Chapter 5: Defeat is the Best Teacher.

Ikora opened her eyes, the white ceiling of the academy infirmary coming into focus.

Her head throbbed, and her body felt like it had been run over by a car.

She groaned, trying to sit up, but a sharp pain in her side forced her back down.

"Take it easy," a calm voice said. "Don't overwork yourself Novice."

She turned her head, her vision blurring for a moment, before settling on the figure sitting beside her bed.

It was the boy from the duel, tall with sharp features, black hair that fell just above his shoulders, and piercing golden eyes that seemed to glow faintly in the dim light.

He wore the light school's gold-and-white robes, and his staff rested against the wall behind him.

"Riven," Ikora muttered, her voice hoarse. "Right. You're the guy who beat me."

"I am guilty of that, I suppose. Though, to be fair, you were the one who challenged me."

"Yeah, well..." She winced as she shifted, her ribs causing a stabbing pain to shoot through her body. "I thought I had a shot!"

"Oh, you did," he said, leaning back in his chair.

"Really?" Ikora asked.

"Indeed, for about five seconds. Then I realized I had to end it quickly before you caused any damage."

Ikora rolled her eyes and lid back. "Wow, thanks..."

"You're welcome," Riven said as he stood. "You did alright, Ikora. I'll give you that. But you can't start random duels with other students here; you must learn the rules."

"Why did you do that?"

She opened her mouth to answer but thought about it. "I was, uh, rejected during the grimoires test. You know what I'm talking about, right?"

Riven nodded, signaling for her to continue.

"I want to keep things short; I thought if I were to defeat somebody of a higher caliber than me, it'd prove the grimoire wrong, and it'd have no choice but to give me one of the elemental houses."

"After all, I have been studying magic and mana since I was five."

"I see, I see. For somebody who has been studying most of their life, you seem to lack proper knowledge or defense against cloaking or dispelling."

"Cloaking and what now?" She replied.

"See what I mean? As much as I want to tell you everything about it, I can't."

"Wuh-why not?"

"Because I have classes to tend to," Riven approached the door and opened it. "Ta-ta~!" He sang.

"H-Hey! You can't just leave without giving me some sort of understanding-!"

The door clicked shut behind him, leaving Ikora alone as she tried to sit back up.

"Hey-!" She yelled out before her injuries caused her to collapse back onto the bed.

Sighing, she stared at the ceiling, left with only her mind to occupy herself as the sound of medical equipment faded into background noise.

The duel, the pain, the humiliation—it all played on a loop in her head. How could she have been not only beaten so easily but so fast? What would her mother think if she found out this happened?

Different scenarios played in her mind as she clenched her fist.

But beyond that frustration lay something else: a spark.

She hadn't lost because she was weak or anything, far from it. After all, she was pretty skilled for a Novice.

She'd lost because she didn't know enough. And that was one thing she knew she could fix.

She took a deep breath and smiled as the new thought of this came to her. The only question now was where she would start.

The whole time, she was learning things she already knew, but this? This was something entirely new. What could be the best course of action from here?

Her thinking was interrupted as the door creaked open, and Ikora turned her head, expecting Riven to have returned.

Instead, a stern-faced woman in a navy blue robe stepped inside, her expression unreadable. Her hair was pulled into a tight bun, and her sharp eyes seemed to pierce right through Ikora.

The woman's heels clicked against the tile floor as she made her way to the end of the bed, staring down at her.

"Ikora Blackhart," the woman said, her voice sharp and authoritative. "I am Dean Aliss, head of student discipline. Do you know why I'm here?"

Ikora blinked before answering her. "Because I am... injured?"

"Because you engaged in an unsupervised, unprovoked, and unregulated duel that violated Academy regulations and put yourself and another student at risk," Aliss corrected, her tone cold.

"Surely you're aware of how dangerous that was?"

Ikora opened her mouth to defend herself, but the dean held up a hand, silencing her.

"There is no debate to be had, Miss Blackhart."

"Your actions were reckless and irresponsible, and the Academy cannot condone such behavior. There will be consequences."

Ikora's heart sank. "Consequences?"

"Correct," The Dean stated. You will report to the disciplinary office within a few days after you are discharged. There, you will be briefed on your punishment and duties."

"Consider this a warning. If something like this happens again, the consequences will be far more severe."

With that, she turned on her heel and left, the door closing with another click.

Ikora slumped back against the pillows. "Great, just what I needed..."

She stared at the ceiling and tried to think positively of her situation. She'd find a way to get past this, and she always did; she just had to stay positive."

"Stay. Positive."