Great balls of fire...

***

CHAPTER 55:

DUEL

While Ursa slept soundly, I was left searching for the meaning of life on the ceiling. I closed my eyes, hoping to bury reality in the darkness. It didn't work. Despite my friend's peacefully oblivious face, my forehead was all furrowed from too much thinking. My gaze drifted to the half-finished carton of milk. Now that I knew what was in it, I was sure it could help me relax. But with last night's memories still fresh, I hadn't reached for it.

Finally, giving up, I got up and went to my bookshelf. Given my luck, I wasn't expecting to find a new chapter added to my book, but, to my surprise, there it was. Excited, I dove back under the covers and started reading. In the latest chapter, the princess and her companion, captives of a conceited prince, encountered his sweet sister. In this part, the sister was helping the princess escape.

The shared struggle of two strong women swelled my heart with pride, stirred deep emotions, and sparked excitement, making me feel empowered alongside them. I was captivated by a thrilling dungeon escape scene. I found myself nearly standing in anticipation when suddenly, soldiers encircled them. The scheming prince had foreseen their every move. My heart sank. The dream shattered. It seemed like the end was near for our heroine.

But the story took an unexpected turn. As they fled, the bridge they were on collapsed under their weight, sending soldiers into the water, while anyone who survived hung by a rope in mid-air. No matter what he tried, the prince couldn't reach his sister. In the end, it was the fugitive princess who saved her. With her companion's help, they managed to climb back up, and this changed everything.

It turned out the spoiled prince wasn't so indifferent when it came to his sister. Finally, he agreed to listen to the princess, who told him about the dark winter threatening her kingdom. Shockingly, he offered to help, thinking the same curse might threaten his realm. He decided to join her on her journey, seeking a solution together.

"Wow..." I closed the book.

I loved the character twists. I would have traded all the books in the room to continue the story, but the next chapter would come only when the Dorm decided. With nothing left to do, I laid my head back on the pillow and closed my eyes. This time, sleep came without much fuss. I wrestled with the spoiled prince in my dreams until Ursa's voice woke me. Strangely, the prince's face looked just like Mars's. So much so that when I opened my eyes, it felt like I was mad at Mars, not the prince.

Ursa pecked my cheek and said she was heading to her room. Half-asleep, I thanked her and drifted back into other dreams. Whether it was the exhaustion from the carnival or the weight of my emotions, I slept twice as long that night. When I finally woke up, my face and hands were swollen. Even Trouble must have gotten tired of me; he was lying in the bathtub. He grumbled and ran off when I turned on the shower.

I, Olive, must really be changing. Instead of planning my day like a diligent student, I found myself grumbling about having to go to class. When I opened my closet, my complaints escalated into cursing. Inside hung a baffling white outfit: a jumpsuit, a long-sleeved, high-necked blouse with snaps at the bottom, knee-high socks, and sneakers. I had to check my mailbox for the class schedule to figure out why I had this outfit.

Fencing.

"No!" I said to the paper in my hand. "No!" I looked up as if the Dorm could hear me. I kept saying no as I reluctantly dressed. No, no, no!

This was the last thing I needed. I didn't even know how to wear these clothes properly. In front of the mirror, I experimented with different combinations: straps over, straps under, socks over the suit, socks under the pants... It was impossible to figure out what was right. I settled on the look closest to what I had in mind. Thankfully, the outfit covered my bruised wrists. As the cut on my lip resembled a healed cold sore, at least I wouldn't have to explain myself to anyone.

Everyone else was already gathered around the table as I headed to breakfast. Immediately, my eyes found Ursa. Although the hurt was still visible in her eyes, she looked much better today. Like me, she appeared to have put considerable effort into concealing her wounds. Spotting me in my fencing outfit, she let out a giggle and quickly adjusted my attire to spare me any embarrassment. As we got up to grab food, she linked her arm with mine, saying she'd join me. I knew it was just an excuse to chat. Once we were away from the table, she asked, "How are you doing?"

"I don't know," I replied honestly. "How about you?"

She pursed her lips. "Better... I think. Not sure. I feel kind of lost."

We exchanged a strained smile. Then, Ursa's eyes shifted over my shoulder, and her smile instantly vanished. She gripped my arm so tightly that my body involuntarily leaned forward.

"Olive, look!"

I looked, and my blood ran cold. Bong was in the cafeteria. Despite the hat nearly covering his entire face, I recognized him instantly. After what happened that night, I couldn't confuse him with anyone else. The urge to flee was overwhelming; I might have bolted if Ursa hadn't held onto me.

"He's coming this way," Ursa whispered.

Indeed, he was. But why? What did he want? I was about to turn around when I noticed something unsettling about Bong's face. Beneath the shadows cast by his hat, his left eye was swollen and blackened, and his lip appeared split. He looked far worse than I had the day before. As he stopped before us, he bowed his head as if ashamed to let us see his condition and fixed his gaze on the ground.

"Olive," he said in a strained voice. "I'm sorry."

What? I was paralyzed with shock, and I could feel Ursa freezing up on my arm, too.

"I behaved like an animal," Bong continued without looking at me. "There's no making up for what I put you through, but I promise it won't happen again. I hope..." He moistened his injured lip. "I hope you can forgive me."

I couldn't respond, and Bong didn't wait to hear my answer. He pulled his hat down further and walked out of the cafeteria with his head down. After watching him leave silently, Ursa was the first to break the ice.

"Tarben!" she whispered, her eyes wide. "I told you. This has to be his doing. He must have messed up the guy's face!"

He had. Perhaps I should have felt relieved that someone had avenged me. Yet, I couldn't muster any joy. I was horrified. Tarben—the calm, kind, and cheerful Tarben I knew—how could he have done this? I couldn't fathom him hurting someone, regardless of the circumstances. Ursa and I agreed to keep this to ourselves, and I spent the remainder of breakfast grappling with the inner turmoil. I barely managed to swallow a few bites.

Another surprise awaited me in the gym where our class was scheduled. I first noticed Blue from a distance—her distinctive hair made her impossible to miss. As I approached, Tarben, stretching on a bench, came into my line of sight. His outfit was a dead giveaway; we were in the same class. My hands felt clumsy. What was I supposed to do? Should I say something? And what would I even say? Nice job, wish you'd blackened the other eye, too.

I tried to act like I hadn't seen them, but before I could turn my head the other way, Tarben leaned forward and said, "Hey."

"Olive, darling!" Blue called out as she followed Tarben's gaze. She came over and hugged me tightly. "Are you okay? Tarben mentioned you had an accident at the carnival."

"I'm fine," I managed to say. Smiling genuinely was difficult with Tarben's skeptical eyes on me. He still looked worried.

"Are you really okay?" he asked. "If you need to rest, we can tell the coach. You don't have to push yourself..."

"I'm fine, really!" I interrupted him.

Tarben had always been thoughtful, and I normally appreciated that about him. But after seeing Bong's condition, his concern made me incredibly uneasy. It felt like dragons were battling in my stomach. Fate must have thought I hadn't had enough drama because Mars decided to grace us with his presence just then.

"Good morning, folks," he said, collapsing onto the bench. I braced for him to crack a joke and tense up the mood even more, but he didn't even smile. He was busy pulling at his socks, tying his shoes, and adjusting his shorts. He'd already slipped a glove onto his right hand. It seemed like he wanted to start the class early and get it over with as soon as possible. Honestly, if Tarben were staring at me like that, I'd want to run away, too. He was still mad, then. Even what he did to Bong hadn't cooled his temper.

Luckily, our angelic coach arrived at this very moment and started the class, asking us to line up. She was slender, tall, and, of course, stunningly beautiful. She divided us into beginners and those with prior experience. Mars, of course, was in the latter group. I was surprised to see Tarben among the experienced as well.

"Rich kids," Blue commented, noticing my surprise. She shrugged and grinned at me. "Guess our invites to the elite fencing lessons got lost in the mail," she quipped.

Her playful complaint made me laugh. Unfortunately, my smile didn't last long. The class wasn't hard because I was too much of a newbie to learn anything difficult. What really made me tense weren't my own issues but Mars and Tarben.

Somehow, they were matched up. And somehow, both were good. Too good! They stood out from the rest of the class right away. Along with a few other pairs, the instructor had chosen them for a sparring match. For the other pairs, this was no big deal. But Mars and Tarben weren't just practicing; it looked like they were fighting. Their moves were harsh, abrupt, and unsettlingly dangerous. Soon, like many others, I found myself captivated by their intense duel.

"What are they doing?" I asked.

Blue shrugged beside me. "Don't worry, they're just playing. Think of them like two dogs that can't share a bone..."

The comparison was spot on. "But why?" I pressed. "What's so big between them that they keep clashing like this?"

Blue sighed. "Look, their issue goes way back. But if you're wondering why they're at each other's throats today..." She hesitated, seeming unsure if she should continue. "Tarben's still angry. He hasn't told me everything, but I think it relates to what Mars did to you at the carnival, with the accident..." She gestured uncertainly towards my lip. "It doesn't make sense, though. Mars isn't usually like this. I guess..."

"It wasn't Mars," I blurted out. The urgency in my response made Blue stare at me with wide eyes. "Mars didn't do anything to me," I continued. "On the contrary, he was there for me. He was the one who helped me."

One of Blue's eyebrows shot up. "Hmm... That makes much more sense. But I don't think Tarben got that memo. He was like a fireball yesterday, cursing at Mars nonstop. And now... you see."

I turned my head back to the ongoing duel. Now that I was watching closely, it was clear that Tarben was the aggressor. Mars was responding, sure, but all the dangerous moves were coming from Tarben as if he was trying to take his anger out on him...

As if he was trying to take his anger out, I repeated in my mind. Because he thought Mars had hurt me. So, I hadn't mentioned Bong while I was tipsy. So, it couldn't have been Tarben who did that to Bong. Considering only two other people knew about what happened, and one of them was Ursa...

"Mars..." I said.

Blue looked at me, puzzled. Of course, she couldn't understand, but I had pieced it together. It was Mars who had beaten Bong into that state, who had brought him to me, forcing him to apologize...

Oh, Mars...

***

So, now we all know it was Mars who taught Bong a well-deserved lesson. Thank you, golden boy, thank you, thank you, thank you!

And about the next two chapters... well, we're finally reaching the climax, the turning point, the inevitable moment that will change everything... Get excited because I promise you unbelievable secrets, heart-stopping action, and unexpected heartbreak.

So, until next time, take good care of yourselves, dear readers!

Kisses, EC