《Beneath the Hidden Moon. [Action, Supernatural, mystery]》 Prologue Prologue April 2023- Report A talisman in the Crimson PineGlade forest was found broken. The following spiritual energy residue attracted over a 100,000 curse spirits towards the area. The perpetrator and the person sealed away have not been found yet. ¡°What do I do?¡± Kiara breathes heavily, sweating dripping off her face. The air feels suffocating in the area she is in. Her fingers grip heavily on her katana but her battle stance trembles. Her opponent stands before her, engulfed in a whirlwind of spiritual energy. She is deep in the forest, alone, facing someone far much stronger than her. She only has her skills and blade to rely on. The talisman behind him lies in ruins. The energy he is emitting, slowly crushes the air from Kiara¡¯s lungs. He slowly steps forwards towards Kiara, his footsteps slow and deliberate, his presence overwhelming. ¡°Thank you for releasing me.¡° His voice cold, husky. With a flick of his wrist, a blade materializes in his outstretched hands, ¡° It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve been in a battle. Prepare yourself girl.¡± Kiara raises her katana high, preparing for the inevitable, ¡° I won¡¯t make¡­ it easy for you,¡± her voice shallow and quiet. Fear taking control of her. There was only one way out of this. Only way out of this situation. 12 years ago Since the dawn of human civilization, curse spirits have roamed the world- invisible to regular humans and forms made of pure shadow. Those awakened with the power to fight these spirits are known as Wardens. Europe- Poland The sun peeked through the clouds, the birds flapped their wings and chirped in the distance. The sky looks peaceful but the battlefield below tells a different story. ¡°Everyone¡­retreat right now-,¡± the warden shouts before dropping mid-sentence, dead from his wounds. His body hitting the ground lifelessly. "It¡¯s too strong, we have to regroup,¡± another warden commanded, his gaze darting to all the survivors nearby. The grassy field was soaked in red and bodies. The air was thick with smoke, blood and the scent of blood. Elusives were ranked from a scale from lowest to strongest, D-rank to S-rank. Wardens follow a similar scale from F to S. A gigantic vulture-like creature covered in armor appeared through the flames, crashing through it at high speeds, sending many flying away. Numerous tiny smaller spirits accompanied the giant creature. Elusives with the rank of S, are named by one title- Monarchs. A few wardens jumped towards the Monarch, but their efforts were quickly stopped as its accompanying spirits grab them mid air and swiftly tearing them apart before disappear into the skyline. ¡°There¡¯s just too many,¡± a young apprentice said, his voice quivering in fear. His face and body were covered in blood and dirt, ¡°We can¡¯t handle this.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t do anything if that thing keeps laying eggs, and creating more reinforcements,¡± the apprentice¡¯s companion said next to him. ¡°We just gotta keep holding on, until reinforcements arrive,¡± a senior warden appears, putting his hands on their shoulders, calming them down but ultimately preparing them for the inevitable. Only A ranks and above were capable of handling these types of creatures. Even then it is still a challenge for them. The sky darkened as the battle continued, as more Elusives appeared through the smoke. The wind blew against the battlefield, brushing to a country far to the east in Asia, where a different battle is about to unfold, far in the countryside, hidden in the mountains. China. The monasteries were filled with monks and students training and meditating. A falcon flapping its wings perched itself on the head monk¡¯s arm, with a report wrapped around its leg. Gently untying the paper, the man reads the message. A bell signals a group of monks of an Elusive attack, and they prepared themselves for battle. ¡° We have gotten a report of an Elusive in the countryside,¡± the head monk commanded as he reads out the report to the group, ¡° There is a nearby village in its trajectory-evacuate the village and neutralize the threat. The younger students look at their mentors, fear flickering in their eyes. The group rushed out of the gates, heading into battle, each step bringing them closer to neutralizing the threat. On the other side of the world, in the distant ocean, in the dim, wet streets of America. People ran around, seeking shelter from the rain. Wind blew violently against the trees and the buildings below. The battle against the Elusives was a constant battle between survival and death. A task bestowed upon themselves, to protect mankind in secret. America. Rain fell incessantly down, wreaking havoc on the entire small neighborhood. Each drop shimmered in the dim moonlight, making tiny splashes and sending little ripples across the streets. A lone middle-aged figure stood still in the desolate streets, wearing his trench coat and holding an umbrella, standing alone. His silhouette was lit by the streetlights as he walks slowly toward a house. Superficially, it looked just like any other suburban house- well-mowed lawn, a flower bed rather neat, the trapped colors from the orchids and daisies in bloom. Slowly climbing the stairs, the man''s feet seemed to echo as he ascended the creaky wooden steps; it almost sounded as if the house were grumbling under his own weight. "Charm." A transparent barrier shimmered into existence around the suburban house. As he moved closer to the house, he quickly retracted the umbrella, folding it back and placing it in one of the many pockets on his coat. He gently knocked at the door. His voice followed the second knock, a low murmur cutting through the silent night. ¡° Alexander. Open the door. Are you okay?¡± Silence. Without any hesitation, the man pushed his way into the house, the hinges screeching in protest. The brightly colored wallpaper was now torn, scratched, and peeling. The chandelier lay broken on the ground, its crystal scattered like fallen stars. The man slowly investigates the area, the atmosphere oppressively weighing heavy on his senses. The house reeked heavily of death and sorrow. Pulling the pendant from his pocket, it shone into the dark and desolate house. He sensed a dark spiritual energy coming from the second story. Quickly unsheathing the sword as he climbed the stairs, he disregarded the creaking of the old hardwood boards. His approach was rushed. The dark energy grew stronger as he ascended. A huge sinister spirit noticed the man climbing to the second floor-an Elusive. It waits patiently for just the right moment before making its move. ¡° The cursed spirit here somewhere,¡± he whispers to himself, his voice low, but shaky. His eyes kept falling on one corner and the other to ensure he was never caught unaware. He was just preparing himself because he could sense the sudden dark spiritual energy from the room ahead. He quickly prepares himself for the inevitable. Gripping his blade tightly, he slowly opens the door, the hinges slowly creaking. The room was barren, the furniture was broken and it was covered in clawed marks. The man was about to leave before he noticed something or someone was watching him from the closet. He froze for a moment, his heart beating heavily in his chest. Quickly pointing his blade at the closet doors, he stepped closely, his footsteps feeling heavy but delicate. His eyes flickered at the doors. His hands trembled slightly before pushing the doors open. Slowly creaking the closet door, he sees a small girl cowering under a pile of clothing. Her face was pale in shock, covered in droplets of blood, and her eyes widened and covered in fear. She was clutching onto a small stuffed animal, her breathing very shallow and rough like a wounded animal. Kneeling carefully, the man lowered himself to her level, his voice soft and gentle, despite his heart pounding heavily on his chest. ¡° Hey there¡­ What¡¯s your name.¡± The girl looked at him cautiously, eyes darting across the room, not knowing whether to trust the stranger or not but after a couple seconds she answered his question, ¡° My name is¡­ Kiara.¡± The man slowly offers his hand to Kiara, his smile radiating warmth and safety for the young girl. ¡° It¡¯s nice to meet you Kiara,¡± his voice soft but trembling, ¡° My name is Edward and I am your grandfather. Your father hasn¡¯t introduced me to you yet, hasn¡¯t he.¡± The girl slowly nods, still unsure whether to trust him. ¡° Where are your parents Kiara?¡± Edward¡¯s voice was worrisome, waiting for Kiara¡¯s response to ease his consciousness. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡° The monster killed them¡­ in that room. In there.¡± pointing directly at the room across from where the two were. Edward quickly approaches the room, loudly pushing the door wide open, creating a little shockwave that rippled the home. Edward just stood there, and the silence was palpable. There was no sign of the cursed spirit but the remnants of something tragic. The oppressive feeling and smell of death were still lingering in the air. His heart was hammering in his chest, and the feeling couldn¡¯t be ignored. With a powerful sigh, he slowly makes his way back to Kiara, the sadness in his chest growing more with each step. He turned towards Kiara, clearly trying to hide the pain on his face and in his voice. He kneels back down to Kiara. He glances at the empty room, the air thick of memories of what happened back there. ¡° It¡¯s alright Kiara. I¡¯m not gonna let anything happen to you.¡± his heart raced- the thoughts of her parents lying dead on the ground lingered in his chest. He couldn¡¯t undo what happened in that room, or undo what she had seen. ¡° There are people I know that are going to help you as well. I promise.¡± Kiara, hesitant at first, slowly offers her hand to her grandfather, and she slowly leaves the closet. Grabbing his Nokia out of his pocket, he quickly presses the number and answers whoever picks up the receiver. He firmly holds onto Kiara¡¯s hand as he waits for someone to pick up his call. His footsteps brought anxiety upon Edward as he knew the cursed spirit was still inside the house, and he needed someone to come pick up him and Kiara. A click sounded through the receiver. ¡° What¡¯s the problem, Edward?¡± The voice on the end was rigged, familiar, but with an edge of concern. ¡° Hey. I got to the location, and I couldn¡¯t save the parents, but I found this girl. I need some backup to take her safely back to the temple. Now¡± Edward said, his voice low but commanding. ¡° No problem. Help will arrive in about 10 minutes. Hope she doesn¡¯t mind being stuck in the rain for a while. We don¡¯t want new recruits to be sick on their first day¡± ¡° Hahaha. How funny!¡± he said sarcastically, looking down at Kiara, his gaze covered in worry and uncertainty. I don¡¯t know about this one. I don¡¯t think she possesses any spiritual gifts at all.¡± ¡° Did she show any signs of sensing or seeing the Elusive?¡± The man¡¯s voice had a hint of skepticism. ¡° Yeah.¡± ¡° Edward? Are you under the weather? That¡¯s a clear sign that she possesses spiritual energy. She has to be recruited. Is there anything wrong Edward, that the council needs to know about?¡± Edward¡¯s mind raced with thoughts: the council, the system, the rules. He didn¡¯t have time to get involved or argue about them; his main mission was getting Kiara to safety. He had a strange feeling about all of this¡ªhe knew how the training for the recruits went. Her spiritual gifts made her not belong to this world nor did she belong to the world the council would likely demand out of her. What could Edward do? He was one man in the system and he had to do his job. The most that Edward can do is shield her as much as he can with her training. Kiara¡¯s quiet voice broke Edward out of his thoughts, her gaze drawn to the blade that he sheathed on his side. She slowly met his gaze. Kiara, noticing his discomfort, tugged on his sleeve, ¡° Why do you have a sword grandpa?¡± Edward gives off a small smile to Kiara. ¡° This sword is a part of what I do Kiara¡± Edward was having a hard time trying to describe what he does for a living and why he carries a blade around him, ¡°My job is to protect people from dangerous spirits- Elusives.¡± Kiara blinked, ¡° Is that¡­what killed mommy and daddy?¡± Kiara¡¯s words felt like a knife to Edward¡¯s throat, he didn¡¯t expect her to bluntly say that to him. He wasn¡¯t sure how to respond. A strange dark presence snuck up behind Edward, the elusive was near. ¡° Kiara. Stay behind me now.¡± Edward quickly unsheathed his blade and Kiara scurried behind her grandfather. His eyes darted everywhere, unable to find the elusive. The dark presence was near. ¡° We¡¯re not safe in this house, you walk in front of me as we descend the stairs okay.¡± Suddenly a huge dark monster leaped towards Edward, catching him off guard, a blur of claws and teeth. His instincts kicked in - quickly pushing Kiara out of the way before the elusive and Edward fell down the stairs. As they tumbled down the wooden stairs, the world spinned as they crashed into the dust-filled air.. The dusty smoke cloud created, blinded Edward, making him unable to see the creature. His vision was still spinning and he needed to regain his footing. He grabbed his weapon, and used it to block the creature¡¯s vicious attempt to bite his face off, its jaws snapping a few inches away from his. ¡° Flame!¡± His voice was steady but commanding despite the pain he was in. Edward¡¯s blade glowed red before being engulfed in a whirlwind of fire and ash. The elusive jaws backed away from the blade hissing as the heat burned its twisted form, scurrying back to create enough distance. Kiara¡¯s eyes widened in shock and amazement, her mouth wide open as the fire surrounded her grandfather¡¯s blade. Swiftly dashing at the spirit, Edward swung his katana. The elusive tried to dodge it but it was too slow. Edward swiftly sliced into the monster¡¯s side. The fire covered blade burned and scorched the creature, trying its best to escape. Its shrieks echoed throughout the house. Using all its strength, Edward swung his arms, and managed to cut the creature in half with brutal force. It¡¯s twisted body cracking from the slice. Quickly bubbling and expanding before exploding into dark mist. Vanishing with a howl. Edward gives off a quick sigh of relief as the dark energy is transmitted into the man¡¯s blade. ¡° Kiara. It¡¯s safe now. You can come out.¡± His voice is calm, but urgent. Kiara quickly ran down the stairs almost tripping but she walked up to her grandfather, holding his hand. Her face once covered in fear was now covered in awe. ¡° Grandpa, that was awesome. How did you do that? That was cool.¡± She exclaimed, her eyes wide opened. ¡° It¡¯s a skill,¡± he says keeping it simple, ¡° A skill you learn to survive¡­ and to protect others.¡± ¡° Do you think I will be able to do that, Grandpa? When I¡¯m older?¡¯ ¡° I don¡¯t know Kiara,¡± his voice uncharacteristically low, ¡° It¡¯s not a life anyone should be forced to do¡­ there are people in this world who will break you if you are not careful.¡± Kiara smiled and squeezed his hand tighter, an unexpected determination, ¡° I can do it Grandpa. I¡¯m strong just like you.¡± Edward gave a small chuckle to himself, a small faint smile across his face. He quickly escorts Kiara out of the house where they waited for their backup to arrive. The rain continuously poured heavily onto the house and the neighborhood. Edward gave a quick glance at Kiara who was still tugging on his sleeve after witnessing him kill the elusive. The tired man looked off to the distance as his comrade¡¯s car arrived onto the scene. Its headlights pierced the rain. Quickly rolling down his windows to alert the duo. ¡° You guys look rough. Edward, get the kid into the car, she looks like she is gonna get a cold real quick in this weather.¡± Edward slowly kneeled down to Kiara. His hand resting on her messy dirty hair. ¡° I almost forgot. How old are you Kiara?¡± ¡° Five,¡± she replied. ¡° You must have a lot of questions Kiara. That trick you saw me doing, there¡¯s a chance you could be able to do that too, you could be like a warden like me¡± Kiara¡¯s eyes widened in happiness and curiosity, she began jumping in excitement. ¡° Do you think I will be able to control the fire? Or¡­ create candy out of my hands?¡± Edward chuckles to himself, amusing in Kiara¡¯s child-like antics. He grabs her hands, retracting his umbrella, and they walk to the car. ¡° Listen Kiara. You don¡¯t have to be a warden, there are many more important things in life than that, but if you choose this path, I will always protect you, no matter what. ¡° Kiara¡¯s hand gripped her grandfather¡¯s, he could feel the unspoken promise between them. ¡° These people might not be the nicest and most caring like your parents but I will shield you from them, you understand.¡± ¡° I understand Grandpa.¡± Edward¡¯s eyes lingered on Kiara¡¯s serious and amusing face. He has no idea what the future will lead to her or for him but he knows all he can do is guide along the right path. Edward slowly puts Kiara in the backseat of the car, he couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that this was just the beginning of a new life for him and Kiara. The days that followed blurred into weeks then into months then finally years. 11 years later The sun dipped low. The streets bustling with busy people leaving their driveways to work, and kids walking to school, unaware of the ancients forces lurking in the shadows. Edward¡¯s hands trembled a bit as he finished cleaning up the last of the pans and dishes, he slowly picked up his slow roast coffee but nearly dropped it when he noticed the time. ¡° Kiara. Finish your breakfast. At the pace you are eating, you will be late for school.¡± Kiara with her mouth open, about to consume a piece of pancake on her forks, puts it down. She checks the time on her clock, and her eyes shoot out in shock and confusion. ¡° Oh crap,¡± she begins quickly putting the pancakes in her mouth and washing it down with a nice glass of orange juice. It was a sharp contrast from the scared girl from that many nights ago. Edward rolled his eyes, he almost forgot what it was like to take care of a teenager at his old brittle age. ¡° Oh by the way Kiara, there will be no training this week, and if you dare try to disobey me¡­ that¡¯s 20 bowls of veggies for you for the next two weeks. You need to study for college and not worry about killing elusives.¡± Kiara gives a soft groan a familiar sound to Edward, ¡° I understand grandpa, I promise to try to not disobey you,¡± tossing him a grin and playful wink as quickly grabs her bag and dashed out of the door, leaving Edward contemplating whether she is really being sincere or not. ¡° That girl is gonna be the death of me someday. Just like her father.¡± His voice felt unrecognizable, rough with years of experience and too long burdened by secrets. He begins putting his hand into a hand sign. A dark mist appeared in front of Edward, revealing a small spirit falcon. It hovered in front of Edward, its glowing eyes met his. ¡° Keep an eye on Kiara today,¡± Edward ordered steadily, ¡° Report to me when she eventually hunts another elusive.¡± The bird quickly flapped its wings once and disappeared into the air, vanishing into the shadows of the house. Edward walks back to his study room, his steps steady, but his thoughts are anything but. Something was off today. But what? Chapter 1. Kiara Meitner A hero is someone who, regardless of the cost, steps forward against adversity, making sacrifices to help others or achieve a noble goal. Kiara quickly dashes out of the house, unaware of her grandfather¡¯s spirit companion following her. Her gaze was focused on not being marked tardy by her teacher. She quickly sees her friends walking up ahead and runs hard to catch up to them. ¡°Hey, it''s been a while.¡± yelling loudly to her friends. Kiara¡¯s friends jump from her sudden appearance but they all laugh it off together as they continue on their way to school. ¡°Where did you come from Kiara?¡± one of her friends asked, teasing her. ¡°I just ran really fast from my house,¡± she replies, her voice dry and out of breath, wiping the sweat from her forehead. ¡°Did you oversleep again?¡± her other friend teased, a mischievous smile on her face. Kiara just rolled her eyes as her friends giggled. The air was crisp and gently filled the area with the fresh scent of grass and flowers. The scent of the orchids reminded Kiara for a moment about when life was simple when her parents were still alive, and she was just a simple kid. It was a stark contrast from how intense and fun her life is in life-and-death situations fighting curse spirits. ¡°Oh Kiara, how is your grandfather doing?¡± one of her friends asks. Her friend¡¯s comment about her grandfather quickly snaps Kiara out of her memories. ¡°Oh he is doing just fine, why do you ask?¡± Kiara says. ¡°Is he some kind of fencing instructor or swordsman because whenever I see him, he is always swinging his blade around and teaching you?¡± her friend questions. Kiara¡¯s eyes darted away, her gaze flickering to the ground as her hands twitched. Quickly pushing back her long black hair that covered one side of her face. The question about her grandfather did make her throat tighten but she forced a smile. She couldn¡¯t let her friends know about the Warden society and what she does in her free time. ¡°Oh. I mean he is¡­ some swordsman but I swear he is just¡­. Uhhhh-¡± Kiara¡¯s rambling is interrupted when she accidentally bumps into a tall white-haired man and his female companion standing next to him. Kiara was caught off guard by the man¡¯s stern, cold, and tired expression. His eyes clearly told her that she was in big trouble. She couldn¡¯t do anything. It was as if every limb of her body was frozen in fear. The air felt chilled, the man¡¯s presence was unlike anything she felt before. The air around him seemed to intensify. The man¡¯s companion, the long blonde-haired girl with a stern expression, nudged him on his side with a sharp look, ¡° Come on brother, don¡¯t give her that look. It was clearly an accident.¡± The man said nothing, putting his hand on Kiara¡¯s shoulder, and violently pushed her to the side, catching both her and her friends off guard. ¡°Hey! You could at least be gentle.¡± Kiara¡¯s friend yells out. Let¡¯s get going,¡± the man¡¯s partner says swiftly, ¡°Sorry about my brother. He is not gentle with people,¡± Kiara tries to push her friends to keep moving on as they are getting late to school. Her friends are busy cursing the man and his sister out for being rude. The day has started pretty awkwardly for her. ¡°You should probably teach your brother some manners for once, you hear that you little-¡± Kiara¡¯s friend exclaims before she and her other friend cover her mouth. ¡°Hahaha. Ignore that please,¡± she whispers something quietly, ¡° Nina, let¡¯s get going now. The school bell is about to ring in 5 minutes.¡± The trio runs quickly to make it to school, running past all the civilians passing by. The man stares back as the trio moves along, his partner nudges his side for them to keep moving. ¡°Let¡¯s get going,¡± she murmured, ¡° We don¡¯t want to leave big sis all alone any longer now,¡± The man¡¯s eyes lingered on Kiara, glaring at her presence, ¡° That girl¡­she is a warden. Her spiritual energy has potential but it¡¯s sloppy and too uncontrolled. Filthy human.¡± ¡°Father said not to engage with wardens, ¡° his sister teased, ¡° He wouldn¡¯t appreciate your attitude.¡± Rolling his eyes, the man turned and walked away, his sister trailing behind him. ¡°He is not our father,¡± he mutters quickly but silently to himself, out of earshot from his sister. A chilling sensation crawled up Kiara¡¯s spine, it was unlike anything she felt before. She quickly pulls out her pendant but it doesn''t shine- a sign of an Elusive in the area. Kiara''s eyes dart around but she doesn¡¯t feel anything off in the area, no hint of dark spiritual energy. Was it that man and his sister? Kiara slapped her hands on her cheeks to calm herself down, her imagination was running all over the place, and she just bumped into two strangers. That unnerving situation must have made her think there was an Elusive nearby. She hoped school would be kind to her, and her day would be better from this point on. The school day did not make Kiara¡¯s day any better. The classroom felt like a prison, the humming of the teacher¡¯s voice faded into the background as her mind wandered. It smelled like chalk dust and stale paper. The outside world felt so colorful through the windows, with the sun peeking through the clouds. It was too disorienting for Kiara. It would be so much better if I was out fighting Elusives, then stuck in this desk, she thought doodling in her sketchbook. ¡°Kiara,¡± the teacher yelled out her name. She quickly snaps back to reality, but the moment went by quickly. Time felt like it slowed down for an eternity. Kiara¡¯s friend watches her softly smack her head on her desk in Advisory. ¡°You really don¡¯t like that teacher don¡¯t you Kiara,¡± Nina says. ¡°I don¡¯t hate the teacher, I just hate the way she teaches, it¡¯s so slow and boring like¡­ you feel time slowing down in her class,¡± Kiara exclaims to her friends. ¡°I think that¡¯s a you thing. Your attention span is so bad, your brain requires stimulation almost every second, it¡¯s that bad,¡± Chloe jokes. I mean if you are constantly jumping off roofs and buildings and working with magic, your brain would be used to fast-paced action all the time Kiara smiles to herself at the thought. The school bell suddenly rings loudly, echoing down the hallway, signaling the end of the day. Students flood out of their classrooms- some clogging the halls to chat with their friends, while others hurriedly dash towards the exits. Kiara grabbed her notes and stuffed them in her bag. There was a strange sensation that wasn¡¯t quite right. Something was wrong- but Kiara couldn¡¯t place her finger on it. She walks down the stairs chatting with her friends. Her friends were laughing beside her, unaware of the unease in the area. She is forced to pretend everything is okay with a smile. ¡°See you tomorrow,¡± Kiara says as they parted ways, waving each other off. As she walked out of the school gates, Kiara tried to blend in with the crowd, but her eyes darted around, scanning for danger, but unaware to her, Edward¡¯s spirit companion was following her. She started sensing a dangerous feeling a couple streets down from where she was. Quickly ignoring her doubts, she dashes into the busy streets to where that dangerous feeling came from. Meanwhile, Edward sits alone in his dimly lit study room, documents, and loose papers everywhere. He is busy talking on the phone with another person on the receiver. Edward¡¯s eyes dart around, picking up and looking through the loose papers as the call continues. ¡°How are things going with your training with Kiara?¡± the man on the receiver asks, his voice smooth but very disingenuous with the topic. ¡°She¡¯s just like any other rank at her age, just a regular D rank,¡± Edwards replies diligently, his tone stiff, ¡° Nothing out of the ordinary.¡± There is a long silence on the other end. ¡°Hmm¡­a D rank huh. The current climate right now is¡­ very tense. A and B rank Elusives are growing and evolving at a rate much faster than expected- you know what that means.¡± Edward¡¯s eyes darted at a picture frame of him in his younger days, the glare covering up the face of the person next to him in the picture. The memories it brought lingered in his head. ¡°I¡¯m doing what I can,¡± Edward swiftly says, his voice quiet but still controlled. ¡°But you should already know the drill. We A ranks handle the major threats. It is not Kiara''s fight yet or any of the younglings.They are all¡­ too inexperienced.¡± The voice on the other end doesn¡¯t seem satisfied with Edward¡¯s answer. "Perhaps it would be better for Kiara if she were fully integrated with the curriculum¡ªtraining alongside the other D ranks and below." the man on the receiver says. Edward¡¯s face is stern, his hands clenching into a fist. ¡°I still think it¡¯s better if a person close to her should train her. All those younglings should not be forced to train harder because of an increase of A rank Elusives, it¡¯s not their battle it¡¯s ours. Kiara and the rest need time. We should prepare them for what¡¯s to come properly.¡± ¡°Perhaps you are right but remember you asked to be her mentor, while it is true that it is normal for kids her age to still be D rank, a lot of them manage to proceed to at least C and B rank. Maybe your training is not as sufficient as you proclaimed those many years ago.¡± ¡°You were about Kiara¡¯s age once, Zhang. I remember training you, you had major respect for me. All full of hope, and you were such a cute boy. Now look at you- no-nonsense, very strict, and rules. What happened to the cute boy that idolized me?¡± Edward snarks back, clearly trying to tease him. ¡°You must be misremembering things, I was always all rules and no-nonsense¡­.¡± Edward smiles to himself as he hears Zhang breathing heavily to himself. He played directly into Edward¡¯s teasing game. ¡°Your attempts to change the conversation are not working Edward, we need strong wardens in this day and age, there hasn¡¯t been an S rank in a long time, and we need one as fast as possible.¡± If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Edward¡¯s gaze shifts back onto the photograph, picking it up and examining it, ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to show you her potential. I¡¯ll make her ready. She¡¯ll not fail you.¡± Tightening his grip on the phone, Edward¡¯s mind flashed to when he was her age. He trained hard and obeyed all orders and rules set by the council but Kiara was different, she inherited that rebellious personality of her father. She had potential but she lacked the discipline and control. There¡¯s a long pause. The silence consumes Edward, waiting for Zhang¡¯s response. ¡° I hope you are right. If you ever change your mind, you should at least let her tour the area, but don¡¯t be surprised if your training is not enough for her, the world is changing and it is unforgiving to people like her.¡± Zhang rudely hangs up the call on Edward. He slowly puts the phone back in his pocket and continues working in his study room. Tapping the pencil on his notebook, Edward contemplated himself. ¡°Maybe it wouldn¡¯t hurt for Kiara to meet other children like her,¡± he mutters softly to himself. ¡° Kiara should be home by now, where is she?¡± He puts his hand over his eyes and sees through his spirit companion following Kiara running through the busy streets away from her home. Edward¡¯s face is empty for a couple seconds before bursting out in playful anger, ¡° Kiara! You are making me look bad.¡± he rubs his forehead, ¡°Disobeying my orders¡­ heh just like her father. ¡± ¡°I hope she doesn¡¯t get hurt,¡± Edward says, muttering to himself. After a couple minutes of running, Kiara stops to take a breather. Quickly wiping the sweat and breathing hard to catch her breath. Taking out her pendent, it flowed brightly, signaling Kiara that the Elusive was near in this area. She explored the alleyway, graffiti, and garbage were everywhere. Kiara¡¯s eyes darted everywhere to find the Elusive but instead, she saw a hand behind a set of boxes. She slowly walks forward to see a child slumped over next to a pile of garbage. Cowering under fear when he notices Kiara walking towards him. ¡°Hey. It¡¯s okay now,¡± she says gently, her voice slow and sincere. She thinks to herself, "He probably got lost somewhere, I should get him to safety before I can fight the elusive, ¡° I promise I won''t bite.¡± The scared child moves farther away from Kiara as she reaches her hand towards his. She immediately felt confused at his gesture. She didn¡¯t know what to do after this moment. What did I do wrong? Do I look suspicious? Kiara¡¯s mind raced with thoughts, I thought kids loved me. ¡°I¡¯m not going to eat you. I promise,¡± Kiara¡¯s heart dropped, her words hanging in her throat, Girl. Stop saying you are gonna eat him, good job for him not trust you any further. The uncomfortable silence did not make the situation any more awkward. Edward¡¯s spirit companion slowly perched itself on a nearby ledge, watching over Kiara¡¯s action. Kiara swiftly slapped herself on the cheeks to calm herself down, but that feeling of the kid being scared affected her slightly. ¡° What¡¯s your name?¡± Kiara says gently, ¡° My name is Kiara and what¡¯s yours.¡± The boy looked at Kiara briefly, his breath heavy, hands trembling, ¡°My name is¡­ Noah.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a cool name, Noah,¡± Kiara says with a big smile on her face, offering her hand again, ¡° I don¡¯t think you are comfortable hiding behind those boxes. I¡¯ll buy you some food before I return you back to your parents. Okay, I know a killer pizza place near here.¡± Noah stayed quiet for a long time, unintentionally making Kiara think she said something wrong. She kneels down to Noah¡¯s level, ¡° Look Noah, I know you are scared and don¡¯t trust me, but I promise you, I won¡¯t leave you alone.¡± ¡°Come on,¡± she said again, trying to sound more sincere, ¡° I could show you something cool,¡± she swung her finger around, a black mist trail of spiritual energy following her finger. Noah¡¯s eyes widened, his curiosity sparking. Kiara''s lips form slowly into a smile, ¡° Let¡¯s get you out of here, this place is kind of scary, to be honest.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to go,¡± Noah quietly mutters to Kiara. Kiara tries to comfort Noah but he says something that made Kiara¡¯s heart, ¡° The monster is near.¡± Kiara''s eyes widened, her eyes darting to find where the Elusive was. Thinking quickly, she placed her hands into a charm spell. In an instant, the alleyway is covered by a translucent barrier shimmering into existence. Shifting her hands into a different hand sign, Kiara¡¯s normal school uniform is engulfed into a misty black smoke, transforming them into formal attire with a purple kimono draped over her shoulders, with a katana sheathed next to her side. ¡° Woah, ¡° Noah gasped, his eyes widening at what he just saw, ¡° How did you do that?¡± Kiara started tapping her foot, not knowing how to explain what she just did to Noah, ¡° Uh. Magic.¡± She looks around, unsheathing her katana but she doesn¡¯t see the Elusive, the pendant still glows telling her that it was near her proximity. ¡° Stay back Noah. Stay close to me at all times.¡± Kiara ordered Noah as he went back into hiding behind the pile of boxes. Noah started breathing heavily, his eyes widening, sweating profusely. Kiara turned her head to see what was wrong, and she saw Noah pointing at something. Kiara quickly turned back to see a two-headed Elusive appear in front of her, her eyes widened from being caught off guard. She quickly turned her body to the side, before the spirit could grab her. Kiara¡¯s eyes darted towards Noah, who was watching the whole thing unfold. Shit. Shit. Shit. Kiara¡¯s mind raced, Calm down! If I die, Noah will die as well. Think of a plan Kiara, think rationally. She quickly dashes herself towards the beast, This is not a rational plan! Quickly swinging her katana, she manages to get an indent into the creature¡¯s shoulder. ¡° I did it!¡± Kiara exclaims proudly, before being thrown like a ragdoll into the nearby wall, falling face first into the ground, a dust cloud forming around her, ¡°Ow,¡± her eyes watering from the dirt in her eyes, coughing profusely from the smoke. Her back hurt badly from the impact. The pain radiating across her body, The two-headed Elusive launched its multiple tail whips at Kiara, who thinks quickly dodging their attempts to pierce her again. Quickly on her feet, she dashed towards the Elusive, narrowly missing many of their attacks. One of the tails managed to graze on her leg. Momentarily distracted, the cursed spirit pushed her back to where she started. Edward, watching the battle through his hawk spirit¡¯s eyes, thinks to himself, "I should help Kiara out, Zhang¡¯s words ring in his head, don¡¯t be surprised if your training is not enough for her, the world is changing and it is unforgiving to people like her. Edward gives a long deep sigh to himself, ¡° Maybe he is right,¡± he quickly examines the elusive, ¡° It appears to be at least a low C rank spirit, Kiara might be able to defeat it if she plays her numbers right.¡± Wiping her eyes quickly, Kiara quickly got into a stance against the Elusive. Her eyes still watered a bit, from the smoke in the air. She breathes deeply, trying to maintain her composure, raising her katana high. The taste of smoke rained heavily in the area, filling her mouth. The two-headed Elusive quickly glances at Noah and then back at Kiara. She slowly walks forward towards Noah, each step heavy and deliberate. The Elusive charges itself towards Noah, and Kiara acts immediately by aiming and throwing her blade. Edward¡¯s heart dropped for a moment, Kiara¡¯ action could either go well or go horribly wrong. The katana narrowly misses the Elusive, scratching it on its leg, causing it to collapse onto the ground. Kiara quickly dashed towards Noah, putting him behind her, ¡° Release,¡± Kiara¡¯s katana dissolves back into pure spiritual energy. She quickly outstretched her hands into a hand sign. The katana reappeared in her outstretched hands. Edward¡¯s eyes widened from how quickly Kiara acted in a high-stakes scenario, impressed by her actions. Kiara yhrew her katana into the Elusive¡¯s body, thrusting it as deep as she physically could. The creature squirmed heavily, trying its best to escape, ¡° Just stay down already,¡± in a clean slice, she successfully eliminated the cursed spirit. Kiara collapses onto the ground. She collapses onto the ground. The battle drained a lot of her strength and spiritual energy. She slowly laughs to herself. ¡° Hahaha. That was so exhilarating and amazing.¡± Her laugh was radiant and bright. Much better than sitting at a desk all day thinking to herself. Noah slowly walked over to Kiara, his eyes widened, and his face filled with curiosity. Edward¡¯s spirit companion still watched over Kiara on the ledge. Edward looked at Noah¡¯s face, it was the same face that Kiara made when she first saw him fight an Elusive. Before he could release his spirit, he noticed something in the distance, ¡° Oh no.¡± ¡° Let¡¯s get you to your parents now-¡± Kiara reassures Noah before being cut off by a group of people standing on top of the rooftop ledge. No one should be in the area since the charm spell was still in effect, which meant only one thing- they were wardens. There was a rule that Kiara forgot. Since she was a D-rank Warden, she had to be accompanied by a person of B rank or above at all times. Kiara started sweating profusely, not knowing what to do. ¡° Where is your mentor kid?¡± one of the wardens shouted loudly at her. Kiara had no answer to that, she didn¡¯t expect to see another warden before. Unlike her grandfather, they were not gonna show her any mercy. ¡° Is something wrong, Kiara?¡± Noah says, not understanding the situation Kiara is in. The leader of the group drops down to where Kiara is, ¡° Don¡¯t make things hard, kid, come with us so the council can decide your punishment.¡± Kiara''s blood felt cold, her heart rate dropping quickly. Their gaze and their authority- felt oppressive. Her throat felt like it was closing in on itself. I can''t lie my way out of this one, Kiara''s mind raced, her hands trembled. She didn''t know what to do. Edward, acting quickly, ordered his companion to attack the leader. ¡° What the¡± The hawk spirit quickly clawed itself on the leader, taking advantage of the situation, Kiara removed the barrier around the alleyway, grabbed Noah¡¯s hand and her school stuff, and quickly dashed away from the group. Kiara quickly fights through the pain in her leg to get Noah and herself to safety. ¡° Get back here!¡± one of the Wardens shouted. ¡° Leave them!¡± the leader commanded his group, ¡° I hope her mentor gives her some discipline.¡± After a couple miles downtown, Kiara and Noah quickly stopped their pace. Her throat stung from exhaustion, and her breaths felt non-existent, ¡° Oh my god¡­ I need to work on my cardio.¡± she said, taking deep quick breaths. She quickly noticed a nearby ice cream shop nearby. ¡°You like ice cream, kid,¡± Kiara inquires. Noah nodded his head quickly. Kiara quickly pulled out her wallet, she had a couple dollars to spare for him. After a couple minutes of waiting in line, they exited the shop with two chocolate ice cream cones. ¡°Let¡¯s get you home Noah, where do you live?¡± Kiara asks, pulling out her phone¡¯s map to check the map. Noah licks his ice cream, pointing his finger at Kiara¡¯s phone. Kiara¡¯s eyes widened, as she realized that they had traveled twenty miles away from Noah¡¯s home. She scratches her head in frustration. ¡°Alright, we¡¯re going to the police station. It¡¯ll be a lot easier for you to get home,¡± grabbing Noah¡¯s hands and they depart themselves to the police station. After around 30 minutes, Kiara dropped Noah off at the police station. Noticing the time, Kiara got herself a taxi to get back home. Kiara thought to herself as many lies she could come up with and tell her grandfather as to why she arrived around 2 hours late from school. Upon making it to her suburban house, Kiara quickly pats herself down, coming up with a lie that she just got lost and that was why she was late. Taking a deep breath, she knocks at the door. Edward opens the door, pretending to not know what Kiara just did. Kiara quickly moved past her grandfather spouting out her half-baked lie to him. ¡° Lost again? You should work on your stories, Kiara,¡± Edward says, raising his eyebrow. ¡° What? What are you talking about?¡± Kiara¡¯s voice is all high and she is sweating all over the place. A sign she is lying. Edward¡¯s tone softens as he notices the exhaustion in her eyes, ¡° It appears to me, you disobeyed my orders,¡± pointing at Kiara¡¯s wounds. She gives off an awkward laugh as Edward¡¯s lips thin and his eyes narrow. ¡°You were seen by other wardens Kiara,¡± Edward¡¯s voice was gentle but firm, ¡° You were lucky that I distracted them so that you could escape with that kid.¡± ¡°That was you?¡± Kiara¡¯s eyes widened in confusion, her mouth slightly open. She let out a breath, ¡°Thank you for having my back Grandpa. I¡¯ll try to be more careful.¡± ¡°You have to be careful, you can¡¯t just act on your own,¡± Edward gestured to Kira, ¡° You may have gotten lucky with that C rank and those wardens but I promise you that it won''t be that way.¡± Kiara¡¯s eyes looked down on the ground. Understanding the weight of her actions. Edward slowly walked to Kiara, and slowly embraced her in a hug, with her hugging him back. ¡°Don¡¯t think that I¡¯m being overly harsh on you kid,¡± Edward says gently but his voice is firm, ¡° I¡¯m just trying to protect you¡­ the council isn¡¯t overly nice to rule breakers like you,¡± he slowly pats her on the head, embarrassing Kiara, ¡° Get ready for dinner, we¡¯ll continue this conversation during dinner.¡± Kiara smiles as she slowly walks up the stairs to her room. She was glad she had her grandfather with her, the only one who truly understood her. Upon reaching her room, she threw her school stuff onto the bed and changed into your home clothes. Kiara quickly walked down the stairs for dinner, but a feeling that she had during the whole day popped up in her head. Why did she feel spiritual energy similar to that of an Elusive when she bumped into that brother and sister duo? That dark presence radiating off both of them lingered on her head. There was something off about them, that she couldn¡¯t place her finger on, Chapter 2. Young girls sass Old mans wisdom A woman is convulsing on the ground in an alleyway, in the busy streets of the city. The people walking by were unaware of what was happening in the background. She slowly stopped moving, foam dribbling out of her mouth. ¡°Another failure,¡± the man in the plague doctor outfit said next to his partner, his voice muffled through the mask, ¡° How should we report this to the master?¡± ¡°Eh. It doesn¡¯t matter to me anyway. We still have five more canisters,¡± the man in Roman-style armor said, nudging his partner with his shoulder, ¡° Let¡¯s find the next straggler to experiment with.¡± ¡°He said to find a perfect host,¡± the plague doctor mutters, ¡° so we should not find a random straggler.¡± ¡°I just want to get out of doing this petty task already,¡± glaring at his partner. The plague doctor pours a liquid out of his flask and the body is quickly dissolved into nothing, no evidence that a crime took place. The two men walked off into the streets, catching the attention of a few civilians but they just ignored the two, oblivious to what they just did. Around this time, in the evening, the smell of sizzling steak filled Kiara¡¯s stomach. She watched as her grandfather flipped steaks and shrimp on the grill. It was the only thing that distracted her from the pain from the Elusive battle. The healing ointment was not working fast enough for Kiara. Leaning back on her chair, the lingering discomfort of her wound gnawed on her patience. A question randomly pops up in Kiara¡¯s head. Something about her grandfather made her wonder- Did he ever have doubts? Does he have any secrets? ¡°Grandpa. How was life back when you were my age?¡± Kiara asks, catching Edward¡¯s attention off guard. Edward answers, a hint of confusion in his voice as he takes the food off the grill. His eyes looked on with mild surprise. ¡° Well. I wasn¡¯t popular with the girls,¡± he said with a chuckle, flipping the shrimp,¡° But I got along with my seniors.¡± ¡°No, I mean, tell me about how your adventures went. You are an A rank after all, and you get to handle the exciting missions,¡± Kiara says excitedly. ¡°Actually, I was mostly tasked with education, scouting, and searching for lost relics.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Kiara says, disappointed with her grandfather¡¯s answers, her shoulders dropping,¡° Can you at least tell me what you do in your study room, you spend a lot of time there. It is driving me crazy.¡± Edward''s eyes meet Kiara¡¯s, his expression is different from what Kiara is used to seeing. Setting the tongs down, he slowly looks at his study room, then back at Kiara¡¯s gaze., It seemed as though if he was searching for the right words. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you one day Kiara. The most I can tell you right now is that it''s important, and when I think it¡¯s ready, I¡¯ll tell you.¡± Edward says, his voice is husky and soft-spoken. Kiara¡¯s curiosity grew even bigger, and she frowned. She hated that feeling when her grandfather said the right words to satisfy her question but not enough for it to be an actual answer- it was annoying. Even though Kiara knew this was going to happen, she knew better not to press him any further. Still, the mystery was eating her on the inside. What is this project? What was in the study room? ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking Kiara,¡± Edward says, putting a couple pieces of shrimp in her bowls of noodles, ¡° You haven¡¯t been near other Wardens like you or me before¡­. I think you should know how things operate.¡± Kiara eyes look on in confusion, as she chews on her piece of shrimp and noodles. This announcement was very out of nowhere for Kiara. ¡°Why do you want to take me to the temple? I thought you were on bad terms with the council.¡± Kiara says questioning her grandfather¡¯s decision, This wasn¡¯t like her grandfather. Edward contemplates to himself, his expression unclear. He chews slowly before answering, ¡° I wouldn¡¯t say on bad terms, I would say I don¡¯t work well with them.¡± ¡°That¡¯s called bad terms Grandpa,¡± Kiara says jokingly, teasing at her Grandpa¡¯s cryptic message. Edward smirks to himself. He continued flipping more food on the grill, but Kiara couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that something was going on inside his head. ¡°I talked with an old apprentice of mine, and he made me think that maybe I was protecting you too much from how the warden society operated.¡± ¡°You already told me how it was operated,¡± Kiara said, poking at her noodles, ¡° they send C rank and above to hunt down Elusive, right? They find and train children like me who can sense spiritual energy, and they are sticklers for tradition. ¡± Kiara looks on at her grandfather, waiting for his response. His facial expression is unclear as if he is waiting for the right words to use. ¡°That is somewhat true,¡± he pauses, taking a piece of shrimp off the grill. His gaze was distant. Kiara¡¯s eyes widened, filled with confusion, as she looked at Edward, ¡° From what I¡¯ve heard about the council, they¡¯re just a bunch of grumpy old men.¡± Edward stares off into the distance, his facial expression unclear and vague to Kiara. The awkward silence felt like it lasted for an eternity. The sizzling sounds of the grill brought any semblance of noise. There are some events in my past that soured my relations with them, that¡¯s all,¡± Edward puts more food onto Kiara¡¯s bowl of noodles,¡± I¡¯ll take you to the temple on Friday. You¡¯ll meet some kids, and see how they¡¯re trained. I¡¯ll talk to some colleagues of mine.¡± ¡°Why haven¡¯t I trained in the temple Grandpa? From the sounds of it, I am the only one not trained in there? Why is that?¡± Kiara asks, shifting in her seat, glancing around the room, and her gaze intensified around Edward. Edward¡¯s hands move slowly as he takes off the last pieces of food off the grill. He leans back on his chair while Kiara leans forward to hear his story. After stretching for a bit, he slowly straightens his back. ¡°It¡¯s time you understand. I¡¯ll tell you why you are not trained at the temple.¡± Kiara¡¯s gaze sharpens, her mouth wide open in curiosity, ¡° What happened, Grandpa?¡± Edward gaze meets Kiara¡¯s eyes, his voice lowering, ¡° This happened a couple months after I found you¡­.¡± MARCH 2012- 11 years before modern day Edward was standing in front of the Warden council, his posture unyielding, and his expression unwavering. Five men in cloaks surrounded Edward waiting for the situation that required their attention. He was ready to defend his decision. Kiara is sat in the spectator room, watching her grandfather be questioned by the council. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. ¡°Mr. Meitner.¡± one of the men firmly says, ¡° You request the need to personally train Kiara Meitner by yourself outside the temple.. Am I correct?¡± ¡°That is correct,¡± Edward said firmly, his eyes flickering briefly towards the gallery room. One of the older men in cloaks rudely interrupts his colleague, ¡° You do realize that this violates traditions, All new younglings brought into the temple are to be trained and looked after in the temple at all times.¡± Edward felt his jaw tighten, slowly turning his head towards Kiara. Her face all tired and bored not fully comprehending the situation to its fullest. Turning his gaze at the council, his defiance burning bright, ¡°I feel like as her grandfather, I need to be the one who should watch over her training to the fullest, no child should be trained and forced to train in a harsh system.¡± His voice was steady but his heart was beating fast. The crowd started muttering beneath their breaths, discussing Edward¡¯s point of view. Their faces are covered in shadow from the dimly lit room of the council. Only their voices broke through the darkness. ¡°Who does he think he is?¡± ¡°The training, while rough and brutal, builds strength and resilience.¡± ¡°He is only saying this because she is his granddaughter.¡± Edward felt their disapproval and their judgment. He ignored the whispering behind him, but the thoughts still lingered in his head. It felt like no one was on his side, no one understood the point of view he was looking from. Edward remained unmoved as the council continued their discussion. A young fellow, Zhang, watches from the balcony, his face radiating discipline and order. His colleague addressed the concerns written on his face, ¡°What do you think of Mr. Meitner, Zhang?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see the point of him personally training her, he can still do it, he can still shield her from harm''s way, he will just have extra help from other people,¡± he says shrugging his shoulders, ¡° I don¡¯t see why he is so worked up over this,¡± Zhang calmly explains. ¡°I mean it is your mentor¡¯s granddaughter after all, a family connection can bias any decision.¡± the man says. ¡°I mean it¡¯s technically allowed for wardens to start families, it''s more frowned over because you are ignoring your duties to protect the citizens to protect one single person, but ultimately the final decision is up to the council.¡± Zhang says. ¡°Change is needed. The system breaks people down- some never fully recovering,¡± Edward proclaims bluntly. His voice echoed loudly in the chamber, ¡° I¡¯m not just protecting her, I¡¯m all the other recruits and younglings like her.¡± The whispering and the exchange of looks continued behind Edward, he expected this type of reaction from the people behind him.The council members turned their chairs back at Edward, discussing what should their next decision be: accept Edward¡¯s request or deny it. Edward looks on at the council with their backs turned against him, anticipating the inevitable decision. He looks back at the people in the background, their faces mostly covered in shadows, unable to know what emotions they are feeling. After a couple minutes of discussion, the council members turn back towards Edward. His fist formed into a fist, anticipating their answers. Zhang looks on from above, his brown eyes lingering on Edward¡¯s presence. ¡°We decided to allow your request,¡± one of the council members proclaimed from his chair. Edward quietly congratulated himself, but there was something that tugged on his mind- Why did they accept his request? A cold thread of doubt slithered in his mind. An unanswered questioning was now gnawing on him. ¡°I promise I will not disappoint you,¡± Edward bows his head towards the council before slowly leaving to pick up Kiara from the gallery room. The council stopped Edward before he could make a huge distance. ¡°We¡¯ll see Mr. Meitner. Your mentee will break down by just the reality of this world,¡± the council member in the middle proclaimed to Edward, his eyes narrowing on him. His voice cutting through the air, ¡° If that girl dies, the only one you can blame is yourself. Dying because of your insufficient training. The sounds of clapping echoed through the people in the shadows. The sound infuriated Edward. He slowly turns his head, his eyes glaring back at the council members, his fists balled tightly, a look of anger and bloodlust flowing through him. The silence in the room thickened, their gazes wandering on him. ¡°That is true but if she lives and surpasses your expectations, the only insufficient training is the one that you all have been enforcing for all this time,¡± Edward says coldly to the council members. Muttering and whispering following his proclamation. ¡° So be it,¡± the council member says sarcastically, ¡° You may now leave, and continue chasing loose ends for the rest of your life. ¡± Edward just ignores the council member¡¯s taunts and walks over to pick up Kiara from the gallery room and they swiftly leave. ¡°That¡¯s why you¡¯ve never been to the temple before Kiara,¡± Edward says softly, finishing the story, ¡°I didn''t want you want to be tangled up with their world.... and I had no desire to return back." Kiara listens intently, not losing her focus on her grandfather¡¯s storytelling. Her eyes and mouth are wide open waiting for what¡¯s coming next. ¡°That¡¯s why I was being so hard on you earlier," Edward says wearily, "I wanted you to think carefully about your decisions and the consequences. I didn¡¯t want you to make the same mistakes that I made when I was young.¡± ¡°If you despise the council so much, why do you still worry and enforce a lot of their traditions and rules on me?¡± Kiara sharply questions. ¡°I never hated the traditions, Kiara. I didn¡¯t want you to get that idea, traditions and rules have their place in society,¡± Edward says, his voice weary and steady, ¡° The problem is not knowing when to let traditions go.¡± Kiara taps her chopsticks on her bowl of rice, her eyes wandering around, and pondering his answer in his head. ¡° How long have you been trying to change things, Grandpa?¡± ¡°A long time,¡± Edward says with a heavy sigh, ¡°No matter who leaves or gets promoted, the way things are operated never change¡± He stares up at the ceiling lights, his wrinkled fingers tapping on the tabletop cloth, ¡°You need to see it for what it is. Learn what we stand for and how we operate. Maybe you''ll learn something that I couldn''t.¡± Kiara''s eyes widened, her voice growing weary, ¡° So you want me to help you change things¡­ change the system.¡± Edward chuckles to himself, ¡° I don¡¯t know Kiara. I just want you to see everything for what it is¡­ to make your decisions without it being clouded by my judgment.¡± taking a sip out of his cup of tea. ¡°The plan is that you will still train under me but you will do work on tasks and missions that higher-ups require out of recruits like you.¡± Kiara''s eyes widened further, not yet taking in all the information that was brought onto her, her mouth slightly widened, ¡° What!¡± her voice rising, the shock evident on her face. ¡° I¡¯m only 5 feet away from you kid, you don¡¯t have to scream out so loud,¡± Edward gestures, rubbing his ears trying to ease the pain out of them. ¡° This just feels so fast,¡± Kiara quietly says, pulling her hair back, looking at Edward with a sense of disbelief and exasperation, ¡° What if I don¡¯t like what I see?¡± ¡° That¡¯s completely fine, you may not like how things are run, but all I care about is that you see it for what it truly is,¡± Edward says, comforting Kiara to the best of his ability. Kiara exhaled a bit, her fingers twitching at the thought. It was her first time being in the temple, witnessing how wardens are created. The good and bad thoughts rushed into her head. On one hand, she will get to meet people like her, people who could understand her best, but the thoughts of the council and the way everything is taught soured her mood. ¡° Thank you for telling me grandpa, I¡¯ll consider it,¡± Kiara says, her voice soft, but her mind was swirling with thoughts. Edward gives a soft smile to himself, before putting a piece in his mouth. Everything felt normal for a couple seconds, until- ¡° You are still in trouble by the way,¡± Edward says bluntly to Kiara, catching her off guard, and making her cough up her food. ¡° What!¡± Kiara shouted, ¡° After everything we talked about, you still want to punish me.¡± ¡° You broke my rules Kiara, you didn¡¯t think I actually forgot. I¡¯m old, not senile. Since you helped a boy get to his parents, 5 bowls of vegetables today.¡± Kiara groaned to herself, squirming around on the chair like a toddler. Edward prepares her bowls of vegetables and patiently waits for her to eat it all. Kiara, giving out a fake groan, quickly consumes the five bowls, surprising Edward. ¡° It¡¯s nice that you are actually taking care of your health for once,¡± Edward jokingly teases to himself. ¡° You are making me eat this bowl of sadness,¡± Kiara proclaims, her hands in the air, pacing back and forth in the dining room. Leaving out a long, theatrical sigh to herself. Edward couldn¡¯t help but laugh at Kiara¡¯s outburst. His laughs echoed through the room, in short breathless giggles. Kiara let out a soft chuckle, and they both continued eating their meal. Meanwhile, across the city, the white-haired man and his blonde companion stop at an abandoned factory building in the middle of nowhere. The area is desolate and empty, only a couple trees cover the area, and the rest is covered by roads and empty land. The starry night illuminates the abandoned factory. Chapter 3. Who are you? Chapter 3. Who are You Time is a scarcity. It is unpredictable and unforgiving. We think we can control the flow of time but we get swept up in its current instead. The stars stretch infinitely, a soft, silvery glow reflecting off the landscape. The pair stand before an abandoned factory. The blonde-haired girl is busy catching her breath after their long walk from the city. ¡° Why don¡¯t we have a car, Hirano? Pointing her finger at her brother, ¡° Your appearance isn¡¯t too young so you can easily convince the DMV that you are eligible.¡± Hirano gives off a disgusted look, ¡° Don¡¯t you ever learn to mind yourself, Kawata, a couple centuries should have taught you something by now.¡± Kawata stuck out her tongue and blew a raspberry at him, causing Hirano to whip spit off his face in disgust. Glaring with cold intent, he quickly marches over to knock sharply at the door. ¡° Lilith, open the door,¡± Hirano shouted at the top of his lungs, his frustration palpable, ¡° I know you are in there, I see your stupid ravens watching over us.¡± Two ravens- one white and one black are perched on the rooftop ledge staring at Hirano and Kawata,. The black raven rudely squawks. ¡° Caw. What¡¯s the password Hirano., Answer the password or no entry¡± ¡° Password? There is no password,¡± Hirano mutters, knocking more aggressively, ¡° It¡¯s freezing out here Lilith. ¡° She enjoys making you suffer,¡± Kawata teases, ¡° You were awfully mean to that warden girl for no reason.¡± ¡° It¡¯s because one she bumped into us, like a total klutz, and two, you know how I feel about those wardens, they caused nothing but trouble for us¡± Hirano mutters to himself, ¡° It felt better when we ruled." A sweat droplet slowly crawled down his face. ¡° That was like over 6000 years ago, you should-¡± Kawata quipped before a tense silence took over them. Suddenly out of nowhere, the temperature dropped. Chills and sensations cover the duo, a suffocating feeling slowly creeping on them, freezing them in place. Kawata''s eyes shot out in happiness, and a huge smile appeared on her face, ¡° Oh. That must be Lilith.¡± Hirano rolls his eyes, unamused by the whole scenario, ¡° Did she really have to drop the temperature that badly around us? What was even the point?¡± ¡° I only did that so you both could stop arguing and shouting all over the place,¡± Lilith softly says, suddenly appearing between Hirano and Kawata. They both jump out in fear, unaware of when or how she appeared between them. Lilith¡¯s ravens slowly perched themselves on her shoulders, and she slowly floated herself to the door, allowing Kawata to enter the building, but not quickly stopping Hirano. ¡° Apologize for yelling at my ravens,¡± Lilith quietly says, her long grunge black hair covering her face. Hirano just stares at Lilith, bewildered as to why she is not letting him in, but after a couple seconds, he just rolls his eyes and gives a half-baked apology. Lilith gives a small smile, but Hirano can¡¯t see it through her long black hair, ¡° Good enough Hirano. Come inside.¡± Hirano gives a sigh, showing a bit of attitude towards Lilith as he walks past her. The interior of the abandoned factory is framed like a regular home with rooms, couches, a TV, and a kitchen. Kawata scurries over to the bean bag chair, a dark mist engulfs her, switching from her female form to that of a young male. The air shimmered brightly as the transformation took place. ¡° Oh it feels so much better being home,¡± Kawata exclaims to himself, ¡° Lilith, you should hear what Hirano did today.¡± ¡° Oh, what did Hirano do this time?¡± Lilith questions, as she floats over to hang a plate of oranges to the two. Hirano quickly puts his hand over Kawata¡¯s mouth before he can say more. ¡° A girl bumped into me, that''s all,¡± Hirano disclosed, his grip squeezing on Kawata¡¯s mouth, causing him to squirm around. ¡° Oh really?¡± doubting Hirano¡¯s story, ¡° How was your mission today?¡± ¡° The same as always Lilith. Nothing,¡± bluntly answering, ¡° The wardens know how to hide their talismans well.¡± ¡° You predict that there is one here?¡± ¡° The city is massive, Lilith. We¡¯ve barely scratched the surface,¡± Hirano snapped. Kawata yanks Hirano¡¯s hands off his mouth, ¡° Hirano didn¡¯t mention she was a warden- and he pushed her in front of her friends.¡± Lilith put her hands on her face, heavily exhaling, cold air leaving her mouth. ¡° Hirano, how do you think your father would react when he hears about what you did?¡± She quickly floats over to pinch Hirano¡¯s ear. ¡° Ow. Lilith let go,¡± Hirano says, wincing from the pain, ¡° It wasn¡¯t that serious anyway she just ran off with her gang of misfits.¡± ¡° That¡¯s not the problem, Hirano,¡± Lilith says angrily, but her tone is the same as she normally speaks. You disobeyed your father''s rule not to interact with any wardens or cause any harm to humans at all.¡± Hirano scowled, pushing Lilith¡¯s hand away from his ear, ¡° Why should we care whether humans or wardens to be specific are harmed or not? How does that benefit us at all? What happens to them doesn¡¯t affect me in the slightest.¡± Kawata tilts his head forward towards Hirano giving him a no-nonsense attitude look at him. Hirano stands there waiting for Lilith¡¯s response, towering over her, being only a couple inches taller. ¡° It¡¯s just what father prefers, and as the maternal figure, you¡¯ll respect that,¡± Lilith warns, her voice quiet but commanding. Slowly floating over to pinch Hirano¡¯s cheek, the way a mother scolds her child. ¡° Ow. Enough with the pinching already." Exclaiming loudly, Hirano pushed Lilith¡¯s hand away from his cheek, ¡° That¡¯s why ¡®father¡¯ is weak Lilith. He has accepted defeat, and is willing to bow his head over to the wardens, like a little dog.¡± ¡° He would eviscerate you if he heard that Hirano,¡± Kawata jeered, not even looking in Hirano¡¯s direction, ¡° We don¡¯t even interact with them, why are you so pressed?¡± ¡° I¡¯m angry at what they represent,¡± Scowling towards Kawata, ¡° Humans are worthless beings, the wardens may call themselves peacekeepers protecting the people from the Elusives but they are just fools who pretend they are doing something greater than themselves.¡± ¡° They make good food though. They¡¯ve been improving their cooking skills over the past thousands of years,¡± Kawata quipped, paying attention on his phone, ¡° The men and women are pretty tho, I don¡¯t see why you are so upset.¡± ¡° Kawata. Hirano is currently not in the mood for your quips and jokes right now,¡± Lilith says, trying to calm the situation down. Slowly turning her head towards Hirano, ¡° You should take a breather, Hirano, I read online that-¡± ¡° I don¡¯t need to take a breather, Lilith,¡± Hirano says, his voice calmer, but annoyed. ¡° You clearly do, Hirano. ¡° Kawata jeered. Hirano¡¯s eyes glow a golden-yellow aura, his hand radiating in a whirlwind of spiritual energy, ¡° I think someone has got to teach you when to be quiet.¡± ¡° Ah. You want a sibling fight,¡± Kawata remarks, his eyes glowing a hot-pink, reddish aura, ¡® You should have said so from the beginning. I was getting tired of hearing your reminiscence of the past.¡± Not again, Lilith thinks to herself, unamused with the whole situation. Quickly raising her hands, she brought the temperature down for Kawata and Hirano as they were about to clash. The chills quickly consumed them, goosebumps appearing on their skin. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ¡° That¡¯s enough you two,¡± Lilith whispered, her voice commanding and distorted, ¡° I have already finished cleaning this place up. I don¡¯t need you two to ruin my hard work.¡± her words cutting through the freezing air. ¡° Okay. We¡¯ll stop,¡± Hirano reluctantly says, his voice tightening up due to the intense sensations. Lilith quickly lowered her hand, stopping the chills from affecting the two. Hirano quickly pats himself down, while Kawata still lies on the ground, foam drooling out his mouth. ¡° Now you two hug it out and apologize,¡± Lilith quietly orders, commanding and booming, pointing at Hirano. He silently groans to himself, rubbing his face with his hands, before picking up Kawata and embracing him in an awkward hug. ¡° Sorry about¡­ infuriating you¡­. Big bro,¡± Kawata awkwardly mutters, his voice uncertain. Hirano¡¯s throat felt like it was going to close in on himself, but he managed to push past it. Fidgeting his arms, Kawata¡¯s voice falters as he mutters, ¡° Sorry¡­ for the teasing¡­¡± ¡° Yeah. You too. Sorry for my angry outburst towards you.¡± The words felt stuck in the back of Hirano¡¯s throat but at least Lilith had forced them to put that moment behind them. Slowly floating to the two, her pale, torn, white dress hovered off the ground. Lilith exhales to herself, her icy breath visible to the two, ¡° It¡¯s best you two go to your rooms for the night, you¡¯ll be busy tomorrow.¡± Kawata quickly transforms himself back into his more feminine form before slowly walking with Hirano, turning their back towards their rooms. Hirano jeers at Kawata, ¡° Wake up early. We¡¯ll be traveling far.¡± ¡° Oh how great,¡± Kawata sarcastically says. ¡° You little-¡± Lilith turns her head, unnaturally so, clearly irritated from their banter. Another chill sensation swept the two, as they walked faster to their own separate rooms. ¡° Those two are a handful,¡± she says to herself quietly. As the siblings settled into their respective routines, the rising sun slowly continued its ascent, marking the beginning of a school day for Kiara. She sits in her classroom, where free time has overtaken her class, all the students are doing their respective tasks- working on homework, talking with their friends, or just sleeping. As Kiara is busy discussing their favorite band members with her friend group, she overhears a conversation that sparks her intrigue. Slowly turning her head to the back of the classroom, she sees two boys discussing what they saw on the news. ¡° Have you seen the increase in missing people lately?¡± one of the boys asked. ¡° Yeah. I wonder what is going on.¡± the other replied. Thank god I got Noah to safety before that happened, Kiara thought, her mind racing. But why the sudden increase in disappearances? A sudden tap on her shoulder brought Kiara back to reality, pulling her out of her thoughts. Instantly wincing in surprise,¡° Don¡¯t scare me like that guys,¡± Kiara exclaimed, a little flustered as she turned to face her friends. ¡° Sorry about that,¡± Nina apologized, ¡° Are you okay?¡± her voice filled with concern. ¡° Oh no.¡± waving her hands around, shaking off the unease, ¡° I just got distracted that¡¯s all,¡± Kiara¡¯s eyes still darted to the back of the room, the conversation still lingering in her mind. Maybe I should investigate it, Kiara thought to herself, but instantly slapped her cheeks with her hands, trying to shake off the impulse, No. I have to think about my choices from now on. Still, what''s really going on? ¡° Oh. You say you are going on a trip somewhere this weekend right? Her friend Chloe said, ¡° Where are you going?¡± ¡° Uhhh. Massachusetts,¡± Kiara said, quickly coming up with a lie, ¡° Yep. Massachusetts.¡± ¡° Massachusetts? That¡¯s pretty far you know that Kiara,¡± Nina replied, with skepticism in her voice, ¡° Are you going by car or plane?¡± ¡° Car. Definitely car,¡± Kiara¡¯s palms sweat, her fingers twitching from anxiety, her breathing becoming heavier by the second. ¡° That¡¯s almost a two-day Kiara,¡± Chloe rebutted, ¡° Are you going to be in the state for like a couple hours before you have to head back home?¡± ¡° Yeah. Quick trip,¡± responding quickly, her voice tightening around her jaw. Kiara hoped this conversation would end quickly. Chloe and Nina just shrug their shoulders, skepticism in their eyes, but they ultimately buy into her story, while Kiara forces a smile. Oh my god, that was so awkward, Kiara¡¯s mind raced. Still, I wonder what the temple is going to be like¡­ is it going to be as bad as Grandpa described it? Or worse?¡± As Kiara continues their conversation with their favorite band members with her friends, Edward is sitting in his study room, slouched over on his chair. His eyes were tired from exhaustion. He throws pieces of paper on a board hung up in his room. Edward¡¯s study room is covered in loose paper and documents. Pictures and cameras are scattered everywhere. No sense of tidiness and cleanliness in sight. His mind is uneasy. ¡° Another loose end,¡± mumbling to himself, ¡° Why is there a sudden increase in disappearances?¡± rummaging through his messy desk for answers. Could it be¡­ he thinks to himself, ¡° No. It is very unlikely. This is different,¡± faltering on his words. Doubt crept into his mind, clouding his judgment. Those words from many years ago returned to him, Continue chasing loose ends for the rest of your life. Edward''s gaze wandered over the place, contemplating that comment. Slowly getting up from his chair, placing a picture on his bulletin board, ¡° You¡¯ll regret those words one day, those loose ends will soon come to an end.¡± Hirano and Kawata walk in the busy streets of the city. The civilians quickly ignored them and walked past their presence. Kawata''s baggy street clothes contrast with Hirano¡¯s sleek black trench coat. Kawata quickly moves ahead when he spots a pretty girl in front of him. Hirano stops in his tracks, preparing for the inevitable, as he watches Kawata ask the girl for her number. The girl gives a dirty look and slaps him in the face. She quickly runs off in the opposite direction, leaving Kawata heartbroken. ¡° You, proud of yourself, kid,¡± Hirano says sarcastically, chuckling to himself. ¡° It¡¯s a different story when I transform into a girl okay. All the men couldn¡¯t resist me,¡± Kawata says, sneering at Hirano, ¡° Why are we even in this area again? We¡¯ve already scouted it like a thousand times.¡± Hirano walks forward with Kawata slowly pursuing him. He points his finger at the large forests that neighbor the city, the Crimson Pineglade National Park. ¡° That¡¯s where we need to go.¡± ¡° Why? The park is over four hundred thousand acres.¡± ¡° Then we should get to searching,¡± Hirano rebuked, continuing his path to the national park, ¡° We have a whole month ahead of us, so let¡¯s get going.¡± Kawata groans to himself before continuing his path. ¡° Why are we even going there in the first place?¡± Kawata says, a look of puzzlement across his face. ¡° Wardens have a restricted zone there, meant to train younglings and recruits.¡± ¡° So what. Are you gonna get your revenge on younglings?¡± Kawata sarcastically jokes to himself. ¡° No. There are many A-rank Elusives in that area, a higher amount than usual,¡± Hirano eyes dart around the city tops, ¡° Why do you think that?¡± ¡° Maybe it¡¯s because of our presence and our vast amounts of spiritual energy, I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡° That may be true, but there can be another reason as well,¡± Hirano stops his path, his eyes still gazing into the forest, ¡° There is a talisman there.¡± ¡° Why would the wardens place a talisman so close to where they train and where civilians live close to? Kawata tilts his head quizzically, before stopping for a moment. ¡° They most likely thought it was easier to surveil it during their training.¡± Hirano cracks his fingers, ¡° It doesn¡¯t matter to me anyway. Their carelessness is amusing.¡± a sly grin appeared on his face. ¡° Who do you think the person inside the talisman is?¡± Kawata nudges Hirano on his side. Hirano rubbed his side in the area Kawata nudged him, ¡° Can you stop doing that? I¡¯m getting sore because of you?¡± slapping the back of Kawata¡¯s head. ¡° All I care about is we free one of our own,¡± Hirano says, his voice thick with conviction and clinicality. ¡° Father is going to be happy at least.¡± Kawata exclaimed to himself. ¡° Yeah. I bet he does,¡± rolling his eyes, Hirano pushes Kawata to keep on moving. The two slowly make their way to the national park. Unknown to the two, a person standing in the crowd watches them from a distance. ¡° The Crimson Pineglade National Park huh,¡± the man softly mutters to himself before continuing his path in the opposite direction, ¡° Thank you for the tip.¡± a faint smile showing on his face, before slowly blending into the busy streets, unnoticed by the siblings. Chapter 4. Temple Chapter 4. Temple The days seemed to blur together, as Kiara anticipated for that inevitable Friday, where she will finally see what the temple is like- and the people who lived in its wall. That day eventually came. The air was crisp in the afternoon chill. Kiara quickly rushes out of the schoolyard to see her grandfather waiting for her in his car, already dressed in his warden formal attire, with a black dress coat over it. Earlier that day, she already packed her stuff in the car. She quickly gets into the car, and they slowly drive off to their destination. ¡°Remember Kiara,¡± Edward quietly says, "People talk. Sometimes without thinking." His gaze flickered to the side mirror before settling ahead again, "They come from a different world than you. Don''t let your words weight you down." ¡°I understand Grandpa,¡± Kiara¡¯s fists clenched into fists, nodding to his words, but her stomach turned. The expectation of the people and the system weighed on her, it was not like anything she had ever felt or expected before. Kiara fidgets herself in her car seat, watching the large buildings in the city move past her in an instant. The spring leaves dance in the wind. ¡°Are you nervous?¡± Edward asks, his gaze momentarily leaving the road to focusing on her expression. Kiara¡¯s fingers twitched for a bit around the seatbelt strap, ¡° A¡­ little.¡± she admitted, ¡° I don¡¯t know what to expect from everyone.¡± Edward gives a reassuring smile, ¡° You might get along with them. Expect a lot of questions about what it¡¯s like outside of the temple,¡± his hands steady on the wheel, ¡° We¡¯re almost here.¡± Kiara¡¯s eyes wander as their tiny car parks in the lot of a large office building. Her eyes widened, ¡° Is this the temple?¡± ¡° Kind of,¡± Edward quickly gets out of the car to get both his and Kiara¡¯s bags out of the trunk of the car. Kiara quickly gets out to get her stuff as they both enter the building. The secretary in the middle, busy reading his newspaper, notices Edward and Kiara entering the lounge area. Shock formed around his face, his mouth slightly open. ¡°Mr. Meitner?¡± his eyes staring blankly at the old man, ¡° It has¡­ been a while. What¡¯s the occasion of returning back?¡± ¡°I plan on showing my granddaughter what the temple is like. That¡¯s all,¡± calmly explaining the situation to the man. Kiara looks at Edward, confused why the man is acting that way. The man swiftly scurries through the drawer trying to fish out something. ¡°Of course, sir. Here¡¯s the gate key,¡± quickly handing over Edward a small golden key in his hands. Edward quickly motions for Kiara to follow him. As they moved deeper into the building, Kiara couldn''t help but think about the reaction of the secretary. ¡°Why did he react like Grandpa?¡± a look of puzzlement across her face. "I would say¡­,¡± Edward paused and thought for a moment, ¡°I¡¯m pretty well known for good and bad reasons,¡± Like what?¡± Kiara questions. ¡°Eh. You would soon see,¡± Edward replies, throwing the key up in the air before catching it, ¡° I¡¯m gonna teach you about gates, okay. Kiara stays quiet as her grandfather explains the nature of gates, ¡°There are basically interdimensional portals, letting us travel instantly between the city and temple,¡± stopping his track to an elevator door, inserting the key into the panel, ¡° They are accessed through like this.¡± The elevator doors open, showing a multi color portal instead of the cabin inside. The high speed wind blows against Kiara, her hair smacking across her face, her mouth wide open in astonishment. ¡°Let¡¯s get going.¡± picking up their bags, Edward steps into the portal, disappearing in an instant. Exhaling heavily, Kiara slowly follows her grandfather. Slowly opening her eyes, She finds herself staring at the beautiful sky. The warden temple is built inside a mountain top, with it extending to many nearby mountains. A large shimmering barrier illuminates the place. At the heart of the temple, dozens of trainees moved with synchronized precision. Rows of children no older than ten, stand perfectly still, balancing on thin wooden beams, holding heavy buckets of water. Many sparred in pairs, their strikes clashing rhythmically, while others practice on wooden dolls. Kiara¡¯s eyes flickered around the temple, her gaze amazed by the kids training hard with an intensity that made her feel like an outsider. The way they trained made her mind raced with doubt. Do I fit in with everyone here? They all look so much more impressive than me. She quickly straightens up and shakes her arms out. Mutters under her breath, ¡° I won¡¯t let this break me. I can¡¯t be the weak one. Not when Grandpa¡¯s depending on me.¡± Doubt still lingered in the back of her mind. She couldn¡¯t shake off the feeling that she felt like fish swimming upstream while everyone just floated along. Kiara notices Edward¡¯s gaze with a cold expression. His hands clenched into fists. The second he notices Kiara looking at him, his expression softens. ¡° Guess what mountain summit we are on?¡± smiling towards Kiara, anticipating her answer. ¡° Uhh¡­ Mount Everest?¡± quickly shrugging her shoulders. Kiara genuinely did not know where they were at. ¡° Haha. No kid, we are still in America.,¡± Edward laughs to himself, swinging his bag over his shoulder, ¡° We are currently in Washington right now, Mount Rainier to be exact.¡± Many of the senior wardens and the younglings notice the arrival of the two. Their stern expression quickly turned into confusion and shock. The recruits and younger kids quickly run over to Edward, their excitement clearly uncontained. ¡° Is that Edward?¡± one of the wardens asked, his eyes narrowing on the two. ¡° Ah the old detective is back,¡± another one retorted, masking mockery behind a smile. The younger kids swarm around Edward who smiles at their excitement and curiosity. Kiara is left awe struck to see her Edward popular with the kids. The children ask many questions for Edward, each one talking over the next. ¡° Can you tell us about your adventures?¡± This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. ¡° Why did you randomly disappear?¡± ¡° You''re my role model, Mr. Edward¡± Kiara stepped back, slowly taking in the situation. It was weird to see her grandfather so admired - and so infamous- despite the tension from the council. The smiles from the children clash with the stern look from the seniors in the distance. Kiara¡¯s mind raced with thoughts. The temple is unlike what I imagined but why are they all looking at Grandpa like that? ¡° Alright that¡¯s enough,¡± a cold voice cuts through the air, making all the kids run back to their training. A man in a well dressed tailcoat suit, and overcoat slowly makes his way towards Kiara and Edward. His eyes ignoring Kiara but looking at Edward, his neatly styled black hair perfectly still in the windy environment. ¡° It¡¯s nice for you to take my advice,¡± the man said, his voice weary, but stern. He puts his hand out to Edward for a handshake. His eye bags, while subtle, are very prominent up close to Kiara. ¡° It¡¯s nice to see my old prot¨¦g¨¦, after so many years,¡± Edward quickly grasps Zhang¡¯s hand, his handshake firm, catching Zhang off guard from the grip. ¡° It¡¯s good seeing you again. I hope we can catch up soon. Slowly releasing himself from Edward¡¯ grip, he glances towards Kiara, ¡° So this is the girl you disappeared and trained with.¡± ¡° I¡¯m pretty sure you already met her, remember during the council meeting many years ago, you were directly looking over me.¡± ¡° Yes I was,¡± his eyes looked briefly at Edward. He slowly takes a step towards Kiara, in a knee jerk reaction, she takes a step back. Zhang¡¯s eyes still linger on her, ¡° Your spiritual energy is very peculiar. One moment it¡¯s beaming with energy, then in an instant it¡¯s like¡­ it¡¯s not there at all. Unpredictable.¡± ¡° Ah,¡± sweat droplets quickly form, slowly dripping of Kiara¡¯ face. The high intensity interrogation was too sudden for her, ¡° It¡¯s just been a struggle for me that¡¯s all.¡± ¡° Hmm. I beat,¡± Zhang slowly turns himself back to Edward, relieving Kiara¡¯s anxiety. She quickly wipes off her sweat, trying to maintain formality. ¡° Kiara. This is Zhang. My old prot¨¦g¨¦ - the next head leader of the Warden society in America. The Arbiter.¡± placing his hand on Zhang¡¯s shoulder. Kiara¡¯s eyes widened at the title but Zhang was far less receptive. With a subtle shift, he brushes Edward¡¯ hand from his shoulder, his discomfort unmistakable. ¡° How long has Kiara been training for?¡± his tone walking the line between conviction and curiosity. Edward rolls his eyes dramatically, ¡° Geez kid. We¡¯ve only been here for like five minutes and you are already interrogating me,¡± he teased. His tone was serious for a moment, ¡° She started training in her freshman year, 3 years ago.¡± Zhang eyes¡¯ sneak a look towards Kiara, quickly standing up straight when she notices his gaze, ¡° Maybe that¡¯s why her energy output is so inconsistent. Starting late makes it more¡­ challenging, isn''t it.¡± Edward¡¯s expression darkened for a bit but his voice was still calm,¡° I didn¡¯t want to burden her with training, as she started elementary and middle school.¡± ¡° Hmm. Well I¡¯m glad we got to chat for a bit,¡± slowly cracking his knuckles, Zhang turns his back, and slowly walks off. Before he makes a huge distance away, he looks back at the two for the last time, ¡° I¡¯ll like to see what Kiara can do during her evaluation.¡± Evaluation? Why am I getting an evaluation? Kiara¡¯s eyes open in surprise, her fingers twitching from this unexpected announcement. Edward slowly puts his hands around Kiara¡¯ shoulders, trying to console her. ¡° They just want to find out about your character and your skill level so far. That¡¯s it,¡± Edward¡¯s smile was warm and reassuring. ¡° But you already said I should be a D-rank,¡± confusion crossed on Kiara¡¯s face. Sweat still dripped from her chin. ¡° It was more of a hunch. This is an official evaluation of what your rank is. Don¡¯t worry it will likely still be a D-rank due to your current skill level.¡± Kiara nodded but hesitantly, though a knot in her stomach remained. Just a D-rank¡­ What if Zhang is right about me? What if I mess up and embarrass both me and Grandpa? Her thoughts raced. Doubt grew on her chest as Edward patted her shoulders. ¡° Ignore what Zhang said¡­ he¡¯s just under a lot of stress that¡¯s all,¡± Edward reassured, placing his hand on Kiara¡¯s head, flustering her. ¡° Try to talk to some of the kids here, get a feel for the place. I¡¯ll talk to Zhang about his behavior.¡± Kiara glances away, ¡° Alright¡­ Grandpa¡­¡± muttering to herself, her voice soft but uncertain. Edward smiles, giving one last pat before rushing over to Zhang¡¯s direction. Kiara glances at the other kids training in the courtyard. Clutching the straps of her bag, she tries to push away her doubts. Come on Kiara, you can do this quickly reassuring herself, but her fingers trembling under her own uncertainty, They look so much more mature and sophisticated. Kiara takes a hesitant step forward. Nothing. Another step. No one noticed. ¡°Hey, your the new recruit right?,¡± a voice snaps Kiara out of her thoughts. Quickly taking a sigh of relief. She quickly turns her face to see a beautiful young boy standing in front of her with a group of kids. Each one varies in ages. Thank the heavens I didn¡¯t have to greet people myself first. Kiara thinks to herself, ¡° Ah. Nice to meet you all.¡± ¡° My name is Adam. Adam Lazarus, and these two were curious about you,¡± pointing to the duo. Kiara¡¯s eyes still wandered on Adam, his beauty catching her attention, his silver hair and his looks gleamed in the sunlight, with his blue eyes sparkling in curiosity. She quickly returns her gaze back to the two kids next to Adam, wanting to know more about their personalities. The duo around Adam nodded, or smiled, their reaction varying. A younger girl, her age no older than 14, gave a shy wave to Kiara, ¡°My¡­ name is Anby.¡± Her soft brown curls surround her face with large circular glasses perfectly placed on the bridge of her nose.. ¡° Nice to meet you ,¡± Kiara said, her smile radiating warmth and compassion. Anby smiles to herself. Her blonde braided hair bounced as she moved. Kiara¡¯s wander to a kid a bit younger than Anby, who appeared to be around 12 or 11 years old. His eyes were closed, and he appeared to be asleep. Anby kindly shakes the kid to wake him up. ¡° Don¡¯t worry he¡¯s always sleeping at the wrong time,¡± Adam reassures Kiara. ¡° Uhh, What¡­¡± the kid slowly opened his eyes. Anby continued to shake him to wake him up fully. ¡° Come on Seth. Wake up.¡± Anby quietly whispers in Seth¡¯s ear, ¡° You are greeting someone right now.¡± Seth¡¯s eyes quickly widened, quickly awakening from his nap, ¡° My name is Seth¡­ Nice to meet you.¡± ¡° That was formal I guess,¡± Kiara jokes to herself. Adam chuckles at her remark. Kiara felt more at ease,¡° Well. It¡¯s nice to know that everyone here has some unique quirks.¡± ¡° We hope you have a nice experience in the temple,¡± dramatically showcasing the courtyard, and the beautiful sky to Kiara, ¡° Trust me, you haven¡¯t seen anything yet.¡± Anby unintentionally interrupts Adam¡¯s conversation with Kiara, ¡° Ms. Kiara¡­. What is high school life like? Are lockers real?¡± Kiara gives a slight glance at Adam¡¯s expression, chuckling to herself but a single thought raced in her mind. Does she genuinely not know what a normal high school life is?, ¡° Well Anby. It¡¯s mostly¡­ normal. You just get school work, and occasionally see the chemistry teacher yell at students.¡± ¡° Oh.¡± Anby¡¯s voice sounded disappointed, her shoulders drooping down, ¡° So it¡¯s basically the same here.¡± Kiara¡¯s eyebrow raised, tilting her head in curiosity, ¡° What do you mean?¡± ¡° You know because I¡¯ve been hearing stories about high school life from the seniors, and I thought it would be a major upgrade than what we learn right now.¡± Anby thinks to herself, trying to ask another question, ¡° Oh. What is it like to drive a car? They don¡¯t look as fun as riding a spirit companion but they look interesting.¡± These kids seem to get the same education as a regular student¡­ but other than that, they don¡¯t know anything else about the real world. Kiara¡¯s mind raced with thoughts, This must be what Grandpa meant by that they grew up in a different environment. Adam, noticing Kiara¡¯s concern on her face, gently shakes her, ¡° Are you okay Kiara?¡± Quickly darting her attention away, Kiara gently smiles at Adam, trying to hide her thoughts, ¡° It¡¯s nothing. Can you all show me around?¡± ¡° Yeah sure,¡± Adam gestures to Adam and Seth to follow him and show Kiara around. The group walk together as they explore the area. Chapter 5. Master and Student Chapter 5. Master and Student Edward notices the group walking in the opposite direction through the window in Zhang¡¯s quarters. Zhang enters the room, with a cup of tea in his hand, his steps creaking on the wooden floor. He pours Edward a cup of tea, before positioning himself in his chair. Zhang quickly positions his documents before shifting his gaze fixedly at Edward, ¡° You want to talk to me,¡± his voice stern and detached. ¡°Yes¡­ what¡¯s with this cold detached personality of yours?¡± Edward questions. ¡°I have to maintain a level of order and status in the temple.¡± Zhang calmly explains. ¡°You were condescending towards Kiara.¡± Edward¡¯s voice was hoarse but full of anger, getting up from his chair to tower over Zhang. ¡°You made it sound like you were going to train her into the next S rank, Edward,¡± Zhang bluntly says. ¡°That¡¯s not what I was implying Zhang,¡± rubbing his face with his hands, ¡° She¡¯s growing at her own pace, that¡¯s what I wanted.¡± Edward slowly slouches himself back onto his chair, ¡° She¡¯s just a kid,¡± his voice softens, ¡° You can¡¯t force someone to go beyond what they are capable of right now.¡± Zhang¡¯s eyes narrow slightly, his voice raising, ¡°The temple needs results. The world is unstable right now. Every second we waste, the Elusives are getting stronger by the day. It¡¯s not about what they want- it¡¯s about what¡¯s necessary.¡± ¡°What¡¯s necessary?¡± Edward¡¯s eyes glow a fiery red with streaks of electric blue, and his hands curl into fists at his sides, ¡° They¡¯re not tools.¡± ¡°Stand down.¡± Zhang commands, his voice stern and detached, ¡° I¡¯m thinking rationally out here. These kids could die one day if they don¡¯t understand their role in the system.¡± ¡°The council never gave them a choice,¡± Edward mutters to himself, his voice tinged with regret and anger. His gaze was contemplative. His shoulders slumped down as the glow from his eyes dimmed. Zhang¡¯s eyes hardened, his tone unyielding, ¡°The council made their decision. Whether we agree or not, we must prepare these kids to survive in the real world. Emotions don¡¯t change the reality of war.¡± Edward¡¯s eyes stare angrily at Zhang, before taking a sip out of a cup of tea. A look of puzzlement crossed his face when he reviewed what Zhang said, Emotions don¡¯t change the reality of war. ¡°What do you mean by the reality of war?¡± Edward¡¯s eyes do not contact Zhang¡¯s, darting towards the kids training in the courtyard. The sounds of wooden swords smacking against each other, and kids running echo in Zhang¡¯s quarters. ¡°You are familiar with the sudden surges of disappearances within the city, correct?¡± leaning back on his chair, Zhang¡¯s eyes followed Edward. ¡°Yes,¡± Edward replied, his tone cautious, ¡°I have been investigating them ever since they made the news.¡± Zhang nodded, setting a map and several reports in front of Edward, ¡° Coincidentally around the same time as the disappearances, the Monarchs have started moving out of their sanctuaries,¡± He paused, deliberately taking a sip from his cup of tea, ¡° It¡¯s not a natural migration. Something is going on.¡± Monarchs are numbered from 1 to 20. Just the power of one can destroy an entire continent. Wardens worldwide have been monitoring, waiting for someone strong enough to destroy them. There are currently 15 Monarchs alive in the world. Edward studies the documents, his eyes examining the contents, ¡° Hmm. Do you believe this sudden migration is causing the disappearances?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Zhang admitted, his voice quiet but tense, ¡°But I do know this- Whenever the Monarchs move around- death follows them. Whatever the reason is, we don¡¯t have the manpower to destroy or relocate them.¡± Edward¡¯s eyes scan the map, tracing the migration paths of all the Monarchs. His stomach tightened as unease crept in, ¡°So they¡¯re being forced out?¡± ¡°Maybe,¡± Zhang¡¯s expression was grim, ¡°Or maybe they are running away from something¡­ or someone.¡± ¡°What or who do you think is doing this?¡± Edward¡¯s expression was cautious, his voice low, and his tone uncertain, ¡° These spirits are the most powerful things inhabiting our world.¡± Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. ¡°I have no clue,¡± Zhang¡¯s tone was tense, his foot continuously tapping on the wooden floor, ¡° All I know is that we have to have 24/7 surveillance over them during their migration, and make sure no one gets hurt.¡± He gets up from his chair, watching the children training in the courtyard. Their fiery determination was clear as day. Edward continues looking over the documents trying to find anything out of the ordinary. ¡°The last S rank was killed over 20 years ago,¡± Zhang¡¯s eyes were contemplative, his tone soft and low, ¡° These kids have potential, We just got to force it out.¡± Edward turns his gaze towards Zhang, ¡°We can¡¯t force them to go beyond what they are capable of right now.¡± his voice softens, ¡° They¡¯re giving it their all, but I can see it in their eyes. They don¡¯t know what they are fighting for, they¡¯re trying to believe in something they can¡¯t see.¡± ¡°The world isn¡¯t forgiving Edward. Belief alone isn¡¯t what''s going to keep them alive.¡± Zhang¡¯s eyes wander, contemplating his thoughts. Edward taps on his foot on the wooden planks trying to find a solution suddenly an idea randomly pops into his head. ¡°I have a proposal,¡± taking a sip from his cup of tea, Edward slowly gets up, his bones creaking at the motion, ¡° We should have a simple sparring match. Let¡¯s show them the power and potential of an A-rank.¡± ¡° What are you planning?¡± Zhang¡¯s voice was filled with skepticism, leaning back on his chair. ¡°Nothing. Let¡¯s just give them something to fight for.¡± Edward opens the door slightly, ¡°If they see what¡¯s out there- what they will become- they¡¯ll push themselves harder. Not because they¡¯re being forced but because they want to,¡± motioning Zhang to get up and spar with him. Zhang sits on his chair, thinking about his choices. Kiara, Adam, Anby, and Seth are in the sacred library, examining and looking over all the ancient texts and history books there. Adam tosses over a large spell book towards Kiara, causing her to nearly drop it on the floor.¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± Adam quietly apologizes, his tone merely a whisper, ¡° Why do you need to look at a spell book? You should be seeing more interesting stuff here.¡± ¡°I just want¡­¡± Kiara¡¯s words trail off, ¡° I just want to read it that¡¯s all,¡± Maybe I can learn something interesting to impress them during the evaluation, so I don''t look so inferior to everyone here. As Kiara was reading the spell books, one of the younglings barged loudly into the library room. ¡°Guys! Guess what''s-¡± ¡°Shhh.¡± One of the library staff loudly shushes the boy making him apologize and talk in a quieter tone. ¡° Guys. There is going to be a sparring match between A-ranks.¡± The group immediately left the library, leaving whatever they were working on the desks and seats. Kiara¡¯s gaze lingered on a particular painting hung on one of the walls, a portrait of ancient Wardens fighting against humanoid curse spirits. Their presence is covered in shadow, commanding an army of Elusives. The intensity in their eyes sent a chill down her spine. Who are those people depicted? She wondered, the question tugging on her mind. A lingering sense of unease followed her as she left the library. The group follows the kid to the courtyard where they see Zhang, and Edward with all the younglings surrounding them. The senior wardens sit comfortably in the distance, watching the whole event unfold. ¡°What is happening?¡± ¡°Edward and Zhang are going to fight.¡± ¡°We¡¯re finally getting a break from training.¡± the voices of the children echo loudly in the courtyard. Zhang steps forward, his footsteps heavy on the floor, ¡°Alright! Listen up,¡± ordering from the top of his lungs. Kiara jumps up over the crowd to see her grandfather standing next to Zhang, ¡° You all are going to see a sparring match between myself and Mr. Meitner, it will be a three-round match, the first one to get a win of two out of the three matches is considered the winner.¡± The children exclaim in excitement, their eyes widened in surprise. The senior wardens looked at each other, confused about why they were sparring. The younglings murmured amongst each other. ¡° Who do you think is going to win?¡± ¡° It¡¯s got to Zhang. He has the age advantage over Edward.¡± one of the kids retorted to his friends. His friend group excused his point of view, ¡° Are you serious? Edward is the best elemental user of our time. He can handle Zhang.¡± The children settled into the courtyard, surrounding the two as they stretched. Adam asks Kiara a question, ¡° Have you ever seen your Grandfather go all out before?¡± Kiara shook her head, her gaze wandering towards Edward, ¡° Not really,¡± she admitted, her voice quiet, ¡° He always holds back against me in training. It should be the same with Zhang.¡± Anby cuts into Adam and Kiara¡¯s conversation, ¡°Holding back or not. You get to see why your Grandfather is so infamous here.¡± Kiara glanced at Adam, ¡° Infamous, huh?¡± she wasn¡¯t sure how to feel about that word. She had the feeling that her grandfather was well respected by those younger than him but she never saw the full extent of his power. She was going to see a side of him that was unknown to her. ¡°Alright you two, get in your positions,¡± a man covered in a colorful blue and gold cloak, wearing a conical hat, slowly walks past the younglings that surround Edward and Zhang, ¡° Are you two going to use your spiritual techniques in this sparring match? What is considered a win?¡± Zhang motions the question towards Edward. The man patiently waits for Edward¡¯s answer, ¡° I think we should use your techniques. Makes it more interesting for them.¡± pointing towards the exciting crowd, ¡°If you get your opponent on the ground for more than 5 seconds, you win that round.¡± The cloaked man raises his hand high up in the air. His eyes dart between Zhang and Edward as they get into their designated stances, ¡° Are you two ready?¡± Zhang pulls out his double katana, ¡°I¡¯m ready,¡± steadily getting into stance. Edward quickly follows, unsheathing his blade, ¡° I¡¯m ready as well. Don¡¯t hold back, kid.¡± It was like everything went silent for a moment. Everyone was holding their breaths anticipating what was going to happen next and who was gonna win. The cloaked man quickly puts his hand down signaling the match start, ¡°Begin!¡± Chapter 6. Show me your best shot Ch 6. Show me your best shot Zhang quickly jumps into the air, catching everyone off guard. Edward¡¯s eyes follow his presence but the faint glare from the sun momentarily blinds him. The seniors stand up from their chairs, not knowing what Zhang is doing. Zhang swings one of his blades with force. Edward quickly shifted his body to the right to avoid his attack. Kiara stares off in confusion, not knowing what Zhang just did. For a second it looked like Zhang missed. Just as Edward dodged the offensive strike, the courtyard floor suddenly erupted. A whirlwind of razor-sharp slashes tore through the ground where Edward had stood, slicing through the marble floor. ¡°What the¡± Kiara mutters to herself, not knowing what just happened. Anby taps on Kiara¡¯s shoulder, ¡°That was Zhang¡¯s spiritual technique, Kiara.¡± ¡°Spiritual technique?¡± Kiara¡¯s eyes dart back to the battle as Zhang slowly descends back onto the ground. Edward quickly moves over to clash blades with Zhang who blocks it with double katanas. The metallic sounds echoed throughout the courtyard. ¡°Yeah. A spiritual technique is basically a specialized ability,¡± Anby calmly explains, as Zhang spun his blade at Edward, forcing him to dodge once again, ¡° Once you reach a certain point in your training, you''re presented with options for your technique.¡± Edward fluently steps away from Zhang as he continuously swings his blade towards him. His movements were relentless and precise. Anby continues, her eyes never leaving the battle, ¡°You choose the technique that resonates with you the most and pours your spiritual energy into it. That¡¯s what gives it its power.¡± Kiara¡¯s mind raced as she tried to absorb what Anby said while keeping up with the rapid exchange between Edward and Zhang. She had never seen this type of combat before- one that blurred the line between raw power and something more extraordinary. Edward swiftly acts fast, disorienting Zhang by moving around him with quick speed. Everything appeared to be like a blur to Kiara, her grandfather¡¯s movements were too quick. The children¡¯s eyes widened further, anticipating Zhang¡¯s next move. Zhang exhaling heavily, swings his blade at Edward¡¯s shin causing him to wince in pain. Edward quickly repositions himself below Zhang, with his arm outstretched next to his side. His eyes narrowed, his spiritual pressure quickly becoming more intense, then in an instant, ¡°Release.¡± In the blink of an eye, a spirit companion- a shinigami, strikes Zhang¡¯s side, causing him to recoil in pain. Edward¡¯s trusty shinigami- a hawk. He swiftly trips Zhang on his feet, causing him to fall on his back on the marble floor. Edward swiftly motions his shinigami to dive straight into Zhang, ¡° Surge. Thunderbird.¡± A wave of electricity engulfs the shinigami transforming it from a normal hawk into a majestic blue bird with yellow highlights on its wings, its eyes sparking electricity. Edward holds Zhang by placing his foot on his chest, making him squirm, trying to get Edward to release him. ¡°If you want to be released, you should have said so,¡± Edward calmly explains, stepping off Zhang''s chest as the thunderbird dives straight into his chest, electrocuting him for a couple of seconds. Zhang grits his teeth, enduring the shock for several long seconds before the energy finally dissipates. The crowd watched anxiously, their mouths wide open as the five-second timer started for Zhang who was still lying on the ground. After a couple of seconds, Edward was considered the winner of the round. Zhang slowly gets up, but the electrical energy still affects his body. The kids mutter amongst themselves. Kiara couldn¡¯t believe that her Grandfather effortlessly defeated Zhang in a duel. Adam smiles to himself, Anby is busy writing down everything she saw, while Seth is busy sleeping next to a pillar, missing the entire battle. ¡°Edward just defeated Zhang so effortlessly.¡± ¡°He just defeated our next Arbiter, ¡° one kid mutters, ¡° Our next leader¡­ defeated just like that.¡± Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Zhang slowly gets back into a fighting stance. Edward¡¯s thunderbird slowly perches itself back on his shoulder, shaking sparks of electricity. Edward raises his sword back and positions himself back into his stance, ¡° Come on kid. I trained you better than this.¡± ¡°Yes, you did,¡± Zhang coldly mutters. The cloaked man throws his hand down, signaling the second round. The thunderbird quickly launches itself towards Zhang at high speeds. Anticipating this, he swiftly dodges the attack, charging towards Edward, who motions the thunderbird to re-circle itself back to him. Zhang¡¯s eyes dart around, he quickly swings his blades clashing with Edward¡¯s, and the thunderbird quickly dives itself back into an attack. He releases his blades, dodging the bird¡¯s attack. Zhang was at a disadvantage, he was swiftly dodging and jumping around, clashing with Edward, sparks flying around while also looking out for his shinigami. ¡°Whoa,¡± Adam exclaimed, his eyes examining their movements, ¡° They are giving it their all¡­ and for what? It¡¯s just a sparring match.¡± ¡°Who cares? Look at them go,¡± one of the younger kids yelled out, ¡° Edward is keeping up with Zhang.¡± ¡°It¡¯s like a ¡­whirlwind,¡± one of the kids whispered, clutching her friend¡¯s arm, as sparks flew from the clashing blades. The thunderbird dives itself towards Zhang, but acting quickly, he blocks it with his double blades. Electricity flies everywhere, but the intense speed knocks the blades out of Zhang¡¯s hands, allowing the bird to hit Zhang black in the chest. Edward, taking advantage of the situation, charges towards Zhang, whose hands start to glow with spiritual energy. He swiftly swipes his hands in an x shape, Edward¡¯s eyes open wide in confusion and shock. An x-shaped slice appeared on Edward¡¯s chest, causing Kiara to get cold feet. She started panicking, her eyes opening wide in fear. Edward coughs up blood, but a smirk appears on his face, ¡° Not bad kid.¡± Zhang slowly walks over to pick up his katanas, his gaze narrowing on Edward. Quickly getting up, Edward smiles towards Zhang, ¡°How did you do that? I¡¯ve never seen you do that before.¡± Zhang raises his blades towards Edward, a smirk growing on his face, "My air slashes are created by embedding spiritual energy into my blades, I just did the same thing with my hands,¡± he dashes towards Edward, swinging his blades with major force. Edward swiftly blocks it with his blade, sparks flying from both sides. ¡°I see,¡± Edward calmly says, his tone soft but impressed. Zhang releases one of his blades to swing it quickly at Edward¡¯s side, but it never makes contact. Edward reacted quickly and pushed Zhang far away from him with great force suddenly- a huge slice appeared on Edward¡¯s side. I see it was a delayed attack. You made me think you didn¡¯t launch your attack on me, well played. Edward thought to himself, as Zhang rushed over to Edward, putting him into a headlock. His arms and legs quickly locked Edward in place on the ground at high speeds. A shockwave appears as he throws Edward onto the ground. Everyone¡¯s eyes widened in shock, their mouths frozen, anticipating what was going to happen next. One of the kids started the 5-second timer, their loud voice contrasted with the silence of the crowd. ¡°That¡¯s the end of round two. Zhang is the winner.¡± the cloaked man announced to the ground. Many of the kids whispered amongst themselves, not knowing who was going to win now. Some believe that Zhang cheated in the battle. Adam glances to see Kiara digging her fingers into his arm, ¡° Kiara. Can you please let go?¡± Kiara, realizing what she was doing, quickly released her fingers from Adam¡¯s arm, ¡°Sorry. Anxiety crept on me,¡± her eyes looked in on Edward¡¯s wounds. A few healers arrive to help heal Edward¡¯s wounds. After a couple of minutes, the matches resumed as usual. The seniors snickered among themselves, their voices stiff and surly. Everyone was patiently waiting for what was going to happen next. The cloaked man stares blankly at Edward, his eyes devoid of life. Edward walks forward, a wide smile across his face, ¡°You having fun?¡± ¡°Not really,¡± Zhang says, his voice low but his tone uncertain, ¡°This is not supposed to be fun, this is just a simple showing of our strength.¡± Edward¡¯s eyes narrow at Zhang¡¯s words, disappointed in his answer. ¡°Do you want to be able to do that, Kiara?¡± Adam curiously questions. His eyes gaze set on her. Kiara didn¡¯t respond right away, her eyes somber and passive. They¡¯re fighting on a completely different level¡­ Is this the power I¡¯m supposed to reach? Kiara thinks to herself, clutching her hands into fists. An invisible force rests on her shoulder. What would happen if I got compared to Grandpa? Something twisted inside her stomach, Would they have high expectations of me- Am I good enough? At this moment, she couldn¡¯t shake off the feeling of doubt and uncertainty from herself. An unease wrapped around her like a shadow. The results of her future evaluation are still in her mind. Am I exaggerating things? Am I worrying too much? Kiara¡¯s mind raced, grasping for reassurance, I haven¡¯t seen what all the kids here can do yet¡­ maybe I¡¯m jumping to conclusions. She tried to shake off the feeling, but the weight of it still hung on her shoulder. Edward steps forward, his footsteps heavy on the marble floor. The thunderbird circles the area, awaiting Edward¡¯s command. Zhang¡¯s eyes narrow as he raises his blades. ¡°I¡¯m gonna win this duel,¡± Zhang¡¯s voice was stern and full of conviction. Edward¡¯s eyes narrow in disappointment, ¡° I don¡¯t think so kid. I¡¯m still the more experienced one here.¡± The cloaked man raises his hand one more time, the crowd anticipates the opponent''s next move. In a swift motion, the man¡¯s hand falls, signaling the final round. ¡°Begin.¡± Chapter 7. Thats it. Ch 7. That¡¯s it. ¡°I think I should use something more of my specialty: Flame,¡± Edward calmly says, his blade glowing bright before being quickly enveloped in fire and ash. Kiara¡¯s eyes widen, remembering that fateful day when she first saw Edward used his technique to save her from the curse spirit all those years ago. Edward quickly dashes towards Zhang, leaving a trail of fire behind him. The blade nearly makes contact with Zhang¡¯s neck before he blocks it with a protection spell. Edward immediately swings his blade in the other direction, but Zhang reacts quickly and blocks it with one of his katanas. ¡°Edward and Zhang are one of the best swordsmen of our time,¡± Adam compliments, his eyes darting to analyze the battle. ¡°They seem pretty even,¡± Kiara says, unable to comprehend the speed of the two combatants. ¡°Personally I think Edward and his technique are built better for a sorcerer rather than a swordsman,¡± Anby says, quickly drawing in her notebook, sketching the battle. ¡°A sorcerer?¡± Kiara questions, looking at Anby¡¯s sketch. ¡°Co-existing with Rank, Wardens are designated with the roles swordsman, hunter, or sorcerer.¡± Adam calmly explains, pointing at Edward¡¯s and Zhang¡¯s blades clashing against each other, ¡°They are obviously swordsmen by the way they fight.¡± ¡°Reborn: Phoenix,¡± Edward¡¯s shinigami flies high in the air. It¡¯s form growing brightly in the sky, singe and ash enveloping it. Zhang, noticing this, throws an air slash at the shinigami but the spirit quickly dodges it. Reacting swiftly, Zhang rushes towards Edward, pivoting at an angle. Flicking his wrist, his blade swings at Edward. Motioning his arms, Edward blocks Zhang¡¯s strike, his arms bent, holding tightly onto the blade¡¯s hilt. Suddenly Edward shifts his weight to let the blade guide Zhang¡¯s blade momentum away from him, subtly shifting his body to avoid the initial strike. Immediately losing his balance, Zhang immediately tries to swing his katana at Edward but leaps away as the phoenix tries to launch an attack on him. Edward fluidly swings his blade cutting through the air with an arc. Zhang blocks it quickly, sending a shockwave across the courtyard. Edward looks directly at the determined eyes of Zhang. In a sudden change of moves, Edward starts swinging his blade aggressively at Zhang, but he blocks it with quick, heavy blocks with his katana. Zhang¡¯s katana darts from blocking attacks from the air, then to near his leg, then at his side. ¡°How is Zhang able to block each of those strikes like that?¡± Kiara questions, her eyes unable to comprehend the speed of the battle. ¡°It¡¯s a pattern,¡± Anby says, pointing at Edward¡¯s fighting stance, ¡°Pay close attention to how Edward swings his blade.¡± Edward swings his fiery blade towards Zhang¡¯s right shoulder, then to his side, then to each of his legs, but Zhang blocks every single attempt with his katana. Kiara¡¯s eyes narrow as she watches more intently at the pattern- Right shoulder, side, legs, repeat. The same order. ¡°He¡¯s repeating himself,¡± Kiara says, looking on at the battle. ¡°Exactly,¡± Anby says, her voice filled with interest and excitement, ¡°A key component in the fighting form: Chaos is¨C¡± She stops as Edward suddenly halts his barrage of swings, his blade locked against Zhang¡¯s katana. Zhang¡¯s eyes narrow on Edward. A small smile tugs on the old man¡¯s face. Holding tightly to his katana, Zhang maintains his fighting stance with his knees bent and low on the ground. Edward swings his blade at Zhang¡¯s left shoulder, reacting quickly Zhang raises his blade to intercept the attack. Suddenly Edward redirects his swing mid-sequence towards Zhang¡¯s right side. Zhang quickly pivots away, barely avoiding the attack. ¡°Unpredictability. Chaos form¡¯s core principle,¡± Anby says eagerly, her eyes barely leaving the duel. The cloaked man tips his conical hat to cover his gaze, his deadpan eyes following each strike Edward makes. ¡°Is Chaos one of the 6 fighting forms?¡± Kiara questions, looking directly at Anby who was busy sketching the duel in her notebook. Adam crosses his arms, gazing intently at Zhang¡¯s defense against Edward¡¯s strikes, ¡°It is but it is not widely utilized. Most of the fighters don¡¯t like using a form that doesn¡¯t have precision built into it¡± ¡°Really?¡± Kiara¡¯s voice covered in puzzlement, ¡°I thought people would be interested in something unpredictable.¡± Adam shrugs his shoulders, ¡°Yeah but people aren¡¯t willing to master something without a clear strategy or execution. The core principle of Chaos form is both a double-edged sword.¡± Edward and Zhang lock blades against each other, the clashing sounds of metal echo loudly in the air, and the underlying principles of each strike become more evident with each clash. Each of the 6 fighting forms- Sentinel, Phantom, Tempest, Crimson Fang, Lotus, and Chaos, were all designed for a single purpose by the ancient wardens- each one with its own strength, weakness and core principles. Sentinel- Defense. Phantom- Speed. Tempest- Range. Crimson Fang- Aggression, Lotus- Counter-based. Finally Chaos- Unpredictability. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Each comes with a set of skills that require not only practice but an understanding of its core principles. Zhang pivots away from Edward as soon he notices the phoenix swinging quickly in his direction. Maintaining his composure, Zhang gets into a defensive stance with his legs wide apart, and his knees bent low. ¡°Lightning,¡± Edward shouts, his fiery blade quickly transitioning from being covered in fire to being surrounded by electricity. Swinging his blade, Edward throws many arcs of electricity at Zhang. Responding to the attacks, Zhang blocks every single one of the arcs with slow deliberate strikes. Edward quickly stops, raising his blade high in the air. Edward slowly walks forward towards Zhang, who puts his katana in front of his chest preparing for a barrage of strikes. Everyone holds their breath- this is going to decide the winner of the duel. Edward strikes first beginning his onslaught of attacks but Zhang, noticing the pattern, blocks all of his attempts. Zhang and Edward maintain their composure- eachof them preparing for an opening to strike. Motioning his head, Edward¡¯s shinigami dives headfirst towards Zhang. Noticing the attack, Zhang momentarily stops his defense leaving him vulnerable for Edward¡¯s next attack. Shifting his body, Zhang pivots away from the phoenix and Edward. With a quick flick, Zhang swings his katana at Edward who prepares to block it but suddenly Zhang pivots in front of Edward, extending his leg successfully tripping him. Everyone¡¯s mouth was wide open, the silence thick and palpable. Zhang grabs Edward¡¯s collar, narrowly catching him before he falls head-first onto the marble floor, ¡°I win.¡± a small smirk of triumph tugs on his face. Edward laughs to himself, and Zhang helps him get back on his feet. The recruits murmur amongst each other, not yet comprehending the ending of the duel. ¡°That was kind of underwhelming,¡± one of the kids whispers to his friends. Another kid murmured in a low voice, ¡°It felt like Edward was winning for the most part.¡± Turning his attention to the recruits, Zhang sheaths his blade. ¡°I hope you all learn something from this.¡± glancing at Kiara, ¡°Your opponent can easily overpower you but if you can get an opening and catch them off guard. Knowing when to strike or hold back can either help you win or lose a battle. Train hard and get stronger.¡± Kiara, still reflecting on the lesson, nods thoughtfully, taking those words to heart. The recruits listen carefully in silence. One of the kids raises his hand, and Zhang quickly points at him, ¡°Yes. What is your question?¡± ¡°So we have to train super hard right? Like you two, and become A-ranks as soon as possible?¡± the kid innocently asks. Edward pauses to himself, ¡°Well¡­yes but..uh no. The rank doesn¡¯t mean everything. The lesson we were trying to say is that training isn¡¯t just about rank¡­.it¡¯s about what you learn from it.¡± Another kid raises their arm, ¡°So we shouldn¡¯t be more like you? We shouldn¡¯t try not to fight and get strong.¡± ¡°No.No.No. You should try to get stronger but not rush the journey¡­ and¡ªuh¡­ you have to appreciate it along the way,¡± Edward stumbles on his words, being more flustered by the second, All of a sudden more kids start raising their hands trying to get their questions answered by Edward, quickly overwhelming him. ¡°Wasn¡¯t the demonstration that we should have fun in battle?¡± one of the boys asks. ¡°So should we play around when fighting like what you two were doing Mr. Edward?¡± one of the girls asks, her face covered in puzzlement. ¡° Mr.Edward should we not aim to be the strongest? The duel and the flashy stuff made it seem like we should aim for that?¡± another boy questions, his tone calm and unhurried. Many of the seniors whisper to themselves. One senior, a lanky figure with a cocky grin, leans forward, ¡°Look at this¡­Edward the crazy can¡¯t even teach a bunch of children to listen to him,¡± his voice low but loud enough for a few couple of nearby recruits to hear it. Kiara overhearing the insults glares at the group of the smug senior wardens, their laughs piercing her nerves. The group notices her glaring at them but she looks forward ignoring them. She didn''t want to show any weakness not letting them know that their words got under her skin. Zhang claps his hands together and all the recruits stand up straight, ¡°Alright everyone. Get back to training.¡± In an instant all the recruits get back into their stations continuing their lessons. Kiara and her group of her friends rush back to the library. ¡°What were you trying to say, Master?¡± Zhang questions, his voice skeptical and unmoving. Edward gives out a heavy sigh, muttering something to himself. ¡°What did I do wrong?¡± Edward reprimands, ¡°I wanted them to learn that the real value of training was not the cool techniques but the journey- the growth and process of getting stronger, not striving for excitement or glory.¡± ¡°That was the message?¡± Zhang questions, his voice filled with skepticism, ¡°I thought it was showing these kids what they could be capable of.¡± Edward lets out a big sigh, rubbing the back of his neck, ¡°That was part of it,¡± he admits. His expression softens as he lays himself against a nearby pillar. ¡°I thought the duel would make my message clear,¡± Edward says quietly to himself, ¡°I guess I got too caught up with the duel to really emphasize the importance of the journey to getting stronger. They need to understand the why before they''re ready to understand how¡± Zhang crosses his arms, nodding thoughtfully, ¡°They saw the fight and the power, not the process master. You need to show them their foundations before they worry about strength and glory.¡± He briskly walks away from the courtyard, his steps quick and deliberate. He turns his gaze at Edward leaning on the pillar, ¡°Don¡¯t make this seem like I agree with your philosophy, I¡¯m just giving you advice to better communicate it to others.¡± Edward chuckles to himself, ¡°Of course.¡± shaking his head in amusement, ¡°I don¡¯t want to take your kindness for granted.¡± Zhang rolls his eyes, scoffing as he walks away, ¡°Hope you take my advice to heart.¡± Edward¡¯s mind lingered on their exchange. He glances at the courtyard, the kids training harder than ever. The younglings excited chatter echoed in his head. Their takeaway had been all wrong and it was his fault. He had to do better. Before Edward leaves the courtyard, he notices the cloaked man still standing in the courtyard. Edward¡¯s eyes were drawn to a particular pin tied to the man¡¯s cloak- Was that always there? Has that man been wearing that the whole duel? The cloaked man tips his hat and starts to walk away from the courtyard. Edward¡¯s voice cut through the air, low and sharp, stopping the individual in his tracks. He gently puts his hands on the cloaked individual, ¡°Can we have a talk?¡± The man slowly turned himself towards Edward. A faint annoyed smile tugged on his face. ¡°Sure,¡± tipping the brim of his hat, the man gazes at Edward with his blank expressionless eyes, ¡°What do you want to talk about?¡± ¡°Did you enjoy the duel?¡± Edward says, staring intensely at the man¡¯s cloak pin. ¡°I did,¡± the man said in a calm detached voice, ¡°The way¡­you both fought piqued my interest.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Edward says, his tone calm and composed, still staring intently at the man¡¯s coat pin, ¡°I¡¯m always glad to meet new people around here,¡± ¡°Alwin Dubois. B-rank,¡± tipping the brim of his hat down, Alwin slowly walks away from the conversation, ¡°It¡¯s nice¡­ meeting you. Edward Meitner.¡± His cold lifeless eyes looked fixedly on Edward. Edward¡¯s fingers clutch into a fist, his eyes looking on at Alwin with a cold dead stare. He let go of his suspicions- but the image of that strange pin still lingered in his head. Chapter 8. Shatter minds Zhang walks through the hallway corridors, the walls stretch far into the temple. His footsteps stop in front of a large intricate, detailed door guarded by two cloaked guards holding their broadswords high in the air in a silent imposing display. "Zhang He," one of the guards deeply utters through his expressionless mask, "How may we help you?" His voice is hollow and instantly cut through the silence in the air. "I wish to talk to the Arbiter," Zhang calmly explains. The guards slowly look at each other then they slowly open the door to the Arbiter''s office with an eerie slowness. Zhang steps into the room decorated with multiple art pieces and statues. His steps are slow but deliberate. The cloaked guards stand perfectly still and quiet at the corners of the room. "Arbiter," Zhang says, fixing his posture, "You must have heard about Edward Meitner''s sudden arrival." The Arbiter turns his chair to face Zhang. The middle-aged figure looked intently at Zhang with his soft gentle eyes. He slowly grabs the queen piece off the chess board and moves it in front of his own pieces- blocking their movements. Zhang winces, clearly annoyed by the amateur move that Arbiter did with his queen piece. His arms tighten around his side. He tried to force a smile but his gaze lingered on the chess board. Zhang exhales to himself, his shoulders raising up and down trying to remove the thought from his head. "I did," the Arbiter calmly utters, fidgeting with his wrinkly fingers, "He arrived with his granddaughter, I suppose?" "That is correct," Zhang says, his tone composed and weary, "Did you overhear the duel?" "I did but I didn''t expect you to spend your free time entertaining children," the Arbiter smiles intently, unwavering yet impossible to read, "Edward barely set a foot and he already found himself entangled in a duel." The Arbiter chuckles to himself but Zhang maintains his composed nature. Zhang gives out a long deep breath. "We will be scheduling an evaluation for Kiara Meitner. This is a way to know her strengths, weaknesses, and her official rank." Zhang softly utters. The Arbiter''s smile did not waver, "How would you describe Kiara''s skills so far? Something akin to a large rouge marble block, waiting to be polished," Zhang''s eyes dart around the room, the royal guards with their heads slightly turned in his direction giving a daunting feeling on his shoulders. "I never got to see her skills yet but her grandfather believes she is a D-rank. The only way we can know is that we fully assess her directly" Zhang says, keeping his voice steady. The barracks doors open, and Edward slowly enters his room, glancing at his and Kiara''s luggage. He scurries through his bag to pull out a large document file. A smile tugged on Edward''s face before he put the file under his coat jacket. Kiara and her friend group walk through the hallway corridors back to the library. Suddenly Adam left a suggestion, "Kiara. Let me show you another way to the library. I want to show you something." The group unknowingly follows Adam as they walk through the stone corridors, their footsteps echoing throughout the otherwise quiet hallways. A nicely groomed black hair warden in his black vest suit walks past Kiara''s group sipping on his cup of coffee. He gives a slight nod to the kids, "You kids like the duel? It was a great showing of power." His tone was light and gentle as he stopped his path to talk with Kiara''s group. "It was amazing," Seth interrupts, his eyes wide from enthusiasm. The warden and the rest of Kiara''s friend group chuckle to themselves from Seth''s outburst. The warden sips on his cup of coffee and he swiftly walks off to his duty, his footsteps as quiet as a whisper. Adam directed everyone to follow him and the group ended up in a multiple stone corridor passageway with names inscribed deeply on the walls. "This hallway is dedicated to the lives lost over time. It stretches deep into the temple itself." Their footsteps echo in the vast solemn space. "I wanted you to see this. It really puts things into perspective," Adam calmly explains a shadow of doubt across his face. "It''s easy to forget what we signed up for." "It looks like it stretches far," Kiara mutters to herself, her gaze wandering to a specific inscription: 1970 Warden Massacre- 80 confirmed victims. "It stretches for multiple levels," Anby interjects, her tone calm and informative, "You can easily get lost if you aren''t paying attention to your surroundings." "You ever wonder if all of this fighting is ever worth it," Adam questions, "We''ll be like everyone else- another name on the wall." "I don''t see how anyone could have the drive to be a warden," Adam questions, staring endlessly at the names engraved on the walls. "A drive?" Kiara questions. Adam stares at Kiara for a long time trying to process her question, "It''s basically your motivation.The thing that makes a person tap into their spiritual energy. It''s very superficial in the first place" "I never thought about it before?" Kiara says sheepishly, "I guess my drive is to just help people." A smile tugs on Adam''s face but Kiara feels like she said something wrong, "Was that a bad motivation?" "Oh no Kiara," Anby says, twirling her long curly hair, "It''s a noble goal but it''s very¡­. How do I say this? It''s kind of¡­uh.. It''s very¨C" "It''s very superficial in the grand scheme of things," Adam says bluntly. Anby awkwardly shrugs her shoulders agreeing with Adam, her shoulders rising like a nervous kitten. Kiara felt very crushed about their honest opinions. Anby seeing Kiara demoralize, tries to cheer her up, "It''s okay." She tries to be sincere, maybe a bit too hard, "You don''t have to take it seriously, helping people is still a noble goal around here." She tries to lift the disappointment off Kiara''s shoulder. Anby turns her gaze towards the youngest of the group, "Seth. Help me out here." she says softly but urgently to the little kid. Seth''s big wide eyes widens and flickers between Anby and Kiara. "Kiara," Seth chirps, his voice high-pitched yet confident. He begins to clap his hands together, "You can do it. Even if it''s hard, it''s okay. You will become a great hero." Anby just stands there all embarrassed and quiet. Kiara and Adam laugh to themselves, their hands covering their mouths not letting Anby see them laughing. "Thanks for helping Anby. Seth." Kiara thanks, placing her hand on Anby''s head clearly confusing her. Kiara quickly retracts her hand back. I''m becoming more like my grandfather, Kiara jokes to herself in her head. Anby looks at the clock placed on the stone wall, her expression changing as soon as she sees the time. "Oh sorry Kiara, me and Seth have to get to our spell training." Anby says urgently, grabbing Seth''s hand, "We don''t want to be late or else our mentor is going to be bonkers." Kiara waves her hand as she watches Anby and Seth run off into the distance. "Those are some good kids," Kiara says softly. "They are," Adam utters to Kiara, "You still want to go to that library?" "Sure. Why not?" Kiara says, shrugging her shoulders. The two walk forward together as the names engraved on the walls disappear into the background. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. As Kiara and Adam walk through the hallways, two familiar figures walk through the Crimson PineGlade. Their steps echo throughout the forest floor. Hirano steps through the forest floor in his black formal wear, his loafers echo softly on the forest floor. Kawata quickly follows her brother, her appearance changing to more of a grungy tomboy with typical street attire. "I feel like I''ve seen that exact tree for the hundredth time already," Kawata mockingly jokes. "Calm down." Hirano calmly says, looking at his map, "We have already cleared around eighty percent of the park so far. Maybe one more week and we''ll free our brethren from his prison." Hirano looks down on his map while Kawata takes pictures of the nearby clouds overhead. Hirano turns around in Kawata''s direction, annoyed by her behavior. Suddenly a loud noise echos through the national park instantly alerting Kawata and Hirano. The birds swiftly flap away from the danger, their caws echoing throughout the blue skyline. Hirano and Kawata immediately rush over to what is happening. "Trajan!" a voice scornfully reverberates as the plague doctor emerges out of the shadows of the forest. The Roman soldier turns his head towards his partner, his surroundings covered in a mix of dead animals and Elusives. "What?" Trajan questions, confused by the ordeal, "I''m just taking care of the infestation in the area, Azrael." "Then what are these?" Azrael points at the dead animals scattered across Trajan''s surroundings. "These animals just got in my way." Trajan casually explains swinging his blade and killing an Elusive leaping towards him. "There are hundreds in just this small area alone," Trajan gleefully smiles, swinging his blade in a large arc destroying many hordes. "There should be hundreds here," Azrael annoyingly says, not paying attention to his partner, "The wardens are leeching off the talisman''s energy to train their recruits in this restricted zone." The dark spiritual energy of the dead elusive quickly transfers over to Trajan''s weapon. The blade glows purple energy from the absorption. "We have to follow the Master''s orders," Azrael calmly explains, "We need to get moving to find the talisman before those two get it before us." "Why can''t he do it?" Trajan annoyingly questions, "It''s so boring just walking around and searching and he''s making us do this mission just on the words of two strangers he''s never met before." "Even if the Master is wrong about the location. You must have felt this powerful source of spiritual energy here," Azrael retorts, pointing his dagger at Trajan, "You don''t want to question the Master or the Hero, don''t you?" "No, I wouldn''t" Trajan begrudgingly mutters, his eyes narrowing at the plague doctor. Azrael slowly puts his dagger back in its holster. "Good job." Azrael congratulates, cracking his knuckles, "Still. We need to do a better job of blending into human society better. Right now, we stand out like a sore thumb." "Well. I thought you were supposed to be the smart guy," Trajan mockingly jokes. Azrael glares through his mask, clearly annoyed by Trajan''s mocking nature but out of nowhere a twig snaps in the area. Azrael slowly turns his head towards what made that sound, his eyes widening and annoyed at what he is sees. "Oh great." he sarcastically mutters to himself. Meanwhile in the Warden temple. Kiara and Adam sit across from each other analyzing and reading the books in the sacred library. "Are you actually this interested in books, Kiara?" Adam questions, tapping his pencil on the textbook, "The first thing you wanted to see was the library and now we are here a second time." "Okay. The first time was because I was just curious what the library looked like because it had the word sacred in it," Kiara jokingly says, "The second time around is more about preparing myself for this evaluation or whatever." "Oh. Do you care about that?" Adam wonders, "It isn''t anything special, it''s just a series of difficult tests meant to challenge a recruit for their covenant rank." "Yeah but after seeing my grandfather fight Zhang and showing what he can actually do made me feel like I should try and do harder," Kiara softly mutters, her eyes darting across the room. "Kiara. Your grandfather was known as the Rising Star of his time," Adam explains, "You look like you are still a beginner. You can''t reasonably suggest you could be as strong as him when he was your age." "The only thing you worry about is those snobby C-rank recruits who think they are better than those lower than them when the only thing from their rank is solo missions." Adam annoyingly says. "So what rank are you?" Kiara smirks, her eyes gazing at Adam. "C-rank," Adam shrugs casually. "So you are one of those snobby recruits that look down on others." Kiara jokes around, a mischievous grin across her face. "Hey. I never said I was!" Adam says waving his hands frantically, causing Kiara to laugh to herself. She looks over to the mural portrait of the wardens fighting multiple humanoid spirits covered in armor. The humanoid spirits stood tall, covered in large amounts of armor, commanding hundreds of Elusives to fight the ancient wardens. Each figure exudes an overwhelming sense of power. "This world of spirits and magic just seems so much more bright than my dull life at home," Kiara calmly says, her eyes tracing back to Adam, "I love my friends back home but the world just seems so¡ª." "Plain," Adam finishes for her, listening intently as Kiara gives her explanation. "I know it''s selfish but there''s something about this. The adventure, the inhuman experiences, and the danger- makes me feel more like myself," Kiara meekly says, fidgeting with her fingers. "I get what you mean," Adam utters, "That adrenaline can be exhilarating," he pauses to himself before talking in a quiet tone, "but you should be happy with the life you have right now." "Some kids here really want to know what normal life is outside of being a warden," Adam explains. The smacks of the wooden blades hit against each other as the mentors yell and command the kids to train harder. "It can be quite isolating when you spend most of your life training, studying, fighting¡­then repeat.." Adam says softly, "Giving your lives out to a cause that seems like a constant cycle." "Get up," a mentor orders, commanding a recruit to stand after being struck blank in the side. "If you stay down for too long an Elusive can snatch you right up." the mentor lectures. The smacks of the wooden blades reverberate around the courtyard. Many recruits practice their spiritual energy control while others try to summon shinigami of their own. The commands of the mentors and the looks of the seniors keep everyone in a tense position making sure not to fail their lesson on their first try. Watching above everything, standing on his stone balcony is the Arbiter. His face exudes a blank, emotionless expression as he watches everyone train below him. Everyone is training hard to become something greater than themselves, to match the skills and actions of Zhang and Edward. As the mentors shouted their commands, pushing them harder, the recruits only pushed harder. Their resolve is unwavering. The Arbiter moves a couple more chess pieces forward as he watches intently. "That''s why I felt inspired by your grandfather''s beliefs to make a difference here, maybe around the world," Adam says enthusiastically, his tone full of conviction, "I want to get stronger so I can help influence and change the circumstances of everyone living here." "That''s a noble goal, Adam," Kiara says, a smile wide on her face. The sincerity in his voice is unimaginable and for a second, it made her question her own hesitations. "But that''s a pretty big task by yourself. You really think you can change the world by getting stronger." Adam meets her gaze, his tone unwavering, "Your grandfather believed in the strength of others, maybe I can do the same." Kiara looks down on her thoughts. Could strength really be the key to change? Could she follow both Adam''s and her Grandfather''s route for herself? The weight of Adam''s words press heavily on her shoulders. Kiara knew she had to keep moving forward to find her own path just like Adam yet that feeling of something outside of Warden society lingered in her head. "You know Adam, even if the evaluation isn''t that special, I still want to do my best," Kiara says wearily, tapping her pencil on the textbooks. "I want to show to myself that I can do better and I can''t put myself behind everyone else that already seems so much more than me." "You know you are strong for telling a person you barely know about your thoughts and feelings," Adam jokes around causing Kiara to be flustered. "Hey. I thought we were getting close enough that I can tell you how I feel," Kiara says, her tone brash and cheerful, tapping the textbook on Adam''s head. "Don''t do that," Adam chuckles to himself trying to get Kiara to stop attacking him. Kiara momentarily stops for a moment before giving out one last tap on Adam''s head. Kiara looks over at the mural, her eyes more intrigued than ever,"Adam. How do you feel about this mural?"They both slowly get out of their chairs to look at the painting. "Oh it''s just an ancient painting of history," Adam calmly explains, "That''s been there since the construction of this temple like uh¡­150 years ago. It''s just something that happened millennials ago." "It must have been scary for wardens to fight hundreds of thousands of Elusives like that," Kiara says, her tone calm and weary, "It feels like they were unstoppable." "I mean it''s just a painting but I can see where you are coming from," Adam jokingly says. Kiara looks intently at the same humanoid spirit covered in armor, its gaze exuding a power almost overwhelming to her, "I almost feel something strange whenever I look at this certain creature," she points her finger at the figure depicted for Adam to see. The spiral dark clouds depicted illuminate the battlefield covered in dead bodies. "You two seem very interested in that mural," Zhang inquires. His figure entered the library room, the librarian raising her hand in a gesture to greet him. Adam stands tall and straight as Kiara follows his exact movements. "I was just wandering around and I happened to catch wind of your conversation," Zhang explains, placing his arms behind his back, "What were you saying about the mural, Kiara? "I just have a weird feeling about it," Kiara sheepishly says. "Do you know who is depicted in this painting," Zhang questions. Kiara ponders for a while but she shakes her head in response to Zhang''s question. The air in the room seemed to grow heavy as Zhang answered Kiara''s doubts, "I suppose you would know about the Ascendants." At the same time, Hirano and Kawata look at their opponents standing in the middle of their path. Hirano glares his eyes as Azrael looks scornfully through his mask. "Ascendants," Azrael softly mutters to himself as he prepares for a skirmish against his enemies. Chapter 9. Ascendants A cold sensation runs up Kiara''s spine as Zhang utters the words Ascendants from his lips. The feeling it brought reminded Kiara about a specific event in her past. It was as if her Grandfather''s words echoed in her ear. "Long before humans began recording their history," Edward recited, "There were the Elusives, ancient spirits that have only one desire, to consume all life in our world" Kiara looked on, her eyes wide open, listening intensively to the story. "In that chaos emerged the Ascendents, powerful barbaric creatures that once ruled over the world as they seemed fit." Edward dramatically read out loud, the lights flickered in the room. A tap from Adam snaps Kiara back to reality. She eyes on Zhang, his gaze narrowing on her waiting for her answer. "The Ascendants are our eternal enemies," Kiara calmly says, unease lying heavily on her shoulder as Zhang examines her answer. "Not bad," Zhang walks towards the ancient mural, "Did your grandfather ever tell you the source of spiritual energy in the world?" Kiara''s eyes were drawn to a specific Ascendant in the mural, its shadowy form commanding over a thousand Elusives into the battlefield. She felt a strange unearthly connection to it, "Spiritual energy¡­ has always been in humans, it just had to be harnessed." Kiara tensely claims, fidgeting her fingers. "That is partially true," Adam rebutted, "Technically in a way, the Ascendants were the ones to teach us about harnessing spiritual energy." Meanwhile in the Crimson PineGlade Forest. Hirano stares intensely at his opponents, motioning Kawata to get behind him. Azrael pulls his dagger out of his pocket, preparing for a little scuffle. The Roman soldier steps forward, ignoring his partner''s glare. " I''m always interested in meeting new opponents. The name is Trajan." he boastfully exclaims, raising his blade high in the air, " Cesar Trajan." "What''s wrong with you," Azrael angrily shouts at Trajan, " Why would you give your name to the enemy?" "A warrior should always know his opponent''s name, Azrael." Trajan taunts her, awaiting Hirano''s answer. Azrael scornfully breathes through his mask, muttering quietly to himself, Good job for ruining our tactical advantage¡­you dumb brute. The plague doctor is Azrael and the warrior is Trajan, Hirano analyzes, a grin appearing on his face, That blabbering monkey is going to be the cause of your deaths. Hirano''s eyes narrow at Azrael and Hirano, their spiritual energy looking peculiar. Nothing like anything he has seen before. "Who are you two?" Hirano questions, summoning a blade in his outstretched hands, "You two don''t appear to be wardens." Trajan gets into a battle stance, while Azrael stays cautious, waiting for the right moment to strike. "Don''t underestimate the Ascendants, Trajan." Azrael warns his partner, his gaze looking straight at Hirano, " They may be relics but they are still powerful." Relics! Hirano angrily reacts to Azrael''s insult, his mind racing with thoughts, So you people know about our existence and are willing to insult us. Hirano leaps towards Azrael, leaving a shockwave behind him. Reacting quickly, Azrael blocks Hirano''s blade with his daggers. "Finally. Some action!" Trajan yells before charging towards Kawata, a happy smile plastered on his face. Kawata quickly jumps onto the trees to gain enough distance away from Trajan. "Get down from there," Trajan scornfully orders, "A pretty girl like you should prove your worth by battling me and not hide in trees." Kawata summons a bow and arrow, a bright pink glow coming from her stretched-out arms. She quickly releases the arrow toward Trajan, with the singular arrow splitting up into multiple arrows exploding on close impact with her enemy. When the smoke clears, Kawata sees two shinigami reforming themselves from the damage. Their forms resemble ghostly Vikings. Trajan stomps forward, his footsteps heavy and echoing through the forest floor. "This is going to be fun," Trajan gleefully smiles, his shinigami quickly vanish and reappear next to Kawata catching her off guard. A massive shockwave rippled through the Crimson PineGlade, Simultaneously as the battle continues, Kiara''s eyes widen at the revelation. Her gaze wanders as she tries to process the weight of the realization. She tries to make sense of it all. There''s so much she doesn''t know but she can''t afford to ignore the gaps in her knowledge any longer. "The Ascendants taught us spiritual energy?" Kiara questions, her tone uneasy and puzzled. "This is something Master Edward should have taught you," Zhang questions, disappointment clear in his gaze, "This is basic history for recruits like you to know." Kiara felt very sheepish from Zhang''s comment. His words stung like a thousand blades to her confidence. Yet she couldn''t shake off the feeling that Zhang was right in a way. Why didn''t Edward continue his discussion about the Ascendants? Why wasn''t she taught this vital piece of history before now? "The ancient wardens studied how the Ascendants manipulated their spiritual energy," Zhang instructed, " We trained our minds and our bodies to manipulate and force out the energy in our very core, to do the same." "After a couple hundred years, we had the first generation of wardens," Adam cuts into Zhang''s lecture, clearly annoying him. Zhang turns his back towards Adam, " Please raise your hand whenever you want to add something to the conversation." Edward''s voice echoes in Kiara''s head, trying to remember the story of the Ascendants that he once recited to her as a child. The Ascendants, badly weakened, were hunted down one by one, sealed in separate talismans to prevent their return. "Were all the Ascendants ever sealed away?" Kiara questions, fidgeting with her fingers. Zhang looks over to Kiara, "Who knows? The numbers of how many they were have been lost to time." "So they could still be out there," Kiara exclaims, her tone filled with concern. Adam glances at Kiara, crossing his arms, "The power of the Ascendants has likely been diminished over time like a fading ember. They might no longer be the deities that once tried to destroy the world but they are likely stronger than most wardens." A shockwave echoes throughout the Crimson PineGlade. Azrael throws his dagger at Hirano, quickly dodging the attack. Hirano swings his blade, cutting through the air with a swift arc, but Azrael swiftly maneuvers himself out of harm''s way. Stay still, Hirano yells, his hand glows with a golden-yellow aura. Forming his hand into a finger gun, a small orb of light appears. He speedily aims his finger at Azrael, " Divine contagion." Hirano fires a flying orb of pure spiritual energy at Azrael at high speeds. Azrael puts his hands into a hand sign but before a protection barrier entirely covers his body, the flying orb explodes on Azrael''s chest. Azrael breathes heavily as the effects of the Divine contagion kick in. Hirano swings his blade at Azrael, quickly blocking the attack with his daggers. "You are strong, you primitive lifeform but a monkey is still a monkey no matter how you animals have evolved," Hirano scornfully taunts his enemy. Azrael eyes look intently through his plague doctor mask. He swings his daggers towards Hirano. Swiftly reacting, Hirano blocks every attack with his blade. "Ah. What''s wrong? Did I hurt your feelings?" Hirano taunts, his blade raised high, "Humans have always been sensitive to the truth." Azrael leaps towards Hirano. Acting quickly, Hirano blocks Azrael''s attack, sparks flying everywhere. Hirano''s scornful eyes meet up with Azrael''s through his mask. "This is what makes humans interesting¡­ They claim to talk big but when the truth is revealed they cower to the strong," Hirano swings his blade, forcing Azrael far into the forest, " That''s why monkeys like you are ultimately killed by the hunter." Azrael grabs a stone with a small rune etched into it out of his pockets and throws it at Hirano. A shining bright light momentarily blinds Hirano and a humanoid ravenous Elusive launches itself at the Ascendant catching him off guard. Hirano blocks the creature''s vicious attacks with his blade, "Filthy animal." The Elusive jaws bite down tightly on Hirano''s blade. Its skinny arms aimlessly try to impale Hirano''s head. Kawata turns her head to see Hirano being overwhelmed by the ravenous Elusive. "Hirano!" Kawata screams out being tackled by Trajan into a nearby tree. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. "Kawata!" Hirano yells out. He grips out his blade tightly before pushing the Elusive back. In a quick precise motion, he slices the Elusive in half before kicking the upper half far into the forest. "No!" Azrael calls out as he sees the upper half of the Elusive roll out of his gaze. Hirano runs off to protect Kawata from Trajan. It''s my fault for allowing Kawata to fight an opponent outside of her comfort zone, Hirano thinks to himself. The two Viking shinigami block Hirano''s path. Their speed was too quick for Hirano to register. Trajan walks forward towards Kawata, his steps heavy on the forest floor. A gleeful grin tugs on Trajan''s face. "How does it feel to be so powerless?" Trajan taunts holding his broadsword high in the air. In an instant, Kawata appears behind Trajan firing multiple arrows at point black range. Reacting quickly Trajan raises his shield to protect himself from the explosions. Trajan swings his arm dispersing the smoke cloud around him. He gives a skeptical look at seeing Kawata''s new form. "You look different." Trajan ponders, "Weren''t you a girl a minute ago?" "I like to be unpredictable," Kawata says, a sly smirk plastered on his face. Suddenly ethereal crimson wings appear from Kawata''s back. He quickly leaps at Trajan, attacking with swings. Trajan effortlessly blocks all the attacks with his blade. Hirano grips his blade and with a quick motion, he effortlessly destroys the shinigami causing Trajan to cough up blood. Momentarily distracted Kawata swings his wing at Trajan''s face, leaving a wide gash across his face. Azrael throws a bunch of potions at Kawata causing an instant series of explosions but Kawata reacts quick enough to fly away from harm''s way. Hirano appears through the smoke cloud in front of a bewildered Trajan with his hand outstretched and glowing in his golden aura. "Divine contagion," Hirano calmly says, his eyes narrowing on his target. He quickly scratches Trajan''s cheek and in a blink of an eye, he appears right behind him. Azrael slowly walks forward next to his partner but Trajan suddenly coughs up blood causing him to kneel on the floor. "I think you should help your partner," Hirano scoffs, "What I just infected him has an 80-90% mortality rate." Trajan''s muscles felt like they were in severe pain and his head felt like it was moving at high speeds. Kawata slowly descends gracefully next to Hirano. "If you don''t help him he''s going to bleed or die from organ failure," Hirano laughs to himself causing Azrael to clutch his fists in anger. "Tell us why you are after the talisman and I might give you the cure." Hirano calmly explains. Azrael looks down at his collapsed partner suffering on the forest floor. "We don''t need your cure. Based on the symptoms and mortality rate it''s likely a modified disease version of Ebola. Yet if I remember correctly there is no known cure for this disease." "Correct." Hirano scornfully looks, "Your partner will die in just a couple hours to this more extreme variant." "Oh no. I can make a cure in time," Azrael retorts, "The talisman will be ours and its powers will be for great use" "You''re trying to steal the power of the Ascendants? Sorry, but you will never mimic a fraction of our power," Hirano angrily says, "Divine contagion," he swings his arm directly at the duo but Azrael puts his hand on Trajan''s shoulder and they swiftly disappear out of danger. "Damn it," Hirano mutters to himself. He turns his head towards Kawata, "You okay, kid?" He notices a rainstorm about to form in the distance. Kawata slowly walks forward to his brother, "Yeah I''m good. Just a little bruised." "That''s good," Hirano pats Kawata''s back, "We got to find that talisman as fast as possible before those two do. Let''s rest up and survey the remaining areas before continuing in the next couple of days." The sibling duo slowly make their way out of the forest. Azrael and Trajan quickly reappear in a different part of the Crimson PineGlade. Trajan lays there almost motionless on the floor, "It¡­burns¡­Azrael¡­." he says softly to himself. "Calm down," Azrael reassures, pouring a mysterious liquid down Trajan''s throat, "That should deal with the symptoms until I can create a real cure for you." Azrael looks around the forest area, his eyes narrowing his mask, "I wonder what happened to that Elusive that I summoned. What a waste of a rune stone." Azrael waves his smoke covered hand into the air, The teleporation spell appears to still be experimental, he thinks to himself. Azrael slowly puts his hand back on Trajan''s shoulder, "I''m going to teleport us back to the master alright." "Why¡­not¡­sooner¡ª" Trajan softly says, clutching his stomach. "You were going to die if I didn''t pour my vial down your throat," Azrael retorts towards the dying Trajan. That Elusive probably bled out and died somewhere. Azrael thinks to himself, "Now stay still." In a quick flash, the duo pair disappear out of the forest. Somewhere in the Crimson Pineglade the upper half of the Elusive that Hirano sliced off starts convulsing violently as ghostly legs appear beneath it. Kiara pulse quickens. She turns her around sensing something strange in the air but she quickly ignores it. Yet the feeling that godlike figures like the Ascendants could still be lurking in the shadows, is terrifying for Kiara. She clenches her fist, a sense of unease and helplessness stirs in her gut. "Remember to never underestimate your threats," Zhang calmly explains, "The Ascendants may still be out there and maybe weaker but a dying flame can still burn you." He slowly makes his way out of the library before picking up a fighting form book, "Remember to study hard tomorrow but these forms are going to save for the tests I''ve for you." Kiara sighs to herself. Adam crosses his arms, "Best we bring marshmallows for this dying flame." He slowly makes his way out of the library, "Come on. The sacred library is boring anyway so many of the same history books here. let''s see what Anby and Seth are training with their spells." Kiara quickly follows Adam in his direction. Yet she couldn''t shake off the familial connection she had with the mural. It was like something was calling out to her but she didn''t know what it meant. The nagging sense of dread she learned in the library didn''t leave her mind for the rest of the day. The atmosphere shifts as dinner time creeps in for everyone in the temple. Kiara sits close to her new friend group as she notices Edward sitting on the farthest seat on a long wooden table. Adam is busy eating all of Seth''s vegetables while Anby is nose-buried reading Kiara''s library books. The Arbiter suddenly strides into the dining room with his royal guards paving the way for his entrance in a dramatic procession. Kiara looks at the middle-aged figure walking unhurriedly to his seat. The loud murmurs and conversations of the children quickly die down. Edward gives a glance at the Arbiter before continuing to drink his cup of tea. Before the Arbiter sits down, he claps his hands together instantly making everyone stand up in unison. Kiara, taken aback by this, is the last one to stand up. "Today. You may have seen the return of one of our best wardens-Edward Meitner," the Arbiter calmly explains, a gentle smile plastered all over his face. Edward rolls his eyes at the Arbiter''s compliments. The Arbiter gestures his hands for Edward to stand up and present himself to everyone. Edward quickly stands up, as the Arbiter claps his hands together, making everyone clap their hands in unison. "It appears he hasn''t returned alone," the Arbiter stares directly at Kiara causing her to tense up and stand up straighter. "On Sunday afternoon, Kiara Meitner will have an evaluation just like the rest of you before her. I hope we all congratulate her on her journey that is yet to unfold." Kiara could feel a bunch of eyes watching over her in the cafeteria, a shaking feeling quickly consuming her. As the Arbiter sits down, everyone in the cafeteria follows his very movements. "It''s nice for you to make a return, Edward," the Arbiter says, looking down at the table and looking straight at the old man, "I trust that you will adjust to life here just fine." The murmurs and chewing of the children echo throughout the cafeteria. "Nothing has changed much," Edward says with a half smile, "I expect the same old tasks given to me." The Arbiter takes a bite out of his meal staring intently at Edward. Edward slowly stretches his neck, his hand covering the scars that run up from his neck and up to his lower cheek. The Arbiter slowly puts his fork down. "How''s Kiara, Edward? I trust she is meeting your expectations," the Arbiter says. Edward pauses for a moment, ''She''s doing the best she can. She is a strong girl who just needs something to push her further." "So she has no clear direction? Risking everything without knowing the stakes at large." the Arbiter inquires. Edward gives a half smile, pausing for a moment. "She has that fire that all wardens have. I just need something to allow her to tap into it more," Edward calmly explains, "She needs to find a path that suits her the best, something that can channel that fire into something powerful." One of the senior wardens scoots his chair next to Zhang. "The Arbiter is asking a lot of questions." the man whispers, catching Zhang''s attention. "He''s just curious, that''s all," Zhang reassures the man while eating his meal. ''Edward. I wonder what you think is going to be Kiara''s rank after her evaluation." the Arbiter questions. "Uh. I expect her to be D-rank," Edward says, chewing his food, "She hasn''t been training for that long so she is very much in the lower ranks at this point." "True but we have to wait and see to be sure, Edward. We all want to impress and make people we care about proud." the Arbiter says, taking a bite of his food, "I can''t wait to see what kind of person Kiara is- her strengths and desires alike." The Arbiter''s words echo in Edward''s head, We all want to impress and make people we care about proud, he tries to ignore the Arbiter for now and continues eating his meal. The Arbiter smiles to himself. Kiara noticed how unnatural and stiff her grandfather was at the table. She tries to ignore it but something feels very off. The weight of their conversation weighed heavily on her. After the meal, Kiara gathers her tray and makes her way to the exit, the chatter slowly fading away from her. The cool night air brought a chill down Kiara''s spine. After a while- it was bedtime for everyone in the temple. Edward and Kiara went into their separate bedrooms and wished each other good night. As Kiara retreats to her own space, laying motionless on her bed. Her mind replays the conversation she had with Adam. What was her motivation? Why did she want to be a warden? She thought having ideals of justice and protecting people was enough but now there is doubt. She stares up at the ceiling contemplating the weight of these unanswered questions that clouded her mind. Was it a way to fit in? To live up to her grandfather''s expectations? She always had the desire to help people but was that enough to pursue a profession like this? As Kiara closed her eyes-something strange appeared in her dreams. It was like a dark suffocating feeling was constricting her. She wakes up in a mysterious forest area, the moonlight dimly lighting the desolate empty area. Her breathing felt very shallow and she felt like she was going to collapse any second now. A mysterious shadowy figure slowly walks into view. It was unlike anything Kiara had ever seen. Its form is ethereal and glitching between solid and translucent. The air around the creature feels oppressive and slowly crushes Kiara''s lungs. She stares as the figure makes its way towards her. She looks down to see she is now holding a katana in her hand. "When did I?" Kiara wonders, her voice barely escaping her lips. "Thank you ... .for¡ª." the figure says, its voice hoarse and husky. Its voice becomes more distorted as it raises its blade at Kiara, "Battle ... .prepare ... .yourself¡­" The creature raises its blade at Kiara and the mysterious energy consumes her. In an instant, her heart skips a beat and she wakes up in a cold sweat. She stares at the clock- a couple of hours passed by. What just happened? Was that just a nightmare? Convincing herself that it was just a nightmare Kiara tries to ignore what just happened and goes back to sleep. As Kiara''s eyes shut and fall back to her dreams, Rain falls incessantly down wreaking havoc on the city. The Elusive that Azrael thought was dead is now busy ravaging and mutilating the nearby stray cats and the homeless living out in the alleys of the city. The bearded man tries to fight back against the humanoid creature but he is soon overpowered, brutally mutilated then ultimately killed. The gray and pale skin of Elusive slowly wanders the streets, its regrowing legs translucent and pallor. Its large inhuman head unnaturally turns into the starry night, sensing a duo of wardens pursuing an Elusive from the building rooftops. It slowly makes its way to their location, its footsteps brittle and soft on the road below. Chapter 10. Evaluation Each drop shimmers in the dim moonlight, making tiny splashes and sending large ripples across the streets. The people walk across the busy streets in their raincoats and umbrellas. Two wardens finish their task of eliminating the Elusive in a large alleyway. The dark spiritual energy transferring to their blades. ¡°That should be the last one,¡± one of the men says, sheathing his blade, ¡°Let¡¯s head back to the temple. The raindrops drip and trail down their raincoats. Suddenly a trash falls over in the alleyway. The crash echoes throughout the hallway. The wardens turn their heads quickly. They both unsheath their blades to deal with the new threat ahead. A humanoid Elusive slowly walks out of the darkness, its legs transparent and ethereal- shimmering in the moonlight. The Elusive that Azrael thought was dead now stood in front of the two wardens. The rain falls quickly onto the ground soaking the two men. Its movements were similar to that of a puppet on strings. ¡°I was not told there was going to be a humanoid Elusive here,¡± one of the wardens slowly mutters under his breath, her knees trembling slightly, ¡°We can¡¯t deal with a creature this high ranking¡ª.¡± ¡°Calm down.¡± his partner reassures, ¡°It doesn¡¯t appear to be that high-ranking so it¡¯s not a B or A-rank. I think we can handle this¡ª-¡± Suddenly the Elusive contorts its head. Stretching unnaturally, a row of sharp teeth extends from its gaping jaw and pounces on the warden, shredding his neck in seconds. His gurgled scream was muffled by the rain. Blood sprays heavily onto the wet pavement below as the warden collapses onto the ground. The man¡¯s partner screams out in fear, his limbs freezing in place. The Elusive quickly pounces on him next. It kept biting the man until a strange liquid sprays and engulfs the man¡¯s face and body. It felt like his flesh was melting and peeling off. Suddenly the creature started to act violently on top of the man whose entire body was burning from the mysterious liquid. They both collapse onto the ground as their bodies start to contort together, spasming uncontrollably -almost morphing into one being. Bones break apart like tree branches and the man¡¯s muffled screams echo in the alleyway before transitioning into an inhuman gurgle. After a moment, the creature stands up, the remnants of the warden¡¯s body slowly morphing into the Elusive, as if consumed by it. His face slowly sticks out before slowly being consumed entirely in the abyss. It let out an animalistic cry before slowly walking deeper into the alleyway, its legs spasming uncontrollably and becoming weaker by the second. before suddenly collapsing onto the ground. Dead. In a few hours the crime scene was found by a surveillance team. The next day- early morning, the warden¡¯s and Elusive¡¯s body both lay dead on the dissection area in the autopsy room. The room was all gray and sterilized as the pathologists set up their examination. One of the men pulls in a tray of medical instruments as the other prepares for the examination as he turns the recorder on. ¡°April 4, 2023. Subject name Oliver Rubio 35 yrs old male Caucasian and a rare humanoid Elusive,¡± the doctor calmly explains into his recorder. He gives a thumbs up to his partner and to Zhang as he watches through a large window. The doctor begins their examination by slicing through and analyzing the contents of the two bodies found at the crime scene. Zhang watches intently as he watches the men analyze what happened at that crime scene. Each incision makes Zhang wince in anticipation. One of the pathologists looks on towards Zhang as he tries to break through the Elusive¡¯s body. One of the doctors makes an observation, ¡°Do you see that?¡±¡± pointing at the creature¡¯s internal organs and anatomical structure. ¡°I don¡¯t believe Elusives have a flesh-like structure like this.¡± the pathologist wonders, grabbing a bone saw, ¡°We need a closer look.¡± The sounds of the buzz fills the air as the sparks fly everywhere as the man¡¯s partner continues writing down his observations. Setting aside the saw blade, the doctors closely analyze the contents within. One of the pathologists sees the anatomical remnants of a human being that was absorbed by the Elusive. The two men look at each cautiously, their eyes widened in confusion. The pathologist grabs his recorder, ¡°There appears to be a person inside the curse spirit but the person inside is basically unrecognizable due to an unknown black substance slowly consuming the contents within,¡± he pokes his scalpel at what appears to be a nearly digested skull in the creature¡¯s chest cavity. After a couple hours, the autopsy came to an end. ¡°Mr. He,¡± one of the pathologists calmly says, waving his hand to let Zhang come into the autopsy room. Zhang looks on at the opened corpse of the Elusive- it¡¯s mangled body a mix of flesh and spiritual substance. The pathologist''s coworker finishes writing down information on his clipboard and goes on to take evidence pictures of the whole situation. ¡°What¡¯s the situation doctor?¡± Zhang questions. ¡°The Elusive is not likely anything I¡¯ve ever seen before- clearly a fusion between human and curse spirit,¡± the pathologist points his glove hands at the opened carcass, ¡°The dna appears to be closely related to Mr. Monroe, if I recall correctly.¡± ¡°So you are saying that Elusives can now corrupt human beings?¡± Zhang crosses his arms, fear and confusion clear on his face. The Elusives corpse starts spasming in a glitch-like motion causing Zhang to move back in bewilderment. The doctor raises his hands to calm Zhang down, ¡°It¡¯s just muscle memory- the host likely died a couple minutes from the forced conversion process.¡± Zhang remembers the words of the surveillance team that discovered the crime scene, their shock and worries clear on their faces. You can barely tell what the face looked like. One girl said, her hands trembling against each other. He looked like a messed up butchered meat with flesh hanging everywhere One man calmly explained. Zhang clutches his hands wanting to know the answers of what is truly going on. ¡°Even so,¡± the doctor¡¯s partner says, finishing the last of his pictures, ¡°How do we explain this to the Arbiter or the rest of the other wardens?¡± ¡°I will make contact with the Arbiter immediately,¡± Zhang commands, ¡°He will make the next decision.¡± Zhang rushes out of the autopsy room and out onto the hallways- the Arbiter¡¯s royal guards standing still on each passageway. Kiara notices Zhang rushing out in a frantic manner while sparring with Adam in the courtyard. What could cause him to be so worked up? Kiara wonders for a brief moment. She shakes her head trying to ignore the situation while practicing her sword swings with Adam. Whatever it was, it wasn''t her problem- at least, not right now. ¡°Remember when using Sentinel form¨C¡± Adam swings his blade at Kiara but pivots at the last minute to strike the back of her knees. Kiara momentarily stumbles back, ¡°Wait what?¡± ¡°You have to hit your main striking points,¡± he grips his blade but strikes Kiara¡¯s lower rib with the wooden sword. ¡°Ow.¡± Kiara winces in pain. She momentarily stops to catch her breath, ¡°I thought Sentinel was mainly a defensive form. What¡¯s with the attacks?¡± Adam smirks at her before quickly getting back into stance. Kiara raises her wooden blade high in the air and tries to smack Adam but he quickly blocks every strike. ¡°You always have to watch out for your weak spots whenever your opponent is using Sentinel form. Just because its a defense type form doesn¡¯t mean it can¡¯t be used offensively,¡± Adam explains calmly before pivoting in the opposite direction catching Kiara off guard. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. The other kids training in the courtyard murmur amongst each at seeing Kiara and Adam train with each other. ¡°Still a D-rank at her age?¡± One of the kids snickers underneath his breath. ¡°I feel sorry for her being related to someone like Edward the crazy.¡± A young girl whispers to her friend. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t she be with the little kids,¡± a lanky kid jokes to himself. ¡°Those must be the snobby C-ranks you talked about,¡± Kiara says, paying no attention to the kid¡¯s taunts. ¡°Yep,¡± Adam says, rolling his eyes dramatically, ¡°Just ignore them.¡± He pivots his legs to strike Kiara¡¯s blindspot but she manages to block it just in time. ¡°Not today.¡± Kiara says with a wide smile on her face. ¡°You''re a quick learner,¡± Adam acknowledges. He places his blade directly onto the ground, ¡°Let¡¯s take a break for now. Let¡¯s meet up in 30 minutes,¡± Adam says before quickly running off in the distance. Even when the training session was over, Kiara couldn¡¯t help but think of the situation she saw her grandfather was in the day earlier. She was walking in the hallways when she faintly overheard her grandfather¡¯s words in a small crack in the wall. She slowly kneels down to see what was going on the other end of the wall. She saw him sitting across two individuals drinking their cups of alcohol. The room was dimly lit in a dark reddish tone. Pictures were lined up everywhere. Edward slowly handed a document file to the two men. One of the men slowly opened the document file and examined the contents within. He looks on at Edward with a skeptical look, ¡°We don¡¯t assist for free. It appears this case requires a lot more than usual.¡± Edward pulls out a large stack of cash out his coat pocket and swiftly throws it onto the ground. The men¡¯s eyes widened with greed. Kiara stared through the tiny hole confused about the whole situation. ¡°You sure it aint the same crazy thoughts as that one time you thought Elusives were mind controlling President Reagan,¡± one of the men snickers, ¡°All because he had a stutter.¡± ¡°Remember that one time, you thought the Elusive¡¯s weakness was actually music,¡± another drunkenly laughs to himself. Edward rubs his eyes clearly embarrassed by his past actions, ¡°Yes. Those were actual beliefs I had but I tell you this is different.¡± He pulls out a singular picture out of the document file but Kiara was unable to make out what it was, ¡®See. Right here¡± pointing directly at the photo, ¡°This is the only photo evidence I have but I know you two can get way more.¡± One of the men picks up the photo, his brow raising in suspicion, ¡°It¡¯s so blurry that I can barely make out its contents.¡± ¡°Is that a face or a mask? I promise you, I can not tell,¡± the man¡¯s partner drunkenly says, pointing at the blurry picture. ¡°Come on please,¡± Edward begs, ¡°This is important and I know only you can help with this.¡± The men look at each other with skeptical eyes and one of the men with the square glasses rolls his eyes and pours himself a drink, ¡°We¡¯ll do what we can with how little you gave us.¡± Kiara noticed a couple of guards slowly walking into her direction and she quickly ran away from the scene. Edward slowly walks over to leave from the darkroom before one of the men asks him something important. ¡°You sure this aint one of your crazy ideas,¡± the square glasses man questions. ¡°Something can¡¯t be crazy if you¡¯ve seen it personally for yourself,¡± Edward reassures. ¡°Why do you still care about this? We have moved on, you haven¡¯t. ¡° The man moves his glasses closer, ¡°There dead and you can¡¯t bring them back.¡± ¡°I can''t,¡± Edward somberly utters, ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean they can¡¯t be given the justice that they deserve.¡± Kiara shakes her head trying to forget what she saw the day earlier but the feeling still tugs in the back of her mind. She sees Anby sitting all by herself, her large rimmed glasses casting a glare that covers her eyes as she is focused on sketching in her sketchbook. ¡°How are you doing Anby?¡± Kiara utters, walking closely to her new friend. Anby jumps out of surprise as she sees Kiara suddenly standing so close, almost looming over her. ¡°Oh hi Kiara,¡± Anby nervously says, tapping her pencil on her sketchbook, ¡°Uh..Is there anything you need right now?¡± ¡°Hey Anby.¡± Kiara utters softly, ¡°Do ranks actually matter that much here?¡± Anby glances towards the sky, her fingers tapping on her sketchbook, ¡°Um¡­They kind of do,¡± she says thoughtfully, her voice a bit hesitant, ¡°Not until you are like¡­. B- rank. That¡¯s when you know you¡¯re now a more experienced warden.¡± ¡°What about D-rank,¡± Kiara questions, her curiosity peak. ¡°D-rank?¡± Anby blinks, her tone filled with puzzlement, ¡°Oh that¡¯s what¡­you know everyone starts out. Like basic training.¡± ¡°I know but I wonder how people around here think about it,¡± Kiara says, her gaze wandering across the recruits glancing at her from the side. ¡°It¡¯s nothing special. You can compare it to something like you being in middle school,¡± Anby says nonchalantly. ¡°Middle school?¡± Kiara¡¯s eyes widen from Anby¡¯s comment. Anby shoulders raise up immediately realizing she said something bad. ¡°Or was it High school? I don¡¯t know,¡± Any utters to herself sheepishly, ¡°Why do you ask?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how to feel like being compared to a middle schooler,¡± Kiara says calmly to herself, a hint of embarrassment in her tone, ¡°Especially when compared to those snobby C-ranks.¡± The smacks of their wooden blades echo across the courtyard. The sound carries all the way to Zhang¡¯s barracks as Edward and the Arbiter set across from each other as Zhang lays out his findings from earlier today. Zhang shows them the autopsy results and images. Edward jots down everything of interest while the Arbiter looks on, his eyes gentle yet calculating. ¡°One of the pathologists indicates that the Elusive that was brought in had morphed together with Mr.Messano,¡± Zhang calmly explains, pointing at the before and after images. The image of Mr.Messano is a sharp contrast to the digested remains of him in the Elusive¡¯s body. ¡°This is a clear showing of a fusion and mutation of the human body.¡± Zhang says, his voice fill with concern. A heavy silence lingers between them. Zhang changes to the next slide, ¡°Take a look at the spiritual energy readings.¡± The chart shows a red and green bar on a graph, ¡°The red symbolizes the spiritual energy of this special Elusive comparing it to an Elusive of similar D-rank. As you can see¡­ the red bar is off the chart almost two ranks higher than it should be.¡± ¡°What should be the next course of action?¡± Edward inquires. Zhang looks cautiously at the Arbiter who stands there motionless in his seat tapping on his armchair in a rhythmic pattern. ¡°We should have frequent surveillance teams for the next couple months,¡± Zhang cautiously says, ¡°It¡¯s hard to know if another one of these special Elusives will show up again.¡± Edward exhales slowly, his pen frozen over the page. ¡°We might need to postpone everything in order to handle this new threat,¡± Edward calmly utters, slowly placing his journal on the table, ¡°We need to be on high alert.¡± ¡°If we go on high alert it would put everyone here and in our sister temples in a state of disarray,¡± The Arbiter says, calmly cutting into Edward¡¯s conversation. His fingers stop tapping. The Arbiter leans forward, his expression calm yet deliberate, ¡°Priorities must be rearranged to deal with this new threat emerging. We can¡¯t diverge our focus carelessly.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why we must postpone everything to make everyone and the city safe,¡± Edward rubs his temple, exhaling through his nose, ¡°We might risk worse consequences later.¡± ¡°We need to keep the momentum of the recruits though,¡± Zhang says cautiously, ¡°If we delay their training or their future assessments, they will be left vulnerable to the threats ahead.¡± ¡°Zhang is correct,¡± the Arbiter says calmly, ¡°We must ensure everything remains under control.¡± Edward¡¯s eyes look uncomfortably as he looks at the autopsy photos in the report. ¡°I think it¡¯s best that I proctor the evaluation,¡± The Arbiter suggests, causing Zhang to raise an eyebrow. Edward slowly puts the report down on the Arbiter¡¯s table. ¡°You want to be a proctor?¡± Edward says, his tone filled with skepticism, ¡°What¡¯s the occasion?¡± ¡°Zhang must be preoccupied with the incoming threat,¡± the Arbiter calmly explains, ¡°It will cause him to be distracted while proctoring the tests for Kiara''s evaluation.¡± "Maybe it¡¯s best that we delay the evaluation to another date,¡± Edward says with a weary tone, ¡°This special type of Elusive could sprout in many different parts of the city and we should be on duty for a while to make sure no more of these things can appear.¡± ¡°There¡¯s only been one so far,¡± the Arbiter retorts, ¡°It¡¯s likely one of its kind. Very rare of another showing up in a long time.¡± Zhang looks on with a weary look in his eyes, ¡°Here¡¯s the tests that I prepared for tomorrow. Hope you use a couple of these.¡± ¡°Thank you Zhang,¡± the Arbiter smiles at his successor, ¡°I hope you prepared some wonderful tests.¡± ¡°Of course.,¡± Zhang reassures. ¡°We need to focus on more practical tests- more focused on combat. They need to be prepared for unpredictable challenges,¡± the Arbiter calmly says, his smile never faltering, ¡°Teamwork is obviously valuable but the state we are in right now, requires a different skill.¡± ¡°But if we focus more on combat instead of teamwork then we risk how these kids could work as a team,¡± Edward warns, his tone covered in worry. ¡°Don¡¯t worry they will get the necessary experience of working together as a team but strength is necessary to deal with the sudden surge of Elusives,¡± the Arbiter reassures. Edward and Zhang slowly close the Arbiter¡¯s private room and they both walk together in the hallways. Zhang looks over at his reports while Edward looks weary at the events ahead. ¡°The Arbiter proctoring?¡± Edward inquires, ¡°That is usually your job isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Why are you asking?¡± Zhang questions. ¡°I didn¡¯t think he would be this invested to proctor a simple evaluation like this,¡± Edward says, scratching the scar on his face. ¡°All I need to worry about now is to get stronger and hopefully catch up to you guys soon,¡± Kiara says enthusiastically blocking Adam¡¯s attacks. ¡°Yeah,¡± Adam says calmly, pivoting around Kiara and tapping the wooden blade on her shoulder, ¡°Everyone above us wants us to get stronger than before, the only thing we can do is to train and keep killing and absorbing Elusives.¡± ¡°Absorbing Elusives?¡± Kiara wonders. ¡°Yeah, their dead spiritual energy powers us slowly yet surely,¡± Adam explains, swinging his blade, ¡°Don¡¯t you ever wonder why dead Elusive¡¯s energy transfers to the weapon or person that kills it?¡± ¡°Not really,¡± Kiara says nonchalantly, ¡°I thought it was all part of the process of killing Elusives.¡± ¡°The stronger the Elusive- the more spiritual energy we gain from them,¡± Adam says calmly, ¡°Thus leading us to get stronger and stronger.¡± ¡°So like a power fantasy,¡± Kiara says with her eyes widening with realization. ¡°Yeah.¡± Adam utters, his face happy yet covered in confusion, ¡°What¡¯s a power fantasy?¡± ¡°You know where a character goes through an obstacle or battle and gets stronger after defeating an opponent. Collecting Xp,¡± Kiara explains enthusiastically, ¡°You understand?¡± ¡°It kind of is in a way,¡± Adam ponders to himself dramatically, chuckling to himself from the premise, ¡°What¡¯s Xp?¡± ¡°It¡¯s like a game Adam,¡± Kiara laughs to herself, ¡°Still have there ever been any consequences to absorbing Elusive¡¯s energy?,¡± Kiara inquires. ¡°Not that I know of,¡± Adam says, scratching his head, ¡°Going by this power fantasy logic- Kill, absorb, get stronger, repeat.¡± Kiara falls back to sleep on her hard uncomfortable bed where she wakes up in the same forest area from yesterday. She sees the broken talisman in the distance, a dark spiritual energy rising from its broken contents. Suddenly a swing from a blade catches Kiara off guard. She manages to pivot out of the way to see the same distorted figure from her dream. Kiara looks down to see her holding her blade in her hands, she grasps it tightly not knowing if this is still reality or just a figment of her imagination. ¡°Soul¡­.Bound?,¡± the figure says hoarsely, ¡°Why¡­.child¡­.like you?¡± It immediately leaps towards Kiara as she blocks its attack with her blade. Soul Bound? Kiara thinks to herself, What is this thing talking about? ¡°Ascendant¡­am,¡± the figure ominously utters, ¡°Name¡­.is¡­..¡± A bright light appears in Kiara¡¯s dream and immediately wakes her up again. Sweat pouring down her forehead, her breathing frantic and heavy. She is left with a lingering sense of dread. She wipes the sweat off her forehead. She felt like her lungs and heart were to explode due to how fast they were beating. It all felt too real for a simple nightmare. Kiara closes her eyes back again as the starry night slowly transitions into a bright golden sunrise on the mountainside. She wakes up with one thing on her mind: Today was the day. Kiara is going to be evaluated and get her official rank. Chapter 11. The weight of Silence. As Edward and Kiara walk off to the examination room she overhears Zhang talking to the cloaked man who was proctoring the duel on Friday. "There appeared to be an influx of dead Elusives in the Crimson PineGlade last Friday and a powerful source of spiritual energy that rivals even the talisman," Alwin says slowly, handing over the report to Zhang who reads the papers meticulously. Talisman? Kiara''s eyes widen. She remembers her constant dream for the past two days- a broken talisman in a forest area. She also remembers Edward''s words: Ascendants. Sealed in separate talismans. Zhang notices Kiara listening in on his conversation and she immediately scurries off to her friends. He pauses to himself, his fingers rubbing on the report, "Could this be related to what''s happening right now?" "You got a lot to handle right now, especially with the humanoid Elusive," Alwin explains calmly, lowering his voice so that no one can hear them. Zhang raises his eyebrows, his tone weary and low, "How do you know about that? That''s still classified from orders from the Arbiter." Zhang''s shoulders drop, and his stance becomes weary under the weight of another crisis. "Rumors spread fast around here. Brutality like this stands out," Alwin explains calmly, his dead eye staring ominously at Zhang. "As if one crisis isn''t enough," Zhang says, his tone filled with frustration and stress. He clutches tightly on the file before walking into the evaluation room, "Don''t talk about this to anyone else." He points directly at Alwin who nods slightly before following Zhang inside. As Kiara walks towards the center to be assessed, Adam''s words about the evaluation echo in her head, It isn''t anything special. She shakes her head in a wild motion trying to calm herself down. Yeah, Adam''s right. It''s not a big deal, Kiara quietly reassures herself, I''ll do my best. No need to overthink things. Kiara turns her head to see the detailed stone doors open with powerful forces. Many royal guards walk in a perfect formation formally addressing the Arbiter. The Arbiter walks in with a theatrical gesture, his gentle eyes looking on at a nervous Kiara. Edward looks anxiously at the middle-aged figure in his fancy black gold-plated uniform, his eyes narrowing at his presence. "You are so nervous for no reason," the Arbiter laughs to himself, a gentle smile tugging on his face. Kiara lets out a small chuckle at the Arbiter''s observation. "Just relax and learn to maintain a cool attitude as what the kids are saying these days," the Arbiter jokes, making Kiara laugh to herself, successfully calming her down. Her stiff shoulders slowly drop down. Kiara looks up at Edward who does not seem as amused by the Arbiter''s jokes. "Thank you for coming to the evaluation," Edward calmly says, gesturing for a handshake. The Arbiter gently shakes Edward''s hand, "It''s my pleasure." He slowly turns his gaze towards Kiara giving her one last piece of advice. "Remember why you''re here, Kiara." the Arbiter explains softly, "Why do you want to fight? Use that reason to push you forward." Kiara smiles to herself with a sense of happiness in her expression. She thinks to herself remembering Adam''s words and she decides to take it to heart. "I want to fight because I want to protect the people I love so they don''t feel the same feeling of helplessness I had when I was young," Kiara explains, her tone filled with a sense of worth and significance. Zhang''s eyes widen when he hears Kiara''s goal and he looks skeptical at Edward. Kiara''s answer didn''t exude that fiery spirit that all wardens had and it felt very incomplete. Edward pats Kiara''s back proud of her answer. The Arbiter just smiles to himself and theatrically claps his hands. "That''s a beautiful goal Kiara," the Arbiter says, his tone filled with admiration and respect, "I hope you achieve it in your bright future ahead." He slowly leaves with his royal guards to sit next to the High Council. Edward gives out a deep exhale before gesturing for Kiara to quickly get down for her evaluation. He gives one last head pat, "Did the Arbiter''s words help calm you down a bit, Kiara?" "It did," Kiara says with a soft tone. Edward looks on with somber eyes but he quickly changes his expression, "Remember no matter what rank you get, don''t let it define you. You could be put into the lowest rank but anyone can have the potential to grow stronger no matter their circumstances if they work hard enough." Kiara hugs her grandfather before running over to the lower floor. Zhang walks forward with a skeptical look in his eyes, "That motivation is too idealistic Edward." Edward looks at Zhang with a gentle look on his face. Zhang leans forward on the guard railing looking down on the room below. "It is a noble goal. It is the basis of why the warden society began so long ago," Edward explains, "We harnessed spiritual energy to protect the people we love from the impending danger of the Elusive." "That''s not the problem," Zhang says, "The way she looked and acted when saying it¡­.I did not see the mental strength required for a profession like this. It sounded like being a warden was like a game and not a life or death situation." Edward leans right next to Zhang with a somber look on his face, "Yes. Being a warden will always make you team on living and losing it at the same time." "Why did you accept her answer like that?" Zhang inquires, "Have you ever asked her why she wanted to be a warden?" "She just had that fiery spirit in her," Edward explains, "Every day she always pestered me to train her to be just like me, always annoyed she had to wait to become a bit older before I could train her." Zhang lets out a small sigh before looking on at the High Council and the Arbiter. Edward''s eyes flicker towards the Arbiter. The middle-aged figure slowly leans in and whispers something low into one of the council member''s ears. The brief conversation afterward causes everyone at the table to chuckle together. Edward''s eyes narrow at their expressions. What could the Arbiter say that would make the High Council laugh in such joyous glee? Kiara opens the door to the evaluation room and she steps forward to see many high-ranking wardens looking over her. She spots Adam and Anby waving and giving her a thumbs up then she looks at her grandfather looking on with a proud look on his face. Kiara felt like she could do this and that she is capable of succeeding. "Kiara Meitner. Am I correct?" one of the council members utters. "That is correct." Kiara calmly says with her back standing fully straight and her shoulders no longer stiff. "You understand the reason why we are having an evaluation in the first place." another council member speaks. "Yes. Yes, I do," Kiara acknowledges. "We will now begin your first test. Please show us the main defense strikes of Sentinel Form." a middle-aged council member commands softly. Acting quickly, Kiara unsheathes her blade. She remembers her last-minute training with Adam and starts to properly relay the defense strikes in order. The council members write down their observations as Kiara relays her blocking positions- Shoulder, Knee, Side, Spine, and heel. After Kiara finishes repeating the same order of blocks after a while, the council gives out their rating. "Impressive. Very clear motions and posture. That gets an A+." one of the council members recites from his paper. Adam, Anby, and Seth give out a congratulatory gesture to each other from Kiara''s score. The Arbiter claps his hands at Kiara''s success. Edward glances over at Zhang who looks very much skeptical at Kiara''s rating. Her blocks were way too slow and her positions weren''t that clear Zhang thinks to himself, That was at least a mid C or low B rating at most. The Arbiter looks down at a triumphant Kiara happy over a high rating. Amusement flickers in his gentle eyes, "Why stop at one fighting form? A warden should at least know the basics of all 6," the Arbiter declares, "Please show us the rest." The council members give slight glances at each other, smiling at the Arbiter''s suggestion. Kiara, now confident in her skills, begins to show off each of the basics of the rest of the 6 fighting forms: Chaos, Crimson Fang, Lotus, Phantom, and Tempest. Each one gains a score from either a high C to a low A. Edward starts to notice something off the scoring, he locks his gaze directly at the Arbiter who looks amused at Kiara''s success. Kiara looks on at her friends above looking happy for her success. All her fears and anxiety these couple of days past all seemed to disappear at this moment. Maybe just maybe she earned her place here. Enjoy the moment, Kiara, The Arbiter calmly thinks to himself, You''ve done well so far but be cautious because the next tests are going far from your comfort zone. "After tying up the score, you have received a high B+ for properly showing all 6 fighting forms in unison," the council member recites from his piece of paper, "Let''s begin the next test: Shinigami creation." An upperclassman leans himself on a pillar next to his partner. "The council sure knows how to make failures look like victors. It''s dangerous to make someone think they are ready for something they are not." "It''s only a matter of time before that little bubble bursts," the man''s partner says in a low hoarse voice. The moment was fleeting yet the tension lingers in the air. Unnoticed by Kiara, she begins her next test. The next test was a problematic task for her. It was to try to summon a shinigami in its incomplete form using her spiritual energy. Sweat started to drop down her face. She looks awkwardly at Edward and then back at her friends. She tries to raise her arms out but nothing happens. Kiara tries to mimic Edward''s hand movements during his duel with Zhang with her hands. Nothing. Kiara''s breathing becomes shallow. No, I can do this. She repeated the motion in her mind, each step etched in her memory. She clenches her fist, gathering her spiritual energy, coursing like a blazing fire. Nothing happened. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Her eyes look sheepishly at the council members. Their gazes were unamused and discontent. Has she already disappointed them? Kiara''s heart pounded with the sound beating and reverberating in her head. . "It''s fine," the Arbiter explains, "No one gets it at first. You are a new recruit after all." Yeah, He''s right, Kiara thinks, I''m still new to this. I just gotta try harder next time. "You will learn," the Arbiter says warmly, "Not today but in the time forward." Adam leans next to a pillar trying to get a better view. He eyes the council members, his gaze shifting ever so slightly. "She is doing well so far," Anby leans close to Seth, her curly hair swaying between her rim glasses. "Yeah." Adam says, not even looking at Anby, his focus still on the council, "She is doing well but I hope she keeps this momentum up." "What do you mean?" Anby questions, clutching hard on her sketchbook. Her eyes widened confused by Adam''s statement. "We wouldn''t want her to overstep and get humbled now," Adam chuckles, his smile brightly showing yet his words never reach his eyes. They remain sharp and watchful. The nature of Adam''s comment makes Anby frown. She turns to Seth for reassurance but the sleepy boy just shrugs his shoulders, not aware of the tension in the air. "Kiara got this. She seems like she really wants to¨C" Seth yawns, stretching his arms back, "She seems to really want to help us. We just got to look out for her." "Yeah you''re right," Anby whispers with a grin, "She got us." Zhang, feeling something off, slightly turns his head. He watches Adam closely, scrutinizing his every movement, especially the way he eyes the high council. Narrowing his eyes, Zhang turns his head in the other direction. Kiara prepares herself for the next test. The Arbiter explains the description of this specific test, "You will need to protect a human being while not being distracted by an environment you are not used to." Kiara holds her blade tightly, breathing heavily for what awaits her. "As the contest continues. Non-lethal but fast-moving dummies symbolizing Elusives will attack. Expect loud noises and illusions to distract you," the Arbiter declares, "The checkpoint will move every 30 seconds- bring a child dummy into that checkpoint. Don''t hesitate." Kiara holds the hilt of her blade tightly, her locks locked on the surrounding dummies. The Arbiter watches closely, scrutinizing her every move. "The test begins when the dummy is revealed," The Arbiter declares. The child-size dummy rises from the ground and before Kiara can react, the dummies spring forward. Their movements were erratic and hard to predict. A high-pitched noise blasts throughout the room causing Kiara to stumble and nearly collapse. Multiple dummies attack relentlessly, the speed and power of their attacks send Kiara crashing onto the floor. The council members continued writing down their observations, some looking sly while the rest were indifferent. Each strike sends Kiara further and harder down on the marble floor. The earlier feeling of success in performing her fighting forms was instantly shattered by each strike to the floor. Her vision starts to blur as the pain intensifies. She tried to reach for her katana but the blows and noise made it impossible. She slowly raises her head up but before she can blink, the dummy''s metal arm shoots with frightening precision, smashing her head directly onto the ground and whipping her body up and down. A sharp pain exploded in her head, as the cold icy floor touched her face. The world spun around as a loud ring pulsed in her ear. "Those dummies are fast even for an evaluation, Zhang," Edward inquires, his eyes filled with concern. His hands curl into fists. "They do seem faster than expected," Zhang reassures, "Yet maybe this should be a powerful lesson that not everything is going to go to plan" Edward''s concern is palpable, as Zhang''s calm demeanor fuels his anxiety, as he grips harder on the guardrail. Her muscles tremble as she tries to maintain control of the situation. She had to somehow break through and grab her katana at this very moment. The Arbiter looks intensively down at Kiara, his gentle smile too calm in the situation Kiara is in right now. He turns his head towards one of the council members, "Let''s turn the intensity down a bit," The council member nods his head, turning the intensity of the high-pitched noise down by just a bit allowing Kiara to be able to grab her katana off the ground. Seizing the chance, she slices through the dummies. As Kiara tries to run away, she slowly gives out as the intensity of the noise quickly overwhelms her senses. A dummy leaps at her but it disintegrates as it touches Kiara''s katana. It was an illusion. The real dummy appears right behind her, before Kiara can react, it strikes her from behind sending pain rippling throughout her body. With shaky legs, Kiara swings her katana in erratic arcs, cutting through the dummies with a fiery resolve. As she picked up the dummy off the ground, pushing forward towards the checkpoint- it was another illusion. Kiara''s frustration peaks. With her breathing raggy and her body aching, Kiara finds the real checkpoint. She makes the final push, striking the remaining dummies. When she makes it to the checkpoint, she collapses onto the ground with her body stinging with pain. She passed. The sound echoes throughout the silent chamber. From above the council and the Arbiter look intently at the tired girl. His expressions remain unreadable. Not bad, the Arbiter thinks to himself. He stares intensely at the tired Kiara, his disappointment clear on his face, Done so soon after only three tests? Don''t give up now. Kiara turns her head to see the actual checkpoint and she erratically swings her blade in powerful arcs breaking many of the dummies ahead. After a couple strikes, she manages to make it to the checkpoint successfully completing the second test and she instantly collapses onto the ground with her chest stinging in pain. "She did well," Zhang says, letting go of Edward''s shoulder, "I know this is difficult. Edward eye''s narrows at Zhang then it slowly moves towards the Arbiter with a sickening gleeful grin on his face. He begins to clap his hands together in a theatrical manner. "Bravo. Bravo. That was wonderful Kiara," the Arbiter yells out loud, "You have proven yourself to be a resilient warden." If I react out of anger or desperation to protect her, it could be seen as a challenge to the Arbiter''s authority, Edward thinks to himself, I can''t let my emotions run through or he could create a lie strong enough to ruin Kiara. Kiara turns her head to the floor. It felt like her lungs were on fire. She tries to reassure herself about her situation, but I was just caught off guard. The tests are meant to be hard. I just need to try harder next time. She slowly stands up straight, her legs nearly giving out due to the pain and the aftermath of the high-intense noise. She gives out a resilient look towards the council making the Arbiter smile to himself. His smile lingers in Kiara''s head; it was a sharp contrast to the gentle warmth he showed to her a while ago. Zhang gives out a warning to Edward, "Don''t interfere. She has to do this by herself." Edward ignores Zhang''s words and continues to look at Kiara. He grasps heavily on the guard rail and sees the royal guards placed everywhere in the area. Their heads were turned ever so slightly in their direction. They were all waiting ... waiting for him to act.." They want him to challenge the council and the Arbiter. Edward gives out a deep sigh to himself. "This is all a part of his sick game" Edward mutters to himself. The Arbiter looks at the amount of guards placed at all corners of the evaluation center. Each one prepared to respond to the slightest provocation. Every piece that the Arbiter has placed is now fulfilling its very role. Why hesitate. The Arbiter looks down at a tired Kiara then back to a defiant Edward, Afraid to allow people to see who you really are? Afraid of how they will see you again? Edward the Crazy? How fitting for a man like you. The next tests did not falter for Kiara as the intensity increased slowly. Steel discs spun in the air around her but as Kiara tried to defend herself, the discs changed direction mid-flight. "This is supposed to test precision and spatial awareness," one of the council members announces. Kiara swung her blade, knocking a flying disc¨C only for another to fly directly at her. Quickly turning, she felt metal graze her shoulder. Then the illusions started. A flying disc flies towards her. Kiara swings her blade to block it¨Cnothing. The real ones cut her leg. Falling onto the ground, Kiara clutches her leg while using her free arm to block the flying discs. Kiara''s shoulders raise up and down, trying to calm herself down. I can do this. I can¨C Before Kiara can finish her thought, the speed of the discs flying starts to overwhelm Kiara. She could feel her eyes start to tear up. The Arbiter notices this and scowls at the action. Do you want to help people? The Arbiter thinks to himself, Is this the path you will take? He side-eyes Edward, showing off a sick glee to the old man. Do you really think he is going to shield you from reality?, the Arbiter scornfully thought to himself. Kiara looks up at Edward for reassurance but he just stays up gripping the guard rail¨Csaying nothing. No response to end the evaluation earlier than expected. A selfish man at heart, the Arbiter grips the armrest, The world will not protect you. The world Edward can''t shield you forever. Adam sees the Arbiter smiling to himself, his smirk not escaping his attention. It is clear something is currently wrong with how things are unfolding. This has to end before anything gets too serious, he can''t just let it continue like this. The cold air lingers in Adam''s presence, and his finger taps rhythmically on his broad sword. Zhang notices one of the royal guards closest to Adam slightly twitch his leg. Turning his head, Zhang leans over next to Edward. "I believe that is Kiara''s friend over there," Zhang points over to the area across from them, "It looks like he is about to cause some¨C" As Zhang is finishing his sentence, Adam takes a couple steps forward before a hand stops him in his tracks. Adam turns his head in a snappy motion, seeing the emotionless mask of the royal guard looming over him. So fast, Anby and Seth think to themselves, an overwhelming feeling sweeps over them causing them to back down. The air seems to thicken around Adam as he stands still, his eyes narrowing at the royal guard holding tightly on his left arm. His right-hand looms over the hilt of his broadsword, but there''s a moment of hesitation. A deep silence falls. "I want to speak to the Arbiter," Adam explains calmly, "This whole evaluation has spiraled out of control." He remains outwardly calm, his voice cool. The room is silent. No one made a single whisper with only the faint buzz of insects cutting through the tension. The Arbiter''s eyes dart toward Zhang in a predatory way, his fingers tapping in a slow rhythmic rhythm. "Don''t make things worse," Zhang orders loudly, "Adam, I already talked with the Arbiter. The evaluation is cutting shorter than expected. Kiara needs to do one more task." "It looks like she is done enough," Adam smirks sarcastically, his finger playfully teasing the hilt of his sword, "In just under 3 tests, you''ve already left her a bloody pulp on the ground." The guard''s fists tighten around Adam''s arm causing him to wince from pain. His jaw clenches as his body drops onto the ground. The royal guards loom over Adam holding up his left arm. Edward''s arm presses tightly on the guard''s shoulders, his face twisting with disgust. "Let go of him." He commands, his voice sharp as a razor. The palpable moment of a standoff, the tension so thick like it could crack any second now. The Arbiter turns his head, and a sly smile tugs on the corners of his lips. "Edward." the Arbiter surprisingly utters, his words containing enough weight to make everyone pause, "What are you trying to do?" "Adam is right," Edward explains, clenching his fists tighter on the guard''s shoulder. "This game needs to stop," his voice filled with a quiet fury, his anger barely contained behind his calm demeanor. The words hang in the air, questioning the Arbiter''s authority. The room seems to hold their breaths, the senior''s eyes look intentionally on the scene, clutching their weapons. How funny, Edward is protecting someone that is not even related to him, the Arbiter jokes to himself, a small chuckle escapes his lips, He rather save a stranger than even his granddaughter. How selfish. The Arbiter''s eyes flicker to Adam, who is still on the ground with his hand held high in the air. He lets a moment of silence linger, watching the people''s reactions nearby. "You think Adam is right, but tell me this¡ª" the Arbiter calmly explains, "Strength is nothing without endurance. A trial is meant to be a stepping stone. A catalyst for one''s growth." The Arbiter''s eyes never leave Edward, staring coldly into his eyes. "You want to protect her yet you won''t allow any adversity to happen to her. We can''t help someone grow if we shield her just like what you do," the Arbiter says with a fiery passion, his voice stinging directly through Edward. His gaze moves over towards Adam. The Arbiter''s sly wide smile drops for a moment disappointed at Adam''s actions. He stares coldly at Adam, Anby, and Seth, concern evident for Kiara shown on their face. The Arbiter steps forward, his voice smooth and measured. "Kiara''s not some fragile flower to be shielded. The trial is for her alone. By wanting to protect her, you''re stripping her chance of forging her own strength?" the Arbiter says, his voice becoming colder, "You all know the evaluation is hard and demanding- how else you got your ranks?" "It just looks more intense than what any of us got beforehand," Anby sheepishly says, not even looking directly at the Arbiter, "Maybe she can try another day or¡­get a reevaluation when ready." "Another day?" The Arbiter''s voice felt quiet and docile but the weight of his words felt like a slap in the face. "Strength is earned not granted. Every step for all of you affects your future. Each of your tests was a trial to understand your strengths and weaknesses and see where you stood in the world. Kiara is just the same." Adam tries to speak his thoughts but the Arbiter raises his hand, cutting him off. "I understand you care for her but remember the path to strength isn''t easy," the Arbiter calmly reassures putting his hands behind his back, "You''ve known Kiara for such little time¨Care you truly helping by holding her back? How do you know what''s best when you haven''t seen the full extent of her character." Anby''s eyes look back onto Seth. The young boy slowly walks forward but before he even speaks his mind, he gets cut off just like Adam. "What does a child like you have to add to this conversation?" The Arbiter''s eyes look down eerily on the young boy. Seth felt a cold chill down his spine and decided to slowly lower back down in fear of the Arbiter. "Why would you say that?" Edward questions, he lets go of the royal guard and walks over to the Arbiter, staring at him. "You might think it''s cruel but what does a child know about the burdens of the world," the Arbiter says in a dismissive tone, "His innocence is his greatest flaw and so is Kiara''s. The world doesn''t coddle and I see things for what they are." Kiara''s head raises, her blood dripping with blood with her ears ringing with a loud intensity. She thinks she heard someone call her name but it felt faint and muffled. Her grandfather and her friends are defending her yet a nagging feeling engulfs her insides. Kiara''s teeth clench together. Her fingers claw deep into the floor below her. Her breathing falters as she slowly maintains herself. Her fingers tightened on her katana. I''m just standing here while they are fighting for me, Kiara''s mind races with thoughts. Why can''t I do more? Her stomach churns unnaturally. If she fails- Adam''s defiance and her grandfather''s would be pointless and she would end up as dead weight. "I won''t lose," Kiara mutters to herself, raising her blade defiantly in the air. Chapter 12. Weight of Leadership. "I''m sorry if things aren''t to your liking but I must ask you to take your seat," the Arbiter politely asks, his voice calm yet insulting, "This place isn''t as spacious as you think it is." "I don''t know. This is a pretty big building," Adam jokes to himself, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. Anby nudges Adam to stay quiet causing him to grunt in pain. "Shut up," Anby whispers urgently, her tone quiet and low. "Listen to the girl," the Arbiter warns, his tone full of condescension, "You''ve caused enough damage." "Don''t blame others for your actions," Edward steps in, pushing Adam back. The Arbiter steps forward, his eyes staring cyclically at the elderly Edward. "I''m not blaming anyone." The two men get into a staredown. The tension in the room becomes palpable as everyone stands there with their eyes widened and not making a sound. The royal guards start moving leaving their posts to circle around Edward and the Arbiter. "I think I made things worse," Adam whispers, leaning his head towards Anby. "You think." Anby worryingly mutters, fidgeting with her fingers. "You think I should apologize?" Adam taps his foot in a rhythmic motion, trying not to look at the situation ahead of him. Seth walks over next to Adam. "I think you should apologize after everything settles down." The Arbiter raises his hand signaling his guards to stand down. "Return back to your seats- the evaluation will continue as planned." "We will return when you either cut it short or stop with the cruelty." Edward dramatically utters, his tone sharp and demanding. "Cruelty? No, it''s called reality," The Arbiter cuts in with mockery hidden under his veneer of kindness, "In a real battle, you''re knocked onto the ground every second, what''s the difference here? Stop acting like a parental figure and act like a mentor. Stop coddling." He gives Edward a long look trying to convey a lesson through his cold gaze. Edward''s eyes narrow as he slowly raises his fist, the Arbiter looking down, scoffs at his attempt. Before Edward can do anything, Zhang cuts into the conversation trying to maintain order. "Alright- Enough. Everyone back to your seats. Edward, I''ll talk to the Arbiter, stand back," Zhang orders, his tone foreboding and carrying an edge to it. Adam motions Anby and Seth to stand in the nearby corner as he notices Edward walking in the other direction while Zhang utters something to the Arbiter. "We need to cut this short," Zhang explains softly, "If words get out that a couple recruits and Edward Meitner protest an evaluation, it''ll cause a ripple across the temple and I can''t blame them." "It would cause a stir, Zhang," the Arbiter reassures, "But everyone would think they are overreacting. Still, you''re correct that we may have gone too far, but do you think she is ready enough to stop? Especially when people question why a recruit failed halfway?" "I don''t know," Zhang answers worryingly. "Each time a recruit gets an evaluation that leaves them stronger and promoted," the Arbiter stares coldly, "If they can''t grow stronger- they die. If she can''t face challenges head-on then how can she expect to grow stronger?" Zhang stays silent with the Arbiter''s words sinking into his shoulders. He is caught between undeniable logic and mounting pressure on his shoulders. His hand is a reminder that the stakes are far higher than one recruit. "We can''t foster mediocrity," the Arbiter puts his hand on Zhang''s shoulder, "As the next leader, do you want the next recruits to freeze up in their first battles? Scared and not knowing what to do." Zhang''s gaze flickers between Edward and the Arbiter. The Arbiter''s eyes narrow- analyzing Zhang''s resolve with an analytic look. The question the Arbiter poses lingers in Zhang''s head. "In the future, you will lead the American temple. You have to make the hard decisions," the Arbiter looks at Zhang with a gentle somber look. Zhang pushes aside the Arbiter''s hand off his shoulders. "Thanks for the lesson master. You will finish with two more tests, and you will give Kiara her rank and this whole situation will come to an end. Everyone is happy- am I correct?" The Arbiter''s eyes flicker as he sees the strain of approval and leadership on Zhang''s shoulders. "Yes, I agree. Two more tests and we will move on. Everyone will be happy for now." The Arbiter''s voice slowly trails off, his tone soft but carrying an edge of mockery. "Let this be a lesson ensuring that we rise from mediocrity. This may be a small test but remember you have to prepare when the real challenges are in the palm of your hand." "Yes master," Zhang calmly says before bowing down to the Arbiter. Zhang slowly walks back to his seat while Adam watches with a skeptical look. "That was awkward as hell," Adam jokes to himself. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. "You were lucky that you didn''t get your head chopped off for disobedience," Anby snickers, her tone filled with annoyance. "Why did you play with your sword like that?" She questions worryingly. "Maybe I could have intimidated them to stop¡­ Now that I''ve witnessed the situation that just unfolded, yeah that was pretty stupid." Adam reminisces to himself. Anby gets up on her pinkie toes and flicks Adam in the forehead. "Hey," Adam rubs his forehead. He stops for a moment to pick his words, "You know what. I deserve that." "You kind of did," Seth utters, stretching his shoulders. He looks up at Adam with an annoyed look, "The Arbiter really said ''What does a child like you bring to the conversation'' like what?" "Yeah that was kind of crazy," Adam awkwardly chuckles to himself, "I guess that''s what regular humans call old people: coffin-dodgers." "I have never heard anyone say that before in my life," Anby cuts in genuinely confused about what Adam just said. "Do you mean gravediggers? Anby used to teach me about those," Seth scratches his head trying to connect the dots, "What is a coffin-dodger?" Adam rubs his forehead trying to forget the awkwardness of his "coffin-dodger" comment. "Okay, okay," he mutters to himself trying to shake off the discomfort lying in the room. He glances over to Kiara who still looks worn down from the evaluation. "Hey. Show ''em who''s boss!" Adam calls out with an exaggerated cheerfulness trying to lift her spirit. The evaluation center is painfully awkward. The room''s unnatural quietness that had once existed is now broken as everyone looks over at Adam. Seth covers his head trying not to gain any attention towards him while Anby stares down at her sketchbook pretending to draw something. All the upperclassmen and senior wardens stare directly at Adam''s presence, their gazes not leaving him. One slowly blinks, refusing to process what''s happening while others cross their arms in disappointment. The Arbiter turns around with an annoyed look in his eyes but he smiles to himself almost too amused at Adam''s attempt at cheerleading. Adam smiles to himself as he slowly turns his head towards Seth and Anby who look in different directions trying not to look at Adam''s presence. Edward chuckles to himself as he sees Adam trying to get Anby and Seth to cheer on Kiara from the ledge. Zhang tries not to cringe to death as he covers his face with his hand. "That boy is gonna give me a heart attack someday," Zhang straightens his back, his face contorting from cringe. "He actually has a personality, that''s what I''m going to say," Edward retorts, smiling to himself. He turns his head back to Zhang. "What have you said to the Arbiter?" "I told him to cut the evaluation short," Zhang explains sharply, "She''ll still be graded for her rank once she finishes the final tests. She''s not finishing off easy." Edward nods reluctantly. "Fair enough but you really expect her to finish without any troubles." Zhang crosses his arms, his gaze steady on an annoyed Kiara trying to get Adam''s attention. "She already felt like giving up easily. How is she supposed to handle real combat?" Edward rubs the back of his neck, paying no attention to Zhang. "Yet right now, she doesn''t seem like she wants to give up." He exhales. "Now that''s a difference between pushing someone to grow rather than to break them." "I''m focused on trying to keep them alive," Zhang bluntly utters, "You know what happens to those that aren''t ready. She''s mediocre at best but is she ready?" "No one''s truly ready. That''s what experience gives you," Edward smirks to himself, "You get that by getting the occasional headaches from kids like him." Pointing his finger, Adam is frantically shifting his body trying to convey himself. "He''s barely keeping it together. Seems like Kiara has a thing for attracting goofballs," Edward shakes his head, chuckling softly to himself. He glances at Adam''s not-so-subtle hand gestures. "He doesn''t quite fit the mold but maybe that''s a good thing. We need more people like him." "I think I prefer one Adam over more," Zhang watches from a distance with a frown on his face, "He''s a distraction at the least and a migraine at the worst." "Too bad for you, you''re gonna get another goofball in your ranks," Edward jokes to Zhang, his shoulders raising up and down, "You''re going to need a few extra cups of tea to survive their antics." Adam''s and Anby''s conversation cuts through the silence in the room. "You can''t adapt to this situation," Anby cringes to herself, "You''re not him. You''re making things worse." "I''m going to adapt and devour you, Anby," Adam shouts out to himself. "What does that even mean? Are you going to eat us?" Seth questions, raising his arms high in the air. "I don''t know!" Adam screams to himself, making everyone cross their arms and stare judgmentally at him. How can they be so carefree right now? Kiara questions herself, a small smile appearing on her face. Also, why did Adam say that for real? "Kiara. Are you hearing all of this?" Adam shouts out from above. "Yeah," Kiara says bluntly, cringing to herself, trying to maintain her composure. "Where did you learn about this ''coffin-dodger ''?" "Even we don''t know. He''s strange like that," Seth leans on the railing, yawning to himself. "Can we move past that?" Adam frustratingly demands, "Don''t let them beat you down. They want to see you break on purpose- prove them wrong." "Yeah I will," Kiara smirks to herself, wiping the blood from her forehead. She unruly looks over at the High Council preparing for her next test. "She''s still smiling after being thrown like that?" a female council frustratingly questions. "It''s all because of that blabbermouth jokester of a recruit unable to control himself." "She is awfully resilient as expected as a granddaughter of Edward Meitner." an elderly council member acknowledges, writing down his notes. "Still her skills are very mediocre. Pathetic really." The Arbiter leans his head next to his fist, looking down at a smiling Kiara. His gaze grew annoyed and displeased by the sight. "Don''t worry recruits like her who think they are more capable break the easiest." The Arbiter reminds the High Council. "She almost broke down by the flying disks. She thinks she''s recovered but is still fragile." "So you think she''s going to crack?" the elderly council member furrows his brow with curiosity. "Of course. You don''t break people like them with just strength." the Arbiter smiles to himself, "You break them emotionally." The council members look at each other as the Arbiter stands up dramatically awaiting the next test. Edward and Zhang stare off into the distance while Kiara''s friend prepares for what''s up ahead. Those with a passive mind- confused, no straight path forward, uncertain, a smirk slowly forming around the Arbiter''s lips. Indecision is their greatest flaw. Kiara breathes heavily to herself, staring intently at the challenge ahead of her. She closes her eyes before slowly opening them. The high cathedral- ceiling soars above her as the steel gleams glisten in the harsh fluorescent light. It casts a long overhead shadow over Kiara''s figure that lingers longer after the light passes beside her. She feels small beneath the towering structure, the room judges her every move, with their unblinking gaze. Kiara''s thoughts blur between doubt and resolve as she clutches her katana tightly. She just promised herself that she wasn''t going to fail but her uncertainty clings on to her like a shadow. The Arbiter''s calculating gaze seems to echo her doubts, watching diligently as she steadies herself. People like her fall apart when you have them questioning their purpose. The Arbiter finishes his thought. The High Council silently turns their attention onto a heavily battered Kiara as her next test looms before her.