Arix woke before sunrise.
For a few seconds, he simply stared at the ceiling.
Then yesterday came back to him.
The creature.
The chase.
The moment he realized he couldn’t overpower it.
He had survived because he had thought faster than it.
That was the part that stayed with him.
Arix sat up.
He looked at his hands.
I wasn’t strong enough.
The thought irritated him.
Not because he was afraid of being weak.
Because he hated the idea of being unable to do something simply because he lacked strength.
Arix stepped outside.
Veyr was already there.
He was standing in the clearing, waiting.
Arix looked at him.
“So, what are we doing today?” Veyr looked at him.
“Stand.” Arix blinked.
“I am standing.” “Properly.” Arix looked down at his feet.
He adjusted them.
Veyr shook his head.
Arix moved them again.
“No.” Again.
“No.” Arix frowned.
“What’s wrong with my stance?” “Everything.” Arix stared at him.
Veyr walked over and pushed Arix’s shoulder.
Arix immediately stumbled backward.
“Your balance is terrible.” Arix steadied himself.
Veyr pushed his shoulder again.
This time Arix managed to stay upright.
“Better.” Arix looked at his feet.
He hadn’t realized something as simple as standing could be so difficult.
Veyr stepped back.
“Move.” Arix stepped forward.
“Too much.” He stepped back.
“Too little.” Arix moved again.
“Your feet are crossing.” Arix stopped.
For the next several minutes, Veyr corrected almost every movement Arix made.
His feet.
His posture.
His balance.
The way he turned.
Even the way he shifted his weight.
Arix became increasingly irritated.
“I already fought yesterday.” Veyr looked at him.
“You survived yesterday.” Arix went silent.
“That isn’t the same thing.” Arix didn’t answer.
Veyr picked up a wooden stick from the ground and tossed it toward him.
Arix caught it.
“Attack me.” Arix looked at the stick.
Then at Veyr.
“That’s it?” “That’s it.” Arix tightened his grip.
He rushed forward.
The stick swung toward Veyr.
Veyr simply stepped aside.
Arix turned and attacked again.
Another miss.
Again.
Miss.
Again.
Miss.
Arix’s breathing became heavier.
Veyr hadn’t attacked him once.
He hadn’t even moved quickly.
Arix stopped.
“You’re predicting me.” “No.” “Then how are you dodging?” “You’re telling me what you’re going to do.” Arix frowned.
“I didn’t say anything.” “Your body did.” Arix looked down at himself.
Veyr continued.
“Your shoulders move before your arms.
Your eyes follow the direction you’re attacking.
Your weight shifts before you move.” Arix slowly looked back up.
“So I hide it.” “Eventually.” Arix raised the stick again.
This time he tried to remain still.
He moved suddenly.
Veyr dodged.
Arix swung again.
Veyr blocked.
Arix changed direction.
Veyr moved with him.
Arix attacked faster.
Nothing.
He jumped forward.
Veyr stepped back.
Arix stopped.
He stared at him.
Veyr stared back.
Arix’s eyes narrowed.
He’s not even trying.
That annoyed him more than losing.
Arix looked around the clearing.
Trees.
Loose dirt.
Small rocks.
A slight slope.
His eyes returned to Veyr.
He lowered the stick.
Veyr noticed.
“What?” Arix suddenly kicked the dirt.
A cloud of dust rose between them.
He moved immediately.
Not toward Veyr.
Around him.
Arix swung the stick from the side.
Veyr caught it.
Arix’s eyes widened.
Veyr twisted the stick from his grip and took it away.
Arix stood frozen.
Veyr looked at the stick in his hand.
Then at Arix.
Arix frowned.
“Why did you catch it?” “Because you were slow.” Arix looked irritated.
“But it almost worked.” “Almost doesn’t matter.” Arix crossed his arms.
“Why fight fair?” Veyr raised an eyebrow.
“I never told you to.” Arix paused.
That wasn’t the answer he expected.
Veyr tossed the stick back.
“Use the ground.
Use the trees.
Use your surroundings.
Use your opponent’s mistakes.” Arix caught the stick.
“Then what’s the point of all these rules?” “They aren’t rules.” Veyr stepped forward.
“They’re things you need to understand before you can break them.” Arix stared at him.
Veyr pointed toward his feet.
“You want to move faster?
Fix your balance.” He pointed toward Arix’s grip.
“You want to strike harder?
Learn control.” Then he pointed toward the clearing.
“You want to survive?
Learn to see everything around you.” Arix looked around.
For the first time, the clearing didn’t look like an empty patch of land.
There were rocks.
Roots.
Trees.
Uneven ground.
Places to hide.
Places to fall.
Places where an opponent could be trapped.
He looked back at Veyr.
“So fighting isn’t just attacking.” “No.” “It’s everything.” “Now you’re beginning to understand.” Arix tightened his grip on the wooden stick.
He attacked again.
This time, he didn’t rush.
He moved.
One step.
Then another.
He shifted his weight before striking.
Veyr blocked.
Arix changed direction.
Veyr dodged.
Arix stepped backward instead of chasing.
He waited.
Veyr watched him.
Arix attacked again.
The strike was still clumsy.
Still slow.
Still easy to read.
Veyr stopped it with one hand.
But this time, he didn’t immediately correct him.
Arix noticed.
“What?” Veyr released the stick.
“Better.” Arix looked at his weapon.
A small smile appeared on his face.
“Again.” Veyr nodded.
“Again.” And Arix attacked.
He failed.
Again.
And again.
And again.
But every time he fell short, he tried something different.
By the time the sun had climbed higher into the sky, Arix was exhausted.
His arms hurt.
His legs felt heavy.
His palms were sore from gripping the wooden stick.
He dropped onto the ground.
Veyr stood over him.
“You’re done.” Arix looked up.
“For today?” “For today.” Arix breathed heavily.
He looked at the stick lying beside him.
Yesterday, he had thought surviving was enough.
Today, he had learned otherwise.
He hadn’t become stronger.
He hadn’t suddenly learned how to fight.
But now he understood something.
There was a difference between being alive…
and knowing how to stay alive.
Arix slowly stood.
“Tomorrow?” Veyr turned away.
“Same time.” Arix picked up the wooden stick.
His eyes hardened.
“Fine.” He looked toward the clearing.
“I’m not losing to you forever.” Veyr stopped for a moment.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
“Good.” Then he walked away.
Arix followed.
The first lesson was over.
His training had just begun.