Chapter 20: What Lies Beneath
The third courtyard was deserted, save for the soft rustle of wind through the highgrass and the distant toll of the training bell echoing from the main spire. The sun dipped low, casting long shadows that curled like ink across the stone.
Kai stood alone, posture firm but uneasy.
Instructor Vale arrived without a sound.
No formal entrance, no aura—just the subtle shift of pressure in the air, like the world took a breath and paused.
"You came," she said softly, stepping into the light. Today she wore her training robes, sleeves rolled back, hair tied higher than usual. Still elegant. Still composed.
Kai nodded. "You said you had something to show me."
Vale walked past him and stopped in the center of the courtyard. She looked up at the sky—soft clouds turning gold and violet.
"I've hidden it for years," she murmured. "What I really am."
Kai's brow furrowed. "Why?"
"Because strength like mine doesn't inspire trust. It inspires fear. Control. Attention from the wrong eyes." She glanced back at him, something unreadable in her gaze. "And I don't care for chains—political or otherwise."
Kai stepped closer. "So who are you really?"
Vale exhaled.
Then she reached up—two fingers brushing the clasp beneath her collarbone. A faint flicker of energy, and a dull click echoed outward.
The limiter unlatched.
It was instantaneous.
The sky itself shuddered.
The air turned viscous with weight. Trees bent. The very ground groaned beneath Kai's feet as if gravity itself had thickened.
A pressure so vast, so ancient, it felt like standing before a living mountain—something that shouldn't move, and yet could crush you in an instant if it chose to.
Kai dropped to one knee, his bones screaming under the force. His breath caught halfway to his lungs.
Then he saw her.
Instructor Vale—no longer restrained.
Her aura blazed around her in ribbons of amethyst and gold, spiraling like a cyclone of stars. Her eyes were lit from within, no longer the composed gray he knew, but glowing with terrifying clarity.
Even her shadow felt like it could cleave mountains.
Kai trembled, his voice cracking.
"…M-Martial Semi-Saint?"
Vale snapped the limiter back into place.
Silence.
The pressure vanished.
The clouds stopped recoiling. The ground settled. Birds dared to sing again.
Kai coughed and stood slowly, wiping the sweat from his brow.
Vale's expression had softened slightly. "Just for a second. That's all I allowed."
"You…" Kai looked at her, disbelieving. "All this time?"
"I've been where you're going," she said. "Past it. Then I turned around and chose to teach." She stepped closer, her voice now quiet. "You're growing faster than anyone I've seen in decades. But that path ahead is darker than you realize. And I won't lie to you, Kai—it will cost you."
Kai met her eyes. No fear this time. Just determination.
"Then I'll pay it."
Vale studied him for a long moment.
Then she smiled—not the smirk of a superior or the grin of a mentor—but something quieter. Warmer. Like seeing a reflection of her past self.
"Good."
She turned again, walking back toward the garden gate.
"Come tomorrow," she called back. "We start training for what's next. And this time—no limits."
Chapter 20: A World Beyond the Arena
The city beyond Emberlight's academy walls felt like another world.
Stone streets wound through open markets bursting with scent and sound—bakers calling out fresh pastries, smiths hammering away in rhythmic clamor, young martial aspirants practicing in alleys like shadows of giants. Life flowed freely here, far from the rigid training grounds and doctrine of the academy.
Kai walked beside Instructor Vale, uncertain what to call this moment.
A meeting? An errand? A date?
She didn't say, and he didn't ask.
Vale wore civilian robes for once—deep crimson over black, sleek and elegant. Her long, chestnut-brown ponytail trailed down to the small of her back, swaying lightly with each graceful step. The cloth hugged her form just enough to turn heads without effort, but her gaze—sharp and unfazed—kept most admirers at a respectful distance.
To Kai, she didn't just look stunning. She looked… relaxed. Still commanding, but unshackled. Real.
They passed through a quieter part of the city, where the stone paths widened and a soft wind rustled the garden leaves beside an open tea house.
"Hungry?" she asked, arching a brow.
Kai gave a small nod. "A bit."
They stepped inside.
It was a quiet, shaded place with silken curtains and a clear view of a nearby lake. They were seated at a private table facing the water, the light catching the surface like fragments of shattered sky.
A server brought chilled tea in smooth jade cups. Vale sipped first.
Kai watched her, then followed.
Silence lingered, but it wasn't awkward. It was weighty—like the stillness before a storm or the pause between heartbeats in battle.
Then, finally, Vale broke it.
"You're wondering why I brought you here."
Kai hesitated. "I figured you'd tell me when it mattered."
A ghost of a smile. "Good answer. You've changed."
"How so?"
"You were sharp when we met. But guarded. Focused only on survival. Now…" She traced a finger along the rim of her cup. "You're still sharp. But you're adapting. Breathing in the world. Learning what it means to live, not just fight."
He didn't know how to reply. So she continued.
"I used to be like you, you know. Always chasing the next wall. Always angry at how slow the climb felt. Until I reached the point where I couldn't climb anymore without losing myself."
Kai looked up. "And what did you do?"
"I stopped. Hid my strength. Buried it beneath protocol and routine. Became an instructor instead of a warrior." Her eyes gleamed. "Until a brat came along and made me remember what it feels like to burn."
Kai's throat tightened.
"Was I really that much trouble?" he asked with a faint smirk.
"You still are."
They shared a small laugh—rare, real.
Vale leaned in slightly. Her voice lowered. "Kai. You've grown at a rate I've never seen. But what's coming… what's out there in this world… will make the Verdant Wilds look like a playground."
"I'm ready."
She shook her head. "No. But you're getting there."
They sat a moment longer in quiet, the wind stirring the lake.
Then Vale stood. "Come."
They left the tea house and walked toward the cliffs that bordered the southern edge of the city. The sun had started to dip, painting the world in gold.
At the edge, where the wind howled against ancient stone, she turned to him.
"This is the part of the world they don't teach about in class," she said. "The places where Martial Saints vanish. Where legends die nameless. You'll see it one day, and when you do…"
She placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Don't forget who you are."
He met her gaze.
"I won't."
She leaned in. Just slightly. Then kissed him on the cheek—firm, fleeting, and fierce.
Kai blinked, stunned.
Then she was already walking away.
"I'll see you tomorrow. Same time."
And just like that, she vanished over the ridge.
Kai stood alone, hand brushing where her lips had touched his skin.
The wind carried her presence even after she was gone.