Barred Window

'I like to keep my circle small. Friends and acquaintances come with strings attached, and that is… just hard to manage.

Getting to know someone means opening up, and I'm not about to let anyone in my 'cell'. I'm okay with watching them through my barred window.'

Soul knocked on the door, a pillow tucked under his arm. The dormitory window opposite to Soul's room was letting in a grayish morning light. Outside, snowflakes drifted down slowly, creating a soft layer over the campus. A few students who had gotten up early were scattered around, some leaning against the walls and others sitting on the floor, chatting quietly among themselves.

It was six o'clock, with class set to start in two hours. Soul needed to change clothes, tend to his wounds, and finally put that pillow back where it belonged.

He knocked on the door again. The students in the corridor gave him the side-eye; most of the boys stayed alone, not sharing rooms with roommates. It was rare to see someone wandering around at this hour, especially with a pillow.

"What do you want, Soul?" asked Lilith. Her voice sounded distant, probably still in bed.

"Can you let me in?"

"I don't know. Do you find me boring?"

"You have the power to slice my neck with a single hit. I find you whatever you want me to find you."

"Is that a no?"

"Yes."

"Wait, yes?"

"I mean, no. Yes in – well, it's a no."

She sighed and used a basic air spell, turning the doorknob.

The door creaked open as Soul walked in. Lilith lay in the bed, her hair tousled from sleep. She barely made an effort to straighten it as she raised her gaze to meet his. Her black dress had ridden up, exposing a tantalizing glimpse of her thighs, the smooth skin catching the dim light that filtered through the open door.

"What happened to your face?"

He didn't answer. Instead, he shut the door, walked over to his wardrobe and picked out a fresh white shirt and a pair of pants. He used the wardrobe doors as a cover and started to change his clothes without her seen him.

"Why is your face covered in cuts? You were alone for just one night," Lilith asked, as she studied Soul's injuries.

Soul was almost finished buttoning his shirt before he answered. "Did you lift all the curses? Not just on Ruby, but on all the cursed people?"

Lilith nodded, watching him closely. "Yep. There was no other way," she replied.

Soul shut the wardrobe doors with a heavy thud, his expression growing darker.

"Who did this to you?" she asked.

"The Topple." Soul replied with his boring voice.

"The Topple? Who or what is that?"

"He's a rapist. A maniac. A psychopath," Soul said, his fingers on the shirt's last button.

"Shit happens," Lilith said with a shrug. "So – Family Match. What about that? You're going to kill a champion of a god. Are you ready?"

He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "We're still missing a person on our team."

"I can join you. Who else is on your team?" she offered.

"Ki and Ji-Hye. And no, you can't," Soul said, "from what I understand, it's an official fight. They'd check which god blessed us and such. You being a demon would be exposed."

"Yeah… and contrary to what you might think, I'm not as strong as I used to be."

Soul took a few steps closer to the bed, the floor creaking under his weight. "Could you lend me your blood?" he asked.

"What?" She sat up, pulling her disheveled hair back from her face. The request caught her off guard.

"I need to heal. I'd ask Liana, but I have no idea where she is," he explained, looking her in the eye.

"You're going to... use my blood to heal yourself?" Lilith asked, her voice laced with disbelief.

"Yes," he said, nodding, his expression dull.

Lilith sighed, rolling her eyes. "How much blood are we talking about?" she asked, as if trying to gauge how much this was going to hurt.

"Just a little," he replied, holding his thumb and forefinger close together to illustrate.

"Fine… fine. Ugh," she muttered, sliding out of bed to help him, though her reluctance was clear.

"Hmm."

Soul took Lilith's hand and carefully scratched her finger, opening a small cut. Blood began to bead at the opening, and as he pulled his palm outward, the blood dripped and then floated in the air, suspended as if by invisible threads. It swirled gently, forming thin tendrils, before flowing into Soul's body through his eyes.

Lilith watched as the cuts on his face started to close, the bruising fading away. His left eye, which had been swollen and discolored, slowly regained its normal color and clarity.

He closed his palm, and the flow of blood ceased. The small scratch on Lilith's finger vanished as if it had never been there, leaving her skin back to normal.

"Thanks."

"Fuck, it feels weird to have your blood just – do that." Lilith sat down on the bed, her fingers instinctively rubbing where the scratch had been. She was feeling okay as Soul had kept his promise and hadn't taken too much.

"I need to check on Ruby. She's staying with Melissa."

"At this hour? Are you an idiot, Soul? Let them sleep, you can visit her later."

"Hmm… you're right."

"Hey, have you seen Soul?" Hyun-Ki's voice came from the corridor. He was talking to one of the students. "Silver hair. Dull face… holding a damn pillow."

"Oh, yeah. His room is there, by the window."

"Okay, thanks, man."

"No problem."

Hyun-Ki knocked on the door, and Soul initially decided not to answer, hoping he would leave eventually. However, he suspected the knock might be about The Topple or the upcoming Family Match, so in the end, he opened the door and met him in the corridor. He didn't want Hyun-Ki to see Lilith; it would raise unwanted eyebrows.

"Morning, Soul," Hyun-Ki said, his tone brighter than usual as he greeted him.

"Morning," Soul replied. "What got you so up early?"

"I found someone who's willing to join our team!" Hyun-Ki exclaimed, his eyes lighting up with enthusiasm. He stepped closer, lowering his voice slightly as if sharing a secret. "It's Nia Katav. Remember her? The blue-haired girl!"

"Okay… That's good."

"We're going to train a bit before the class starts. You'll join us, right?"

"Sure. Lead the way."

"Okay, follow me."

The outskirts of Redhaven, where the northern exit was located, were filled with lush greenery. Dense trees towered overhead, their branches weaving together to form a thick cover. Long bushes and vibrant undergrowth created a maze of foliage that made it easy to get lost. Birds chirped in the treetops, and the distant sound of a gentle stream added to the relaxing setting.

Nia was sitting on a rock, sharpening her knife. Her blue hair swayed in the wind, just like the hem of her long coat. As soon as she saw Soul, her expression shifted – she was clearly not hapy to see him.

Ji-Hye, a few feet in front of Nia, was casting a water spell, sending it around her shoulder to create random shapes. The stream of water twisted and looped, forming rings and spirals in the air.

"Finally, he shows up," Nia said, scoffing and tightening her grip on her knife. "The blood magic user."

Soul's expression was unreadable. "Hmm."

"Alright, let's start the training. We don't have much time." Ji-Hye announced, cutting off her spell with a flick of her wrist. "You're with me Ki. Nia and Soul, form a team. We'll fight two-on-two. Don't forget, we're not trying to kill each other. So no dirty fighting or nothing."

Soul walked over to stand beside Nia, while Hyun-Ki joined his sister, Ji-Hye. The two teams were positioned a little less than half a mile apart, weapon drawn. The wind fell silent, leaving the leaves and branches motionless. Both teams stood in anticipation, each carefully calculating their first move.

Hyun-Ki activated a buff spell, making himself faster as he sprinted directly toward them. Soul stepped behind Nia, settling into a defensive stance. He had his dagger ready.

"You're just going to hide?" Nia asked, irritation in her voice.

"I'll act as support." he replied calmly.

Hyun-Ki swung his sword, but Nia sidestepped smoothly and cast a low-level spell. A thin stream of water shot from her outstretched palm, splashing Hyun-Ki's face. He didn't flinch, pressing forward as if he hadn't even felt it, likely thanks to the buff he'd just activated.

He grazed her with his sword, leaving a cut on Nia's arm – but there was no blood. Soul, controlling the flow of her blood, made it return inside her body, sealing the wound as if it had never been there.

Nia narrowed her eyes and channeled more mana into her spell. This time, a much larger stream of water erupted from her palm, hitting Hyun-Ki square in the chest and knocking him off balance. The force of the spell sent him sliding back a few feet, but he quickly regained his footing.

Soul turned his head to check on Ji-Hye, but she was nowhere in sight. His instincts kicked in, and he spun around just in time to see her lunging at him from behind, her sword flashing through the air. He ducked, narrowly avoiding the strike.

"Watch out!" Nia shouted, casting a water barrier to shield Soul from Ji-Hye's next attack. The barrier deflected the second blow, giving Soul a moment to gather his senses. But Nia's move left her vulnerable, and Hyun-Ki seized the opportunity to charge at her.

Before Nia could react, Hyun-Ki disarmed her, sending her knife flying. He swept her off her feet, and she hit the ground hard. Though she tried to stand, Hyun-Ki quickly pinned her down, signaling the end of the fight for her.

"Idiot!" He yelled at Soul, still pinned by Hyun-Ki. "Have you never fought before? What was that?"

Branches coated with black goo erupted from the ground, wrapping around Ji-Hye and Hyun-Ki's legs. The sharp thorns cut into their skin, creating small wounds. Soul, with his eyes locked on Nia, drew their blood from those cuts, causing it to float in the air, forming into a swirling orb. The opposing team fell to their knees, dropping their weapons.

"Hmm," Soul murmured. "We won."

"That's like... cheating," Hyun-Ki said, watching his own blood floating in the air. "Wow, it's disgusting, but kind of cool!"

"Hey, shithead," Ji-Hye interjected. "You know you can't use your blood magic in the Family Match, right?"

"I know," Soul replied, guiding their blood back into their bodies and closing their wounds. "I was just making a point."

"Well, screw your point," Ji-Hye shot back. "We'll take a break, then start again… damned blood magic user."