Gaius clapped his hands together, the sound echoing strangely in the mist.
"Alright," he said with a casual grin. "Let's get you started then."
Cain straightened slowly. The pain in his side still ached,the last vestiges of the blade still gnawed at his nerves.
Gaius rolled his shoulders and began stretching, like this was the start of a morning workout.
"Ten push-ups."
Cain blinked. "What?"
"You heard me," Gaius said, already dropping into position. "Push-ups. One. Nothing fancy."
Cain stared at him. "You're serious?"
"Very. Get on the ground. Oh wait, you already are."
"...."
Gaius pointed his finger at Cain with a look of indignation in his gaze.
"I am your Master now and you are my disciple! Are you really going to defy your Master on the first day!"
Cain couldn't shake the feeling that this spirit was messing with him but with no better alternative, he simply rolled onto stomach and dragged his tired body fully onto solid land.
He assumed a push up position and tried his best to lift himself up. But perhaps due to the battered condition of his body, every muscle and joint in his body screamed in protest. Gathering every last scrap of willpower he had, he pushed off the ground and lifted his body up.
"Haaaaaah…" a shout slipped from his lips as Gaius watched on with quiet amusement.
The spirit honestly hadn't expected Cain to be able to complete that single pushup. What Cain hadn't noticed was that Gaius had used some of his magic to enact a Gravity spell on his new disciple.
Cain, while injured and exhausted, had done a pushup while under Five Fold Gravity. Gaius couldn't help but let a small smile form at the corner of his mouth.
'This brat may be the one to do it…'
Unable to hold the form any longer, Cain collapsed to the ground, drained of all his remaining energy.
'I can't be this weak….right?'
Was the last thing that he thought before his body collapsed, and the world slipped into darkness.
Then came sunlight.
He stood barefoot in a lush green garden, the breeze brushing gently against his skin. The sky above was clear and bright, birds flitting from tree to tree. He was small again. Young. The ache in his bones was gone. No wounds. No hunger.
Just laughter.
Abel burst through a row of hedges, grinning ear to ear with a wooden sword held high.
"Get ready, Prince Cain!" he shouted, charging forward with a wild cry.
Cain barely had time to raise his own wooden blade before Abel crashed into him. They clashed in a mess of limbs and laughter, tumbling onto the grass.
"Still slow," Abel said between breaths, pinning Cain with ease. "No wonder I'm the one protecting you."
Cain shoved him off with a laugh. "You only win because you cheat."
"I cheat because you whine."
They both sat up, brushing leaves from their clothes. The courtyard behind them gleamed, white stone and golden arches stretching upward. It was the royal garden, their secret playground during training breaks.
A soft voice called out from behind.
"You two are going to break something again," Julia said, walking toward them with a large spellbook hugged to her chest. Her hair was short and messy, her robes too long for her small frame. She looked every bit the mage-in-training, but her smile was full of warmth.
Cain stood, brushing dirt from his sleeves. "You always say that."
"Because it's always true," she said.
He reached out and tugged on the sleeve of her robe. "Come sit with us."
Julia hesitated, then joined them on the grass, book in her lap. They lay in the sun, the three of them, arms and shoulders touching. No titles. No orders. Just three children who trusted each other completely.
Cain closed his eyes.
This was peace.
This was safety.
But when he opened them again, the sky had changed.
The blue had gone gray. The trees were twisted now. The flowers wilted.
He sat up.
Abel was gone.
Julia was standing a few paces away, older now. Her robes sleek, refined. She was beautiful with her hair was longer, braided, pinned in place like a noblewoman's.
Cain stood, confused.
Then he heard it.
Laughter.
It wasn't innocent.
He turned.
Abel leaned against a stone wall, arms crossed, dressed in blackened armor. His eyes were cold. Not sharp. Just tired and cruel.
Julia walked to his side.
She slipped her hand into his.
Cain's stomach dropped.
"No," he said.
Abel smirked. "Surprised?"
"You… when?"
"Does it matter?" Julia said softly. "You were never going to be king. Not really. You were just the name we needed."
Cain took a step back. His breath caught in his throat.
"You used me."
Abel stepped forward, still holding Julia's hand.
"You were always so desperate to believe we were friends," he said. "Even when you gave orders, even when you cried in secret, you kept thinking we cared."
Julia tilted her head, her eyes unreadable.
"You were convenient," she said. "A stepping stone."
Cain's voice cracked. "You loved me."
"No," Julia said. "I tolerated you."
Abel drew a blade.
He didn't hesitate.
The sword pierced Cain's side, sliding in deep and twisting cruelly. Cain gasped, falling to his knees, blood soaking his tunic.
He looked up, trembling.
Abel crouched beside him.
"Thanks for everything, Prince. But you were never more than the weakest of us."
Cain tried to reach for Julia.
She stepped forward, placed a hand on his shoulder, and smiled down at him.
"Goodbye, Cain."
Then she pushed.
He fell.
The edge of the garden had vanished. There was only open sky, cold wind, and the sound of their laughter echoing as he tumbled into nothing.
Cain's eyes snapped open.
He sat up, gasping for air, soaked in sweat. His heart pounded against his ribs like it was trying to escape.
His eyes met Gaius who was watching him with quiet interest. The spirit tilted his head, his lips curled up in what Cain could only describe as a mocking smile.
"Did you have a good dream~?"
Cain narrowed his eyes at the spirit before he snapped back
"No. I was just given a reminder…"
He slowly stood up in an unsteady manner.
"A reminder of my goal. I will survive…As long as they live, I will not die!"
Gaius' smile grew even wider as he nodded.
"Very good~! Then to honor your commitment, let's speed up the process. Though I will have to warn you that this way is much more dangerous–"
"I don't care! I will do it. What do I need to do?"
Cain interrupted Gaius' warning which caused the latter to fall silent.
Gaius's smile deepened, his eyes gleaming with a mix of amusement and something sharper.
"Good," he said, clapping his hands once more. "I will help you conduct the second awakening of your ability. But this next step won't be simple."
Cain's brow furrowed, the ache in his side throbbing as he steadied himself. "What do I have to do?"
Gaius stepped closer, lowering his voice to a conspiratorial tone. "To truly awaken Gluttony, you need to consume Demonic Blood."
Cain blinked in disbelief. "Demonic Blood? Where are we supposed to find that here, in the Abyss?"
The spirit laughed, a low, rich sound that echoed oddly through the mist.
"You really have no idea, do you?" Gaius said, shaking his head slowly. "You're closer than you think. In fact, you've already swum through it."
Cain's eyes narrowed in confusion.
Gaius gestured to the dark, shifting liquid pooling around them, the mist curling above it like steam. "The pool you landed in when you fell from the cliff... that wasn't water."
He let the words hang for a moment before adding, "It's a massive reservoir of Ancient Demonic Blood."
Cain stared at the surface, the realization settling like ice in his gut.
"You want me to drink this?" Cain asked, voice tight.
Gaius smiled wider, eyes gleaming. "Not just drink. You will absorb it. Let it consume you from the inside out."
Cain's fists clenched. "If this is what it takes to get stronger... to survive... then so be it."