The last few days passed faster than Corin had expected. No hunger, no sudden attacks, no constant scanning of the surroundings for the next danger. Just a clearly structured daily routine, almost a luxury he could never have imagined.
In the mornings, he sat over books, learning etiquette, how to move, speak, eat, bow. Reading was something Ezekiel taught him. It made many things easier. A rarity in the slums.
Yet all these things were like a strange dance of society, where every step determined status and power.
Physical training followed at lunchtime. Not a fight for survival, but a targeted build-up of strength and control. And in the evening... combat training with Viviana.
That's where he felt most like himself. The strikes, the evasive movements, the constant testing of limits, it was all familiar. It had more similarities to the constant survival he was used to. But Viviana was different from the fighters he knew from the slums. She played with him. Made him think he could win, only to send him to the ground effortlessly.
But he learned. Quickly. His understanding of his Blessings grew by the day.
He was now pretty sure that he had improved perception and vision. He could perceive things he could not see. Together with improved reflexes, silent movements and a kind of instinctive perception of danger, this meant that he was not an easy target.
And now the time had come.
The last day before his official entry into the academy had dawned, and with it a strange unease inside him. Not fear, but a feeling that something was about to change. That what had simply been "training" was now becoming something bigger.
Viviana had enrolled him in the academy very early on. And there were no problems. Tomorrow he would immerse himself in a new world. He stood on the balcony of his room, the morning sun bathing the walls of the estate in a warm light. In the distance lay the city, as vast and yet as unreachable as when he had only observed it from the dark alleyways.
Behind him, heels tapped on the floor. He didn't have to turn around to know who it was.
"Are you standing here contemplating your fate?"
Viviana's tone was playful, but softer than usual this time.
Corin leaned on the stone railing.
"Something like that."
"Let me guess."
She stepped up beside him, the sparkle in her pink eyes betraying her good humor.
"You're nervous."
He snorted softly. "Should I be?"
"Well, let's put it this way: if you fail at the academy, my reputation will suffer. And that would be terrible for you."
Corin shook his head.
"Reassuring."
Viviana laughed and pushed herself onto the railing with an elegant swing so that her legs dangled slightly.
"Don't worry about it. I've prepared you well."
He eyed her briefly.
"Why did you do that anyway?"
She tilted her head slightly. "What do you mean?"
"Prepared me. Took me in. All of this."
He gestured across the estate with one hand.
"You say you need people you can rely on. But you hardly know me."
Viviana looked at him for a moment. Then she shrugged her shoulders.
"Intuition."
"Intuition?"
"And a little... curiosity." Her gaze moved to his eyes.
"You're different, Corin. I bet you don't even realize how much."
He frowned.
"If you don't tell me, I'll never find out."
Viviana grinned.
"Where's the fun in that?"
She slid off the railing and playfully tapped him against the chest.
"Come on. I have a surprise for you before your new life begins."
Corin sighed softly and followed her back into the manor.
He wasn't sure if he should be looking forward to this, or if it was another one of Viviana's "games".
Corin followed her through the estate's art-filled corridors. The morning sun made the marble gleam, but he was more focused on Viviana and especially on her unusual seriousness.
"You've made me curious now," he finally said.
"What kind of surprise?"
Viviana gave him a wry look over her shoulder.
"So impatient. Where's the trust?"
"I know you well enough by now to be cautious."
"A clever man."
She laughed softly.
Finally, she led him through a door that led into one of the estate's courtyards. The square was surrounded by high walls, with tendrils of roses and dark ivy. Two swords stood on a table in the center, their blades flashing sharply in the light.
Corin blinked.
"This is your surprise? A duel?"
Viviana picked up one of the swords, twirling it playfully between her fingers.
"No training. No tests. Just a game."
"A game?"
"You know the rules, don't you?" She winked.
"Win against me and you get to choose a wish."
Corin eyed her suspiciously.
"And if you win?"
"Then I get to make a wish."
"And I assume you already have something in mind?"
"Oh, definitely." Her grin turned challenging.
"So? Do you want to take your last chance to beat me before your new life begins?"
He hesitated. She hadn't given him a single victory in the last few days. Not in combat training, not in her word games. But there was something different about the look on her face today.
Maybe she let him win this time. Maybe she didn't.
But a wish... that could be interesting.
"All right, then. Let's play."
Corin reached for the second rapier, but then stopped. Something felt wrong.
The grip was light in his hand, but the weight, the balance, it was unfamiliar.
Viviana noticed his hesitation and tilted her head.
"What's wrong? Don't you like the weapon?"
Corin looked at the sword. It was well made, elegant and deadly. But it wasn't what felt right to him.
"I..."
He frowned.
"I don't think that's my kind of weapon."
Viviana blinked in surprise. Then a faint smile came to her lips.
"Interesting."
She placed the rapier back on the table and clapped her hands together twice. Almost immediately, a side door of the courtyard opened and an older man in fine, dark clothing entered. He carried a long, cloth-wrapped weapon in his hands.
Corin felt it before he saw it.
A tingle ran down the back of his neck. A soft breeze, even though the air was still.
Then he heard the sound. Wings beating through the air.
He turned his head and up on the wall sat a single black raven, looking at him with its shining eyes.
Viviana took it from him, walked back to Corin and unrolled the cloth with a single, elegant movement.
A spear lay inside.
The shaft was made of dark wood, the tip of shiny, sharply polished metal. No decorations, no superfluous details, just efficiency and balance.
Viviana held it with both hands and scrutinized Corin.
"I had a feeling you would react this way."
He looked from her to the weapon.
"This was planned?"
"Not really. A hunch." She twirled the spear in one fluid motion and handed it to him with a small smile.
"So, Corin? Want to try it out?"
He reached for the weapon and immediately felt it. The weight was perfectly balanced. Not too heavy, not too light. The handle felt like it was made to rest in his hand. Something clicked in his head.
This was right.
He swung the spear once, testing the reach, the feel, the movement. His muscles instinctively knew how to react. Viviana watched him with growing interest.
"Looks like you've found your weapon."
Corin let the blade of the spear gleam in the light. Then he looked up at her and grinned wryly.
"Now we just have to see if I can win with it."
Viviana's smile turned playful.
"Let's go then."
The courtyard was silent except for the soft crackle of lanterns coloring the morning with golden light.
Corin stood with his spear lowered, the shaft firmly in his hand. His breathing was calm, his body tense. He had learned not to attack blindly, but it made little difference against Viviana.
She was faster. More precise. And merciless.
"You've improved a lot in the last few days. You've learned the basics quickly."
Viviana let the sword circle in her hand, her gaze challenging.
"But not good enough yet."
The spear lay lightly in Corin's hands, as if it had always been a part of him. Every movement, every turn, everything felt natural. But he knew it wasn't enough.
Not against her.
Viviana stood loosely, the sword in her hand a minor matter, as if it were part of a game whose rules only she understood. But Corin knew her well enough by now to know: If she attacked, it would be lightning fast.
"Well?" she asked quietly, taking a step forward.
"You've found your weapon. Now show me what you can do."
He knew it was a mistake, but he charged forward.
A shadowy step, the spear cut through the air, but Viviana dodged it effortlessly. With a graceful turn, she left his attack radius, her sword gliding past his side as if he wasn't even there.
Then she was behind him. He knew the attack would come from behind.
A touch on his shoulder. Not even a real attack, just a reminder that she could have hit him long ago.
He clenched his teeth.
'Damn.'
He knew he couldn't expect to be fighting at her level within a few days. But this feeling of powerlessness... it burned. His control over intuitively avoiding danger was improving. But that intuition was only useful against someone who wasn't worlds away from you.
He turned, jerked the spear up, but Viviana was already out of reach again.
"That's not enough." Her voice was soft, almost thoughtful.
"You are good. But you're still too ordinary in your thinking. Your body must be able to keep up with your thoughts."
One step. She almost disappeared before his eyes. Corin reflexively jerked the spear to the side, but this time he was too slow.