Matthew's hand stopped Dennis's fist before it could reach me.
For a moment, neither of them moved.
"That's enough."
Dennis stared at Matthew, breathing heavily.
Dennis lowered his fist.
I remained on the ground, barely able to move. Every part of my body hurt, and I couldn't help but wonder how I had survived that.
I thanked the heavens.
Not that there was much of that anymore.
"Training's over."
The announcement came from a voice that wasn't Matthew's.
The muttering around the training grounds immediately died down. Students began leaving, some talking among themselves, others stealing glances at me.
Fortunately, they were leaving.
I couldn't take their eyes anymore.
A dark figure approached me.
He wore a long black coat that covered most of his body. He stopped beside me and held out a small vial.
"For your wounds."
I stared at the tonic before taking it.
"Thanks." i muttered.
I swallowed it.
Almost immediately, warmth spread throughout my body. The pain didn't disappear completely, but it became bearable. I could feel my legs again.
The man continued staring at me.
Not normally.
There was something strange about his expression.
Almost fascination.
He stared for another moment before swiftly turning his head.
"Matthew."
Matthew looked toward him.
The dark figure said something quietly enough that I couldn't hear.
Matthew's expression changed, i could see the blood leave his face.
He glanced at me.
"Later."
The man nodded and walked away.
I didn't have time to think about it.
My friends were already rushing toward me.
Henry reached me first.
He glanced toward Dennis with a look that could have killed him before turning his attention back to me.
"Holy shit. How did you even survive that? I seriously thought you were gone."
He chuckled immediately after saying it.
I laughed.
That was Henry.
He always knew how to lighten the mood.
"You're a terrible friend." Arielle mumbled.
"I'm an honest friend."
Arielle knelt beside me.
"Can you move?"
"I think so."
I slowly sat up.
The tonic had already done more than I expected.
My wounds were still there, but I could move my legs again, and the pain had become manageable.
Henry helped me to my feet.
"Let's get you somewhere to rest."
As they helped me away from the training grounds, I looked back once.
Dennis was still standing in the arena.
Matthew was talking to him.
And the dark figure was nowhere to be seen.
I didn't know why, but something about that bothered me.
James was taken to one of the school's recovery rooms.
The room was quiet, and after making sure he was comfortable, Henry and Arielle stepped outside.
Arielle folded her arms.
"There was something seriously wrong with that fight."
Henry leaned against the wall.
"I know."
She looked at him.
"How's someone from out class able to do all that, much less dennis. Don't get me wrong he's good but not that good."
Henry wasn't smiling anymore.
"I've been training since I was a kid, Arielle. I've fought people stronger than me, faster than me, people who could manipulate their Qi in ways I've never even seen before."
He looked toward the recovery room.
"But I've never seen anything like that."
"What exactly was wrong with it?"
Henry paused.
"The whole thing was off"
"His speed wasn't the strange part."
Arielle frowned.
"He was ridiculously fast though, faster than you"
"Yeah, but that's not what I'm talking about."
Henry folded his arms.
"His Qi changed."
"I noticed that."
"No. I'm talking about how it changed."
He looked serious now.
"Qi isn't like mana. It doesn't just suddenly become denser because you're angry. It doesn't suddenly increase in volume and pressure like that.
Arielle thought about what she had seen.
"could be talent"
"could be but there was something dark about it."
Henry shook his head.
"And when he got faster, it wasn't gradual. It was like something switched inside him."
"You think he was using some kind of technique?" Arielle uttered with a look of intrigue.
"I don't know."
Henry's expression darkened.
"And that's what bothers me."
Arielle stared at him.
"You don't know?"
"I've seen almost every advanced Qi technique available to students at this level. Some of them can temporarily increase strength or speed. Some can even force the body beyond its natural limits."
He paused.
"But they all have consequences."
"Like what?"
"Exhaustion. Internal damage. Loss of Qi control. Something."
He looked toward the room again.
"Dennis didn't have any of that."
Arielle remained silent.
"He got stronger the longer he fought," Henry continued. "His Qi became denser. His speed increased. His physical strength increased, so did his bloodlust"
Henry agreed.
"That wasn't normal either."
Arielle thought for a while then started "At least James is alright"
Henry didn't seem satisfied but he was glad i was okay and that's what mattered.
"yeah, glad he is"
Inside the recovery room, James slowly drifted to sleep.
His breathing became steady.
The room disappeared.
He found himself standing in darkness.
There was no ground beneath his feet.
No sky.
No sound.
James looked around dazed.
"Where am I?"
Then he heard something.
A voice.
Faint.
Almost as though it were coming from the other side of an enormous wall.
"Wake up."
James froze.
"Who are you?"
Silence.
Then the voice came again.
"Wake up James"
James turned around.
There was nothing there.
"Where am I?"
This time, the voice sounded closer.
"James."
His heart began beating faster.
"How do you know my name?"
James saw a face, the only thing he could make out.
His eyes carried an exhaustion James couldn't understand, and there was something ancient about him.
James stared.
"Who are you?"
The face looked at him.
"Wake up James"
James took a step forward.
"Tell me who you are."
The man didn't answer.
Instead, his gaze moved toward James's hand.
Toward the ring.
"Wake up, James."
The darkness began to shake.
James looked around.
"You're sleeping."
James felt a strange pressure building inside his head.
"What does that mean?"
The man's voice became more urgent.
"Wake up."
The figure began disappearing.
Then everything went dark.
James woke up gasping for air.
He immediately sat upright.
His heart was pounding.
He looked around the recovery room.
Nothing.
Just silence.
He looked down at his hand.
The ring was still there.
For some reason, it felt warmer than usual.