That afternoon, students were split into groups, each trained by retired military officers, seasoned hunters, or veteran soldiers—some with lieutenant ranks and above. Each group got personal mentorship.
Ben, Gwen, and Athina were under the guidance of a retired military general who had been training them personally for the past three days.
He taught them military strategy, hand-to-hand combat techniques, and most importantly—discipline.
He had taken a liking to Ben, impressed by his stubborn persistence.
After their session ended, the general clapped his hands together.
"Alright, you three. I've got some news."
The trio turned toward him, curious.
"Starting tomorrow, you're getting a new counselor."
Gwen frowned.
"Wait, why are they changing our counselor, sir?"
The general let out a hearty laugh.
"Because you're about to be trained by someone truly legendary—someone I respect more than most."
Athina rolled her eyes, skeptical.
"Seriously? Then I have to meet this guy."
The general nodded with a grin.
"You won't regret it. But you might go a little crazy. He's a genius... but lazy. Complicated to handle. He normally wouldn't bother with students like you—so I'm wondering..."
He leaned in, narrowing his eyes.
"Did any of you do something... entertaining?"
Athina and Gwen slowly turned to Ben with suspicious eyes.
Ben held up his hands, already defensive.
"No way! I don't even know the guy! Why would I—wait..."
A name struck him like lightning.
"Alex."
Gwen and Athina groaned in sync.
"Alex. That chaos magnet."
The general grinned.
"Tell me, Ben—what rank did you give this... friend of yours?"
Ben chuckled sheepishly.
"Bloody Fist of the Squad. Captain."
The general burst into laughter.
"Ahaha! Now that's an interesting kid!"
After school, the trio walked straight to the training grounds—Ben, Gwen, and Athina. But they weren't excited.
They were staring at Sam. Hard.
Sam raised a brow. "What's with the looks? You three got heartburn or something?"
Ben burst. "Oi, old man! Why'd you throw us under the bus with your mess?!"
Sam chuckled. "What? Did she scold you?"
Athina crossed her arms, her voice sharp. "She was stalking us in class, Uncle."
Ben added with a groan, "You're wrecking my peaceful school life!"
Sam waved it off. "What did she even do?"
Gwen answered with a smirk. "She wouldn't let Ben stroll in class anymore."
Sam pointed at Ben. "You? From now on—no more chilling. You better focus in theory and practicals. If you fail, it's an insult to me."
Ben rolled his eyes. "Tch. Old man, I'm good at studying, alright?"
Then something clicked in his head. "Wait—why'd you change our instructor anyway?"
Sam's tone shifted—firm, grounded.
"You're all in a better place now. But Alex... you know his state. Still... unawakened."
Ben stood up. "But our last instructor was solid!"
Sam's smile vanished. "I know, idiot. But he's not better than the man you're getting. The decision's made. Period."
Gwen squinted. "Do we know this new guy?"
Sam nodded. "You've all met him. But never seen him."
The three said together, "...Eh?!"
Sam just laughed and walked away.
That Night – A Portal of Secrets
John went to Sam's room later that night. Knocked.
No answer.
He pushed the door open. The bed was empty. But at the corner of the room—a swirling white portal buzzed quietly.
John stepped in.
And bam—gravity hit him like a mountain. The air was thick. Every breath was a war.
John clenched his aura tight, barely standing.
What he saw… was another world. Floating rocks, crushed hills, mountains carved by force. The sky bled silver mist.
Sam was there—bare-chested, standing calmly under the pressure. No aura. Just raw flesh and will.
"Sam! What the hell are you doing?! This place is deadly!"
Sam turned, sweat dripping. "Ah, John. You shouldn't be here. This place isn't made for anyone else."
"You're standing in fifty times gravity with no aura?!"
Sam smiled faintly. "I'm used to it."
He jogged to John, grabbed his arm, and yanked him out of the portal.
"You crazy bastard," John huffed. "What kind of man trains in a death chamber?"
Sam sighed. He opened the fridge, grabbed a bottle of wine, and jumped out the window.
"Come on. Roof's better."
Under the Stars – Truths in Wine
They sat on the roof. Sam took a swig, then passed the bottle.
John accepted it—but first, he prayed.
Then, he drank.
Sam stared at the night sky. "Annabeth Cane Foster… my sister. My only family."
"What happened?" John asked gently.
Sam smiled… but his eyes welled.
"A war. Decades ago. Darkness started swallowing time itself. Annabeth… she went to fight. I told her not to. So did Xander. But she knocked me out and went anyway."
He drank.
"Xander followed her. He begged the Brave Light Order for backup. They laughed. Mocked him. Threw him out."
"Even the gods couldn't lift a finger. Zeus tried, but… the enemy wasn't ordinary."
He paused.
"When Xander reached the battlefield, she and Grandma were… already dying. She died in his arms. He broke. He shattered. And he burned everything."
John was silent.
"That moment birthed the Supreme King's Realm inside him. He carried their deaths like a crown of fire."
"Xander and Alex's grandfather—Perseus—they destroyed the dark forces alone. Before the Order moved. Before the gods reacted."
"And if Alex didn't exist…" Sam looked up, tears falling, "Xander would've gone insane."
Family and Fools
Ben appeared on the roof sometime later. He caught the last words and asked:
"What about Xander's family? What is the Order?"
Sam snorted. "The Brave Light Order. Xander's father was king. Supreme authority. His mother? A pure-hearted priestess. But the Order... it's ruled by narrow-minded geezers choking on rules."
John asked, "So how did Xander escape their grip?"
Sam's grin returned. "He didn't escape. He crushed them. After reaching the Peak Realm, he challenged the Elders—defeated them all. Nearly died. But made them remember why they should never touch his family again."
"And Alex?"
Sam's eyes darkened, but his voice held pride.
"We hid Alex's existence. Because... he's a child with no limiter."
John nodded slowly. "Yeah… Gwen mentioned it."
They both lay back on the roof. Fell asleep beneath the stars.
Morning – Routine and Restlessness
The next morning, they returned groggy. Sam washed up.
Amber handed him three lunchboxes.
"They already left for training. Take these to them."
Sam nodded, wings flaring as he soared toward the gravity field.
Ben, Gwen, and Athina were running laps—grunting under the crushing weight.
Sam landed mid-field, waving the boxes.
"Yo! Kids! Don't forget your food!"
Ben laughed. "They'll definitely forget it. Again."
He handed the boxes to the car driver. "Make sure they get these."
The driver nodded.
Xander appeared from the distance, arms crossed. Watching.
"Let them focus on physicals for now," he muttered.
Once training ended, Ben wiped his brow. "Think Alex will come back to school today?"
Sam smirked. "They've already started. He'll be there."
Ben nodded. "Alright then. Off to school."
At School – Tension in the Air
They slept in the car. The driver stopped outside the gates. Ben, Gwen, and Athina climbed out, rubbing their eyes.
The driver stuffed the lunchboxes into their bags and drove off.
Gwen groaned, "If Alex doesn't show… I swear I'm gonna collapse. I have no energy left for punishments."
They washed up, changed, and headed to class—temporarily forgetting about Avery.
Until they reached the door.
Avery stood there. Waiting. Arms crossed. Eyes sharp.
Ben peeked into the room. No Alex.
He turned to Avery, grinned nervously.
"Good morning, ma'am! Lovely weather today!"