Hours had passed since Kai entered the Trials. Xarion, Zara, and even Theo had come to check on him, but the sight that greeted them was grim: Kai kneeling, pale and drenched in blood. They stayed silent and tense, hoping nothing worse would happen.

  “God damn it, Nerva,” Theo growled, his voice sharp with frustration. “We finally find another monster to play with us, and you break him!”

  “Uncle, it’s not Uncle Nerva’s fault, okay? Don’t be a meanie!” Lisa snapped, still hugging Kai tightly. Her dress and arms were soaked in blood.

  Theo shivered at the sight. “Lisa, dear… how about we go clean you up, huh?”

  “I’m not going anywhere until Brother wakes!” she declared, clutching him even tighter.

  Then a weak chuckle broke the silence. “Hey, Lisa… how about you don’t strangle me to death?” Kai’s voice was hoarse, but alive.

  Lisa froze, then gasped. “Brother! You’re back!” Her eyes lit up with relief.

  Kai blinked, his consciousness settling into his body. He quickly checked his inner world. Noxblade floated calmly, absorbing mana, and Hydragon slept peacefully beneath the Thunder Tree. Good. Everything is intact.

  He tried to stand, but his body was too weak. Then his gaze fell on Lisa, her dress soaked in blood, and his face paled. “Lisa… what happened to you?”

  “You happened, you idiot!” Scry barked, his tone sharp.

  “Brother, you really did it this time.” Umbra’s voice was cold, her eyes full of restrained anger.

  Kai frowned. “What did I do?”

  “Well,” Liliya said, stepping forward, “you sucked both of them dry of mana and then collapsed, bleeding for at least an hour. Honestly, I don’t know how you’re still alive.”

  Kai twitched, scanning his body. His third circle was working overtime, replenishing blood, but his mana lake was nearly dry. He sighed. “Looks like I overdid it this time.”

  He forced a weak smile. “I’m sorry. Truly. Scry, Umbra, please forgive me. And Lisa… thank you for taking care of me.”

  Somehow, he managed to stand, his legs trembling. “I’m sorry, everyone. The test this time… was brutal.”

  “Wait,” Nerva said suddenly, “in all this panic, we never checked your ranking.” He activated the mana screen, and the results shimmered into view.

  Second place. Just under Strider, Nameless.

  “Holy shit, you’re in second place?!” Nerva’s voice cracked with excitement.

  Theo smirked. “So even you couldn’t beat Strider, huh?”

  Kai chuckled faintly. “I’ll tell you everything… but can we clean up first?” He reached for Lisa’s hand.

  “Indeed,” Theo nodded. “Let’s go,” and they left for the palace.

  ***

  After Kai and Lisa cleaned up and changed, they joined the others in a smaller tea room. Cushioned chairs circled a low table where steam curled from a pot of fragrant tea.

  “Well then,” Nerva said, leaning forward eagerly, “let’s hear it. What forced you to use all your cards?”

  Kai exhaled slowly, recalling the brutal clash against the four ranked fighters, their relentless assault, their final desperate strikes that pushed him beyond his limits. He spoke quietly, but every word carried weight.

  “I see…” Umbra murmured, her expression shifting from anger to awe. She stood abruptly, pacing the room, excitement burning in her eyes. “I forgive you then. A battle like that… anyone would risk everything to win. Gods, I’d give anything to feel that thrill!”

  “Hmph,” Scry smirked, arms crossed. “Sounds insane. But you’ll need to show me your reward before I forgive you.”

  “I’ll be damned…” Xarion’s voice was hushed, reverent. “You actually fought Lord Pyrex?”

  Kai tilted his head. “You know him? His staff arts and darkfire attacks were terrifying.”

  “How could I not?” Xarion’s chest swelled with pride. “Lord Pyrex was the first Dracorious Seraph. Lived for a million years before dying of old age. Never managed to ascend to godhood, though.” His tone carried both pride and regret.

  Kai’s gaze darkened. “So even the ranked ones don’t manage to ascend…”

  “Some do,” Liliya said softly, her face darkened. “For example… Alura.”

  Kai blinked. “Oh, I see. By the way, is it normal that she looked a bit like you?”

  Liliya’s breath hitched. “She’s my ancestor, on my mother’s side. The Solarius and Solei families have always been close. My mother’s bloodline is distantly tied to the current ruler of Eldari. That connection… was the reason my father was killed.” Her voice trembled, bitterness seeping through. “If we were a lesser family, maybe things would’ve ended differently. But who knows with those bastards…”

  Kai’s expression softened. “I’m sorry for bringing it up.”

  “What about the other two?” he asked gently.

  “Kaila,” Theo said, his tone firm, “was the ancestor of the D’Sa Vant family, one of the strongest knight clans in Eastsun. We don’t know what happened to her, but she did reach Seraph.”

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  “And Elric…” Nerva shrugged. “He was from Ilun. Beyond that, we know little.”

  Kai nodded, “They all look left more behind them than just names on the rankings.” He smiled, thinking of the future.

  Zara leaned forward, eyes bright. “So, what happened after that fight?”

  Kai’s smile turned wry. “I faced Strider.”

  The room fell silent as he retold his short fight with the famous Strider.

  “So… you actually died?” Umbra’s voice cracked, her fists clenched. Even he isn’t safe… I need to train. Fast.

  Kai nodded grimly. “Yeah. He’s mastered the Aspect of Stillness and even touched upon the secrets of time hidden within it. At least, that’s what the spirit said. Honestly… that fight was unreal. None of my attacks landed. It felt like he was toying with me.”

  Scry’s jaw tightened. “To comprehend an Aspect at such a young age is already beyond belief. But to glimpse the laws behind it? That’s… unheard of.”

  “I agree,” Liliya whispered, shaken. “Even my time spells work because of formulas. But a true understanding of time itself? That’s near Archon level.”

  Theo laughed bitterly. “And here I thought reaching Grand Master at five hundred was impressive.”

  Nerva placed a hand on Kai’s shoulder. “To lose against such an opponent is no shame. If you learned something from it, even better.”

  Kai nodded, though his eyes burned. “I know. But it still stings. If that had been real… I’d be dead. I need to grow stronger before the tournament. Who’s to say another monster like him won’t appear?”

  “Okay, rest for today,” Theo announced. “Tomorrow, we’ll craft your weapon and armor, and Umbra’s weapon, as promised.”

  “In two days, my master will arrive,” Liliya reminded. “We might visit the Towers soon as well.”

  “What about my training?” Umbra asked, impatience flashing in her eyes.

  “I have someone in mind,” Nerva said with a chuckle. “We’ll visit her later today.”

  Theo leaned back, his tone serious. “We have a lot to do before the tournament. Kai, Umbra, will you enter under Fallhaven’s flag? You don’t have to if you’d rather not.”

  “We can. It doesn’t matter,” Kai replied, and Umbra nodded.

  “Thank you!” Theo bowed slightly, smiling. “If you rank high, it’ll mean a lot for our land.” His relief was obvious; this was what he’d hoped for.

  “We need to visit my tribe as well,” Xarion reminded.

  “We’ll stop there on our way to the Towers,” Liliya reassured him.

  “Thank you!” Xarion bowed deeply.

  “I also want to use my gift,” Scry said. “When can I enter the library?”

  “Here, take my sigil.” Theo flicked his fingers, sending two flame-shaped sigils toward Scry and Liliya. “You can enter and leave whenever you want.”

  “Looks like we have a lot to prepare,” Nerva said, grinning. “I also need to train Lucius. Ah, days full of training… isn’t it the best?”

  “I know, right? I can’t wait!” Umbra grinned, her excitement infectious.

  Theo’s jaw tightened as he watched them. These two really do fit together… Nerva, you bastard. He growled inwardly.

  “I’ll be joining your training too, as promised,” Theo said aloud, his tone clipped.

  “What about your duties and the plans for the crafters’ district?” Nerva asked, arching a brow.

  “Don’t worry about that. It’s handled.” Theo scoffed.

  Kai rose, his expression calm but firm. “Scry, Umbra, come with me. I want to talk.” He led the two toward the door.

  “It seems he’s upset about what he put them through,” Zara murmured.

  “He cares about them. We saw that from the start,” Nerva said with a faint smile.

  “Don’t remind me!” Liliya twitched.

  “I didn’t hear that story,” Theo said, chuckling. “Come on, talk.” The group sighed as they settled in and recalled not such a fond story.

  ***

  Back in Kai’s temporary room, he and Umbra sat around a small table while Scry perched in the middle, his tail flicking lazily.

  “So, what is it?” Scry asked, his tone calm but curious.

  Kai exhaled, guilt flickering in his eyes. “Look… I know we’re all connected, but I never meant to siphon your mana without asking. I didn’t even realize what was happening.” His voice was low, apologetic; he truly felt bad.

  Scry shook his head. “I wasn’t angry because you took our mana. We’re bonded to you. If it were some other master, we’d be treated like beasts, not family. We have nothing to complain about.” His gaze hardened. “The reason I was angry is because you keep doing reckless things without thinking. Same as when you attacked the Rond army alone.”

  Umbra’s aura flared, mana rippling like waves. “The tiger’s right. I don’t care what you take from me; my life is yours. It’s been that way since the day you saved me. But time and time again, you risk everything to grow stronger without thinking about us. That makes me mad.”

  Kai met their eyes, steady. “I understand. But sometimes… things just happen. In those moments, all I can do is act.”

  Scry’s expression softened. “Then we all need to get stronger. You’ve seen how vast this world is. You never know when another monster like Strider will appear. You should also start thinking about the aspects of the elements you control. You have quite a few, but focus on the ones you can control the best.”

  Umbra smirked and slapped Kai’s back with a loud thump. “We’ll catch up to you, just watch.”

  Kai chuckled. “Aren’t you a little too excited?”

  “Of course I am! Today I meet my teacher. Today I start getting stronger. What’s not to be happy about?” Umbra grinned, her eyes blazing with determination.

  “I’ll devour this entire library,” Scry added with a mischievous glint. “Find a way to unlock my memories, and my power.”

  Kai smiled, warmth in his voice. “I hope that we stay together like this for a long time to come. Let’s push forward together, as always!” His gaze lingered on them, his true and only family in this world.?