The morning began like any other.
Arix stood in the clearing with his wooden sword in his hand.
Across from him stood Veyr.
Neither spoke.
Arix knew what came next.
He tightened his grip.
Veyr moved.
Arix immediately stepped back.
The wooden sword passed through the space where his shoulder had been.
Arix swung.
Veyr blocked.
The sound of wood striking wood echoed through the clearing.
Arix stepped to the side.
Another strike.
Blocked.
Another.
Blocked again.
Arix lowered his body and tried to attack from underneath.
Veyr moved his sword down and stopped the attack.
Arix jumped back.
He didn’t rush forward this time.
He watched.
Veyr waited.
Arix shifted his feet.
The wind moved through the trees.
Leaves fell between them.
Arix waited for the right moment.
Then— He moved.
One step.
Two.
A quick slash toward Veyr’s side.
Veyr blocked it.
Arix immediately changed direction and attacked again.
Veyr blocked.
Again.
Again.
Arix kept moving.
He wasn’t trying to overpower Veyr.
That would be pointless.
He was trying to make Veyr react.
Arix suddenly stopped.
Veyr’s sword came toward him.
Arix leaned backward.
The wooden blade passed just in front of his face.
He stepped forward.
Their weapons crossed.
For a brief moment, Arix had the advantage.
He pushed.
Veyr didn’t move.
Arix’s arms trembled.
Then Veyr pushed back.
Arix was forced several steps backward.
He caught his balance.
“Better,” Veyr said.
Arix smiled.
“Really?” “Yes.” That single word was enough.
Arix charged again.
— The training continued for another hour.
By the end, Arix was lying on the ground.
He stared at the sky.
His chest rose and fell quickly.
Veyr stood nearby.
“Again?” Arix turned his head.
“Give me five minutes.” “Three.” “Five.” “Four.” Arix sighed.
“Fine.” Veyr walked away.
Arix closed his eyes.
He wasn’t exhausted like he used to be.
His body had adapted.
The training that once left him unable to move now felt manageable.
Barely.
He had become stronger.
Faster.
More aware.
Even his Aura had improved.
Not enough to use in combat yet.
But he could maintain it now.
Sometimes.
Arix lifted one hand.
He concentrated.
A faint layer of Aura appeared around his fingers.
It trembled.
He steadied his breathing.
The Aura stabilized.
Arix smiled.
“Got you.” The Aura disappeared.
Arix frowned.
“…Almost.” He tried again.
This time it lasted longer.
He moved his fingers.
The Aura shifted with them.
Not perfectly.
But it responded.
Arix’s smile grew.
Then— His thoughts wandered.
He remembered the village.
The dragon.
The strange opening.
Drako.
The creature.
Dark Essence.
Veyr.
Arix’s expression slowly changed.
He lowered his hand.
Something had been bothering him.
He hadn’t noticed it at first.
But now that he was learning more about the world, the memories from that day seemed stranger than ever.
Back then, he hadn’t understood what he was seeing.
He still didn’t.
But now he knew about Mana.
Aura.
Spirit Energy.
Affinities.
Adventurers.
Ranks.
Kingdoms.
Empires.
Realms.
Dimensions.
There were still countless things he didn’t understand.
But he knew enough to realize that what happened in the village hadn’t been normal.
Arix opened his eyes.
Veyr returned.
“Enough rest.” Arix stood.
He picked up his sword.
But he didn’t attack.
Veyr noticed.
“What?” Arix hesitated.
Then— “Veyr.” “Yes?” “Can I ask something?” “You were going to anyway.” Arix ignored that.
“About the village.” Veyr’s expression remained unchanged.
“What about it?” Arix looked down at his wooden sword.
“Drako.” Silence.
Arix continued.
“I know his name because you told me.” “Yes.” “But I don’t know why he was there.” Veyr didn’t answer.
Arix looked up.
“You said they came for something.” “Yes.” “What?” Veyr watched him for a moment.
“Something they believed was there.” Arix frowned.
“Believed?” “They had reason to believe it.” “So they didn’t know for certain?” “Not completely.” Arix thought about that.
It was more than Veyr had told him before.
But it created another question.
“What were they looking for?” “You don’t need to know.” Arix sighed.
“You always say that.” “Because it’s usually true.” Arix didn’t argue.
Instead, he thought.
If they came looking for something, then the village itself probably wasn’t important.
He remembered what had happened.
The portal.
The creature.
The strange energy.
Everything had happened too close together to be meaningless.
Arix looked at Veyr again.
“What about the creature?” “What about it?” “The one that appeared during the incident.” Veyr remained silent.
“It was connected to the dark energy.” “Yes.” “Dark Essence?” “Yes.” “Was it part of what they were looking for?” “No.” Arix paused.
“No?” “No.” “Then what was it doing there?” “I don’t know.” Arix stared at him.
“You don’t know?” “Not everything has an answer I can give you.” Arix narrowed his eyes.
That sounded different from you aren’t ready.
He thought about it.
Then asked: “Was the creature from the forest?” “No.” “Then where?” “Somewhere else.” “Another realm?” Veyr didn’t answer.
Arix took that as enough of an answer.
He looked toward the forest.
There was another memory.
The darkness.
The strange feeling.
The thing beneath the forest.
Arix had never forgotten it.
“Then the Dark Essence…” He stopped.
Veyr looked at him.
Arix continued carefully.
“It wasn’t normal, right?” “No.” “What was it?” “Dark Essence.” “I know that.” “Then you know what it was.” Arix frowned.
“No.
I know its name.” Veyr said nothing.
Arix sighed.
He was starting to understand that there was a difference between knowing a name and understanding a thing.
Still, there was something else.
Something that bothered him more.
Arix looked directly at Veyr.
“Why were you there?” For a moment, Veyr didn’t respond.
The wind moved through the trees.
Arix waited.
“You were there when everything happened.” “Yes.” “You knew about the creature.” “Yes.” “You knew about the Dark Essence.” “Yes.” “You knew they came for something.” “Yes.” Arix’s eyes narrowed.
“Then why?” Veyr remained silent.
Arix stepped closer.
“Why were you there?” Veyr finally answered.
“I had my reasons.” Arix stared at him.
“What reasons?” “Reasons you don’t need to know yet.” Arix groaned.
“There it is again.” Veyr didn’t react.
Arix turned away.
Then stopped.
There was one more question.
One he hadn’t planned to ask.
“Why did you keep me alive?” Silence.
Arix slowly turned back.
Veyr looked at him.
For the first time during the conversation, his expression became difficult to read.
Arix waited.
“You survived.” “That isn’t an answer.” “No.” “Then what is?” Veyr didn’t answer.
Arix stared at him.
He could tell Veyr wasn’t going to say it.
But there was something strange about the silence.
It wasn’t the same silence as before.
There was a reason.
Arix didn’t know what it was.
And Veyr wasn’t going to tell him.
Not yet.
Arix eventually looked away.
“Fine.” He picked up his wooden sword.
Veyr watched him.
Arix walked back toward the clearing.
After a few steps, he stopped.
“Wait.” Veyr looked at him.
“They came for something.” “Yes.” “And you knew they were looking for it.” “Yes.” “But you don’t want to tell me what it was.” “Correct.” Arix thought for a moment.
“Then I’ll figure it out myself.” Veyr said nothing.
Arix smiled.
Not confidently.
Not because he had any idea what the answer was.
But because now he had a question.
And questions could be answered.
Eventually.
— Training resumed.
Arix attacked.
Veyr blocked.
Arix changed his stance.
Blocked.
He tried another approach.
Blocked again.
But his mind wasn’t completely focused on the fight anymore.
Drako.
The empire.
The opening.
The creature.
Dark Essence.
Veyr.
Something connected all of them.
He didn’t know what.
Yet.
Arix suddenly attacked harder.
Veyr stopped the strike.
“You’re distracted.” “I know.” “Then focus.” Arix steadied himself.
He took a breath.
The questions could wait.
Strength couldn’t.
He attacked again.
This time, there was no hesitation.
The wooden swords collided.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Far beyond the clearing, the world continued moving.
Kingdoms existed.
Empires expanded.
Adventurers traveled.
Monsters hunted.
Races built civilizations.
Realms existed beyond what Arix could imagine.
And somewhere within that enormous world, there was an answer to the question he had just begun asking.
Arix didn’t know what it was.
He didn’t know why Drako had come.
He didn’t know what had been sought.
He didn’t know what the creature truly was.
And he certainly didn’t know why Veyr had chosen to keep him alive.
But he would learn.
One day.
For now— he trained.