Kiah felt another chill crawl down her spine. But this one wasn't out of fear. It was from admiration.
Killan was that strong? This gentle, wheelchair-bound man who looked like he spent most of his time reading and tinkering?
Wow.
She had a lot of work to do.
If Sentinels were that formidable, then what about the Paragons? Weren't they basically gods?
"And the Paragons?" she asked.
"Paragons are called Crownmarked because when you reach that level, their crown tattoo is complete. It is a mythical level for us in Duskworn. Even before the wall sixty years ago, only two people had succeeded in attaining that rank. Sadly, they both followed the Overseer to Veloria City."
Killan's voice carried a hint of reverence as he continued.
"They wielded psionic abilities. Their aura alone could drop a man to his knees. They were majestic and untouchable. But," Killan sighed, "they're gone now. Along with many Sentinels and top Wardens. Here, sentinels are the highest ranking forces we've got. And that's hard enough to achieve. It took me fifty years to earn that title."
Killan finished with a small smile while Kiah remained quiet in thought.
She recalled when General Denvil exerted his force on her to intimidate her. It had been painful. Very painful.
Was that an ability? Or was it just his aura?
If so, how powerful would that of a Paragon be?
She couldn't wait to find out. The thought of it excited her, made her feel giddy inside. Having that kind of ability, couldn't she just teleport herself home?
Kiah smiled. Her smile almost seemed devious.
'Crownmarked…'
As for the crown tattoo Killan talked about, she already had an inkling on what it was. The familiar white line that rested on her shoulder. That should be it.
When she had felt it in the bathroom, she knew it was special. Something meaningful.
But how did it work?
She was hesitant to ask because it would make her seem stupid. But she had to know.
"Killan," she started. "Can I see your tattoo?"
Killan peered intently at her for a bit before raising a brow.
"That's a sensitive question. For your own good, don't go around asking to see people's marks. You might lose your head."
Kiah's eyes widened in panic. She didn't know it was wrong to ask.
"No, I didn't mean—"
"It's fine, kid. I understand." Then he rolled up his sleeve, revealing a dark tattoo on his arm.
It wasn't like her straight line. No. His had grown. It looked like an incomplete crown.
She moved closer to inspect it.
Since hers was on her shoulder, she figured the tattoos could be in any part of the body depending on the individual. And as the person grew, the marks grow accordingly. Since hers was a singular line, it meant she had a long way to go.
"This took fifty years?" She murmured.
He nodded, rolling his sleeve down as she took a step back.
"But the younger generation is something else. Take Eden and Thorne, for example. They started training nine years ago. They're already Wardens. That's an incredible feat. It takes an average of twenty-five years to evolve into a warden. I wouldn't be surprised if one of them became a sentinel soon. You just have to be committed."
"Committed…" Kiah repeated in a murmur.
She had four years to level up enough to leave this place. Four years to level up in a world where it took fifty years for someone like Killan to rise.
And in order to find the Overseer beyond the wall, she figured being a sentinel would not be enough. She needed to be a Paragon.
Kiah almost scoffed at the thought.
Wasn't she being too ambitious?
How many hours of training would that take? Could she even handle that kind of commitment?
She already hated running. What about everything else? No matter how she looked at it, the next few months wouldn't just be hard. They might break her.
Kiah pulsed her lips, then asked, "The overseer, was he a paragon too?"
Killan didn't answer for a moment. He blinked like he was in deep thought.
"Nobody was able to figure out his rank. He never told anyone. He could be an Initiate or a paragon. It was hard to tell since he mostly stuck to himself."
'Interesting. The almighty overseer was a recluse.' Kiah thought with a raised brow.
"You should train hard before your first mission," Killan called as he rolled back towards his workstation. "Welcome to the organization, kid. You're in for a wild ride."
Kiah rose slowly, her mind buzzing. She already had most of the answers she needed.
"Thank you." She said before leaving the room.
She trudged into her room like someone who'd just walked in on her best friend in bed with her boyfriend.
She collapsed face first onto the bed, still in her clothes, bandages sticking to her skin. She didn't care. A bath could wait. She just wanted to sleep.
Tomorrow was a new day.
'I miss England.' she thought, a lone tear sliding down her cheek.
***
The Next Day.
After a much needed shower that left her feeling a little more human, Kiah stood in front of the bathroom mirror with a blank expression.
Half of her injuries were gone. Fully healed. No scar. Her skin was almost flawless. When she caught a glimpse of her skin under the bandage, she was shocked. She rushed to the mirror to confirm what she saw.
It was spectacular. Even a Thrasher's claw didn't mar her. Her thoughts wandered to General Denvil. What kind of beast left that nasty scar on his face then?
Kiah took in a deep breath before glancing at the faint dark line on her shoulder. Her mark. Its length or shape had not changed since the last time she saw it, which meant that she had not grown a bit stronger in this short interval.
It was a bummer.
Kiah changed into comfortable clothes as she planned to lounge around today. Earlier, they had been told that they would receive a week break for full recovery before their training would start. So she had some free time to spare.
Kiah's stomach growled in protest so she decided to go to the cafeteria. She opened her door, only to jump back in surprise.
Eden stood there, one hand raised mid-knock. She was fully geared up — combat uniform, shorts, sleek jacket, and sword secured at her hip.
"Good. You're awake." Eden said, dropping her hand.
Kiah's eyes swept over her.
"Going somewhere?"
"I have a raid mission," Eden replied calmly. "I'll be gone for a few weeks."
Kiah's face dropped.
"Weeks?"
Panic bubbled inside her. Eden was the one person in this place she trusted — even if just barely. Everyone else still felt like strangers. She was kind of nervous being left alone.
Also, she needed Eden to train her. Eden was strong — Warden level strong. She could help hasten her process. Maybe even help her survive what was coming.
"You can't leave me here alone," Kiah blurted, voice rushed. She took a desperate step closer. "I don't know anyone here. And you promised to help me train. You can't go back on your words."
Eden inched away from her, and Kiah realized she had leaned in too close.
"You'll be fine. There are great teachers here. They taught me too. You're in great hands."
She handed Kiah a folded paper.
"Besides, I drafted a prep guide to help you get ready for the coming weeks. Follow it. Utilize this break well. No slacking off."
Kiah flipped through the paper, her face growing darker with each line.