(The night before the finals, Muiyan Faye's POV)
Muiyan Faye sat alone on the terrace of Rodova's villa, her elbows resting on the cold iron railing as she looked up at the endless expanse of stars above the Sky-God Dome.
Tomorrow was the final match of the Interstellar Circuits and while she did not know the exact plan that the Evil Cult was up-to, she had a strong feeling that whatever they were planning, was definitely going to go down tomorrow.
The finals of the Interstellar Circuits wasn't just a match—it was an event, a celebration of sorts.
Normal people across the universe took leave from their office jobs to watch it at home with family, as viewership numbers soared far beyond the quarterfinals and semifinals, turning it into the grandest stage imaginable—where every scream, every clash, and every drop of blood could become a statement.
And just thinking about it, Faye found her lips pressed into a thin line.
'Terror on the grandest stage possible… it will come with a heavy price.'
Though no details had been shared with her, the implications of what was about to go down were clear in her head.
Something massive was coming—something no broadcast delay could hide, and no paid media could downplay, as once it happened, the universal order was sure to be rattled to its core.
'Once the righteous factions realize just how deeply the cult had embedded itself into their infrastructure, the hunt would begin…..'
'Once the fear sets in… they'll start rooting us out. One by one. Every suspicious face. Every unexplained promotion. Every anomaly in the system.' Faye thought, clenching her jaw.
'The purges will be brutal. And once they begin, no one will be safe—not even those like me. And definitely not him.'
Her eyes drifted lower, her transcendent vision allowing her to look past the villa walls, past the hedged balconies and other student rooms, and landed somewhere on the upper floors—where she knew Leo's room was.
As looking at his resting figure, she closed her eyes and sighed once more.
'I hope I can fulfill my duty properly tomorrow… I need to keep him safe. Because after this, everything's going to get harder. Every layer of security, every background check, every paper trail—they're going to start peeling us back like rotten skin.'
She thought, as she clenched the rail slightly tighter.
'I don't understand why the elder has not introduced him to the cult yet.'
The thought had haunted her more than once. Leo—the boy with the potential to become a Dragon Candidate—was still a ghost to the cult.
His existence was only acknowledged by herself and the elder she directly reported to. While no other member of the cult even knew that he existed.
Given his bloodline.
And his talents.
Faye had no doubt that the cult would wholeheartedly support Leo, should he be introduced to them, however, it physically hurt her that they could not.
Not yet at least.
As while she acknowledged Leo's talent and his credentials, at the same she also understood why he was being kept hidden.
Noah had been a disaster. The last Dragon Candidate—their brightest star—had died before reaching maturity and his death had fractured the inner circle, drained the cult of its morale, and left many elders hesitant to put their faith in another young talent too early.
So this time, there was no ceremony. No blind devotion. No grand title.
Not until Leo proved himself.
And if he didn't…
Then the elder she reported-to was prepared to pretend like he never existed and continue without him— with the wider cult never knowing how close they came to raising another Dragon.
*Sigh–*
Faye exhaled through her nose, the cold wind brushing past her cheeks. Perhaps this was the right way. Leo would have to carve his place on his own. And if he made it… if he truly made it…
Then no one would be able to deny him. But if he did not, then she would be the only one hurt by knowing that they lost another star.
'I wonder how it will all play out tomorrow…' she thought, as she stayed like that for a while longer, watching the stars that didn't move, waiting for the dawn of a day that would change everything.
—--------
(Meanwhile, in Leo's room)
Leo lay motionless atop the sheets of his gigantic bed with one arm folded behind his head and the other resting across his chest.
His eyes wide open, as he lay in absolute silence, knowing full well that he couldn't risk sleeping tonight…. Not when there was an off-chance he could be pulled into a ghost-sleep, as he needed to be at his very best for the finals tomorrow.
*Sigh*
Leo let out a long breath, as he felt conflicting emotions whenever he thought about the finals.
As per the Rodova Team plan… should Darnell Nuna step up, he was supposed to take him on.
However, he still wasn't sure as to how he felt about that match-up.
On one hand, throwing the match away was not in his personality.
As willingly laying down for anyone, just felt wrong, no matter the situation.
However, on the other hand, he was reminded of the bloodied image of his mother and family, who risked everything to try and save him.
And for their sake he couldn't help but wonder, if he could truly enter the Black Serpents Guild, if he defeated their chosen son.
"This is hard…" Leo thought, as apart from the major considerations, he also thought about minor things like the hopes of the Rodova team members, and the instructors who had helped him train so hard for this tournament, and how disappointed they were going to be if he just folded.
Ethically, he was supposed to give the best for the team he represented…. However. on a practical level, giving his best for the team meant potentially risking his own future.
"This is very hard…." He muttered again, as he kept staring at the room's ceiling, hoping that the right answer would come from within and help him make his mind.