The slip fluttered into Fanny's hand like a secret carried by fate. She looked down, her eyes scanning the message—and instantly, her cheeks flushed a deep red. Her breath hitched. She tried to look away, but her gaze lingered.
Finn, standing beside her, blinked in confusion. His brows furrowed slightly as he noticed the change in her face."What is it?" he asked, leaning a little closer.
Fanny quickly folded the slip in her palm, but it was too late. Her reddened face betrayed her.
Curious, Finn turned his head slowly, and his gaze landed on Leon. Leon stiffened. His face was already turning crimson, and beads of sweat gathered on his forehead. He looked everywhere but at them.
Fanny, still blushing hard, cleared her throat and read the note aloud under her breath:"Finn, if you cooperate with Fanny, I'll give you some exclusive spicy comics."
There was a pause. Silence gripped the training ground like a vice. Even the wind, soft and whispering through the trees, felt loud.
Finn's eyes shot open. He looked at Leon again, now visibly embarrassed and avoiding eye contact. Standing nearby, Isla shifted awkwardly, her own cheeks tinged pink with secondhand embarrassment.
The air thickened. No one dared say a word.
Then, Isla exhaled sharply and broke the silence."A-Alright! Finn. Fanny. Let's focus, okay? You two can practice together. Forget that little… incident."She forced a smile. "You need to work as a duo if you're going to stand a chance against the twin brothers."
Finn and Fanny both took deep breaths and nodded.
Leon, trying to collect himself, crossed his arms and said with a serious expression, "Yeah. You guys really need to practice. Your coordination is... terrible."
Isla clapped her hands. "C'mon, let's see how you fight. Me and Leon will act as your opponents."
Finn and Fanny stepped onto the training ground. Their footsteps echoed in the silence. Across from them, Leon and Isla stood tall, ready.
"You two ready?" Isla called.
Finn and Fanny nodded silently.
Without another word, Isla bit her finger. A drop of glowing yellow blood dripped to the ground, and a golden sword formed in her grip. The air pulsed with her aura as she launched toward them.
Fanny didn't hesitate. She bit her finger too, flames coiling at her palm. A blazing fireball spiraled toward Isla.
Finn raised his hand, preparing his own attack—but Leon was already on him.
In a blur, Leon's telekinetic force hurled Finn into the sky and slammed him into the training dome's stone wall.
"Finn!" Fanny shouted, distracted for a split second.
Isla met the fireball head-on, conjuring a shield made from her own energy. The ball exploded—but Isla stood firm, unharmed. Just as she lowered her shield, Fanny came charging in.
With a fierce yell, Fanny clenched her fist, fire wrapping around her arm like a serpent. She leapt and slammed her flaming punch against Isla's shield with raw force. The shield cracked. Then shattered.
The impact sent Isla flying back—but before she could hit the wall, a swirl of purple aura surrounded her.
Leon's telekinesis caught her mid-air, softening the blow. He gently placed her beside him.
"Thanks…" Isla muttered, cheeks pink, eyes avoiding his.
Leon smiled. "We're partners. No need to thank me."
Isla's blush deepened. But there was no time for tender moments.
From behind, Finn unleashed a volley of explosive orbs, flinging them toward both Leon and Isla.
Isla's instincts kicked in—she stepped forward, golden energy blazing from her hand, and cast a massive shield that absorbed the explosions just in time.
Finn grit his teeth. "You two fight like one person."
Fanny crossed her arms. "Yeah… your coordination's impressive."
Leon raised a brow. "It's not that we're good. It's that your coordination is awful. You're both fighting alone in a duo match. You don't even try to cover each other."
Fanny's eyes narrowed. She clenched her fists. "I don't need anyone. I'm strong enough alone!"
She roared, fire surging from her palms, and released a massive wave of flames that swept across half the battlefield, the heat distorting the air.
Leon reacted instantly. He grabbed Isla and flew into the sky, dodging the wave effortlessly.
"You missed," Leon called from above.
Finn leapt up and hurled a large explosive sphere toward them. But Leon, with sharp precision, lifted giant rocks into the air, using them as a barrier.
The explosion rocked the field—debris flying, dust blanketing the entire ground.
When it cleared, Isla was standing behind Finn with her sword at his neck.
His eyes widened in shock. When did she get behind me?!
Fanny froze too. "She's fast…"
Then they noticed—Leon was floating, palm extended. He had used his powers to launch Isla toward Finn silently.
Isla sheathed her sword. "I think that's enough for today."
Leon hovered down beside her. "You two won't win unless you fight together. Cover your partner. Support them."
Neither Finn nor Fanny replied. They looked at each other, quietly absorbing the lesson.
Then Isla clapped her hands. "Alright, mood check! Let's not be so serious. Guys—did we forget what time it is?"
Finn blinked. "What time?"
Leon grinned. "Results. Exam results. They're out."
Finn's heart skipped. "Oh crap, I totally forgot!"
The four of them left the battlefield, walking through the stone hallways of the academy. Chatter echoed from ahead—students were sprinting toward the notice board.
When they arrived, it was chaos. A huge crowd had gathered.
Fanny whistled. "Damn, that's a lot of students."
Leon nodded. "This result determines who passes and who gets expelled."
Finn pushed through the crowd, scanning the names. His eyes landed on the top name.
"Isla! You topped again! Ninety-two percent!" he shouted.
Isla smiled shyly, brushing her hair behind her ear.
Finn looked down the list again. "Whoa, Leon! You're second with 91.7!"
They congratulated each other with light smiles.
Fanny nudged Finn. "Hey, find my name?"
Finn kept scanning. Then he saw it.
"Fanny… 38th place. Sixty percent."
Fanny exhaled hard. "Phew… that was close. One more wrong answer and I was gone."
Isla smiled at her. "Still, it's your hard work. Be proud."
Finn turned back to the list, but his name… wasn't there.
He checked again.
Once. Twice. Three times.
Nothing.
Confused, he stepped back—then saw a boy standing off to the side, sobbing quietly. Finn approached.
"Hey… what happened?"
Another student nearby replied, "He failed. Got under 50 percent."
Finn's stomach sank.
There was another board. One that listed the failures.
He stepped toward it—and froze.
His name. Right there.
Finn – 48%. Failed.
The noise around him faded. The air grew heavy.
His body went still, eyes wide, mind blank. This can't be real...
Behind him, Leon called out, "Finn?" But he didn't respond.
Leon reached him, placed a hand on his shoulder—then saw the tears slipping down Finn's expressionless face.
"Finn…?"
Fanny and Isla joined them, confused. Then they followed Leon's eyes to the board.
And they saw it too.
Their teammate had failed.
The silence returned—this time deeper than before.