Chapter 21
A couple days later, Sonny arrives at the arena for his semifinal match. He already knows how this ends. He intends to lose.
As he steps inside, he spots Ellie’s family in the stands. He wasn’t expecting that. After a moment’s hesitation, he walks over.
Ellie’s father looks surprised but smiles politely. "Oh, Sonny. Hello. Good luck in your match today."
Jon does not smile. He scowls, arms crossed tight across his chest.
Sonny bows. "I wanted to apologize. I know you are close with Asher and his family."
Jon snaps. He grabs Sonny by the collar and yanks him close. "You didn’t have to go that far. He’s still in the hospital. What if you killed him?"
People nearby turn to stare.
Sonny does not fight back. He waits until Jon releases him, then calmly straightens his shirt. "First," Sonny says under control, "I would not have struck a vital organ. Second, he tried to do the same to me after the match ended." Sonny meets Jon’s glare with his blank and sad expression. "Third, I don’t like how he treats people. Especially Ellie."
Ellie’s mother exhales. "He does rub people the wrong way sometimes and shouldn’t have thrown the first sword at you. But you shouldn’t have struck him with that last sword."
Sonny acknowledges. "That’s fair."
After a brief silence, Ellie’s mother asks, "Why isn’t Ellie here to watch your match?"
"She won’t miss much," Sonny says. "It will be a boring one." He bows again. "Ellie told me you’re leaving today. It was an honor meeting you. I hope we meet again someday." Sonny turns toward the arena tunnel. "I need to prepare."
The crowd buzzes when Sonny enters the ring. He is the story of the tournament. No pure ether user has ever made it to the intercollegiate tournament, let alone, the semifinals.
His opponent, the first seed from Bronzeland University, waits across the ring, confident and untouched.
The referee signals. "Begin."
Sonny pulls his punches. His timing is slightly off. His pressure never fully commits. He lets the fight slip away, piece by piece. The loss looks real enough, but not everyone believes it. Dean watches closely.
Later, Dean finds Sonny in the corridor. He isn’t angry. He’s amused. "You threw the fight."
Sonny nods once. "Yes. Top four finish. As promised.”
Dean laughs. "Good showing. You made some waves, opened people’s eyes to ether, and held up your end of the deal. I’ll see you back at the Academy of Magic."
That night, Sonny returns to the apartment alone. Campus is quiet with winter break still lingering. Ellie is staying with her family through the end of break. Sonny sits on the floor and begins to meditate. He and Draco speak quietly, planning how to ease his body into training with Draco’s ether.
A few days later, Ellie returns. She drops her bag and freezes when she sees Sonny. She rushes forward and hugs him. "I missed you. You smell awful. Go shower." Sonny gives a short nod, then asks about Bull’s father’s offer.
Ellie smiles. "My family agreed to talk to Mr. Bryant. They seemed interested in the offer. It might actually happen."
"You did well," Sonny says. "I’m proud of you."
Ellie smiles then studies him. "What have you been training?"
"A technique tied to Draco’s ether," Sonny replies. "I’m easing into it."
She looks at his arm and it appears fine. She frowns anyway. "Be careful. I’m getting tired of worrying about you."
Sonny pats her head. "I will."
The TV continues playing in the background, and Sonny’s attention drifts to it. A news segment fills the TV screen in the background. The Bronze Corps is under scrutiny after a power supplement they were testing leaks onto the street. Reporters talk over footage of seizures and aggressive outbursts. The supplement boosts all known power types for extended periods, but the side effects are severe. Heightened anger. Uncontrolled aggression. Hearing voices. Fractured personalities. No one knows what the substance actually is. No one knows how or why it works.
Ellie notices Sonny watching, really watching, instead of half listening like usual.
She tilts her head. “You have an interest in that power supplement going around?”
Sonny looks away from the screen. “Not really,” he says easily. “It’s nothing. I’ve just heard about it before.” Ellie studies his face for a moment longer, then lets it go.
"Are you free tomorrow night?" Sonny asks.
Ellie lights up. "Is that our date?"
Sonny inclines his head. "Yes." Sonny asks what she would like to do. He admits he does not really know what happens on a date.
Ellie pouts and crosses her arms. “That’s your job,” she says. “You’re the one who asked me out.” She looks at him expectantly. “Figure something out.”
Sonny shows up to class the next day, with people staring in his direction. Him showing up to class is a rare enough sight, but mix it with a top four finish at intercollegiate, and he becomes the talk of campus.
The start of a new semester. Bull and Jess are already there. Sonny walks straight to Bull’s desk like he has a mission. “What do people do on dates,” Sonny asks.
Bull laughs. “Are you serious?”
“Yes,” Sonny says. “I need an activity.”
Jess covers her mouth, trying not to laugh too loudly. “This is incredible.”
Bull leans back, thinking. “Dinner. Drinks. Coffee. A walk. Something simple.” Sonny nods once like he is taking notes. Bull adds, “Bowling.”
Sonny pauses. “What is bowling?”
“It’s a game,” Bull says. “You roll a heavy ball at pins and try to knock them down.”
Sonny’s eyes narrow slightly, like he is imagining the physics of the game being described. “That sounds great.”
Bull points at him. “You are not allowed to use ether.”
Sonny answers immediately. “Understood.”
The professor walks in before Bull can say anything else. The room quiets.
“Welcome back,” the professor says, clapping his hands once. “This semester’s class focuses on crypt diving, and in one month you will enter a real four floor E rank crypt owned by the Academy of Magic.”
The class reacts instantly. A few students gasp. Others grin like they’ve been waiting for this all year.
The professor raises a hand for silence. “The crypt has already been harvested for materials, but it hasn’t been fully cleared. The boss is still alive.” He continues, pacing slowly. “The Academy does not want the boss defeated. This crypt exists as a test environment. Your goal is to clear the reappearing monsters on floors one through three. That is a pass.” He taps the board. “If you reach the fourth floor boss room and bring back proof, that is an automatic pass for the class.” Murmurs spread again. “Because this crypt has been completed many times, teleporters have been installed at the start of each floor bringing you back to the entrance,” the professor says. “If you need to retreat, you can.” He pauses. “The Bronze Corps will service the teleporters before the first team enters. That ensures they function properly.”
The room stays quiet now, students listening closely. “There are sixteen of you,” the professor says. “That means four teams of four. You will self assemble. Each team assigns roles. Each team devises strategy, navigation, and contingencies.” He points to the class roster. “Starting next month, one team enters each week. If your team does not clear the third floor, you get one more attempt after everyone goes.” He lets that sink in. “You will have four days to return from the dungeon. Floors one through three should take about two days. If you choose to push into floor four, you have up to the four days.”
Then he claps again. “Form your teams.” Chairs scrape. Students stand and cluster quickly. Most of them avoid Sonny. His lack of attendance and lack of personality make him an outcast among many students. Others still look down on his ether use.
Jess walks to Sonny without hesitation. Bull follows right after.
Thomas drifts over a moment later, hesitant but determined. He is ranked 213, the lowest in the class. He looks like he expects to be rejected. “My name’s Thomas,” he says quietly. “If you need a fourth, I can support. Defense too.”
Jess smiles. “Perfect. That was easy.” Bull nods once, as if he is already thinking about formations.
Sonny looks at Thomas. “We got our team.”
Thomas blinks, surprised by how easy that is. The four agree to meet the next day to assign roles and start planning. And just like that, the team is set.
