound of pages turning, of ancient ink absorbed by paper.

  He was inside the Book of Legends.

  It wasn’t his first time. But every time he arrived there, a discomfort settled in. Something watched that pce. Something that wasn’t a creature. It was a presence.

  And as if following an inevitable script... he appeared.

  Aurox.

  Or almost.

  A copy of himself emerged from the fog, dressed in a dark suit, hair slicked back, a pair of gsses with bluish lenses reflecting everything — except the eyes.

  “Well, well,” the copy said with a mocking smile. “Look what I found. When did they put a mirror in this pce?”

  Aurox watched in silence. That figure… looked like him, walked like him, but didn’t speak like him, didn’t carry himself like him. Something was off — something that disturbed him more than he cared to admit.

  “Tell me, creator,” the copy continued, now circling him slowly, almost predatorily, “what brings you here to my humble prison…?”

  Aurox followed him with his eyes. “You’re stopping me from creating more. Why do you limit me?”

  The copy let out a ugh. “An intriguing question. But not the question you should be asking.”

  “Don’t come at me with riddles, freak. Answer me. Why do you limit me?!”

  “No, no, and no! I have no power to do that, creator,” he replied in a mocking tone. “You put these shackles on yourself. I’m just the one who guards the prisoner’s cell. But… I like games. I never turn down a challenge. How about a wager?”

  “You’re irritating. What—”

  A sudden sound, like knocking on a door in the real world, cut off his sentence.

  The copy smiled with malice. “Your little game at the university will happen in a month. I’ll lend you part of my power, and you must win the first fight. If you win, the loan becomes yours, and I’ll never appear here again. What’s your answer?”

  Aurox frowned. His body was beginning to dissolve into mist, being pulled back to reality.

  “And what do you get?” he asked finally.

  The copy grinned with a predator’s smile. “If you lose… I fight next time. One match is all I want.”

  Aurox’s consciousness snapped back. He opened his eyes, still sitting on the floor, heart pounding. The knock on the door echoed again.

  He got up and opened it.

  On the other side, Mika, Kael, and Nina stared at him with mixed expressions of concern and irritation.

  “You took too long,” said Kael.

  “Were you sleepwalking?” asked Mika, walking straight in.

  “Sorry,” Aurox replied, scratching his neck. “I was… training.”

  Nina smiled with a sharp look. “You’re more excited about this tournament than you’re letting on.”

  Aurox gave a vague, distracted smile. “Maybe.”

  And together, they headed to the kitchen, where the morning still awaited them with the scent of eggs and possibilities.