The Unclassified Resonant

CHAPTER 4 — THE RIVAL

The corridor lights came back on.

One by one.

Shorui remained still.

The strange presence he had felt was gone.

Adam looked down the corridor.

"Did you see someone?"

"No."

"Then why are you staring?"

Shorui shook his head.

"I thought I heard something."

Mike walked past them.

"You're imagining things."

Shorui looked at him.

"You don't believe that."

Mike stopped.

For a moment, their eyes met.

Then Mike gave a faint smile.

"No."

Adam looked between them.

"Great. Wonderful. I'm surrounded by paranoid people."

Mike ignored him.

"Shorui."

"What?"

"Fight me."

Adam's mouth fell open.

"Seriously?"

Mike nodded.

"Right now."

Shorui stared at him.

"Why?"

"Because I want to know what that ability can really do."

Shorui looked at the training machine.

The machine had already recorded his adaptive response.

Twelve percent.

That number shouldn't have been possible.

At least, not according to his previous evaluations.

Mike stepped toward the center of the training hall.

"You've been classified as F-Class for years."

"I know."

"You've accepted that."

Shorui didn't answer.

Mike continued.

"But today, your ability adapted to an energy attack after only two hits."

He pointed toward the training circle.

"I want to see how far it can go."

Adam raised his hands.

"Wait. Isn't Mike an A-Class?"

Mike looked at him.

"Yes."

"And Shorui is F-Class."

"Yes."

Adam stared at both of them.

"So you're asking an F-Class to fight an A-Class?"

Mike shrugged.

"It's a controlled spar."

Adam looked at Shorui.

"That's what crazy people say before doing something stupid."

Shorui almost smiled.

Then he stepped into the training circle.

"I'll do it."

Adam sighed.

"I knew you were going to say that."

Mike entered the circle.

The training system activated.

[COMBAT SIMULATION]

[SAFETY LIMITERS: ACTIVE]

[PARTICIPANTS: SHORUI SHAN / MIKE KHEL]

[BEGIN.]

The moment the signal sounded—

Mike disappeared.

Shorui's eyes widened.

A fist slammed into his stomach.

He flew backward.

His body struck the training barrier.

Pain exploded through his chest.

He fell to one knee.

Adam rushed toward the edge of the arena.

"Shorui!"

Shorui raised one hand.

"I'm fine."

Mike stood several meters away.

He hadn't even used his Resonance.

"Again."

Shorui slowly stood.

Mike moved.

Another punch.

Shorui barely blocked it.

The impact still sent him sliding across the floor.

His arms were shaking.

Mike watched him carefully.

"Your reaction speed is too slow."

Shorui breathed heavily.

"I know."

"Then improve it."

Mike attacked again.

This time Shorui moved.

The punch passed beside his face.

Mike's eyes narrowed.

Shorui had avoided it.

Barely.

But he had.

Mike attacked again.

Shorui blocked.

Again.

Another block.

The pattern repeated.

Punch.

Block.

Impact.

Pain.

Adaptation.

Something inside Shorui began responding.

His muscles adjusted to Mike's movements.

His body learned the rhythm.

His breathing became steadier.

His feet became lighter.

Mike noticed.

"You've changed."

Shorui didn't answer.

Mike attacked from the left.

Shorui moved before the punch arrived.

Mike immediately changed direction.

Shorui still avoided it.

Adam's eyes widened.

"He's predicting him."

"No," Mike said.

He threw another punch.

Shorui blocked.

Mike's fist stopped against his forearm.

Shorui didn't move.

Mike looked at his own hand.

Then at Shorui.

"You're adapting to me."

Shorui lowered his arm.

"I think so."

Mike smiled.

"Then let's see how much you can adapt."

A crimson glow appeared around Mike's fist.

Adam's expression changed.

"Mike."

Mike's flames grew brighter.

"I'm still using the safety limiter."

"That's not the point."

Mike looked at Shorui.

"You ready?"

Shorui knew what was coming.

"No."

Mike smiled.

"Good answer."

The flames erupted.

Crimson fire covered his arm.

The temperature inside the training hall rose instantly.

Students nearby stopped what they were doing.

Everyone knew Mike Khel's Crimson Flame.

Even with the academy's safety restrictions, it was powerful enough to overwhelm most students.

Mike launched forward.

Shorui raised both arms.

The first wave of heat struck him.

His skin burned.

His clothes began to smoke.

Shorui stumbled backward.

[THREAT DETECTED.]

[THERMAL DAMAGE: MODERATE]

[ADAPTATION INITIATED.]

The message appeared before his eyes.

Shorui gritted his teeth.

Mike attacked.

Shorui moved.

The flames followed.

Heat surrounded him.

His lungs struggled.

His skin burned.

But something was happening.

The pain was becoming different.

Not weaker.

Familiar.

His body was learning.

[THERMAL ADAPTATION: 4%]

Shorui stared at the notification.

Four percent.

It was small.

But it was increasing.

Mike noticed Shorui's movements changing.

The boy who had struggled to stand against his physical attacks was now moving through the heat.

Not comfortably.

Not effortlessly.

But surviving.

Mike's smile disappeared.

"That's impossible."

Shorui looked at him.

"What?"

"You've only been exposed to my flames for a few seconds."

"I know."

"And you're already adapting."

Shorui didn't know what to say.

Mike raised his hand.

The flames intensified.

Shorui's body reacted.

[THERMAL ADAPTATION: 7%]

Then—

[8%]

[9%]

Shorui felt something shift inside his chest.

His breathing became easier.

The flames no longer felt like they were burning straight through him.

Mike stared.

For the first time, his confidence disappeared.

Shorui stepped forward.

Mike stepped backward.

"You..."

Shorui clenched his fist.

"I'm still F-Class."

Mike's eyes narrowed.

"That doesn't make sense."

Shorui smiled faintly.

"Maybe the ranking is wrong."

Mike's expression sharpened.

Then he rushed forward.

Their fists collided.

The impact shook the training circle.

Shorui was pushed backward.

But he didn't fall.

Mike stopped.

Silence filled the arena.

The surrounding students stared.

An F-Class student had just taken a direct attack from an A-Class Resonant...

and remained standing.

Adam broke the silence.

"Okay."

He pointed at Shorui.

"That was awesome."

Shorui laughed weakly.

"I almost died."

"Still awesome."

Mike lowered his hand.

The crimson flames disappeared.

He looked at Shorui for several seconds.

Then he smiled.

"Again."

Shorui blinked.

"What?"

"Tomorrow."

Mike turned away.

"We're doing this again tomorrow."

Adam groaned.

"You're seriously turning this into a daily thing?"

Mike looked over his shoulder.

"He's adapting."

His eyes returned to Shorui.

"I want to know where his limit is."

Shorui watched him leave.

For the first time since entering Averis Academy...

someone wasn't looking at him like he was weak.

Mike Khel was looking at him like he was a challenge.

Shorui liked that.

Maybe more than he should.

---

That evening, Shorui returned home.

The house was quiet.

Viel was in the kitchen preparing dinner.

She looked up when he entered.

"You're late."

"Training."

She noticed the torn sleeve of his uniform.

"What happened?"

"Nothing serious."

Viel frowned.

"Shorui."

"I'm fine."

She walked toward him and examined his arm.

There were faint red marks across his skin.

Her expression changed.

"Who did this?"

Shorui hesitated.

"Mike."

Viel looked at him.

"Mike Khel?"

"Yes."

"You fought an A-Class?"

"It was just training."

"Shorui."

Her voice became softer.

"You don't have to prove yourself to everyone."

Shorui looked away.

"I know."

Viel touched his shoulder.

"You don't."

Shorui didn't answer.

She went back to the kitchen.

For a moment, everything felt normal.

Warm.

Safe.

But then Shorui noticed something on the table.

An old photograph.

He picked it up.

It showed a younger Viel standing beside a man.

Rian Shan.

His father.

Shorui stared at the photograph.

"Mom."

Viel stopped.

"When was this taken?"

She looked at the picture.

"Years ago."

"Where?"

Viel's expression became distant.

"Why are you asking?"

"I've been thinking about Dad."

Silence.

Viel slowly turned away.

"Not tonight."

Shorui's grip tightened around the photograph.

"Why don't you ever talk about him?"

"Because some things are better left in the past."

"Maybe I don't want to leave them there."

Viel looked at him.

For a moment, Shorui thought she might finally tell him the truth.

Instead, she only said:

"Eat dinner before it gets cold."

Shorui lowered his eyes.

He didn't argue.

But as he returned the photograph to the table, he noticed something on its back.

A small symbol.

The same strange symbol he had seen on the academy's restricted screen.

His heart stopped.

He turned the photograph over again.

The symbol was still there.

And beneath it was a date.

A date from seventeen years ago.

The day Shorui was born.