Saela stood in front of Xeris, pausing a moment before she spoke.
"You wanted me to come here, isn't that right?"
Xeris stared at her with an indifferent expression.
"And why would I want that?" He asked.
Saela's eyes narrowed slightly, but she did not respond.
Xeris closed the book in his hands, letting it rest atop the others.
There was a long moment of silence before either said anything.
"What is it you hope to achieve in this world?" Xeris asked calmly.
Saela scoffed slightly at this, "Why would that be of any concern of yours?"
A slight smirk started to appear on Xeris's lips before he slowly spoke.
"Because you and I are the same."
Xeris held his gaze, directing it firmly towards her.
Saela's heart flustered slightly at these words; she averted her gaze. Only a moment later, skepticism washed away most of the emotion. Only a small amount lingered, which had taken the form of curiosity.
Only after a brief pause did she speak again.
"Then tell me, what is it you hope to achieve?"
"Freedom," Xeris answered without hesitation.
"I seek true freedom. You and I both see it, even if the others refuse to. Halcyon Sect preaches virtue and unity, yet every act of kindness is a chain in disguise. They feed us just enough hope to keep us obedient, and call it order."
Xeris paused before continuing.
"Tell me – what difference is there between their kindness and control?"
Saela was staring fixedly at Xeris. When he finished speaking, she closed her eyes briefly, inhaling slowly.
"So, we are the same. But what of it? What is it you want from me?" She spoke coldly.
The coldness, however, was a facade. Curiosity pulled at her despite herself, and she wanted to hear more.
Freedom.
A convenient word.
Whether it aligned with his true ambition was irrelevant – usefulness mattered more than truth.
From the moment Saela spoke, asking whether he had intended for her to follow him, Xeris's suspicions had been confirmed.
Xeris stood, beginning to pick up his books as he spoke.
"We don't cling to others, and we don't fear being without them. Even so, when two people share a purpose, the benefits gained through cooperation far outweigh any cost."
Xeris looked up once more, meeting Saela's gaze.
She stared at him coldly.
Xeris picked up the last book before turning and walking towards the door. As his hand gripped the knob, he heard a soft exhale behind him.
"Your name is Xeris Vaeth – right?"
Xeris did not turn, only responding.
"Goodbye, Saela."
He stepped out, the door closing behind him.
Saela's cold expression relaxed. For a moment, a faint smile flickered across her lips.
…..
Xeris lifted his head from his desk, glancing down at the paper in front of him.
It was the start of the fourth week, and the students were in the middle of their last written exam.
Xeris yawned before placing his head back on his desk.
The tests had been similar to what he had anticipated; most of the questions asked were based on the lectures.
Some content that was asked probed whether students had taken any further steps to actively explore and learn the content on their own.
Just by glancing around the classroom, it was easy to see who had prepared and who hadn't.
Behind Xeris, one student kept stealing looks at him – watching in envy as Xeris slept soundly while he struggled through the test.
If only he knew.
If he realized Xeris had intentionally marked several answers wrong to lower his score, the look on his face would be priceless.
There was no need to stand out here; Xeris had no point to prove, and seeing as though there were no extra benefits given to students who scored a 100, why would the score mean anything at all?
Xeris did not seek validation; his only goal here was to secure a score that showed his future potential. Just enough to convince Halcyon Sect that he should stay.
Xeris awoke to the sounds of pencils dropping.
The written tests had concluded.
Now all that remained was the physical examination.
Xeris had been training daily with Fenric, paying him at the start of each week.
Xeris was progressing rapidly.
Fenric used a straightforward method to evaluate his students.
He divided their training into five levels: the first covered only the most basic foundations, ensuring they understood the core of his fighting technique. With each level, the standards grew sharper and the expectations higher.
Only at level five would Fenric regard a student as an actual opponent.
On the first day of Xeris's training, he surprised Fenric by learning and passing level one in less than a day. Xeris was currently at the beginning of level three.
To Xeris, this was acceptable progress. He needed to learn martial arts and increase his fighting ability as fast as possible. This would help mitigate his current weakness, which was that he lacked an Aris.
To Fenric, Xeris's progress was startling. In his years of teaching the arts, only a few of his past students could compare to Xeris's raw talent. Adding to that, his discipline and pragmatic approach to growth.
At level three, Fenric's assessment of Xeris would be equivalent to a fighter who had been training for three to four years.
Of course, to Fenric's 30 years of fighting experience, this was nothing. However, a subtle feeling of both apprehension and excitement continued to grow within Fenric's mind. This was because Xeris had only been training for around 2 weeks.
Unfortunately, it seems that no amount of physical or mental talent will help me when awakening my Aris.
He sighed. Continuing, walking towards the second floor of the institution's wings. The second floor in both the Day and Night-aligned wings was explicitly made for combat training.
Xeris was currently in the Day-aligned wing, stepping into a room full of students.
In the center of the room, a man stood. He wore a close-fitting robe and lacked the aura of a cultivator. When he saw Xeris, he smiled brightly before remembering his environment. He quickly looked away.
This person, of course, was Instructor Fenric.
Xeris ignored him completely, walking in and taking his seat at the wall.
Xeris and Fenric's deal did not break any of the institution's rules; however, if light were to be shed upon it, it would draw unwanted attention for both of them.
After the final students arrived, the previous Instructor who had proctored Xeris's written tests entered. She was a Rank 2 Day-aligned cultivator.
She walked quietly over to a corner, observing silently from the side.
Fenric bowed in respect before addressing all the students.
"Hello! And welcome, students of Halcyon Sect, to the third and final section of your exam!"
The students were surprised by the Instructor's enthusiasm. It was unlike any of their previous interactions with the other instructors.
Xeris glanced over at the Instructor in the corner, catching a glimpse of what he thought looked like embarrassment or indignation on her face.
Fenric's excitement showed in his voice as he continued.
"For this assessment, you'll take part in simple one-on-one matches. The goal is to see your basic instincts and how you move. You'll earn points for clean hits or controlled takedowns. A match can end if someone taps out, steps back and concedes, or if it's clear one side can't continue safely."
To this, the students responded in a variety of ways; some exchanged nervous glances, others seemed excited at the chance to fight. Xeris was the only one among them whose expression did not change.
Soon, the first two students were called. Both rose to their feet with stiff movements and made their way toward Fenric.
They weren't just anxious about the match itself – having to spar in front of the entire class only made their nerves worse.
Fenric stood between the two boys.
"Begin!" He shouted, stepping backwards.
The two students jumped slightly at the sound of Fenric's shout. After being momentarily dazed, they both moved, creating distance between each other, assuming a fighting stance.
This was natural; these students were not eager to fight, therefore did not behave rashly.
Soon, one of the students made the first move, sending a kick towards his opponent.
His opponent reacted, but only needed to step backward slightly to avoid it. The kick itself was not impressive, barely reaching knee height and lacking power.
A few of the students laughed.
However, Fenric stood watching, still enthusiastic.
With his experience, he had taught many students. He understood that not everyone was quick to become comfortable in the art of fighting.
The two continued, each throwing soft attacks towards one another. They seemed to have come to a mutual understanding. That was, "If you don't hit me hard, then I won't hit you hard either."
The two continued for a while before the Day-aligned Instructor waved them off, signaling for Fenric to call up the next students.
Fenric seemed momentarily disappointed but was quickly invested in the following two students.
Both of these students were excited but still had some apparent nerves.
Fenric started the second match.
These two started much faster than the previous students, throwing punches and kicks. Both lacked an authentic style; however, their vigor and intensity showed.
After a clean hit finally landed, the student who took the blow immediately conceded. His opponent hurried over, supporting him off the stage while offering an awkward smile followed by a string of apologies.
"Yes! Yes! Great match for both of you!" Fenric said while calling up the next group.
The following groups took their turns one after another. Their matches were much the same as the first two – some students throwing themselves in with effort, others doing everything they could to avoid getting hit at all.
Finally, Fenric turned, a broad smile across his face.
"Next! Please, Xeris Vaeth and Bren Halric, please step forward!"
Xeris stood at the same time as his opponent. Xeris walked calmly towards the center while his opponent briefly stood staring at him.
"Hey! You're that guy that Kaelric was talking about!" The student pointed at Xeris.
Xeris did not answer, only staring blankly ahead at the wall in front of him.
The student let out a short laugh as he walked over.
"It is definitely you. Hasn't anyone ever told you it's disrespectful to ignore people?"
He stood in front of Xeris, cocking his head slightly.
Xeris blinked slowly, focusing his eyes on the student before him. His indifferent expression slowly formed into a small smile.
This look sent a chill down the student's spine. But quickly, he slammed his fist into his palm, cracking his knuckles.
"How about I teach you a lesson on respect. I am going to crush you! You know that, right?!" The students' eyes were wide with adrenaline.
At this point, Instructor Fenric was practically burning with excitement. He had a feeling this would be a fun match. He was unsure of his opponent's skill; however, he was sure of Xeris's strength.
"Ready? Begin!" Fenric shouted while jumping backward.
The moment the word left Fenric's lips, Xeris's heartbeat slowed – the world narrowing into clarity.