NOVEL NEXT Vol 2. Chapter 9: The One Year Challenge
The air between them was taut, the courtyard quiet save for the soft rustle of leaves and the faint sound of Rosalia's breathing in Lukas' arms. The fire in Celina's eyes was unmistakable. Lukas met her glare, his own eyes sharp, daring her to make the first move; to swing that blade of hers and see what would happen if she did.
Neither of them were going to back down. But then, the same voice, ancient yet thunderously clear, split through the air like the tolling of a great bell.
"That's enough, you two."
Both of them froze. It was a voice they both knew well.
From the balcony overlooking the courtyard, the Head Mage Magnus Elarion leaned lazily against the stone railing, his cane resting at his side, his usual wide-brimmed hat tilted just enough to cast a shadow over his smirking face.
"This is the second time I've had to stop the two of you from tearing each other apart," Magnus sighed, waving his hand as though shooing away children. "You'd think I was raising wild animals within this kingdom."
Celina's jaw tightened. "Your Grace, with all due respect—"
Magnus held up a single finger.
"If you respect me, then respect my wishes. If you two choose to fight," His gaze flicked to Lukas, then back to her. "I may lose my dear apprentice, someone who is on track to becoming the future of the Tower and the Church may lose their precious holy warrior. Who would be there to protect the people if the Divine Knight fell this day?"
Celina's breath caught in her throat, her blade dipping down.
"She's a child," Lukas explained, his voice rough, cold. "She shouldn't be pushed to this extreme. Not like this."
Celina's eyes flared. "You think you can do better?" she snapped. "You're free to try but I am doing what I must to ensure she can stand as the next Divine Knight. Because that's what she wants."
There was silence. And then Magnus, ever cunning, leaned further over the railing with a spark of mischief dancing in his eyes.
"Well, my dear apprentice? What do you say? Will you take on that challenge?"
Both Lukas and Celina blinked, almost in unison.
"What?" Lukas was confused.
Until he wasn't.
"Wait, hold on—" Celina protested.
Magnus' grin widened, pointing at the Divine Knight while his eyes were still locked onto Lukas'.
"She asked if you could do a better job, didn't she? And frankly, I agree. If you are to do a better job than Celina, why shouldn't you be the one to oversee Rosalia's training? Unless you were all bark and no bite, my boy."
Celina spun toward the Head Mage. "Your Grace—"
He cut her off smoothly before she could say another word. "Celina, let me remind you: Rosalia is my granddaughter. The only reason you train her now is because I allow it. If I believe there is a better path for her—one that does not involve driving her to collapse—then I will choose that path. Your authority as the Divine Knight has its limits."
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Celina's lips parted, but no words came. She understood the weight behind his voice. This wasn't a negotiation. This was a decree made by the King of Easthaven himself.
Lukas, still holding Rosalia, finally smirked, sharp and confident.
"I don't think I can do a better job," Lukas said, his voice firm and confident. "I know I can."
"And how in the world do you plan to do that?" It seemed like Celina would not allow this to happen, not without a fight.
Not without a fight. So all he had to do was give her one.
An idea began to form in Lukas' head, one that would allow him to be then in charge of Rosalia's training. One that produced an outcome Celina herself could not even argue against. He gently adjusted Rosalia in his arms, as if grounding himself before laying down his challenge.
Lukas would do it for her.
"One year. Grant me a single year to train her in my own way, on my own terms. No interference. At the end of that year, you will fight Rosalia yourself. Hand-to-hand combat. No weapons."
Celina's lips curled in disbelief. "You must be out of your mind. She's a child. Even if you trained her for a decade, she wouldn't last a second against me." And she would be right.
Celina was a Divine Knight and aside from her amazing genetics, her physicality was raised to a point far beyond what any normal human could attain. The Church's training had made her into a living weapon. What Lukas was proposing was a massacre. There was no realm of possibility in which Rosalia would win that fight.
Lukas only smiled. A dangerous, sharp thing.
"Which is why you are going to be placed under a handicap."
Magnus, still lingering near the balcony entrance, tilted his head, intrigued. "Oh? Do tell."
"We use Runic Magic. During this one year time period, me and the old man will work on a way to revert you back to the body you once had when you were Rosalia's age in a year's time. This way...it becomes a fair fight. And whoever comes out on top will be the one who is more skilled."
Magnus' grin widened, utterly delighted.
Celina bristled. "You can't be serious. Ancient runes aren't able to reach that level of complexity. It's been tried before."
"Oh, I'm very serious," Lukas said, his voice low, almost taunting. "The Runic Magic is up to us to worry about. You said you wanted Rosalia to become strong, didn't you? You wanted her to surpass her limits? I'll show you what she's capable of. And when she beats you fair and square, you'll admit I'm the better teacher. You'll step aside."
Celina's fists clenched, her anger causing her to do away with rationality; ignoring the absurdity of his claims about runes and what they were capable of. "And if she loses?"
Lukas' eyes darkened. "Then I'll walk away. I'll concede I was wrong."
Magnus scratched his chin, thoroughly entertained. "I think this is quite fair."
Celina glared at both of them, torn between her pride and her duty.
"So you want me to fight her as a child? As my past self?"
"Yes," Lukas said. "And you—" his smile grew razor sharp, "—you will be the judge of whether or not I succeed. I'm giving you the power to determine the outcome. If you're so sure I'll fail, you should have no reason to refuse."
Magnus chuckled. "I have no qualms with this proposal."
Celina's jaw worked as she ground her teeth, but slowly, she exhaled.
"Fine," she spat. "You have a year, Klein. But know this—if you waste her time, if you make her soft, if you fail—I will make sure you regret ever stepping foot in this palace."
Lukas didn't flinch.
"One year," he said. "And then, we'll see just how wrong you are."
Magnus clapped his hands. "Excellent! Now then, I suppose we'd better start working on that little runic spell, shouldn't we, Lukas?"
The Head Mage's eyes glittered with the spark of an ancient scholar who had just stumbled upon the greatest experiment of his life. Because what Lukas was proposing would be pushing the boundaries of Magnus' Runic magic thus far.
Lukas looked down at Rosalia, still resting, still fragile.
He had one year. One year to prove that strength wasn't forged through cruelty, but through belief and intention. One year to prove Rosalia's worth, to the world and to herself. And Lukas was going to make sure she walked into that fight ready to break the limits of what anyone thought possible.