A week had passed since Aaron's collapse. The bruises had faded, the bandages were gone, and though the memory of battle lingered, his body had finally recovered. Morning sunlight poured through the high windows of the sparring hall, casting long shadows across the smooth stone floor. The air was filled with the dull clack of wooden swords and the occasional grunt of effort.
Aaron stood in the ring opposite Dante, the two of them locked in a rhythm of strike and parry. Their movements weren't aggressive, just measured swings to sharpen reflexes and test footwork. Sweat glistened on their brows, but neither showed signs of tiring.
"Hey," Dante said midswing, casually deflecting Aaron's downward strike. "In this barrack… have you found anyone interesting?"
Aaron blinked, adjusting his stance before raising his wooden blade again. "Interesting, huh… I suppose Yumi counts. She's kind of hard to read. Not very expressive."
This time, it was Aaron's turn to block. The wooden blades met with a sharp thud.
"Knew it," Dante grinned, sidestepping and launching a swift jab. "I heard she's turned down several love confessions from senior Kshatriya. Shot them all down without blinking."
Aaron absorbed the hit with a sideways deflection, following up with a counter.
"Hm..."
Dante smirked. "You're not that curious, huh? I thought you might've had a thing for her."
"Curiosity isn't the same as love," Aaron replied coolly. "Besides, she told me herself, she's engaged to some aging nobleman who lost his wife. A commoner like me has no place interfering with that kind of arrangement."
"Fair point," Dante said, shrugging. "I'm actually engaged too. Some noble girl I barely know. Luckily, since I joined the Kshatriya, the marriage has been pushed back indefinitely. Plenty of time before I have to carry on the family name."
He spun his wooden sword once and rested it lazily on his shoulder. "Anyway… have you decided which division you're picking? The deadline's tomorrow."
Aaron froze mid-step. "Ah." He had forgotten. Again.
Vivian's voice echoed in his memory, her parting advice still fresh despite the passing days. Join the Exploration Division. Find out why the Enders came to this world. But how could he tell Dante that a floating spirit woman had whispered divine purpose into his ear?
"I'm thinking… the Exploration Division," he said hesitantly. "But I'm still unsure."
"Oh? Then I guess we'll be togeth---"
"Oi~, Aaron! You're being summoned by Grandmaster Gordon!"
The shout came from a senior Kshatriya, jogging across the yard. He waved as he passed, clearly a messenger relaying multiple errands. Aaron felt a cold bead of sweat trickle down his temple. Dante narrowed his eyes, suspicion growing.
"Don't tell me you forgot to..."
"I forgot to report in, yeah," Aaron muttered, already wincing.
Dante sighed heavily and let his sword drop to rest across his shoulders like a yoke. "Rest in peace."
"Come on, he's not that scary. Probably," Aaron said, not sounding very convinced.
The senior messenger, already halfway across the courtyard again, called back, "You'd better hurry! The Grandmaster's not in a good mood today."
Aaron didn't wait for another word. He broke into a sprint, not bothering to sheath his wooden sword. The echo of his boots on stone trailed behind him.
"Rest in peace!" Dante called after him with a teasing grin.
"Thanks for the vote of confidence!" Aaron shouted back over his shoulder.
As he vanished into the corridor that led toward the Grandmaster's office, Dante chuckled and turned back to the practice ring.
"See you at lunch!" he shouted.
Aaron stood in front of the Grandmaster's office, unmoving. The hallway was quiet, the kind of quiet that made every breath sound like a confession. He inhaled deeply… then exhaled. Then again. And again. His chest rose and fell in anxious rhythm, as if trying to calm a storm that wouldn't yield.
"My Lord, what are you so afraid of? He's only human. It's not like he's going to eat you or rip you apart like the Enders out there."
Vivian's voice echoed softly in his mind, half-mocking, half-soothing.
Aaron glanced around, searching instinctively for the white haired woman with the mischievous grin, floating somewhere nearby. But she was nowhere to be found.
"I didn't know you could speak to me without showing yourself."
"Oh? Do you wish to gaze upon my dazzling and divine form again? Kyaa~ My Lord, you flatter me so…"
"…You're annoying," Aaron muttered under his breath, rubbing his temples. "But… you're right. He's just a man. Just a man. Just… a man…"
He repeated the phrase under his breath like a protective charm, the words trembling on his lips. Slowly, almost reluctantly, his hand rose to knock on the heavy wooden door.
But before his knuckles could touch the surface, a voice roared from within.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN MY SON DIDN'T DIE IN VAIN?! We sent Henry to become a Kshatriya so he could bring honor to our family, not to be sent off to die like some pawn!"
The rage in the voice was thunderous, soaked in grief and fury. Aaron flinched, the hair on the back of his neck rising. His hand dropped back to his side. Whatever resolve he had mustered scattered like ash in the wind.
A moment later, the door was thrown open with violent force.
A broad-shouldered nobleman stormed out, followed closely by a pair of armored escorts. His boots slammed against the floor with heavy purpose, and his eyes burned with the kind of grief that had nowhere to go but outward. He didn't even glance at Aaron before slamming into his shoulder.
"Out of my way!"
Aaron stumbled to the side, more from shock than impact. He didn't respond, he couldn't. He merely stood there, watching the man's back disappear down the hallway.
His heart was pounding now, faster than before.
Henry…
Aaron clenched his fists.
This wasn't going to be easy.
Aaron stood before the tall, ominous doors of the Grandmaster's chamber once again. The weight of the previous encounter, of the nobleman's fury and loss, still lingered in the air like smoke after fire. He took one last breath and stepped inside.
The room was austere, stone walls, sparse furniture, and a single massive desk where Grandmaster Gordon sat like an immovable monolith. The man's bald head caught the light from a nearby lamp, and the deep scar across his face made no effort to hide its history. One eye was missing, the flesh around it long since hardened and cold. The remaining eye, sharp and unblinking, locked onto Aaron the moment he entered.
Mood: grim. Very grim.
Aaron straightened up, raised his right hand to his forehead in salute, and announced with crisp formality, "Aaron, Kshatriya Apprentice, reporting in, sir!"
"At ease," Gordon replied, voice gravelly but controlled. He studied Aaron for a second longer before continuing. "I want to discuss your battle with the Winged Humanoid, Honorless, last week. But first… how are you feeling?"
Aaron paused. "…I think I'm alright, sir."
Gordon nodded once, slowly.
"I heard you assumed leadership during the Initiation. I'd like to hear everything, from your side. In full detail."
Aaron let out a quiet sigh. This would take a while.
So he began.
He told Gordon how they had been overwhelmed upon entering the ruins of the old city, how they stumbled upon the abandoned Kshatriya outpost hidden in a decrepit church, and how swarms of Beetlekins had nearly overrun them. Then came the part that weighed heavily on him, the sudden appearance of the winged Ender, Honorless, and how Henry had fallen before they even understood what they were up against.
Aaron hesitated only slightly before recounting how he had… changed. How power surged through him. How he fought back with strength that wasn't his own. He did not mention the whispering voice. He did not mention Vivian.
When he finished, Gordon leaned back slightly, arms folded.
"Hm… You absorbed the Ender's essence and turned it into your own strength." His expression was unreadable. "No matter how many times I hear that, it still sounds like nonsense."
Aaron gave a small, reluctant nod. It was nonsense. And yet, it had happened.
"And the wings?" Gordon asked. "Can you summon them again?"
"Erm… no, sir. Not yet. I don't know how."
Gordon let out a long exhale and opened a nearby case. From inside, he retrieved a medical syringe. "I'll be taking a blood sample. We need to understand what's happening to your body. You have no right to refuse."
Aaron had expected this. There was no need to argue. He simply rolled up his sleeve with quiet resignation. The Grandmaster took the sample quickly and sealed the vial away. He set the syringe aside and turned to Aaron once more.
"One last thing before you go."
Aaron had already turned to leave but halted mid-step.
"You'll be joining the Exploration Division. That's an order. You don't have the right to refuse."
Of course. Of course, this day would only get worse. He wants to cry.
The Next Day
Aaron stood in formation beside the members of the Exploration Division, dressed in Kshatriya uniform, with the morning sun blazing above them. The sky was obnoxiously blue.
He wasn't alone.
Corgius draped a friendly arm around Aaron's shoulders, beaming. "Oh, we're back together again, Aaron!"
Dante grinned, hands resting behind his head. "Looks like we all had the same idea. Our whole generation's in this division now."
Yumi stood beside them, silent as ever, eyes glued to a book. Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus. Aaron recognized the worn cover; it must've been something she picked up during their Initiation. She didn't say a word.
"Alright, everyone!" a voice rang out across the courtyard.
A man with wild, curly hair, sunglasses, and the energy of a rock concert frontman stepped forward. "Name's Wezel von Bartholomeo! I'm the Division Commander! Starting today, we're heading outside the walls, one whole week in the wild! Let's give it our all!"
The older members of the division erupted in cheers, lifting Wezel onto their shoulders like he was some kind of hero after a flawless encore. It was… chaotic.
Aaron stared upward, watching the open sky.
"…The sky's really blue," he murmured.
He had no idea what he was supposed to feel. Pride? Dread? Excitement?
All he knew was that the wheels of fate were turning fast, and there was no stopping them now.