Chapter 164: After The Semi-Finals

Back to Kalon’s perspective directly after his battle...

Kalon and Thea left the competitor tunnels through the side exit of The Garden Arena.

It did not help much.

As soon as they stepped past the outer staff barrier, the noise hit them.

Paparazzi and content creators had crowded the pavement in a dense half-circle. Questions came from every direction at once, overlapping so badly that he could barely even hear anything.

"Kalon! How many affinities do you actually have?"

"Was the ice planned or a breakthrough mid-match?"

"Are you already in talks with Atlas?"

"Thea! Did you know about the darkness and ice beforehand?"

"Can you confirm a sixth affinity for the record?"

Kalon kept walking. He did not look into the cameras. He did not slow down. Thea stayed close on his right side and matched his pace.

Stadium security tried to hold a narrow lane open from the exit to the internal residential walkway, but the crowd still pressed in from both flanks.

One recorder brushed Kalon’s sleeve before a staff member shouldered it back.

Someone called Thea’s name hard enough that she flinched, then forced her calm expression again.

They reached the restricted turnoff for tournament housing and put the worst of the noise behind them.

Even then, a few persistent followers tried to follow them until uniformed staff blocked them.

Only when the side doors of the stadium residential block sealed shut did the sound finally drop.

Kalon walked Thea to his assigned door, unlocked it, and let her in first. He shut it behind them and turned the lock.

Finally, silence.

Thea sat on the edge of the bed and let out a long breath she had been holding since the exit.

Kalon leaned against the wall opposite her. For a few seconds neither of them spoke. The results of the semi-final still sat in the room with them.

"That fight was crazy," Thea said eventually. "Even standing on the same field, it didn’t feel real."

Kalon nodded once.

"Levian was good. Larissa too. They earned a proper match."

"That’s not what I mean."

Thea looked up at him, blue eyes sharp under the tiredness.

"Fire. Earth. Light. Dark. Then ice. Kalon, I train with you. I’ve been closer to you than anyone else on this planet. I still didn’t know you had all of that ready. Every time I think I’ve caught up, you pull out another element."

Kalon stayed quiet for a moment. There was no point dressing it up. She already knew the core of the truth.

"Most of it came from space," he said. "The planets. The fights there. The rewards. I’ve been gathering pieces every time I travel. Earth only sees the result when I use them."

Thea’s expression did not turn afraid. It turned focused in the same way it did before a match, mixed with something more personal.

"When do I get to travel with you again?" she asked for a reminder. "i know you said I could some day."

"Soon, trust me." Kalon said. "I’m close to Platinum. Once I cross that line, the system should open human travel properly. Then you can see everything that I have."

Thea held his gaze a second longer, then nodded.

She stood, smoothed the front of her jacket, and walked over to him. She did not kiss him, but it looked like she wanted to. Instead, she just rested her forehead briefly against his shoulder, then stepped back toward the door.

"I’m going back to my room before my mother starts checking the housing logs," she said. "Get some rest. The semi-finals were already crazy. The final will be worse."

"I’m sure it will be."

She left. The door clicked shut, and the tournament room settled into ordinary quiet again.

Muffled footsteps moved through the corridor outside as other competitors returned from medical checks and media obligations.

There weren’t many people left now. Just the finalists from each year group.

Kalon stood alone for a short while, letting the day drain off him. The paparazzi, the ice reveal, Atlas’s condition about Sun and Moon, Thea’s question about travel, it was a lot to take in.

He could have slept. His body would have accepted the bed without argument.

But the daily travel allowance had refreshed with the new day cycle, and there was someone he had not seen since before the second tournament day.

He focused on the system, selected Venduros, and initiated the transfer.

[Initiating Travel Sequence...]

[Adapting body to suit conditions...]

[...]

[You have arrived!]

[Welcome to Venduros!]

The air changed and became warmer, carrying the faint mineral scent of the resistance city.

Kalon appeared outside of Josinia’s house rather than inside. No one was around to see him and garner attention, so he knocked the door quickly.

He did not have to wait.

The door opened fast. Josinia came through it at speed, white hair loose, pink eyes wide, purple skin flushed with immediate relief.

She crossed the space between them in a few running steps and leapt.

Kalon caught her cleanly. Her arms locked around his neck. Her legs wrapped around his waist. The force of it turned him half a step before he braced and held her up.

"I missed you," she said into his ear. "You didn’t come yesterday. I kept checking the usual places. I thought something might have happened on your planet."

"The tournament drained me, I’m sorry." Kalon apologised. "I’m here now."

Josinia pulled back just enough to see his face. Whatever else she had meant to say did not make it out. She kissed him instead.

It was deep and unrestrained, full of the full day she had spent waiting. Her glossy lips pressed hard against his. Her fingers slid up into his hair. Kalon kissed her back, one arm under her thighs, the other steady across her back, holding her in place while the street around them stayed quiet and empty.

She had missed him for a full day, and she was not interested in hiding it.