[RELATIONSHIP STATUS UPDATE]
[ELENA VOSS: DEVOTED → PROTECTIVE]
[ROMANTIC PROGRESSION: 55%]
[BOND STRENGTH: STRONG]
As they left Thorne's office, Elena stayed close to Levi's side. "You didn't have to do that," she said quietly.
"Yes, I did. He insulted you."
"I can handle insults."
"But you shouldn't have to." Levi stopped walking and turned to face her. "Elena, you've defended me, protected me, believed in me when no one else would. The least I can do is return the favor."
Her cheeks flushed slightly. "You don't owe me anything."
"Maybe not. But I want to give you something anyway."
As they walked through the Guild's main hall, Levi noticed the other candidates watching them with a mixture of curiosity and wariness.
Word of the confrontation had spread quickly, and opinions were divided.
"Some people are saying you're a hero," Elena observed. "Others think you're dangerous."
"What do you think?"
"I think you're both," she said honestly. "And I think that's exactly what this world needs."
"Mera," Levi whispered as they reached the exit. "Are you still there?"
"Always," the tiny light spirit replied, invisible to everyone else. "That was well handled. You're learning to use your gifts for more than just combat."
"I'm learning a lot of things."
"Indeed. But be careful tomorrow. Kane has more resources than you know, and his family has connections that reach into very dark places."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that formal combat in the Guild arena isn't just witnessed by humans. Other entities pay attention to displays of power. If you reveal too much of your abilities..."
"The gods will notice."
"The gods are already noticing. The question is whether you're ready for their attention."
As they stepped into the afternoon sunlight, Levi felt a familiar presence watching him from the shadows.
He turned, using his enhanced senses to scan the area, but found nothing obvious.
"Problem?" Elena asked.
"Maybe. Or maybe I'm just paranoid."
"After what happened in the ruins, paranoia might be healthy."
They walked in comfortable silence for a few minutes before Elena spoke again. "Levi, can I ask you something personal?"
"Of course."
"Your sister. You mentioned she's sick."
"Yes."
"The way you looked when you talked about her... it's the same way you looked when you were facing those shadow beasts. Like you'd rather die than fail."
Levi's hand moved instinctively to his pocket, where Maya's photograph rested. "She's all I have left. Our parents died when I was sixteen, and I've been taking care of her ever since. She's... she's the best person I know. Kind, intelligent, brave. She deserves better than watching her brother fail at everything he tries."
"You're not failing."
"No. I'm not." He met her eyes. "Thanks to you, in part."
"What do you mean?"
"You believed in me when I didn't believe in myself. That matters more than you know."
Elena stopped walking and turned to face him fully. "Levi, I need to tell you something."
"What?"
"I wasn't entirely honest with Master Thorne. About the examination."
Levi's pulse quickened. "What do you mean?"
"I saw what happened when you used your light magic. I felt the energy you produced. That wasn't stress-induced awakening or dormant bloodline activation." She stepped closer. "That was something else entirely. Something... divine."
"Elena—"
"I'm not afraid of you," she said firmly. "I'm not going to report you or betray your secrets. But I need you to know that I know."
"Why?"
"Because trust goes both ways. You're trusting me to keep your secret. I'm trusting you to be worthy of that protection."
[RELATIONSHIP STATUS UPDATE]
[ELENA VOSS: PROTECTIVE → CONFIDANTE]
[ROMANTIC PROGRESSION: 70%]
[BOND STRENGTH: VERY STRONG]
"You're remarkable," Levi said softly.
"I'm practical," she replied. "And I'm attracted to dangerous men with mysterious powers."
"Is that so?"
"Apparently." She smiled. "Just try not to get yourself killed tomorrow. I'd hate to have wasted all this effort on you."
As they parted ways, Levi felt a warmth in his chest that had nothing to do with divine magic. For the first time in his life, he had someone who truly understood him—someone who saw both his power and his vulnerability and accepted both.
But as he walked home to Maya, he couldn't shake the feeling that tomorrow's duel would be about more than just settling a dispute with Kane.
[DAILY QUEST COMPLETED: PASS THE EXAMINATION]
[WEEKLY QUEST UNLOCKED: SURVIVE THE POLITICAL CONSEQUENCES]
[WARNING: HOSTILE DIVINE ATTENTION DETECTED]
[RECOMMENDATION: PREPARE FOR ESCALATION]
The system's warnings were becoming more frequent and more ominous. But Levi pushed them aside as he climbed the stairs to his apartment.
Maya was waiting for him, and he had good news to share.
Everything else could wait until tomorrow.
=
The narrow alleyways of the Outer District hadn't changed since Levi's childhood.
Rotting wooden planks still groaned under his feet, and the familiar stench of sewage mixed with desperation filled his nostrils.
This was where he'd learned to survive, where every meal was a victory and every day alive was a small miracle.
Now, clutching the Fragment of Dawn in his pocket, Levi pressed his back against the crumbling brick wall of an abandoned warehouse.
His breath came in short gasps as he tried to process what the System had just warned him about.
[Warning: Divine fragment detected nearby. Threat level: Extreme. A God's Avatar approaches.]
The translucent blue window hung in his vision, its urgent red borders pulsing like a heartbeat. Mera floated beside his ear, her tiny light form flickering with anxiety.
"This is bad, Levi," she whispered, her voice barely audible over the distant sounds of the city. "An Avatar hasn't walked the mortal realm in over a century. They only come when—"
"When what?" Levi hissed, scanning the shadows that seemed to dance with unnatural movement.
"When the gods consider something a direct threat to their authority."