Morning light filtered through the gaps in Ciel's curtains, the first rays of dawn painting his room in soft gold. For once, he didn't need the light to wake him. His eyes had opened before sunrise, his body humming with restless energy that made sleep impossible.
His Aether Core pulsed at his center, circulating power through his channels in steady rhythms. The sensation was still new, still fascinating. He could feel the azure energy flowing through him constantly, like a second heartbeat he'd never known he was missing.
Ciel sat up, checking his Status out of habit.
[Personal Status]
Name: Ciel Lee Silver
Aether Well: 49.51%
Aether Absorption: 1.8 A/s (High Zone), 1.2 A/s (Normal Zone)
Aether Core: Awakened (Rank 1 - Novice)
Rank: 1 (Novice)
His well had dropped slightly from the fifty percent it had been last night. Not much, but noticeable. Was his core consuming Aether just by existing? Or was he leaking it somehow?
Before he could contemplate further, a knock came at his door. Precise. Measured. Belle's knock.
"Young master, it's time to begin."
"Come in," Ciel called, already standing.
The door opened and Belle stepped inside, clearly expecting to find him still in bed. Her clear blue eyes widened slightly when she saw him fully dressed and waiting.
"You're awake." Surprise colored her voice. "And ready."
"Couldn't sleep much," Ciel admitted. "Too much energy."
A smile tugged at Belle's lips. "That's normal for fresh awakenings. Your body is adjusting to having an active Aether Core. Give it a few days and your sleep patterns will stabilize."
She gestured toward the door. "Come. We have a lot to cover today, and I want to start early."
They left his room together, moving through the corridors of the Silver estate. The morning was still young, most of the household just beginning to stir. Servants moved about their early duties, preparing for the day ahead.
And every single one of them stopped when they saw Ciel.
Their eyes went wide. Mouths opened slightly. Shocked gasps followed in their wake as he and Belle passed.
It happened again and again. A maid carrying linens. A groundskeeper heading to the gardens. A faction guard on patrol. Each one reacted the same way. Surprise bordering on disbelief.
After the fifth such reaction, Ciel couldn't contain his curiosity any longer.
"Belle, why is everyone staring like that?"
Belle glanced at him, then at the latest servant who'd frozen mid-step to gape at them. A knowing smile crossed her features.
"They can feel your Aether."
Ciel blinked. "My Aether?"
"It's everywhere around you," Belle explained as they continued walking. "Leaking out constantly. First, it's a clear sign that you've awakened. Yesterday you were a dormant mortal. Today you're a Rank One cultivator radiating power. That alone is shocking given the speed of your progress."
She paused at a window, looking out over the training grounds they were approaching. "But second, and more importantly, it's the quantity. The sheer amount of Aether you're projecting. For a newly awakened cultivator, your pressure is absurd. They're not just shocked that you awakened. They're shocked at how strong you feel."
Ciel processed this. He could sense his Aether flowing through his channels, but he hadn't realized he was broadcasting it outward. Was that bad?
"Don't worry," Belle continued, reading his concern. "It's completely normal for new cultivators. You haven't learned control yet. Part of today's training will address exactly that."
They descended a set of stairs and entered a corridor that led to the outer grounds. As they walked, Belle posed a question.
"Have you noticed you can feel when others have awakened their cores?"
Ciel thought about it. Now that she mentioned it, yes. He could sense Belle's presence. Not visually, but something deeper. An awareness of her power that pressed against his senses. And yesterday, Liam had felt similar.
"I can," he confirmed. "I can feel that you're awakened. That you're strong."
"Good. Your sensitivity is developing properly." Belle gestured around them as they passed more faction members going about their morning routines. "Everyone here is at least Rank One. Minimum. Many are Rank Two or Three. Yet can you tell how strong they are individually?"
Ciel focused, reaching out with his senses. He could feel vague presences, awareness that these people possessed Aether Cores. But specific strength levels? Individual power measurements? Nothing clear.
"No," he admitted. "I know they're awakened, but I can't really tell much beyond that."
"Exactly." Belle's voice took on a teaching tone. "That's because they're containing their pressure. Keeping their Aether close to their bodies rather than broadcasting it everywhere. It's one of the fundamental skills of Aether control."
She stopped walking, turning to face him fully. "Letting your pressure leak like you're doing now serves no purpose except to drain your reserves. Every moment you spend radiating Aether outward is energy you're wasting. Energy that should be circulating through your core and channels."
Belle started walking again, heading toward the eastern training yard. "If you paid attention to how full your Aether well feels right now versus last night after you stabilized, you'd notice you've lost energy just from natural leakage."
Ciel thought about it. She was right - he did feel slightly less full than before, though he couldn't quantify it precisely without checking his Status.
"That energy loss adds up," Belle continued. "Especially in extended combat or cultivation sessions. Learning to contain your Aether is essential."
They reached the training yard just as the sun fully cleared the horizon. The space was empty, reserved for their private use. Belle had clearly made arrangements to ensure they wouldn't be disturbed.
"Don't worry," Belle said, noting his thoughtful expression. "By the end of today, you'll have a much better handle on it. We have a lot to work on."
As they entered the yard, a notification appeared in Ciel's vision.
[Daily Quest: Basic Physical Training]
[Objective: Complete the following exercises]
[100 Push-ups]
[100 Sit-ups]
[100 Squats]
[Run 10 kilometers]
[Reward: +2 Strength]
[Time Limit: 24 hours]
And below it, another notification.
[Special Quest: Trial By Fire]
[Objective: Survive your first week of training with Belle Silmaris]
[Reward: Common Skill]
[Time Limit: 7 days]
Ciel's eyes widened at the second quest. Survive? That seemed ominous. But the reward was promising. A Common Skill. Something he could use in combat, hopefully.
He dismissed the notifications as Belle turned to face him, hands on her hips.
"Before we begin proper training, you need to warm up. Your body is stronger now, but you still need to prepare it for exertion."
Ciel seized the opportunity. "I'll do my usual exercises. The ones I did yesterday."
Belle nodded approvingly. "Good initiative. Go ahead. I'll observe and correct your form if needed."
Perfect. He could complete his daily quest under the guise of warming up.
Ciel dropped into position for push-ups. With his enhanced attributes, the movements came easier than yesterday. His body, now bolstered by awakening bonuses, handled the strain with significantly less struggle.
One hundred push-ups. Completed.
One hundred sit-ups. Completed.
One hundred squats. Completed.
He moved to the perimeter track for his ten kilometer run. Belle jogged alongside him easily, her Rank Four conditioning making this trivial while he still had to push himself.
But it was manageable. Difficult, but manageable.
He completed the final lap and heard the familiar chime.
Ding.
[Quest Complete: Daily Quest - Basic Physical Training]
[Congratulations! You have completed all required exercises]
[Reward: +2 Strength]
[Strength: 21 → 23]
Warmth flooded his muscles as the attribute increase took effect. Ciel felt his physical power jump noticeably, his body adapting and strengthening in real-time.
Belle watched him with approval. "Good. Your stamina is improving. Now we can begin the real work."
She moved to the center of the yard, gesturing for him to follow. "Today's lesson is about Aether fundamentals. You have power now, but you don't know how to use it properly. We're going to fix that."
Ciel joined her, attentive and ready.
"First and most important: stop thinking of Aether as a foreign entity." Belle's voice carried absolute certainty. "It's not separate from you. It's not some external force you're borrowing. It's part of your body now. An extension of your will. Your Aether Core isn't just an organ that stores energy. It's as fundamental to you as your heart or lungs."
She tapped her chest, over where her heart would be located. "Your core is circulating Aether through your entire being right now. Just like your heart circulates blood. It's automatic. Constant. And just like you can control your breathing despite it being automatic, you can control your Aether flow."
Ciel nodded, following so far.
"The first skill every cultivator must master is containment." Belle's expression grew serious. "Right now, you're leaking Aether everywhere. It's radiating out from your body in all directions. I want you to pull it back in. Retract your pressure and send it back to your core."
She demonstrated, though Ciel couldn't see any visual change. But he felt it. Belle's presence, which had been a steady pressure against his senses, suddenly diminished. Not gone, but muted. Contained.
"When you pull your Aether close," Belle continued, "you'll feel the difference immediately. Your circulation will become more efficient. Your core will work less hard. And your reserves will last much longer."
Ciel took a breath and focused inward. He could feel his Aether flowing through his channels, coursing through his body. And yes, he could also feel it leaking out. Streaming away from him in invisible currents.
He reached out with his will, trying to grasp those escaping streams. Pull them back.
Nothing happened.
He tried again, concentrating harder. Imagining the Aether responding to his intent. Returning to his core.
Still nothing. The leakage continued unabated.
Belle watched patiently. "Don't force it. Your Aether responds to will, not strain. Think of it like... like pulling a blanket around yourself. Gentle but firm intent."
Ciel adjusted his approach. Instead of trying to grab the escaping energy, he simply willed it to stay close. To remain within his body rather than radiating outward.
Slowly, gradually, he felt a change. The constant stream of Aether leaking away began to slow. Then stop. The energy that had been escaping returned to his circulation, flowing back into his channels and core.
And immediately, he understood what Belle meant.
His core's work became easier. The constant drain on his reserves ceased. He could feel his well percentage beginning to tick upward as his absorption started to outpace his consumption.
"Good!" Belle's voice carried genuine pride. "You got it faster than most. How does it feel?"
"Different," Ciel said, marveling at the sensation. "More efficient. Like I was trying to fill a leaking bucket before, and now the leaks are sealed."
"Perfect analogy." Belle smiled. "That's exactly what it's like. Now you understand why containing your pressure is essential. Every moment you leak Aether is energy wasted."
She began pacing, moving into lecture mode. "There are times when projecting your Aether externally is useful. When you want to intimidate an opponent. When you need explosive power for an attack. When you release Aether outward and channel it through a technique, everything gets multiplied. Three times your normal power, maybe more depending on how much you release."
Belle's expression turned cautionary. "But you lose finesse. Precision. Control. External projection is all about raw power at the cost of subtlety. For now, as a Rank One, you don't have the reserves to use it frequently. You'd drain yourself in minutes. Only when you reach Rank Three or higher will you have enough Aether capacity to comfortably use external projection in extended combat."
Ciel absorbed this information, filing it away. So containment was the default. External projection was for specific techniques or situations where raw power mattered more than efficiency.
"Now then." Belle's tone shifted, taking on an edge that made Ciel suddenly wary. "Theory is important, but experience is how you truly learn. So here's what we're going to do today."
She took several steps back, creating distance between them. Her hand moved to rest on the hilt of her sword.
"You're going to attack me. Use everything you have. All your strength, speed, and newly awakened power. Show me what you're capable of, and I'll evaluate where you stand."
Ciel blinked. "Attack you?"
"Yes." Belle's smile was almost predatory. "This is how your father trained me. Baptism by fire. He would have me attack him with everything I had, then systematically dismantle me. Show me every flaw, every weakness, every bad habit. Then he'd build me back up properly."
She drew her sword partway, just enough to show steel. "It's the best method for rapid improvement. So come at me, Ciel. Don't hold back. Don't worry about hurting me. You're Rank One. I'm Rank Four. You literally cannot harm me even if you tried."
That last comment stung a bit, but Ciel knew it was true. The gap between their power levels was enormous.
Still, she'd given him an order. And some part of him, the part that remembered being Dale Silver's son, rose to the challenge.
Ciel dropped into a combat stance. Or what he thought was a combat stance. His body remembered fragments from childhood training, muscle memory trying to resurface.
He launched himself forward, closing the distance with speed that surprised him. His enhanced Dexterity making him faster than he'd ever been.
His fist shot out toward Belle's midsection, putting his full strength behind the strike.
Belle's hand moved. A casual, almost lazy motion. Her palm tapped the side of his wrist, redirecting his punch harmlessly past her body.
Ciel stumbled from his own momentum, barely catching his balance.
"Telegraphed," Belle commented clinically. "I saw that punch coming from three steps away. Your shoulder dropped before you committed. Dead giveaway."
Ciel gritted his teeth and attacked again. A combination this time. Jab, cross, hook. Movements that felt right but probably weren't.
Belle swayed back from the jab. Tilted her head to let the cross pass by her ear. And caught his hook mid-swing with a gentle tap that completely killed his momentum.
"Better sequence, but your footwork is atrocious. You're off balance after every strike. One push and you'd fall over."
Another attempt. Ciel tried a low kick, hoping to surprise her.
Belle lifted her foot slightly, letting his kick pass underneath, then tapped his extended leg with her toe. The light contact sent him spinning, his balance completely disrupted.
He caught himself before falling, but barely.
"Creative, but no setup. You can't just throw random techniques and hope something lands. Combat is about creating opportunities, not gambling."
This continued for what felt like hours but was probably only twenty minutes. Ciel attacked from every angle he could think of. Fast strikes. Strong strikes. Combinations. Feints. Grappling attempts.
Belle countered everything with minimal effort. Sometimes just a finger tap was enough to redirect his attacks. Other times she'd simply step aside, letting him overextend and stumble.
And the commentary never stopped.
"Your guard drops when you punch. Any competent fighter would counter that."
"You're tensing up before every major strike. Relax. Let your body flow."
"Stop looking where you're going to hit. Your eyes give away your intentions."
"Good recovery on that one, but you left your entire left side exposed."
After one particularly embarrassing attempt where Ciel tried a jumping attack and got gently pushed aside mid-air, landing in an undignified heap, he had to pause.
"This is impossible," he gasped, sweat pouring down his face despite the cool morning air. "I can't even touch you."
Belle sheathed her sword fully, which she hadn't even needed to draw completely. "Of course you can't. I have years of training and combat experience. Plus, I'm three full ranks above you. If you could touch me, I'd be embarrassed."
She walked over and offered him a hand up. "But that's not the point. The point is to show you what you don't know. To highlight the gaps in your capability so we can fill them."
Ciel accepted her hand, pulling himself to his feet. His newly enhanced body wasn't even that tired, which was surprising. Frustrated, yes. Tired, no.
"Again," Belle said, stepping back. "And this time, try to be less predictable. Vary your rhythm. Mix fast and slow strikes. Make me work at least a little bit."
Ciel groaned but complied, launching into another assault.
This pattern continued throughout the morning. Attack. Get countered effortlessly. Receive critique. Attack again.
Occasionally, Belle would demonstrate the correct way to execute something. Her movements were fluid perfection, each strike precisely placed, her body moving with an efficiency Ciel couldn't even begin to replicate.
"See how my weight transfers?" She'd show him a proper punch. "Power comes from the ground up. Legs, hips, core, shoulder, arm. Not just arm."
"Notice my guard stays up even as I strike? Defense and offense aren't separate. They're simultaneous."
"Watch my footwork. Every step has purpose. I'm never off balance. Always ready to move in any direction."
The demonstrations were enlightening but also demoralizing. The gap between them wasn't just about raw power. It was skill. Experience. Countless hours of refinement.
Lunch came and went. Belle produced rations she'd brought, and they ate briefly before resuming.
The afternoon was more of the same. Ciel attacked. Belle dismantled his every attempt with casual ease. The commentary continued, pointing out flaws he didn't even know existed.
By evening, Ciel was mentally exhausted even if his body was still mostly functional. His Blessed Physique was carrying him through what should have been overwhelming physical strain.
As the sun began to set, painting the training yard in orange and gold, Belle finally called a halt.
"That's enough for today. You've given me a good baseline to work from." She looked almost sympathetic as she observed his defeated posture. "I know it's frustrating. Feeling like you can't accomplish anything. But this is necessary. Tomorrow we'll start building proper fundamentals."
Ciel just nodded, too tired to respond properly. They made their way back through the estate in silence. He barely registered the staff bowing as they passed, too focused on putting one foot in front of the other.
Back in his room, Ciel collapsed onto his bed without even removing his training clothes. His mind swirled with everything he'd learned, every critique, every demonstration.
He couldn't touch her. Not even close. Not even once.
Belle was so far beyond him it wasn't even a contest. And she was just Rank Four. What about Rank Five cultivators? Rank Six? What about the monsters at Rank Seven or Eight?
What about the things that had killed his mother and defeated his father?
The enormity of the path ahead threatened to overwhelm him.
But then he remembered something. The Special Quest. Survive a week of training with Belle.
Survive.
He smiled despite his exhaustion. The System knew. This was going to be brutal. But if he could survive it, if he could endure and learn and grow, he'd gain a Common Skill. His first real combat ability.
And more importantly, he'd become stronger. Better. Worthy of the legacy his father left him.
Ciel's eyes drifted closed, sleep claiming him faster than it had in years. His Aether Core pulsed steadily at his center, circulating energy through his exhausted body, already beginning the process of recovery and adaptation.
More training was on the way. More frustration. More systematic dismantling of his every attempt. But it would also bring growth.
And that made it worth enduring.
His last conscious thought was a simple question: Will I ever be able to touch her?
Then sleep dragged him under, and the world faded to peaceful darkness.