The North – Present Time
Okays woke up in a quiet room, with sunlight streaming through the window. He opens the door quietly.
Baikon: Looks like you're awake.
Okays: Yes, is it time for training? I got exhausted yesterday after cleaning the backyard.
Baikon: That old man used to clean it daily, you pampered lazy boy.
Okays: I'm coming down now.
Baikon: Go wash up then come, breakfast is ready. You overslept.
Baikon leaves the room. Okais looks toward the window and thinks: "What are Kalira and Torrance doing now?"
He gets out of bed and goes to take a shower.
After finishing his shower, he heads to the living room where Baikon is waiting for him for breakfast.
Baikon: Come on, it'll get cold.
Okays sits at the table. There's some bacon, eggs, and a glass of orange juice.
Okays: Isn't this too heavy for breakfast? (He looks at Baikon's plate – a piece of bread, one egg, and a glass of milk.) Also, why don't you eat like I do?
Baikon: Come on, kid, I don't have good teeth to chew food properly. You need to eat a lot because you're going to train hard. You need the energy.
Okays starts eating his food.
Baikon: Eat calmly, don't choke yourself.
Baikon finishes his food.
Baikon: Finish up and follow me to the back.
Baikon gets up from his chair and heads toward the back door.
Okays finishes his food too, takes the dishes to the kitchen, then heads to the backyard.
He opens the door and sees Baikon sitting on the steps.
Baikon: Done?
Okays: What are we doing now?
Baikon: First, try to exhaust yourself while trying to slice this dummy with the wooden sword.
Okays: Is that all? It sounds easy.
Okays walks over and picks up one of the wooden swords. When he lifted it from the ground, it felt very heavy.
Okays: Why is this so heavy?
Baikon: Your first training is to try swinging the sword properly before cutting this dummy.
Okays tries to lift the sword. After many attempts over two hours, he finally manages to lift it and hold it steadily, but he still can't swing it.
Baikon: Well done lifting it off the ground. Train until noon, then come inside.
Baikon heads back into the house. Okais keeps trying to swing the wooden sword but it always drops due to its weight. He trains for a few more hours until noon, but doesn't make much progress.
He goes back inside where Baikon is waiting.
Baikon: Go wash up, you're soaked in sweat.
Okays goes to the bathroom, showers, and comes out.
Baikon: Come sit here.
There's a small chair in front of Baikon, and Baikon sits opposite him.
Okays comes and sits in front of him.
Baikon: Do you know how to control your blood outside your body?
Okays: Of course, is that even a question?
Baikon: Listen, the blood-heating ability works the same way. Just imagine you're controlling the blood inside your body instead of outside. Try to speed up your blood flow in your veins.
Okays: Is that even possible?
Baikon: Why wouldn't it be possible? After all, you control your blood. You can do whatever you want with it—whether it's inside your body or outside. Just try to control it internally.
Okays starts concentrating and closes his eyes. After a few minutes, he starts sweating.
Okays: (Breathing heavily) This is impossible. No matter how hard I try, it just won't move.
Baikon: Of course you won't succeed on the first try. That's why I told you it will take a lot of time. Alright, keep focusing. I'll go make some tea.
Okays closes his eyes again and tries.
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An Hour Away from the City of Darkis
Limity: Let's stop here for a bit. Your wound is bothering me a little.
Lim: I told you it's fine. It's just a small wound.
Limity: (With an angry face) Shut up and stop the carriage if you don't want another wound on your head.
Lim: Alright, alright, I'll stop.
Lim stops the carriage and both Limity and Kalira get out. It's a vast meadow filled with flowers and green herbs, with a gentle breeze and the scent of soil after rain.
Limity: Come closer.
She takes out some alcohol and clean gauze from her bag.
Limity approaches Lim.
Limity: Take off your shirt.
Lim: (With a mischievous face) She's being pervy!
Kalira and Torrance start laughing.
Limity: Shut up and take it off.
Lim takes off his shirt. Silence falls over Kalira and Torrance for a few seconds. His body is full of wounds, and there's also a strange black mark on his back, pulsing from within.
Limity pours the alcohol on his wound and wraps it with gauze.
Limity: Alright, I'm done. Put your shirt back on, you scared little virgin.
Lim: Shut up. Who told you I was embarrassed about taking off my shirt?
Lim puts his shirt back on.
Limity: Let's eat something before we move. Are you hungry, Kalira?
Lim: (Interrupting her) Why don't you ask if I'm hungry?
Limity: Sadly, we didn't bring anything for you, my poor brother. You'll die without food.
Limity walks to the carriage and takes down the food and fruit the villagers had packed for them. They start eating.
Torrance: Looks like there's not much left. We'll arrive soon.
Limity: Yeah, it's just an hour from here.
Kalira looks a bit scared.
Limity holds her hand.
Limity: Come on, girl. Be a little excited. We're going to meet your grandfather, then we'll go get the gold and head to the capital and rescue Okays. Come on, smile!
Torrance: Why do you talk like the gold belongs to you?
Kalira: (Smiling) Yes, we'll definitely save him.
They finish their meal, get on the carriage, and start moving again.
An hour later, the city of Darkis begins to appear in the distance.
To be continued...