Chapter 8: The Turning of the Ladder

The days after the Beginners' Bracket settled into a rhythm that felt almost like peace. Ryu Jin woke before the bell, trained in the Pocket with Ravi, attended classes, and signed up for every sparring session the academy offered. The bracket had earned him a small reputation—nothing grand, but enough that a few juniors nodded to him in the corridors, and one senior from Windstep House offered hi...