Stella & Khaos : The tale of duality. - Chapter 5 : Discordant Reunion

I never thought I had meaning to my life, but I guess I have a talent too.

「Get ready. The duel will begin soon.」

Bai Qingqing, the disciple of the Divine Physician, with goodwill, treats the domineering Prince for blindness, only to render herself at the mercy of him. In the name of practicing medicine, the doctress makes him have spicy cuisine for every meal as revenge. Seeing him frown upon the food, sweat at the pungent dishes, she is merely stoked! Poor Qingqing is no villain material, she ends up having a soft spot for him. Her tender care for the Prince unknowingly reveals her biggest secret-her true identity. After the prince’s eyes are cured, he mobilizes the military with great fanfare to keep her around…

Seventeen-year-old Aiden Rivera’s life changes forever on a dark, quiet night when he's attacked while returning from a bookstore. Just when all hope seems lost, a mysterious stranger emerges from the shadows—swift, powerful, and deadly. He saves Aiden and disappears just as quickly into the night. That stranger's name? Aiden doesn’t know. But from that moment, Aiden can’t stop thinking about him.Determined to find his silent guardian, Aiden scours the internet, describing every detail he remembers. To his shock, a face match reveals the stranger's name: Ryker Kane, heir to a powerful corporate empire… and a student at an elite, almost mythical academy. It’s not quite a high school, not quite a university—more like something in between. Something hidden.One of Ryker’s photos contains a strange symbol that leads Aiden to an encrypted link. It makes a bizarre demand: a drop of blood to apply. Aiden laughs at the absurdity of it—until curiosity wins. What could one drop of blood hurt?He sends it, expecting nothing.A week later, an ornate envelope arrives. He’s in.Eager to reunite with Ryker, Aiden travels to the secluded academy… only to step into a world straight out of a fantasy novel. Students with glowing eyes. Talking animals. Ethereal beings with pointed ears. Some even arrive through portals.Suddenly, Aiden isn’t just the new kid. He’s the only human in a school that isn’t meant for people like him. And all he can think is:What the hell did I just get myself into?

Though it may be a dream weathered, crumpled, fading,I held on without surrender.Through each repeated day, running toward tomorrow’s light,I became a knight, resolute and bright.