The tournament bracket was up again. Cale studied it from the stands. His arm was still in a sling and his ribs ached. The semifinals were supposed to have four teams, but the numbers were thin. Injuries had gutted the rosters in the quarterfinals. With too many students in the medical wing, most teams couldn't field a full line-up.
The judges came up with a solution. They decided to form new teams drafted from the best performers of the teams that had been eliminated.
It sounded too good to be true. The catch was that Val's name was on the list, but his wasn't.
He went to find her so he could brood over her good luck. He found her near the edge of the stands. She wore her jacket with a light shirt underneath. He peered at her face for any hint of excitement, but she was unreadable.
"You saw?" she asked, cutting through his thoughts.
"So you're fighting again. What are the odds of that?" Cale managed a small smile.
"They picked me. Said I showed 'potential' even in the loss." She snorted. "Exceptional potential to get my ass kicked."
"You're better than that."
She looked at him, her eyes showing she didn't quite believe it. "Maybe."
The match was set for the afternoon. Cale found a good seat with a clear view. He spotted Ethan in the stands nearby, propping his injured shoulder against the railing.
Val's new team was a group of strangers. There was a girl from the Koinos faction with earth abilities and a Taurus sign. Then an Aethel boy with wind powers and a Libra sign. Finally, a quiet archer from their own faction.
Cale had seen them earlier. They had practiced together for exactly one hour.
Their opponents were an Aethel squad that had crushed their first two matches. They moved with precision. Their gear was high-end and their Memories gleamed.
The announcer raised his hand. "Begin," he shouted. His voice was high-pitched. Cale thought he heard it crack.
Valerie fought differently this time.
She didn't hang back or wait for openings. She was agile and aggressive. She charged with fire blazing from her palms, forcing the Aethel fighters to scatter before they could regroup. Her whip caught a sword arm and yanked the fighter off balance. Her Ember Cloak flared, putting out enough heat to fry anyone who got close.
The crowd roared. They seemed to love her.
"Wait till she loses. They'll boo her then," Cale muttered. He watched the people hail the peasant girl who fought like a wildfire. *Don't lose, Valerie,* he thought.
Cale's hands tightened on the railing. She was good. Better than the last time. But he could see the strain. Her jaw stayed tight between strikes. Her hands shook when she pulled back. Fatigue was setting in fast.
"She's pushing too hard," Iris said.
"She has to. Her team isn't strong enough." Cale paused. It was unusual for Iris to comment on a fight he wasn't part of.
"It's not just that. Her physical responses are erratic," Iris continued. "Elevated heart rate. Muscle tension. Micro-expressions of pain."
Cale's eyes narrowed. "Pain? But she's not hurt."
"Her body is reacting as if she is being burned alive. But there are no external injuries."
He thought about it. That had to be Val's Flaw. He knew she had one, but she hadn't said what it was. The pain was real, even if the fire wasn't actually touching her skin.
The match hit its peak. The Aethel squad had taken out two of Val's teammates. The earth girl was down and the archer was pinned in a corner. Only Val and the wind boy were left against three Aethel fighters.
Then, Val's fire exploded. She was covered in so much flame you could barely see her skin. Her eyes blazed. Cale could sense a raw, murderous rage coming from her.
It wasn't controlled anymore. She sent a wave of hungry flame across the ring. It forced everyone—friend and foe—to back away. The wind boy stumbled back and shielded his face. The opposing fighters scrambled.
Val didn't stop. She started screaming. It wasn't a war cry; it was agony. Her cloak acted like a conductor for the heat. Her skin turned deep red, though it didn't blister. She was burning from the inside out.
The crowd was on its feet. They didn't see the pain Cale saw. They just saw power.
"She's lost control!" someone shouted.
"No," another voice yelled back. "She's unleashing it!"
Val's whip turned into a serpent of flame. It lashed out and caught one fighter across the chest. He went down, smoke rising from a hole in his breastplate. She turned on the second one. Her fire forced him to the edge of the ring until he jumped off to escape the heat. He was eliminated.
The third fighter charged. He looked brave with his sword raised, ready to strike. Val did something insane. She caught the blade with her bare hand. The metal turned red hot and melted. He stared at his ruined weapon, and she slammed her palm into his chest. He flew backward and landed outside the ring.
The arena went silent.
She had beaten three Aethel fighters alone. She stood in the center of the ring while her flames died down. Her breath was ragged. Her face was pale and streaked with tears she didn't seem to notice. She was shaking.
The announcer's voice echoed. He sounded shocked by the brutality. "Team Valerie wins! They advance to the semifinals!"
Cale noticed the change. The announcer was calling it *Team Valerie* now. That was what power did.
The crowd exploded. Val didn't move. She just stood there staring at her hands. Her jacket was mostly gone and smoking. Without her cloak, she was nearly exposed.
Cale found her in the medical wing an hour later.
She was alone. She was dressed now, sitting on a cot with her arms around her knees. She had deactivated the Ember Cloak. The healers had checked her and found no burns. They just told her to rest and left.
She didn't look up when he sat down.
"Hey. I was great out there," she said. Her voice was thin.
"I saw."
"I couldn't stop it. The pain..." She trailed off.
Cale was quiet. He decided not to push her for details. Instead, he said, "That's your Flaw, right?"
Her head snapped up. "How do you know about that?"
"Just guessed."
She stared at him. "Because I... I don't remember saying anything."
"It doesn't matter." He held her gaze. "I just know it's a lot to deal with."
She looked away. Her hands were still shaking. "No one else knows. Not Ethan, not Riker. Just you."
"I won't tell anyone. I promise."
"Why not?"
He thought about his own secrets. The seals. Revenant. Iris. He wasn't ready to share those yet, but he could offer her this much.
"Because everyone has something they need to hide," he said. "Hiding it alone is harder."
She was quiet for a long time. Finally, she let out a breath and her shoulders dropped.
"You're annoying, you know that?"
"You've told me that before."
She smiled.
They sat in silence. They listened to the distant sounds of the tournament through the walls. Somewhere, another match was starting.
"Cale."
"Yeah?"
"If I lose control again... if I can't stop..."
"Don't worry. You won't. But even if you do, I'll be there."
She looked at him. Something passed between them. It wasn't full trust, but it was the start of it. The knowledge that someone else knew the truth and didn't run away.
"Thanks," she said.
He nodded. "Rest. You have another match tomorrow."
She lay back and closed her eyes. Cale stayed by the cot until her breathing evened out and the pain left her face.
Then he walked back to the stands. The weight of her secret sat right next to his own. He didn't know what the next match would bring, but he felt like something was changing.