I opened my eyes slowly. The first thing I saw were his black shoes, his silhouette wrapped in those clothes that made him look like a shadow.
Then he spoke.
"You really are a talented boy. To think you already possess this level of logic and reason at such a young age... Like your father, I'm eager to see what kind of man you'll become."
His voice carried a hint of pride. And somehow, he also seemed surprised.
"I don't know what you did to me, but I definitely can't move. Even talking hurts. My body is paralyzed, and every attempt to move just makes the pain worse."
I paused, feeling a sharp sting in my throat, before continuing.
"I don't know if what you said was a compliment or just an attempt to cheer me up after this fight... where you clearly had me in the palm of your hand the whole time."
The lights began to turn on, one by one.
My father kneeled down and rested a hand on my shoulder.
"The strikes targeted precise pressure points. I avoided any organs that could put you in real danger. Your body will remain like this for a few minutes, and any attempt to move will hurt because you'll be forcing it. Right now, it's as if you're frozen—every movement will bring pain."
He paused and looked behind him. Instinctively, my gaze followed his.
Alisa was on her knees, crying.
Why is she crying?
My father looked at me again.
"I don't need to lie to tell you that I'm proud of you. No one your age has ever given me so much trouble... to the point of making me think I could lose to a child."
He sat up and took my arm, resting it on his shoulder. I saw Alisa running towards us.
"Seik, knowing how to think and behave like a normal person is a fundamental weapon for an assassin. But never forget that, first and foremost, we are people, not tools. We don't follow orders blindly. I accepted to be an assassin only when I was sure it was the best for our nation. I want you to keep that in mind."
His tone was serious.
"I'm raising you to be an assassin capable of doing whatever it takes, but above all... I want you to have a heart."
"Half of it I understand, and half of it I don't. I'll have to think about that," I replied.
My body felt heavy and cold, but I was slowly regaining the feeling.
Alisa came to us and, between sobs, rushed to me.
"Young master Seik... I was so afraid." Her voice trembled between sobs. "Because they train in an absurd and suicidal way! This is not logical at all!"
"I understand your terror, Alisa. Even I was hurt by the sound of the blades," I said, trying to calm her down.
Although, honestly, I don't understand why she is like this. At first, she was just watching, cold as always, a simple spectator. But now she's reacting this way, like other times...
Truth is, I don't understand you, Alisa.
"That's not what I mean... Idiot."
Now, why do you say that? That's what I mean by those mood swings. If I had to diagnose her, I'd say she has bipolar disorder or something... or maybe she's just crazy.
"Hmm, Alisa, can you get off me already?"
Instead of doing so, she clung to me even tighter. The pain intensified.
I think I'm going to pass out.
My father held me tighter and pulled me to him.
"Seik, record those strokes. At some point, you'll have to protect what you love."
His voice, as always, was cold and firm, but this time it conveyed a strange warmth.
"Father, you could have used magic in our training, but you limited yourself to not doing so. Still, you kept me under control."
"Yes, I could have used magic, but do you know why I didn't?" he asked, looking me in the eye.
"I guess because then it wouldn't be assassin training, but just a regular fight."
"Exactly. I see you pay attention to the smallest thing. You even scare me. You far surpass me in adaptability... I might even have lost if you were bigger," he said, lifting me up.
"Hmm, that doesn't convince me at all," I replied, looking at him seriously.
"Well, I think if I had used magic, you wouldn't have lasted more than two minutes."
My father raised his hand and recited some words that I did not hear well.
The ground trembled slightly. A red glow emerged from the earth, and suddenly a small, crimson-scaled dragon emerged before us. It wasn't very big; it looked more like a baby.
"This is a Red dragon. There are only five of them in this world. I tamed it when I was twenty years old. Although it looks weak, it is one of the strongest breeds in the world."
Surprising... but I can't stand the fatigue anymore.
My eyesight was beginning to blur. I could barely hear what they were saying.
I felt my body falling to the ground... but, at the same time, not.
"I will carry young master Seik…"
It was Alisa's voice.
"Let Red carry him," my father murmured.
"No, I'll take him. He is mine."
What?
The training, the dragon, everything that has happened in these five years... have been an essential step to start my life as Seik The Fénix.
But wait.
I what? Whose?
Who said that? Was it my father? No, he would definitely never say something like that. The only person who would speak that way would be my mother, but she wasn't here.
So... Was it Alisa?
Bah... I'd better go to sleep. I don't want to hear such cliché things...