Four days vanished. Adisa was still missing, and students kept descending into madness over their need to win. Scar had still pulled off two victories though. With dark flames at his command, it should've been effortless. But Arthur's training had destroyed him, every muscle screamed in protest.
Arthur kept saying there was a reason for all this training, some benefit coming. More explicitly, he wouldn't shut up about some looming threat they needed to be prepared for.
Before training could start, as Scar considered how to maintain the Blessing for a minute as Arthur required, someone spoke from behind.
The voice was calm and gentle, yet sounded more like a command than a polite request. Purple and Julien, who'd already begun training, were the first to turn toward it. But when Scar glanced over his shoulder, his skin crawled.
Behind him was Haven. Her blue eyes locked onto his golden ones, white hair contrasting sharply with her black uniform as she stood there like she was ready for war.
Scar gulped.
'Whoa… I might have slept well last night.'
Wherever he slept last night, he'd make damn sure to sleep there again.
His mood shifted quickly. Last time he'd seen Haven, she hugged him so tightly and emotionally that it made him cry. That confirmed it: Haven knew exactly who he was.
Silence stretched between them, awkward and long. Haven said nothing beyond her initial request. Scar grew disappointed.
"You're still terrible at socializing, huh?"
Haven said nothing, but Scar closed the gap anyway. At this distance, he realized all of her hair was entirely white, like fresh snow. The effect was stark, almost brutal, but in his eyes, it only enhanced her beauty.
A few clipped exchanges, Haven responding with commands, and they sat on a nearby bench.
Strangely, Haven kept her expression neutral, though Scar could see she was struggling with what to say.
"You made me think I was insane. When my father said Scar Rover didn't exist, I began to doubt my own mind. But you… you were alive all along."
Her words sounded accusatory, but that wasn't Scar's concern. What the hell was she talking about?
As far as Scar could recall, though his parents death played a role, they'd stopped meeting months before his parents' death. Could his father have changed his information that far back? Dain would've caught on immediately if he had. Bryan was too clever for that.
"How did you know it was me? We didn't even have a reason to meet, except my uncle's obsession with you."
Haven frowned. Not much different from her usual expression, but distinct in its own subtle way.
"Is it okay to talk about him? I thought you were still grieving."
Scar furrowed his brow.
"Isaac? You are talking about my old man, aren't you?"
Haven nodded enthusiastically.
Tsk.
"So he already knew about you, huh? I never even mentioned you. That old fart must've had his ear to the ground."
Haven let out a small giggle, covering her mouth as Scar tried to figure out what was so amusing.
"What's with that expression? You looked like you couldn't decide whether to hate him or miss him… it was kind of funny."
Scar ran his hand through his hair, smiling awkwardly. She thought he was funny. Time to become a comedian, apparently.
Just like that, Haven's expression went blank, like a different person from the one laughing seconds ago.
"He came here before you were even enrolled, and told me to look after you. I was surprised, because you've always been the one looking after me. Even though I didn't fully trust him, I was still eager to see you again… and to protect you."
The whole distance on foot? Maybe he'd caught a wagon or carriage, but those cost money Isaac didn't spend on himself.
The cheapest wagon from Barbados's slums to the academy ran twenty to thirty bronze coins. Since wagons weren't allowed on campus, though, he'd have needed a carriage worth fifty to eighty bronze.
An automobile carriage was impossible; that'd cost over a hundred bronze coins, equal to one silver. That was an entire month's pay for most people.
Scar was pleased, though. Whether Isaac walked the whole way or found a ride, it didn't matter. The old man just wanted him happy and not alone.
"I'm sorry, Scar. Losing someone like that… it's never easy. If you need anything at all, I'm here for you."
'Oh, come on… isn't it obvious? I need you. Well, 'need' is a strong word… but that's the point.'
Before Scar could utter a word, Haven spoke again.
"You can take the Rover name if you want. Ask yourself what Isaac would want for you. He fought so hard to make sure you'd never be alone. The last thing he'd want is for you to choose a name that makes you feel like you're by yourself."
Before Scar could process that, she doubled down with more, speaking as though she had only seconds left.
"You want to absorb the Blessing, right? If you want it to work, make it easier on yourself: hold your breath when you begin absorbing it. That's how I did it, and so did my predecessors."
The moment she finished speaking, she avoided his eyes completely. She stood and left, moving like a robot on autopilot.
The advice about holding the Blessing for a minute stuck, but what really gripped him was what she said about Isaac—what the old man might've wanted for him.
She had a point. Deep down, he knew Isaac would be overjoyed to see him rejoin the Rovers. But something felt off about the whole thing. He couldn't quite grasp what…
"Alright, alright… your Haven connection is obvious. Now get up and join the training."
Julien said and motioned toward Scar.
Scar had their ears bleeding in minutes. He wouldn't stop gushing about Haven, and when Arthur joined, Julien and Purple suffered even more. They scoffed and cursed through it all like they were watching their worst movie.
Soon fatigue caught up with them. They meditated while Arthur slumped on the bench, unable to stop yawning.
Without wasting time, Scar prepared for what Haven had told him. The Blessing was the pulse of the scarlet moon hanging overhead, and it wasn't something that could be absorbed by someone energetic. This supernatural energy was more likely to settle with someone on the verge of death than a sculpted athlete.
Within moments, Scar felt the Blessing again. His whole body writhed, twisted like his biology was being rewritten from scratch. It always felt like this, but unlike before, he wouldn't let it slip through his fingers.
He held his breath. His face burned crimson, his lungs screamed in protest, but he knew it was worth it. He could feel his blood boiling from within.
Arthur snapped out of his half-sleep and focused on Scar with a smile. Julien and Purple's eyes opened too, they couldn't help wondering why Scar looked like he was trying not to shit himself.
Thirty seconds passed…
A minute…
Scar's eyes immediately opened, gasping for air.
"How… how long was that?"
Anyone who didn't know better would think he'd just hacked up his heart.
"A minute and seven seconds."
Yes!
"I did it…"
He couldn't even be jubilant freely. His heart might actually come out, after all.
"That's my nephew! How do you feel now, kid?"
The moment Arthur spoke, another voice echoed from behind.
"Family bonding at this hour? And I'm not invited? Classic." Mingle said with his usual lustful smile, with Emma by his side.