the beginning after the end perfect duo

The cage

"So we lost because Arthur got beaten up, right?" Mira snapped, her eyes narrowing at Arthur, her glare brimming with disdain.

"Yeah, that's pretty much it," I replied as we stood together, the sparring practice now over.

"What a tough leader we chose, huh, Jasmine?" Mira added, her voice dripping with mockery, eyes still fixed on Arthur.

Arthur, unfazed, grinned. "I had a one-on-one with Tom, so I think I'm excused. Meanwhile, you had Sylvia... and Lilia, and still couldn't do anything. Maybe it's not me who should be mocked here, Mira."

"Look at how cute he is when he's mad," Mira taunted, her tone shifting to a teasing jab.

"Damn it, Tom, back me up here!" Arthur demanded, shooting me a pleading look.

"Hey, don't change the subject, Mira. You have to admit, this one's on you, not Arthur," I cut in, my tone firm.

"Aw, look how cute he is, trying to protect his brother," Lilia chimed in from across the table, exchanging a sly high-five with Mira.

Not you, Lilia... not you.

Later at Lunch

Lunch was well underway, and we were ravenous after the intense sparring. Still, Lilia's betrayal lingered in my mind.

"So, what are you doing after lunch?" Lilia asked, her fingers tracing idle circles on the table.

"Eh, I don't know. Train, maybe?" I shrugged. My focus was on getting stronger for the war. Training was the obvious choice.

"Training again? Haven't we done enough of that this morning?" Lilia asked, her annoyance evident.

"Got a better idea?" I asked, curious about her alternative.

"Maybe we could go on a picnic," she suggested, her voice louder than intended, catching me off guard.

"A picnic? That sounds nice. I should let Arthur know," I said, starting to rise.

Jasmine had already left, probably off to train. Arthur was done too, while Mira and Sylvia were engrossed in their usual chatter. I could never figure out what they talked about so endlessly.

It was just me and Lilia left at the table. I hadn't eaten much, thanks to Lilia swiping pieces of my food. I couldn't bring myself to stop her.

Her smile vanished the moment I mentioned Arthur joining.

Does she want us to be alone? Why? Oh... I think I get it now.

"He's probably going to be busy by then, so I think I won't bother him," I said, smiling softly.

"That's great. I'll just get some snacks ready for us," Lilia said, heading toward the hut.

Lilia's coming on a picnic with me. Not bad. I guess I can skip training for once-relaxing might actually be good.

"So, you're going on a date now?" Arthur teased.

"Nah, man. It's just Lilia. It's not a date; she's like a sister to me," I said, glancing at him as he settled in next to me.

"More like a stepsister," he smirked.

I couldn't resist-I powered up my fist and aimed a punch at his head. He blocked it just in time, laughing as our hands collided.

We both laughed, and I silently vowed to get back at him when we got to Xyrus Academy.

Just wait, Arthur. You'll see.

"Did you do anything about Sylvia? Not that there's much we can do besides keeping an eye on her," Arthur asked.

"I told her not to mess with anyone. She said she wouldn't," I said, thinking back to our tense conversation.