The spear cut the air with increasing clarity.
Its weight was familiar now, no longer a foreign object in his hands, but an extension of himself, like a limb rediscovered. His bare feet dragged against the dusty backyard soil, kicking up small clouds with each turn, jab, and sudden shift in stance.
Arah's breathing came in steady bursts. His movements, which had been clumsy and uneven, now flowed with a certain brutal elegance. The spear spun, reversed, thrust, and arced again through the space. There was no opponent, he was simply practicing, and yet... he fought as if death stood just a step away.
Three days. He had been doing this for three days.
He could feel it. His coordination, precision, and control were getting better and better.
His arms no longer trembled from strain. His balance, that had been compromised by a body he hadn't fully adjusted to, had become firm and centered. There were still some awkward movements here and there, but with each swing they were slowly disappearing, as he fed into instinct.
With each step, and with each swing,
he could not help but smile as another layer of himself returned.
Then… he stopped.
He lowered his spear. Sweat shimmered down his skin, sliding over collarbones and trickling into the folds of his worn robe that he had decided would be his training garments. Arah dropped to the ground with a quiet grunt, crossing his legs as he inhaled slowly, then exhaled even slower. Not to meditate, at least not completely, but to rest. He let the strain ease, and the fire in his muscles cool. He closed his eyes. The rhythm of his breath and heartbeat slowed.
And then, he heard it.
Wheels, footsteps, the distinct clatter of wood, the slight trembling he could feel, and chain.
He slowly opened his eyes.
Kren was back.
A moment later, Kren stepped into the yard, his broad frame covered in slight dust, a long wrapped bundle slung across his back. He paused mid-step when he saw Arah sitting cross-legged in the dirt, drenched in sweat.
He sighed, loudly.
"You've been doing that... for three days."
Arah said nothing at first. He turned his head slightly, still seated, then replied in his usual low tone.
"I want to get stronger."
Kren stared at him for a moment longer. Then he sighed again and started unpacking. He didn't say anything at first, just set the bundle down near the porch and began rummaging through it.
Behind him, the sound of the spear resumed.
Kren didn't turn around,
but his eyes narrowed.
"What a weird kid..."
That was the first thought that crossed his mind, not for the first time.
Three days ago he had started this 'training' of his, the boy's spear swings looked like clumsy flails before. Now… they were sharp, calculated, and had some weight. Not perfect, but getting there. Fast, a bit too fast.
'He's getting better. Almost unnaturally so…'
He paused for a moment, then continued unpacking, his gaze flicking back toward Arah from time to time.
'He said the only thing he remembered was how to fight and... dying.'
It was a strange thing. A cruel thing. What kind of life had left behind nothing but death and battle?
Kren knew better than most, but even for him this was a special case.
He was starting to think that the Sun Cult didn't really want to use Arah as a sacrifice. It would make sense since he had seen his talent firsthand.
They may have tried to use him as a weapon so they could rise again.
His jaw tightened. His hands moved slower now, more distracted.
'Sun Cult bastards. Ruthless as ever.'
He rubbed his temple.
What bothered him most wasn't the amnesia. It was the kid's eyes. Curious one second, analytical the next, the kid seemed to try to hide that part, so he acted like he didn't notice.
Kren remembered being like that once. Back when he'd escaped the cult. Back when he didn't trust anyone or anything. He remembered the constant weight in his chest of being caught again. The vigilance. The caution. Arah had that look. That quiet alertness that didn't belong on kids.
Hell, Arah didn't feel like a kid at all sometimes.
'If only he could just… act like a child his age...'
Then something clicked in Kren's mind.
He stood up.
"Arah."
The spear stopped. Arah lowered it and turned toward him.
Kren crossed his arms. "So you want to get stronger, huh?"
The boy simply stared at him, but that didn't mean there was no reaction, his eyes shone for a few seconds.
Kren found it annoying sometimes, how stoic the boy was. But this… this moment, the way that glint appeared at the mention of power…
Guess he can be childish in his own way.
And it made Kren chuckle.
"Well then," he said, "you need to awaken first, don't you?"
Arah tilted his head.
"You have said this before but, what exactly is awakening?"
Kren smiled. "Ah. Figured you'd ask that."
He sat down on a crate, leaned forward, and folded his hands.
"It's just like it sounds. Awakening your power, your soul. The first step in the path of what many would say is evolution."
Arah listened.
"Most people awaken young," Kren continued, "usually between four and five. That's when they receive their soul weapon. With it comes an innate ability."
He narrowed his eyes slightly. "You should've seen yours when you called Athena. Can you tell me what it is?"
Arah remained silent.
It wasn't that he didn't trust Kren. He just didn't know what was considered normal, or how much was safe to reveal.
Kren sighed. "Fine. I'll go first then."
It seemed that Kren had gotten the wrong idea with him staying silent.
He tapped the side of his head.
"My ability enhances my senses. I can hear, smell, and see way better than most people, especially in the dark. It's like… daylight, even when it's pitch black."
Arah nodded. At least that gave him a benchmark of how much to reveal without revealing everything.
"I can… stop bleeding, so it's hard for me to bleed out, and my blood closes wounds faster."
Kren raised a brow. "Hm. Accelerated clotting, huh?"
A moment passed. Then he nodded to himself.
"That's probably blood affinity."
Arah blinked. "Affinity?"
"Yeah," Kren said, "innate abilities usually hint at what your future powers will be based on. For example, my heightened senses? It's mostly due to my soul beast. Most soul beast masters have enhanced senses."
He leaned back. "The other half of mine, seeing in total darkness? That's tied to my affinity-"
Arah answered quietly, "Darkness."
Kren smiled. "Exactly. Every rank you gain after awakening, you unlock a new ability related to your affinity. So if you awaken into a rank 1, you will have a blood affinity, and your abilities will grow in that direction."
Arah's mind turned. He was starting to understand the foundations and power structure of this world.
"And... you said you were rank 3, so you have 3 abilities?" he asked.
Kren smiled and held up three fingers. "Correct. I've got three abilities."
Then he grinned. "Wanna see one?"
Arah didn't even answer. His nod came so fast, it was practically reflex. His eyes lit up fully, for the first time.
Kren smiled even more at this and stood up, stepped forward, and extended a hand.
Darkness gathered instantly, he could feel the surroundings get darker, and a chill ran down his spine.
It wasn't like a shadow being cast, it was as if Kren was suppressing light itself. His fingers curled into a claw shape, and then he slashed sideways.
A black crescent of raw energy tore through the air.
There was no sound, just sudden destruction.
A tree across the yard was sliced cleanly in half. It didn't fall or even reach the ground, before it disintegrated into ash.
Kren lowered his hand and looked back.
"So?" he asked casually, "impressive, huh?"
Arah's eyes were wide. His expression remained composed, but the awe was obvious.
He knew Kren hadn't used his full power, not even a tenth of it.
But even that sliver of power… could kill him effortlessly.
Kren looked at the still-stunned Arah and let out a sharp laugh.
"So, what do you say, kid? Want to learn how to awaken?"
Arah blinked slowly. His face, which had briefly lit up with awe, settled back into its usual calm expression. But his eyes remained sharp.
"Do you even need to ask?"
Kren laughed even louder this time. "I guess not."
He moved back toward the crate and sat down, brushing off some dust with a lazy hand.
"Alright then. Let's get serious."
He leaned forward, elbows on knees, fingers loosely interlocked.
"To awaken... I'm sure you've seen the soul disc and what it does, yeah?"
Arah gave a single nod.
"Good. Well, awakening is the process of forming your heart core."
Kren raised a finger.
"Forming a heart core is what allows your soul to grow stronger. It lets you absorb soul energy from the world around you. But once you get your heart core, that's just the first step."
He raised a second finger.
"You'd technically be considered 'awakened' and a Rank 1 Master at that point, but only partially. The next part is training your body to handle the sudden influx of soul energy. Only when your body fully adapts to that energy, and you learn to control it, will you be considered a full-fledged Rank 1 Weapon Master."
Arah nodded slowly. It made sense. It was similar, in some ways, to the world he came from, where one had to train the body before cultivating the soul. Build a foundation before advancing.
"So..." Arah looked at him, thoughtful. "The fastest way to reach Rank 1 would be to go into the forest and hunt, right?"
Kren smiled. "That's right."
"Then can you take me?"
Kren shook his head. "I won't be heading back there for a while. My next trip is a few days before my wife and son come back. Until then, I've got other things to take care of."
Arah frowned slightly. "If you can't take me... then there must be a reason you brought this up?"
Kren nodded, as if already expecting the question. "Because I can't take you doesn't mean no one else will. Kid, how about joining the Hunter Association?"
Arah tilted his head.
"Kids your age go there all the time," Kren explained. "They go there to train, awaken, and hunt. If you join, they'll put you into a team, and you'll head into the forest every two days."
Arah considered this. It didn't sound bad. In fact, it sounded like a perfect opportunity to train his body, sharpen his instincts, and maybe even learn more about the world's structure firsthand.
"Sure," he said.
Kren grinned. "Good. I'll take you there first thing tomorrow. I've got some business at the association anyway."
Arah nodded again, then turned and walked back to where he had left off. The spear in his hand resumed its motion, cutting clean arcs through the air. But after a few swings, he paused and glanced back over his shoulder.
"By the way..."
Kren looked up from where he'd been rummaging through his things. "Yeah?"
Arah pointed to the patch of destroyed ground where the tree Kren had casually disintegrated minutes ago had once stood.
"Wasn't that your wife's garden? And her apple tree?"
Kren's face went pale.
"N-no way..."
He rushed over, crouched beside the ash, and ran a hand through it like he could somehow fix what had happened.
A moment of silence later.
He got up and sighed, "Well... shit."