A crisp morning breeze slipped through the fabric of the tent, carrying the faint rustle of leaves and the soft whisper of snowfall. The world outside was quiet, muffled by the thick layer of white settling over the forest.
Inside, warmth lingered from shared body heat, but Vani stirred as something disturbed his sleep. A dull thud, followed by a sharp pressure against his ribs.
Rowan, still deep in slumber, had rolled over and smacked him in his sleep.
Vani exhaled, blinking sleepily at the dim light filtering through the tent's entrance. He was surprisingly relaxed, far more than he had been in weeks. After two months of sleeping on the cold ground or whatever improvised bedding he could manage, the simple comfort of a tent felt almost luxurious.
Shifting slightly, he glanced toward Darius, who remained motionless, seemingly unaffected by the cold or the cramped space.
Vani sat up carefully, making sure not to wake Rowan or Darius. He moved slowly, slipping out of the tent as quietly as possible.
The moment he stepped outside, the crisp morning air hit him. The cold from the snow lingered in the air, sharp but refreshing. He took a deep breath, letting it fill his lungs as he glanced around. The campsite was still, the soft crunch of snow under his feet the only sound.
Then, his eyes landed on Tessa.
Vani started walking toward her.
She was near the bonfire, focused on preparing breakfast. It seemed like she had been up for a while, moving with practiced ease as she tended to the food. The faint smell of something cooking mixed with the crisp morning air.
When he reached her, he gave a small nod.
"Good morning."
Tessa looked up at him with a small smile.
"You'll have to wait a little longer for breakfast,"
Breakfast, huh?
Just hearing the word made Vani pause. It had been so long since he had a proper meal. Yesterday's dinner had already felt unreal, and now he was about to have breakfast too. The thought was almost strange. For months, he had survived on scraps, whatever he could find in the wild. Nothing like this.
As he stood there watching her work, Tessa suddenly walked over, holding a small wooden cup.
"Here."
she said, handing it to him.
"You can drink this until I finish preparing breakfast."
Vani took the cup, feeling the faint warmth seep into his fingers. Steam rose from the dark liquid inside. He lifted it slightly, inhaling the scent. It was earthy, with a hint of bitterness.
Taking a sip, he let the flavor settle on his tongue. The bitterness was the first thing he noticed, but there was a subtle, almost smoky aftertaste. It wasn't the best tea he had ever had, but it was warm. And right now, that was enough.
Vani thanked her, but instead of responding, Tessa glanced at his clothes and frowned.
"Do you not have any other clothes? This one looks like garbage."
Vani stayed silent for a moment, thinking about how unprepared he had been when he left the village. He hadn't packed spare clothes, supplies, or anything useful, he just took the money his mother hid and what Sophia gave him. And after that he just simply left.
Since he didn't reply, Tessa sighed and said,
"You can ask Rowan for some spare clothes. He's just a bit taller than you, so they should fit fine."
Vani took another sip of the tea, letting the warmth settle in his chest.
"No, I don't wanna be a bother. These are fine."
She looked at him for a moment before replying.
"Fine."
A few moments of silence passed before they heard a voice.
"Good morning."
It was Darius.
With a bright smile, he walked over.
"Vani, you woke up early."
Vani took another sip of his tea before replying,
"Yes."
Oh... my cup is empty… It was really good.
Darius looked at Vani and asked.
"Are you ready for today's fight?"
Vani's gaze remained on the empty cup as he replied.
"Well, you said I can improve, so I'm looking forward to it."
Darius noticed something different about him. His demeanor was calmer, colder than yesterday.
Darius asked him.
"Did you not sleep well?"
But Vani was still staring at the cup
"No, I slept well."
But before he could say anything else, Tessa snatched the cup from his hands and poured another.
"If you want another cup so bad, you can just ask for it. Jeez."
She looked irritated.
Vani blinked, surprised.
"Oh. Sorry."
…I'm feeling like this again. I feel like I'm losing something, but I can't figure out what…
As time passed, the others woke up, and they had breakfast together. We talked about the fight and decided to do it right after eating, in the same spot where Elsera and Darius trained yesterday.
At some point, Darius asked Vani if he uses any weapons. Vani didn't know what to say. He had no real experience. He only used a knife a few times, but that was nothing close to a real fight.
Darius suggested Vani should try a sword since Rowan used one too.
He said I might have a talent for it. I doubted that.
Once breakfast was over, they headed toward the spot.
As they arrived at the training ground, Darius handed Vani a sword. The weapon felt unfamiliar in his grip, its weight slightly heavier than expected. He had never wielded a sword before, and now that he held one, the realization of his inexperience hit him harder than he expected.
Rowan drew his own sword, and the moment he did, Vani noticed something about him. Normally, Rowan carried himself with an air of carefree naivety, speaking and acting without much thought. But now, all of that was gone. His expression was sharp, focused. Whether it was because he refused to lose or because he simply took every fight seriously, Vani couldn't tell.
Yet as he observed Rowan, the uneasy feeling that had been clawing at him since the night before only grew stronger. He was missing something. Something important. But no matter how hard he tried to grasp it, the answer remained just out of reach.
Elsera raised her hand.
"Begin!"
Rowan lifted his sword with one hand, holding it in front of him as Essentia gathered around him. Small blue and yellow particles floated in the air, swirling toward his blade.
Vani had yet to even unsheath his weapon.
No time.
The moment the energy condensed, a sharp instinct kicked in. If he didn't move, he would die.
His gaze flickered toward Darius, searching for some sign that this was going too far. But Darius only offered him a warm smile, as if this was exactly what he expected. That was when Vani understood. This wasn't just a spar. Darius was testing him. That was the reason he suggested this fight in the first place.
But there was no time to think.
Rowan shouted.
"Wave Cleaver!"
The instant those words left his mouth, his sword pulsed with Essentia, expanding with a translucent blue aura that rippled like water. The blade extended, stretching into a crescent of fluid energy. Then, with a single motion, he swung.
Vani knew. If that hits him, he dies.
He had no time to think, no time to plan. His body moved on instinct.
His fingers tightened around the unfamiliar grip of his sword as he drew it in a rush. It wasn't steady, his form was all wrong, but he had no choice. He had to act.
In that moment, he reached deep inside himself.
The power surged forth.
Black lightning crackled.
Dark energy pulsed along the blade, splintering streaks of Shadowbolt snapping and crackling along the metal's edge. He didn't know how to wield a sword, but that didn't matter now. He just needed to survive.
Vani raised the sword to meet Rowan's attack.
The two forces collided.
Wave Cleaver crashed into Shadowbolt.
For a heartbeat, everything went still.
Then…
A violent shockwave erupted from the impact.
Essentia howled as two opposing energies clashed. The watery crescent of Rowan's Wave Cleaver surged forward, its liquid force pressing down like a crashing tide, while Vani's Shadowbolt crackled in resistance, arcs of black lightning ripping through the air.
The ground beneath them trembled.
A deep, electric hum filled the space as the two forces struggled against each other, neither yielding immediately. Shadowbolt surged up the blade, flickering with unstable power, while Wave Cleaver pulsed and twisted, its form shifting like a living current.
For a brief second, Vani thought he could hold on.
Then… His sword cracked.
It was slight, just a faint fracture along the edge where Shadowbolt met Rowan's strike. But it was enough.
The moment his focus wavered, Rowan's attack overpowered him.
A final burst of energy tore through his defenses.
The force sent Vani flying backward.
His feet left the ground as the impact threw him across the field. His body hit the dirt hard, the breath knocked from his lungs. His grip on the sword loosened, and the weapon slipped from his grasp.
Rowan remained standing, his Wave Cleaver still intact. Meanwhile, Vani's Shadowbolt had already flickered out, the last remnants of black sparks fading into the air.
He lay there, gasping, his fingers twitching from the lingering static. His arms felt numb, his body aching.
He lost.
Elsera crossed her arms as she spoke.
"Rowan wins."
Vani lay on the ground, staring up at the sky, his breath still uneven.
I lost, huh? At least he survived.
As he turned his head, his eyes met Darius's. The man gave him a warm smile before walking away toward Elsera. Just then, Vani noticed movement from the corner of his eye, someone approaching.
Tessa.
She moved toward him with calm, measured steps, though her face looked vaguely annoyed.
When she reached him, she spoke.
"You've been here for one day, and you're already so annoying."
What did I even do…?
She sighed and sat down beside him.
"Can you move?"
Vani tried, but his body refused to respond. It was like his limbs were made of stone.
"I don't think it's possible right now. I can feel my body healing, but it'll take a few hours before I can move again..."
Not even when Walter beat and stabbed me did it take this long to recover. I was able to move as soon as my body started healing. Just what was that attack…? How was it so powerful…? I was a fool for thinking I had an advantage.
Hearing his response, Tessa placed one hand on his chest and the other on his ribs.
"Try not to move. It'll only hurt more."
I just told you I can't move…
The moment she said that, Vani felt a change. The pain dulled slightly, and he could feel Essentia flowing into his body through the points where she touched him. It was different from his own. Softer, more controlled. The energy carefully avoided his core as it wove through his body, repairing the damage. His bones felt like they were being forced to regrow at an unnatural speed, knitting themselves back together.
Then the pain surged.
A sharp, unbearable agony tore through him, so intense that he coughed up blood.
Tessa spoke, her voice was steady.
"Endure it a little longer. Your bones aren't fully recovered. If you move too soon, they'll break again, and you'll be in even more pain."
Vani clenched his jaw, gripping the dirt beneath him as he bore through it.
As Tessa worked, Rowan approached. He hesitated, opening and closing his mouth as if struggling with something. Eventually, he clenched his fist and asked, frustration clear in his voice:
"How did you block it?"
Did I even block it? Look at what state I'm in right now…
Vani didn't answer, but Rowan pressed on.
"I don't want to sound arrogant… but no Novarion has ever blocked that attack before. Veterans, newbies… it didn't matter. Some managed to dodge it, but no one stopped it. If your sword hadn't cracked, you would have completely blocked it. So tell me, how did you do it?"
Vani frowned.
Even if you ask me, I have no idea. My body just moved on its own. I didn't even know I could channel Shadowbolt through a sword. I only thought about it after seeing you infusing your sword with Essentia. But I think he will not be satisfied with such an answer.
Before he could say anything, Tessa let out an exasperated sigh.
"I've done what I can, your body should heal much faster now, but you shouldn't make any sudden movements for a few hours just in case. And just so you know, it's not fully healed. I couldn't approach your energy core. You should be able to stand and move around, but don't push yourself."
Testing her words, Vani slowly sat up. A dull ache remained, but the searing pain from earlier was gone. He felt… mostly fine. But if she said it wasn't fully healed, then he'd listen. No point in making things worse.
The problem now was Rowan. He was still staring at Vani, waiting for an answer.
Vani hesitated.
Tessa must have noticed because she spoke up before he could.
"Rowan, let him rest. You can talk about this later."
Rowan didn't look happy about it, but after a moment, he exhaled sharply and walked away.
Just then, Darius and Elsera approached. They both looked satisfied.