Wrath's Virtue

The words hung in the cold morning air, sharp and venomous.

For a heartbeat, the five children stared at him, their minds struggling to process the cruelty of his statement.

Then, Aurelion moved.

He didn't just run. He exploded. The blue gold sparks erupting from his feet were not just for show. They were the engine of his Kinetic Flow Steps, propelling him forward with a velocity.

He became a blur, a phantom streaking down the final stretch of the stone path, the distance between him and the stunned group widening with every steps.

The shock that had frozen them in place was shattered by a furious cry.

"AURELION!"

Ylva Silverfang launched herself forward in pursuit. A shimmering, silver energy bled from her own feet.

Her speed was incredible, far surpassing any of the other children, but it was still not enough. She was chasing a ghost.

Spurred by her defiance, two of the other Northern boys let out their own roars of frustration and charged after her, their heavy legs pumping with everything they had left.

The last two children, however, remained where they were, completely broken.

One collapsed to his knees, his head bowed in utter defeat. The other simply stood there, his face pale, watching the chase unfold as the gap between Aurelion and his pursuers became wider.

Aurelion didn't even look back.

He crossed the finish line, his momentum carrying him a few steps further before he came to a smooth stop.

He turned, his breathing even, his expression as placid as a frozen lake, and watched as Ylva crossed the line several seconds later. Her chest heaving, the silver light around her feet sputtering out.

The two Northern boys stumbled across moments after her, collapsing onto the stone, gasping for air like fish out of water.

However the task had failed.

Aurelion ignored them. His gaze shifted to the lone figure who had watched the entire spectacle without moving a muscle.

He walked calmly towards Sten.

The instructor's tired eyes followed his approach. He didn't look at the defeated children on the ground, nor at the furious girl trying to catch her breath. His entire focus was on the elf boy who had orchestrated it all.

"Why?" Sten asked, his voice as flat and weary as ever.

Aurelion's gaze remained locked on the instructor, unwavering. "They were supposed to keep up with my pace, Instructor. Not the other way around."

He glanced over his shoulder at the broken group behind him.

"I wanted to run the tenth lap at my own pace. For nine laps, they chose to trust me instead of trusting themselves. If they are not fools, it is a mistake they will not make again."

A faint, smile touched Sten's lips. This time it was more distinct. "I see,".

"But the task I gave you was for the six of you to run at the same pace, Aurelion. Your friends couldn't keep up with your pace, and so, you failed too."

Aurelion shrugged. "It's not my problem they couldn't keep up. Perhaps they are not qualified to follow me."

"Perhaps you are right," Sten said, his tired eyes meeting Aurelion's.

"But perhaps you are not qualified to be their leader."

An involuntary smile flashed across Aurelion's face. "Of course I wouldn't lead a pack of incompetents," he thought.

Sten's gaze shifted to Ylva, who was now regulating her breathing.

"You will set the pace, Silverfang."

He then turned to the five children. "Aurelion will run twenty laps for failing to set a proper pace. Rest while he runs."

Smiles of relief and vindictive pleasure spread across the faces of the other children as they looked at Aurelion.

He stared back at their triumphant faces, his own expression was unreadable.

"Weak bastards, dependent on the mercy of others," he thought, a cold fire igniting in his gut.

Sparks began to crackle around his legs again but more intensely this time. He looked at the smirking faces and his voice cut through their moment of victory.

"Don't get too comfortable. This won't take long."

And with that, he shot off.

He launched himself into a full sprint, denying the others even a moment of respite. His blood began to boil, a familiar fire surging through his veins. His steps quickened, his body leaning forward into an aggressive, predatory posture.

This wasn't just a punishment. It was a calculated act of spite. He would not allow these useless filth to rest on his failure.

Blue gold sparks erupted from his legs with every powerful stride as he pushed himself to the absolute limit, his breath coming in harsh, guttural growls.

This was his true pace. An unbroken assault on the track and on the morale of those watching.

Lap after lap, he continued the run relentlessly on the stone path. The other children, who had been ready to savor their rest, could only watch in stunned silence.

He was turning his punishment into their torture.

By the time he completed the twentieth lap, he was not untouched.

He came to a stop, his chest heaving, each breath a ragged gasp for air. A sheen of sweat covered his skin, and a deep ache burned in his muscles.

He was exhausted, pushed to his physical edge, but as he stood there, glaring at the silent group, it was clear he still had energy to spare. He had paid a price, but he had made his point.

"Your turn."

The children looked at each other, then at the exhausted figures of Ylva and the two boys who had tried to chase Aurelion.

As they hesitated, Sten's voice cut through the air. "Your break is over. Get to it."

Ylva pushed herself to her feet, her silver hair plastered to her sweaty forehead. She stepped forward, her gaze fixed on Aurelion.

"We don't have to be like him," she said to the others.

"We'll run at our own pace. We'll finish this together." She shot one last glare at Aurelion before walking past him to the starting line.

Aurelion watched her go,then with a look of pure disgust on his face as he observed the other children, who couldn't recover after such a short break.

He stepped to the side, leaning against the wall of the training building to watch the pathetic display.

Under Ylva's leadership, the group began to run at a pace far slower than Aurelion's, but it was steady and stable.

They motivated each other, offering a word of encouragement to anyone who started to lag.

Aurelion watched them with internal scorn. "The weak cling to each other," he thought.

His eyes narrowing as he focused on Ylva. "She's holding back because of these deadweights. If she did what I did, yes, she'd have to run another twenty laps, but she'd be free of these burdens."

Sten simply observed, saying nothing. There was not the slightest change in the weary expression on his face. He neither praised Ylva's leadership nor criticized their slow pace.

The group, though struggling, completed the ten laps and collapsed to the ground in a heap of exhaustion. The other students slowly began to recover as well.

Sten walked into the middle of the assembled children. "You will have a warm up run here every morning," he announced.

"And every day, the five who fail to maintain the pace will run extra laps as punishment, just like today."

Whispers broke out among the students. "Was that... just the warm up?"

"Does that mean the real lesson is starting now?"

Sten's tired gaze swept over them. "Yes. This was just the warm up. Now, follow me. Your first lesson is about to begin."

As Sten led the children towards the building, Aurelion followed from the side and the back of the group.

As he wondered what they would be taught in their first lesson, he noticed someone approaching him.

It was Ylva.

"Why did you do it?" she asked, her voice held a note of anger, but it was filled more with curiosity.

"Why did you pretend to help us and then betray us?"

Aurelion looked at her. "Because I couldn't stand your weakness. You might have been able to run, yes, but did you really believe I would run at your pace for ten laps, Ylva? You were supposed to keep up with my pace."

"I don't believe that," Ylva said. "There's more to you than that. I saw it."

Aurelion let out a laugh. "What did you see, Princess? The good fairy inside the monster?"

"No, you're not a monster," Ylva said with determination.

"I saw a rival. And a rival doesn't want the other to remain weak. You broke us to make us stronger. In your own cruel way. Right?"

Aurelion's smile froze for a moment. He was surprised that Ylva had understood the one of the cold logic behind his actions so clearly.

"Perhaps you're not as naive as I thought," he said.

"I never was," Ylva replied, and quickening her steps, she entered the building.