"What do you mean?" Onilia asked, a puzzled expression on her face.
Zane leaned back in his chair, his tone steady. "Just trust me on this one. Don't listen to that guy. Go about your day like nothing's happened."
Onilia opened her mouth to ask more, but something in his eyes silenced her. Though she didn't understand what he meant, she decided to go along with it—for now. After all, he was the most observant person she knew.
As usual, Zane trained nearly all night. The sound of his fists striking stone, the hiss of his breath, and the crack of strained joints echoed through the quiet hours. When the stars faded and the first light of morning crept over the horizon, he finally stopped, body soaked in sweat, muscles sore but sharp. When he finally slept, it was only for a few hours.
The next morning, he took a long, cold shower, then joined Onilia for breakfast.
A simple meal had already been laid out—some fruit, meat, and oddly shaped bread that smelled faintly of honey and smoke. The dining area was quiet, only the soft clinking of cutlery and distant birds breaking the silence. Onilia sat across from him, barely touching her food. Her fingers traced the rim of her cup, her eyes fixed on the table.
She kept stealing glances at Zane. He was eating calmly, like nothing had happened.
'If that man really was sent by the Master… then we're all dead. So how can he be this calm?' she thought, anxiety twisting in her gut.
Suddenly, a voice called out from below.
"The instructor told me to come get you two. He says, 'come down the mountain—immediately or die!'" the guy shouted from halfway up the hill, clearly not eager to climb all the way.
Zane didn't even flinch. He stood up, walked to the door, and leaned against the frame.
"Tell him to come up the mountain if he's got something to say. We're busy." With that, he shut the door in the man's face.
Outside, the messenger muttered under his breath. "That scrawny bastard... they're really asking for it."
Back inside, Onilia looked uneasy. She gripped her fork tightly.
"Zane... I think we really should go down," she said. Her voice trembled slightly, and her usual calm was gone. Worry clung to her words.
Zane turned his head slightly and looked at her. "Just trust me, Onilia," he said quietly.
She hesitated. Zane wasn't just being reckless—he was calculating. And when Zane thought things through, it was always deeper than it looked. He saw things in people others missed. Even when he was weaker than everyone else, he never let emotions cloud his judgment. He read people like books—sometimes in a single glance.
Without another word, he returned to his seat and resumed eating. The air was tense, but he remained completely relaxed.
Not long after, the same voice called again. They both stepped outside.
The same guy stood there, panting hard and clearly annoyed by going up and down the slope.
"He told me to say the Master is summoning you personally," he said with a frown.
Zane raised a brow, leaning lazily against the doorframe again. "Tell the Master to send word to me directly," he said flatly and began closing the door.
But the guy quickly shoved a hand in the way.
"He also said to tell you this… if you refused," the messenger said, straightening up as if reciting something very specific.
"Come."
Zane's expression changed slightly. He didn't smile, didn't frown—just... shifted.
"Then tell him we'll be on our way," Zane said calmly, then gently shut the door.
Turning to Onilia, he stretched. "Well, time to go back down."
She followed him without question this time, but as they walked, she couldn't help glancing sideways at him.
"We should hurry up, Zane," Onilia said, her voice filled with frustration as she glanced back. Zane dragged his feet as if he had all the time in the world.
"Just relax, Onilia. I've got this," he replied with a calm shrug. His tone was so casual it only made her more nervous. She swallowed hard but said nothing, trying to keep up.
The mountain path was steep and rough, filled with loose stones and narrow turns. But for Zane, it had become second nature. He didn't stumble or slip, even though he still couldn't move across it as fast as Onilia, who glided down like the terrain itself obeyed her steps. Eventually, they reached the base of the mountain and made their way to the flat plain where the other trainees had already gathered. They walked for a while since it was several kilometres away.
Murmurs spread through the crowd like wildfire as soon as they saw them approaching.
"That idiot's finally here. He sure took his sweet time, he's done for," one trainee whispered with a smirk, nudging the guy next to him.
Nenis stared at Onilia in disbelief. 'Why would she follow him and break the Master's orders? What is she thinking? Does she trust that idiot that much?' She clenched her jaw, clearly disappointed. She looked at Zane who moved like a wandering sage, detached from the chaos, eyes turned skyward as if seeking answers only he could see.
"Tch" she let out a frustrated chuckle.
"Too bad Onilia's with him. Guess she's going down too," another trainee said with a cruel chuckle.
Standing in front of everyone was the man they were all afraid of—Instructor Marius. His eyes were sharp, his presence was heavy, like a storm ready to explode. He slowly turned to face Zane and Onilia as they approached.
"State your names," he said, his voice low and dangerous, "before you receive your punishment."
His expression brimmed with restrained rage. Even the wind seemed to quiet in response.
Onilia stepped forward slowly, head bowed. Her voice trembled slightly. "My name is Onilia," she said.
She didn't want it to end like this. Her entire world, her people, were counting on her. One wrong step, and she could lose everything.
All eyes turned to Zane.
He looked up at Marius, then—without a care in the world—looked away and casually picked his nose.
Gasps and laughter followed immediately.
"See? I told you! The guy's a total nutjob. His fate's sealed!" someone said.
But Zane didn't flinch. He finally dropped his hand and said in a plain voice, "Zane Walker."
High above the clouds, the Master sat cross-legged on a small floating platform, arms folded. His eyes sparkled with amusement.
"Now this… this is a new development," he muttered to himself, watching the scene unfold like a favorite drama.
Marius stepped forward, his fists clenched behind his back. His voice was calm, but his fury simmered just below the surface.
"Zane, tell me why I had to summon you here myself. I gave a clear instruction. Everyone was to report before sunrise."
The other trainees leaned in, practically trembling with excitement. This was the moment they had been waiting for—the strange loser was finally going to be thrown out.
Onilia's hands tightened at her sides. She tried to hide the fear on her face, but her heart pounded like a war drum.
Zane met Marius' gaze at last and spoke in a calm, confident voice.
"The only instruction we received was to climb the mountain and wait. That's what I did. No one told us training would start before the scheduled time. No one introduced any instructor either. And from what I've learned here, the Master's word is law. No one—not even someone as powerful as you—can change that."
His words sliced through the crowd like a blade. The laughter died. The murmurs stopped.
Even the wind seemed paused, as if curious to see what would happen next.
"What if you're wrong... and the Master really did send me?" the instructor asked, his voice low and calm, yet heavy with meaning. Every ear perked up. The once-mocking crowd fell completely silent, eyes locked on Zane.
Zane didn't flinch. His gaze was steady, confident, as if he had already seen this moment in a dream.
"If I were wrong," he said, folding his arms, "we wouldn't be having this conversation. You made it clear yesterday that a flick of your finger is enough to erase any one of us. I broke your rule. I came late. Yet here I am—still breathing."
A few gasps escaped the crowd. Even Marius tilted his head slightly, a small grin tugging at the edge of his lips.
"Haha," he chuckled. "You're the second person to pass this test since the Master began training people. Impressive. Tell me, Zane—how did you figure out that this was a test all along?"
Every trainee leaned in, hungry for answers. They had all stood like sheep in front of a wolf, never questioning anything. And now, they looked at Zane as if seeing him for the first time.
Zane took a moment, then answered with calm certainty.
"You gave us two clues." He held up one finger. "First, during your entire introduction yesterday, you never mentioned the Master. Not even once. If he really did send you, it would've been natural to introduce yourself as his subordinate or at least reference him. But you didn't."
He raised a second finger. "The second clue was more subtle—but louder. You killed someone, and that person didn't revive like the Master promised us. That meant you had the Master's permission. Only someone with his approval would dare do something like that. So I asked myself: if the Master really gave you permission to kill, why didn't you bring him up at all? Those two things couldn't both be true… unless this was all a setup—a test."
Mouths dropped open. Eyes widened.
"Wait… was that scrawny guy always this smart?" one trainee whispered.
"Don't ask me," another said, blinking in disbelief. "I thought his brain was filled with sand and leftover crumbs."
Nenis, still burning with embarrassment, stepped forward and clenched her jaw "That still doesn't justify breaking the rules. You were just being reckless."
Zane looked at her, then gave a small shrug.
"You're right. It was a gamble. But the theory made sense to me, and I decided to test it." He paused, then glanced at Onilia for a second before continuing. "Besides, the only thing he said was that we'd die if we were late, right? That's all I needed."
Everyone stared, waiting.
"So I decided to be late on purpose." His voice was calm, but his next words carried weight. "I was nervous, sure. But when he sent someone to come get us… that's when I knew I was right. Think about it—if he truly meant to kill those who were late, it wouldn't take him more than a minute to fly up the mountain and crush us. He's powerful enough to erase us with a flick, remember? Instead, he sent someone."
Onilia looked at Zane like he were a completely different person.