The Coliseum was still roaring with excitent, disbelief, and laughter. Klaus Lionhart had chosen the White Lion. Of all the prestigious ard groups vying for him, he had picked the one where Alexandra Lionhart served. And, thanks to Captain Kalix Williams's bold offer, Klaus wouldn't just be another recruit—he would lead Alexandra's squad.
Yenova Lionhart's composed deanor shattered like fragile glass. She shot to her feet, glaring daggers at Alexandra, who sat frozen, wide-eyed and pale. The laughter in the coliseum only grew louder as realization dawned on everyone.
"YOU LITTLE BRAT!" Yenova shouted, pointing a shaking finger at Alexandra. "This is YOUR fault! I lost my future star recruit because of YOU!"
Alexandra, normally sharp-tongued and quick-witted, looked utterly betrayed by fate itself. Tears welled up in her eyes, but not from joy or sadness—from sheer horror. She clenched her fists, shaking her head. "No... no, no, no, NO! This wasn't supposed to happen!" she sobbed, her voice cracking. "I wanted to boss him around! Not the other way around!" She pictured Klaus's smug face, giving her orders, smirking every ti she made a mistake. The image alone made her stomach twist. She had dread of teasing Klaus relentlessly, making him run errands, and now, she would be the one following his orders. The thought of Klaus smirking after every command, every little mistake she made, made her want to dig a hole in the ground and vanish.
Kurt doubled over with laughter, barely managing to stand. "This... this is priceless!" he wheezed. "She was so excited to tornt him, and now he's her leader! I'm going to rember this for the rest of my life."
Sarah, wiping tears of laughter from her eyes, leaned over to Kurt. "You think Klaus is going to let her live this down? She's dood."
"I can already imagine him saying, 'Alexandra, did you forget your sword again?' or 'Alexandra, were you even trying during training?'" Kurt added with a grin.
Yenova, still seething, paced back and forth. "Kalix, you sly bastard! You did this on purpose!" she accused.
Kalix Williams, lounging comfortably with a smirk plastered across his face, gave a nonchalant shrug. "What can I say? A Swordmaster leading one of my squads? Who could resist?" His eyes glead mischievously. "Besides, Alexandra could use a little humbling."
Alexandra groaned loudly. "This is a nightmare," she muttered, burying her face in her hands. She could already imagine Klaus's smug face every ti she ssed up. I'll never hear the end of it! The thought alone made her want to scream. She imagined Klaus making her spar with him every day, nitpicking every mistake, and worst of all, reminding her every chance he got that he was the squad leader.
As the noise in the coliseum continued, Klaus stood at the center, unbothered by the chaos his decision had caused. His calm eyes flicked toward the stands, watching the scene unfold. Freedom. That was the reason behind his choice. Any ard group would have given him the freedom to leave the Lionhart estate and venture beyond Rikxia, but the thought of being in Éclair under Yenova's watchful eye... it felt suffocating.
She's my aunt, sure, but she's never once visited the annex where Ludovic and Elisabeth live, Klaus thought, his jaw tightening slightly. She wasn't among those who humiliated my father, but she didn't stand up for him either. Her interest in isn't because I'm family. It's because of my potential.
The White Lion, currently ranked third in the entire Rikxia Empire, was known far and wide across the Runiya continent for its elite mbers and daring missions. Klaus didn't care about prestige, but the White Lion's recognition ant he'd have fewer restrictions. More freedom.
And then there was Alexandra. As infuriating as she was, Klaus preferred her company over the suffocating political atmosphere of Éclair. At least with Alexandra, he knew what to expect: endless teasing, constant pestering, and her insufferable need to get under his skin. But now, with him as her squad leader, the tables had turned. That thought alone made the corner of his mouth twitch in amusent. He imagined Alexandra gritting her teeth every ti he gave her an order, and the ntal image brought him more satisfaction than he cared to admit.
From the stands, Alex Lionhart watched with a mixture of relief and mild satisfaction. Good, he thought. At least Klaus won't be in Éclair. He was tired of constantly being compared to Klaus, tired of always being one step behind him. With Klaus in a different group, maybe—just maybe—he could finally escape his shadow. Even if he knew Klaus would thrive anywhere, at least they wouldn't be under the sa banner.
But Nicholas Davoss's expression was far different. His eyes darkened as the realization settled in. His hands clenched at his sides, a heaviness filling his chest. The White Lion... he thought grimly.
In every life Nicholas had relived, Alexandra Lionhart died exactly a little over two years after joining the White Lion. Her entire squad was wiped out during a mission that beca infamous across the continent. He could still rember the headlines, the conversations whispered in every corner of Runiya.
"Raphael Lionhart's only daughter, Alexandra the Lioness, has fallen." The weight of that news had shaken the continent. Raphael Lionhart—Saint Raphael, the healer unmatched in all of Runiya—had retreated from the public eye for years after her death. Nicholas rembered the sorrow in Raphael's eyes, the grief that even ti couldn't heal.
It wasn't just another death to Nicholas. It was a fixed point. No matter how many tis he relived his life, no matter what choices he made, Alexandra always died a little over two years after joining the White Lion. The thought haunted him. Each mory of her death resurfaced vividly. He recalled standing in the rain during one life, holding the newspaper that declared her death. Another life, he sat in a dimly lit tavern, hearing the news from a drunk soldier who sobbed into his mug. In every iteration, the pain felt fresh.
I can still see the news articles, the portraits draped in black... Nicholas thought, his chest tightening. I can still hear the murmurs of soldiers in taverns, speaking about how tragic it was. Every single ti. He rembered the cold chill that ran down his spine each ti he learned of her death, the sorrow in Raphael's tired eyes as he withdrew from the world, and the hollow emptiness that settled over the continent for weeks.
He felt a pang of guilt, watching Klaus stand there, oblivious to the fate awaiting his cousin. The thought gnawed at him, an itch he couldn't scratch. He thought of every mont he had tried to alter fate in previous lives, but each ti, sothing always went wrong. Alexandra's death seed inevitable, no matter what he did.
Does it always have to happen? Nicholas wondered. Is there truly no way to save her? He wanted to believe there was, but deep down, he feared that no matter how many tis he tried, her fate was immovable. The thought of Klaus witnessing Alexandra's death made Nicholas's chest ache. I don't want him to go through that.
Klaus had chosen the White Lion.
And Alexandra Lionhart's clock had already started ticking.
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