Skill Forge: Broken Extra Character

"Well, that\'s a shame. I thought you\'d last longer," Ciara remarked, her tone light but carrying a subtle edge.

The atmosphere shifted immediately. A murmur spread through the crowd as they processed what had just happened. This was the first time any first-year student had managed to take down Rey: the previously unbeatable top ranked among the first years. The realization hit everyone like a wave, leaving the crowd in a mix of awe and disbelief.

"But seriously though, who are you? I feel like we\'ve met before," Rey asked, trying to lighten the mood with a goofy smile, though it was clear he was genuinely confused.

Before Ciara could respond, Rosa came rushing in, her eyes wide with excitement. Rey, assuming she was coming to check on him, braced himself for some words of encouragement or maybe a lecture.

But instead, Rosa sprinted right past him and threw her arms around Ciara. "Oh, Ciara, it\'s been so long!" Rosa yelled in excitement, hugging Ciara tightly.

The others followed suit, swarming around Ciara with cheerful greetings and warm embraces, completely ignoring Rey. He sat up, staring at the scene with a bewildered expression, feeling more out of place than ever.

"Wait... Ciara?" Rey muttered under his breath, the name finally clicking in his mind. He had heard it before, but in this moment, the connection was still blurry.

The others continued to focus entirely on Ciara, their chatter filled with laughter and fond memories, while Rey was left to piece together the situation on his own.

Ciara, as it turned out, was the second princess of the Elven Kingdom, known for her charm and exceptional skill. She had accompanied her father to Verena on two occasions for diplomatic meetings.

These visits were lengthy, often lasting several days, but Ciara\'s presence had always been more about escaping the boredom of royal life than official duties. During those visits, she\'d explored Verena, made friends, and left a lasting impression on those who met her: except, apparently, on Rey.

During Ciara\'s first visit to Verena when she was just 7 years old, and again when she was 9, she initially found it difficult to warm up to humans. Her father, the king, had urged her to try, despite her reservations.

Over time, though, she gradually allowed herself to connect with the others, especially with Rosa and Freya, who were determined to befriend her. Their persistence paid off, and Ciara found herself enjoying their company, even if she didn\'t fully acknowledge it at first.

Rey, however, had been a different story. During those visits, he was far more interested in finding ways to escape the palace and focus on leveling up. The palace\'s restrictive environment made him restless, and he rarely spent enough time with Ciara to make any real impression.

The few times they did meet, Ciara didn\'t think much of him, seeing him as just another boy obsessed with power. Her opinion of him remained indifferent, in stark contrast to her growing fondness for Rosa and Freya.

*****

"So, she\'s that princess from back then? The tomboy?" Rey muttered in disbelief. "She looks a lot different now. Why didn\'t you guys say anything before?"

"We didn\'t notice either," Asher admitted, feeling a bit embarrassed. "We\'ve never seen her full name until today. It only clicked when we saw her in person."

"But to think you wouldn\'t remember a face like hers," Elora added, shaking her head in mild disbelief.

Rey sat on the bench, utterly defeated, muttering Ciara\'s name as he struggled to fully remember their past encounters. The realization that the girl who had just defeated him was the same tomboyish princess from years ago left him even more disoriented.

How could he have forgotten someone like her? As the memories slowly resurfaced, he couldn\'t help but feel a mix of embarrassment and regret for not recognizing her sooner.

"How would I know? We hardly spent time together, and plus, she looks…" Rey tried to explain himself, but Marcella cut him off with a smirk.

"Cuter?" Marcella teased, pointing her cookie at Rey with a knowing smile. "Don\'t sugarcoat it, baby boy. We all saw the way you looked at her."

Rey froze, caught completely off guard by her comment. His face flushed slightly as he stammered, "What? How could…"

Before he could finish, Aiden jumped in with a low, intimidating voice. "And back off, she\'s mine."

"And why would I…" Rey tried to protest again, but Evelina, full of cheer, interrupted him this time.

"You don\'t have to worry, Rey. I\'m rooting for you all the way," Evelina said, giving him a thumbs-up.

"Yeah, we can even help you if you want," Morrigan added, a mischievous grin on her face.

Rey blinked in disbelief, wondering where they were getting the energy to make such wild speculations. "But I never said I liked her like that," he sighed, feeling overwhelmed by their playful banter.

"Not right now, but later on, something will definitely spark," Marcella said, inching closer to Rey until she could cuddle his arm tightly. "It\'s called grooming."

"Get away from me! That\'s a really weird thing to be thinking about," Rey sighed, trying to shake Marcella off his arm, but her grip was surprisingly strong.

The others watched the scene unfold with amused smiles, enjoying how flustered Rey had become.

"Hey, stop putting those dumb ideas in his head! I saw her first," Aiden yelled at Marcella and Evelina, feeling very irritated.

"All\'s fair in love and war," Evelina quoted with a smirk, "But if it\'s you, then there\'s no chance."

"Don\'t be shy, we\'ll be glad to help," Marcella chimed in, holding firmly onto Rey, ignoring his protests.

Rey felt increasingly awkward as the two girls continued to tease him, seemingly deaf to his attempts to steer the conversation elsewhere. No matter what he said, they weren\'t listening, caught up in their own playful banter.

\'They\'re not listening to me,\' Rey sighed internally, feeling a bit trapped. He glanced at Asher, Cedric, and Matthew, hoping they might come to his rescue. Instead, they turned away, avoiding his gaze entirely. \'Traitors,\' he thought with mild frustration.

"Does anyone know where Jett and Freya are?" Cedric asked suddenly, attempting to change the subject and offer Rey some relief.

"No idea, they disappeared once classes were over," Seraphina replied casually.

"I saw them together during my duel, though," Rey added, hoping to shift the focus completely.

By now, everyone\'s attention had fully diverted, sparing Rey from further teasing.

"Oh? Yet another two that have fallen prey to love. I mean, it was bound to happen since they\'re sharing the same room, right?" Marcella continued, her playful tone still lingering. But before she could say more, Seraphina stepped in from behind and knocked Marcella out with a light tap.

"Who fed her sugar?" Seraphina asked, directing the question at Morrigan, who was Marcella\'s roommate.

Morrigan raised her hands defensively. "No more sweets for you too," Seraphina added firmly, eyeing Morrigan with a stern look.

Seraphina helped Marcella to her feet and, with Morrigan trailing behind, headed towards the dorms. Marcella, still dazed, clung to Seraphina\'s arm, her earlier enthusiasm replaced by a dazed confusion.

"I have work to do, so I\'ll be leaving now," Cedric said, heading out with a wave before Matthew, who was eager for an early night, followed suit.

"I\'ll go find them," Elora volunteered, and Seraphina, already on her way, nodded in acknowledgment.

Jett, now alone, looked up at the vibrant hues of the sunset. He was deep in thought, his mind still on the earlier duel.

"Ciara, huh? Well, that\'s a shocking transformation. Too bad I never got the chance to know her better," he mused, a touch of disappointment in his voice but a smile on his face. "But I need to work harder from here on out. That\'s not the kind of defeat someone tasked to save this world should be putting on his resume."

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Suddenly, Jett appeared behind Rey as if from nowhere and tapped him on the shoulder. "I can assure you no one really cares about that. At the end of the day, people only care about results."

Rey turned, surprised by Jett\'s sudden appearance. "So I should spend more time hunting monsters, right?" he asked with curiosity, though he thought to himself, \'Why am I even asking him? He\'s not stronger than me in any of this.\'

"Are you really just a battle junkie?" Jett asked, though he already knew the answer. "Try training your Aura and Mana too. I noticed you didn\'t use either during the fight."

"She didn\'t seem to be using magic, so I wanted it to be a fair fight," Rey explained.

"And look where that got you. She practically toyed with you," Jett said with an unapologetic expression.

Rey nodded, a wry smile on his face. "Yeah, I realize that even if she didn\'t use an illusion, she would\'ve still won. But I\'ll take your advice, don\'t worry."

*****

Meanwhile, just outside the dorm, Asher sensed something was off but decided not to alarm anyone, choosing instead to ignore the feeling.

A few meters from the dorms, Gwendolyn observed from a concealed spot, watching Asher disappear inside. "I should get going too. How ironic that I\'m spying on a Faust without being caught for this long," Gwendolyn chuckled to herself as she stood up to leave.

But as she moved, she felt a cold, sharp pressure against her back: a dagger lightly tapping her.

"One wrong move and you can forget about leaving here alive," a voice said from behind. It was Asher, his tone menacing. "Who are you, and why have you been following us?"

Gwendolyn\'s eyes widened in surprise. "I must have jinxed myself. I can\'t believe you were able to trick me at such a young age. See you later." With a giggle, she slowly began to evaporate.

"Damn it, that was a dummy," Asher muttered with frustration, pulling back his dagger. He scanned the area, his expression a mix of irritation and determination, as he tried to piece together what had just happened.

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