The morning sun climbed slowly above the jagged peaks surrounding the Iris stronghold. Thin streams of light spilled across the courtyard stones, turning the frost along the ground into shimmering droplets.
Aldrich stood in the center of the training yard.
Across from him stood Merana Iris.
Her stance was relaxed—almost lazy—but Aldrich knew better. After weeks under her instruction he had learned the truth: Merana's relaxed posture was a trap. She never wasted energy. She never revealed intention before the moment it mattered.
Merana rested a wooden practice blade on her shoulder and smirked.
"Tomorrow ," she said, "we begin real training."
Aldrich tilted his head slightly.
"I thought everything before this was real."
Merana laughed.
"That?" she said. "That was you learning how not to embarrass the clan."
She stepped forward and tossed him a wooden sword.
It landed neatly in his palm.
"Today," she continued, "you spar me one hundred times."
Aldrich blinked.
"One hundred?"
"Yes."
Her eyes gleamed with mischief.
"And if you lose all one hundred… we repeat tomorrow."
Aldrich cracked a faint smile.
"Sounds fair."
Merana pointed her sword toward him.
"First round."
The first exchange lasted three seconds.
Aldrich stepped forward with perfect stillness.
Merana stepped forward with perfect timing.
Their blades clashed once.
Then Aldrich was on the ground.
He blinked at the sky.
Merana looked down at him calmly.
"One."
The second round lasted five seconds.
Aldrich adjusted his stance, lowering his center of gravity.
Merana circled.
Aldrich waited.
She attacked.
Three strikes.
He blocked two.
The third tapped his chest.
"Two."
The third round lasted seven seconds.
Aldrich attempted a counter.
Merana rotated her wrist.
His weapon flew from his hand.
"Three."
By the time the tenth spar ended, Aldrich had eaten dust more times than he cared to count.
Merana tapped the wooden sword against her palm.
"Ten."
Aldrich wiped sweat from his brow.
"Not even close," he admitted.
Merana shrugged.
"You're fighting me."
The sun climbed higher.
The courtyard echoed with the repeated crack of wooden blades colliding.
At twenty attempts Aldrich lasted longer.
At thirty he managed to push Merana back once.
At forty he actually forced her to block.
Merana raised an eyebrow.
"Better."
Aldrich breathed steadily.
But every time he tried to press advantage—
She dismantled him.
A shift in footing.
A redirection of force.
A perfectly timed strike to the shoulder or ribs.
Loss.
Loss.
Loss.
Still—
He kept rising.
The fiftieth match ended with Aldrich pinned against the ground again.
Merana extended a hand and helped him up.
"You're improving."
Aldrich chuckled weakly.
"I'm losing."
"Yes," she said calmly.
"But slower."
The sun began to dip westward.
Sweat soaked Aldrich's shirt.
His muscles burned.
Bruises colored his arms and ribs.
Yet something subtle was changing.
He began to see the rhythm in Merana's movement.
The tiny shifts in her shoulders.
The moments when her balance transferred between feet.
Stillness was beginning to reveal patterns.
At seventy attempts he forced her to take three steps back.
At eighty he nearly landed a strike.
Merana's smile widened.
"There it is."
The ninety-first match lasted nearly a minute.
Aldrich's breathing slowed.
His movements became fluid.
Merana attacked.
He redirected.
She countered.
He slipped past.
The courtyard spectators—other Iris warriors—watched silently.
But then—
Aldrich hesitated.
A fraction too slow.
Merana's blade tapped his ribs.
"Ninety-one."
By ninety-nine Aldrich could barely lift his arms.
His legs trembled.
His vision blurred slightly.
Merana twirled her wooden sword casually.
"Ninety-nine."
Aldrich chuckled breathlessly.
"I guess today isn't my day."
Merana tilted her head.
"We still have one left."
The sun had disappeared behind the mountains.
The courtyard was now lit by torches.
Aldrich stood once more.
Every muscle screamed.
But his breathing was calm.
Stillness.
Merana lowered her blade.
"Final round."
They moved simultaneously.
No wasted motion.
No rush.
Merana struck first.
Aldrich deflected.
She rotated.
He stepped inside the arc.
Their swords clashed three times in rapid succession.
The sound echoed sharply in the cold evening air.
Aldrich felt the rhythm.
He stopped thinking.
He simply moved.
Merana attacked again.
Aldrich shifted slightly left—
And his blade brushed across her shoulder.
A whisper of contact.
Barely a graze.
Silence filled the courtyard.
Merana looked down at her shoulder.
Then she burst out laughing.
A deep, delighted laugh.
"Nephew!" she said proudly.
Aldrich dropped onto his back, completely exhausted.
"I won…?"
Merana shrugged playfully.
"Technically."
She rested the sword over her shoulder again.
"But don't get comfortable."
She looked down at him with a grin.
"I'll not be the only one you spar against."
Aldrich groaned.
Merana continued:
"You won't leave here until the end of next year."
Aldrich stared up at the night sky.
The stars glittered across the heavens like scattered diamonds.
He exhaled slowly.
"I still have a long way to go."
Footsteps approached across the courtyard stones.
A tall elderly man walked into the torchlight.
His presence carried quiet authority.
Kaien Iris.
Aldrich's grandfather.
Kaien looked at the exhausted young man lying on the ground and smiled faintly.
"Come, grandson."
Aldrich slowly sat up.
"Tomorrow your real training begins."
Aldrich blinked.
"That wasn't real training?"
Kaien chuckled softly.
"No."
He gestured toward the mansion behind them.
"But tonight you must learn something more important."
The Iris mansion was ancient.
Stone corridors lit by candlelight led deep underground.
Kaien walked ahead calmly while Aldrich followed.
They reached a wooden door.
Inside the room hundreds of candles burned quietly.
Each flame represented an ancestor of the Iris clan.
Kaien knelt.
Aldrich immediately followed.
Together they bowed deeply.
Foreheads touching the ground.
Respect.
Honor.
Lineage.
Kaien spoke softly.
"Every flame here is someone who carried our name before us."
Aldrich remained silent.
They stayed there for several minutes before rising.
Kaien then led him into another chamber.
This room was different.
Portraits lined the walls.
Paintings of warriors.
Strategists.
Leaders.
History frozen in time.
A small table sat in the center.
Kaien poured tea for both of them.
They sat.
Kaien began speaking.
"The one who founded our clan," Kaien said slowly, "was Jayroth Methuselah Iris."
Aldrich listened carefully.
"He was a man of wisdom, strength, and determination."
Kaien's eyes drifted toward one of the portraits.
"He met his lover Makime Blovok. She was not from any clan."
Aldrich raised an eyebrow slightly.
"Just a normal person?"
Kaien smiled.
"Yes."
"But she possessed brilliant strategic intelligence."
"She wasn't weak. She was humble."
He took a sip of tea.
"From them came my great grandfather… Alion Iris."
Aldrich followed the story closely.
"Alion met his lover Alison Dawn," Kaien continued. "She was from the Dawn Clan—famous for their mines and mercenaries."
"From them came my grandfather and granduncle."
He pointed to two portraits.
"Valentino Iris… and Valen Iris."
Kaien continued.
"Valentino met his lover Ivis Secario."
"And from them came my father… Joseph Iris… my uncle Alexis Iris… and my aunt Malakai Iris."
Kaien's voice softened.
"My father Joseph met my mother… Athena Onslaught."
"And then came me."
He smiled slightly.
"Kaien Iris."
Aldrich nodded respectfully.
"And I met my wife…"
Before he finished the sentence—
The door opened.
A woman entered carrying a tray of tea.
She placed a third cup on the table.
Then she walked straight to Aldrich—
And hugged him tightly.
"I'm glad to finally meet you, my grandson."
Aldrich froze for a second.
Then he hugged her back.
Her warmth was comforting.
"It must have been hard for you," she said softly.
Aldrich nodded.
"I avenged them," he said quietly.
"I made it through, grandmother."
Her eyes shone with pride.
"I will survive."
"And I will rebuild their legacy."
She smiled warmly.
"That's the spirit."
She sat beside Kaien.
Kaien looked at her.
"Honey, are you alright?"
She nodded.
"Of course."
Kaien then turned back to Aldrich and said: "This is my wife Bellary".
"And from us came your mother Aseair Iris and your aunts … Merana Iris… Elizabeth Iris… Serene Iris…"
Aldrich listened carefully.
"You also have two uncles," Kaien continued.
"Elijah Iris… and Lexus Iris."
"They're currently away on a mission."
"They should return in a few months."
Aldrich slowly stood.
He bowed deeply.
"I will train to my absolute limit, grandfather."
His voice carried quiet determination.
"And when I rebuild the Yagurah Clan…"
He looked at both Kaien and Bellary.
"I welcome everyone to visit."
"Because what's mine is yours too."
"I will always welcome family."
Kaien laughed heartily.
"Good!"
He slapped the table.
"You remind me of your old man."
Kaien stood.
"Aldrich, kiddo."
"Go do whatever you want tonight."
"You start training tomorrow."
"So take it easy."
Aldrich nodded.
"Okay, grandfather."
Aldrich returned to his room.
The moonlight spilled through the window.
He lay down on the bed slowly.
Every muscle still hurt.
But his heart felt strangely light.
His eyes drifted toward the ceiling.
He closed them gently.
One final thought crossed his mind.
I hope you're doing well… Ellistra.
And with that quiet whisper—
Aldrich fell asleep.