The two boys continued to train together, day after day, indifferent to the bone chilling cold that bit at their skin. Their eyes were twin furnaces of ambition a fire that no mountain storm could hope to extinguish. As the months bled into one another, the valley slowly started to heal from the jagged scars of the massacre.
Every day, after their grueling drills, they would walk through the village to speak with the survivors.
Ryuuken's spirit became a beacon for the people. From the small children who followed him to the elderly who offered him silent prayers, everyone adored him. Rui stood by his side, watching it all.
He saw the people begin to look at Ryuuken with the same reverence they once held for Iriz.
Ryuuken worked with a desperate intensity to meet those expectations. Rui watched him progress as both a warrior and a man. Together, they meditated under the crushing, icy pressure of waterfalls and swung their blades until the air hissed. But Rui hit a wall.
Every day, he failed to swing his sword more than twenty times. He would collapse onto the frozen ground, his lungs burning and his heart thundering as if it were trying to tear its way out of his chest.
Ryuuken didn't stop his rhythm, but his eyes drifted toward his friend. Rui looked up, searching Ryuuken's face. He couldn't tell if the expression there was pity, concern, or a hidden disgust.
"I think we should take a break," Ryuuken said. He lowered his sword and walked toward Rui, extending a hand.
Rui flicked the hand away with a sharp, bitter movement. He kept his gaze fixed on the dirt, a shadow of darkness flickering in his eyes. "Stop being so nice. You can tell me I am dragging you back. We are friends, but that doesn't mean you have to hide my weakness from me."
Rui's fingers white knuckled as he clenched the hem of his grey cloak.
"So you are jealous, eh?" Ryuuken lowered his posture, meeting Rui's eyes. He placed a heavy hand on Rui's shoulder. "Come on, don't be like that. You are making progress in your own way. Just give it some time."
"Progress?" Rui's voice cracked. "I haven't made any progress in a year! You've improved so much, and yet here I am... I can't even swing a sword more than twenty times."
His face was a mask of frustration and deep self hatred.
"Everyone has their own way and time of developing," Ryuuken replied. His voice was light, almost airy, as if he were simply chilling. There was no sign of fatigue on his face, a fact that felt like a mockery to Rui's exhausted body.
"You shouldn't take things too seriously. Just trust the process."
"You don't see problems when they don't concern you!"
Rui snapped, his voice shaking. "You have a bright future. But what will I do? I can't even perform a basic spell. You have your speed, but I have nothing I can rely on. I'm not strong, I'm not intelligent, I can't even talk to people properly. I am a defect piece in nature."
"You surely have a big opinion about me... You think I am perfect? I passed out that night out of fear. You and I both lost a friend. I can't even perform a basic spell either. What's the use of my stupid speed? I can run away with it. But even that didn't help that night," Ryuuken said, gripping his sword tightly. His voice lost that chill tone; it took a serious tone now. Rui's face didn't change. A part of him was still in the lake of self hatred.
Ryuuken, seeing this, continued. "The truth is... we can't perform magic," Ryuuken said, lowering his gaze. This caught Rui's attention, and he looked up at Ryuuken.
"What are you talking about? You can already travel with a lot of speed that is surely magic, unlike me," Rui said, looking at Ryuuken, who was just now frozen in place and gripping his sword.
"I thought the same before... I thought I had magic, and if I worked on it, I might be able to fight Aurelith. But... I found my father's diary. He hid it pretty well, I will have to admit. It was written on the day I was born that I can't generate mana. My core is broken," Ryuuken admitted, his eyes avoiding looking at Rui.
Rui looked confused; he didn't understand what the "core" was, so he asked, "Hold on, what do you mean by all this? I don't understand. Your father was a medic for House Corvus, right? What's the core thing?"
The cold wind started to flow, but both boys didn't seem to care about it.
"I don't know either... my father made an egg like drawing beside the word 'core.' But I know it's related to mana. He wrote: "Some people are unfortunate who are born with their core broken. They can't generate mana inside themselves and it looks like the universe really makes things balance, as my master used to say. My son, despite being born with a blessing, his core is broken."
Ryuuken showed the exact page to Rui as he pulled out the diary of his father. Rui was shocked seeing this; he didn't know what to think of it.
"What does 'blessing' even mean? Is he talking about your speed, or the fact you were born and it was a blessing to him?" Rui asked, his mind full of questions.
"I don't know and unfortunately... he disappeared four years ago and I can't ask him right now. But he does mention a place called Yukigai and a technique called Shizen Shakkai. They teach it to people whose core is broken."
Ryuuken said, flipping a few pages further. The word Yukigai was written in red. For a moment, Rui thought it was blood. The pages of the diary were unusual as if they were not normal paper.
"Yukigai... isn't it a temple, or I should say a ruined temple, far in the North?" Rui said with a thoughtful expression.
He remembered the legend which said the temple was made out of gold and a Griffin protected it until the Demon King slew the Griffin and burned the temple. Rui didn't believe in those legends. But he knew the Demon King was real, who was defeated by a party of heroes two decades ago, ending a thousand year rule of him.
"Yeah, it's a temple far in the north. The technique perhaps will make me use mana. You should come too; you can maybe get stronger there," Ryuuken said with a motivated expression. Rui realized Ryuuken was probably working hard because of the expectations of people despite knowing he can't cast magic. But Rui found the idea risky.
"What... going far north gets more dangerous, idiot! That region is pretty unstable with wars. Many mobs are competing to come into power there it's well known. Not even the great noble houses claim territory there,"
Rui said, protesting. He didn't find the idea appealing.
"I know it's dangerous. But nothing comes without a price. For Mui, we will have to do it," Ryuuken said, clenching his fist, and his usual motivational expression returned. Rui rolled his eyes at his friend.
"Stop using Mui as leverage to manipulate me. What does he have to do with it?" Rui asked, looking a bit annoyed. Ryuuken sighed and started flipping the pages of the diary again.
"I am not using him... The thing is, his core is broken too." Ryuuken showed the page of the diary where it was written that the second son of Lord Corvus was born with a broken core. Rui was surprised.
"Wait, how does your father even know that?" Rui asked, taking the diary from Ryuuken's hand. He flipped the page, but that was the last page on the diary. Everything after that was blank.
"He was the head medic here. I think he helped in Mui's delivery or something," Ryuuken said, unsure.
"But it doesn't matter how he knew. We will have to take Mui with us or House Corvus will be conquered," Ryuuken said with a determined expression.
Rui still looked hesitant. But he knew Ryuuken's words were true. Mui would be the future lord of House Corvus, if he didn't have the ability, he wouldn't be able to defend his people.
"I know going there must be important for you... but give me a year to research that region," Rui said with a thoughtful expression. Ryuuken looked dumbfounded.
"But we shouldn't waste any time! Other houses can conquer us," Ryuuken said, showing his desire to go and his worry for another invasion.
"I know... but I can't lose more people. Not again. So give me a year so I can make sure of everything. Mui is the future, but we will have to protect that future in the present."
Rui left holding his sword. Ryuuken was about to protest, but seeing his friend's expression, he stayed quiet.
Time passed.
Rui did his best research from every available source of information on that region and the temple. As a year passed, they went to the region along with Mui. It took them almost six months to find that temple. The journey was very rough fighting with bandits, mobs, and the weather. Rui managed to avoid some fights with talking and made some small alliances. Both boys protected Mui on the journey.
In that temple, they learned how to borrow mana from an element. Ryuuken, without knowing it, was already using the ability in his speed, so it didn't take him long to master it. Rui just learned how to get into people's shadows without them realizing.
Mui can generate mist; to do that, he borrowed mana from the air. Rui was not happy with his ability, but he was told the element chooses the user and the user's character shapes the element's ability. Despite it, Rui moved on and embraced the bond he had established with Ryuuken and Mui. After two years, they returned to their homeland and Mui became the lord at age 12. Many opposed it, but due to Ryuuken's influence and Rui's diplomacy, they avoided rebellion.
The things were going good for four years until dark clouds surrounded them again. As Rui found himself again at a helpless state in the present.
"I will help you but on one condition." The voice snapped Rui back to the present like glass shattering on the ground.
Back to Present
He looked at the girl standing in front of him. She had rejected help once, but why was she willing to help now?
"You will have to give the Oath of Echoes, and I will heal your friend." Arlienne said, stepping closer to Rui, who was holding the head of the unconscious Ryuuken. Rui watched as Arlienne extended her hand with a smirk on her face.