After a few moments, Ronan broke the silence. "Garrick, what happened back there? Who were you arguing with?"
Garrick sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair. "It's about Kael. There are some internal family issues going on. He doesn't talk about it much, and honestly, we don't want to push him. If he doesn't want to share, we won't force him. We'll wait until he's ready."
Ronan scoffed, a sharp exhale laced with irritation. "And they wanted you to leave Kael's team, didn't they?"
Garrick nodded. "Yeah. They wanted me to cut ties with him."
Ronan let out a humourless laugh. "The Flamecrest family is full of idiots. You should've heard what they told me. They warned me to stay away from Elenor."
Garrick frowned. "Did you tell Kael about this?"
Ronan shook his head. "Why would I? Their problem is with me, not him. No need to drag anyone else into this."
As they continued walking, Ronan's gaze sharpened as he recalled something. "By the way, what's this academy ranking battle those teachers were talking about?"
Garrick sighed, slipping into explanation mode. "There are two ranking systems—one for Adept Tier and another for Master Tier. You can challenge other Adept Tier students, and if you win, you earn points. Those points can be exchanged for rewards, and more importantly, they can be used to gain entry to the Rift or to acquire new skills."
A smirk crept across Ronan's face. "Now that's interesting. I'll definitely check it out later."
Just as they reached a quieter section of the pathway, Ronan suddenly stopped. His voice carried a sharp edge as he called out, "Selena, you've been following us for a while now. If you want something, just ask. Don't skulk around like that."
A soft chuckle came from behind them. "When did you notice?" Selena asked, stepping forward, arms crossed, an amused smirk playing on her lips.
"From the start," Ronan replied without hesitation.
Selena tilted her head, her smirk widening. "Hah. I thought you were brave, but I never expected you to be such a coward."
Garrick opened his mouth to protest, but Ronan cut him off with a chuckle. "Coward? Sounds about right."
Selena narrowed her eyes. "I thought you'd at least resist, talk back, or refuse the potion."
Ronan's expression turned amused as he let out a small laugh. "Wow. What an idea to go against one of the biggest families. I still love my life, Lady Selena. Oh, wait—scratch that. You're from the Flamecrest family. Now I understand where this arrogance is coming from."
Selena gritted her teeth, her irritation flaring. "You—"
Ronan waved a dismissive hand, interrupting her again. "So? What do you want?"
Taking a deep breath, Selena regained her composure. "I just came to give you a potion. My cousin hurt you."
With a swift motion, she tossed a potion bottle toward Ronan. He caught it effortlessly with his left hand, turning it over to inspect the shimmering liquid inside. "How generous of you, Lady Selena. But maybe next time, you should stop them before they act, rather than handing out potions afterwards—especially since you saw what happened."
Selena's eyes darkened, but before she could say anything, Ronan let out a mocking chuckle. "Still, a free high-quality potion like this? Hard to refuse. Thanks."
With that, he and Garrick turned away, resuming their path toward the Mindward Tower.
Selena called after him, "You're shameless, Ronan."
Without looking back, Ronan chuckled. "Shameless is good when it gets me free potions. Hope you have enough for your cousins, too."
Selena clenched her fists, her pride clearly wounded by his words, but Ronan didn't bother sparing her another glance.
After several minutes, Ronan and Garrick finally arrived at the Mindward Tower. The moment they stepped inside, an elderly man behind the counter looked up, his face breaking into a welcoming expression—until his eyes landed on Ronan's injured arm. His greeting faltered, and in an instant, he rushed forward.
"Didn't I just tell you yesterday not to get into fights? And look at you now! Do you not care about your arm anymore?" the old man scolded, his voice gruff with concern.
Ronan chuckled sheepishly, scratching the back of his head with his good hand. "Got caught up in some trouble this morning."
Garrick stepped in, explaining what had happened. The old man, Arnold, listened intently before sighing. "I'll report them to the authorities."
But Ronan grinned devilishly. "No need for that, sir. When they confronted me earlier, they suggested that conflicts should be settled in the academy ranking battle. I think that's a brilliant idea. I'll treat them the same way they treated me—on the battlefield."
The old man sighed again, shaking his head. "Fine, but first, let's heal that hand. You can't fight if you're half-dead."
Ronan smirked. "Fair enough."
In the evening, inside Mr. Alden's office, a dim candlelight flickered against the wooden walls. Mr. Alden sat behind his large oak desk, his fingers interlocked as he gazed at Mr. Alaric, who sat across from him with a contemplative expression. The air was thick with anticipation.
"Tomorrow, I will enter the Dimensional Rift to check the final trial of the Keen Eye skill," Mr. Alden stated firmly. "I want your help, especially in the corrupted zones."
Mr. Alaric leaned back slightly, rubbing his chin. "Alright. I was planning to examine the corrupted zones myself. How about we bring Aria's team, along with Orin and Ronan? Having them around might be useful."
Mr. Alden nodded in approval. "That's a good idea."
"Then I'll speak with the academy authorities to gain permission," Mr. Alaric said as he rose from his chair. He adjusted his coat, casting one last glance at Mr. Alden. "I'll see you in the morning."
"Take care," Mr. Alden replied. With a nod, Mr. Alaric left the office, the wooden door creaking shut behind him.
The next morning, as the sun cast golden hues over the academy, Mr. Alden and Mr. Alaric found Ronan in the library. The young man sat at a desk, engrossed in a book. As they approached, he looked up with mild curiosity.
"Ronan," Mr. Alden began, "we're heading to the Dimensional Rift today. We want you to come with us."
Ronan closed his book with a soft thud and stretched lazily. "Sure, I'm in."