Early morning, the Shadow Academy training grounds were still shrouded in a thin mist. The air hung heavy with the scent of damp earth, sweat, and an indefinable metallic tang of rust. Rin had arrived early, not joining the casual conversations of other new students, but standing alone in a corner, eyes closed in what appeared to be contemplation. In reality, he was reliving the sharp pain and confusion from last night's dream. The images of betrayal and Ye Xue's cold face intertwined with the deep-seated love and hatred in his mind, leaving him restless and disturbed.
Suddenly, a strange sensation washed over him, more intense and penetrating than his body's instinctive perception of danger. It was a resonance from the depths of his soul, causing him to snap his eyes open.
A figure was slowly walking onto the training ground.
She was tall and slender. The academy's standard black training uniform, far from looking dull on her, accentuated a cool and aloof elegance. Her ink-black hair was simply tied back, with a few strands falling gracefully by her ears, swaying gently with her steps. Her face was exquisitely sculpted, like carved ice, her skin fair, and her brows held a hint of detachment that kept others at bay. Her eyes were clear yet unfathomably deep, as if concealing countless secrets.
It was Ye Xue.
Rin's heart, in that instant, felt as if an invisible hand had brutally squeezed it, then violently hammered, each beat accompanied by a tearing pain. It wasn't just shock, but a profound familiarity that pierced his very bones, coupled with the unspeakable sense of betrayal that had once plunged him into the abyss. His breathing became sharp and rapid, the air seemingly congealed around him.
From the depths of his subconscious, more specific images surfaced:
A blood-soaked night, amidst flashing blades, he and she fought side-by-side, back-to-back. Her keen eyes and the agile dagger in her hand were his most steadfast support.A silent rooftop, moonlight like water, as she softly whispered her dreams, and he listened quietly. In that moment, even the cold world seemed to soften.Then, the fatal strike: the moment the dagger plunged into his chest, the fleeting struggle and despair in her eyes, finally settling into cold calm.
These images were brief and blurry, like shattered glass shards, each reflecting a chilling cold. Rin's gaze became complex and profound. He stared intently at Ye Xue, as if trying to see through her, to discern the truth hidden beneath her cool exterior.
Ye Xue also sensed something unusual. As if pulled by an invisible thread, her gaze unconsciously landed on Rin. A flicker of subtle doubt crossed her eyes; her brows furrowed slightly as she looked at him. She felt a strange sense of familiarity, as if this lean, deep-eyed young man had played an important role in her life. Yet, this familiarity was so alien, devoid of any concrete memories, just an instinctive, inexplicable stir.
Her gaze lingered on Rin's face for a few seconds, with a hint of inquiry, a touch of wariness. Finally, she chose to avert her eyes, moving straight towards an empty spot on the other side of the field as if nothing had happened, maintaining a clear distance from the other new students. Her arrogance, like the cold aura surrounding her, kept anyone who dared to approach at bay.
Rin retracted his gaze, clenching his fists so tightly his nails nearly pierced his palms. The face of his betrayer, so vividly before him. How should he face her? Vengeance? Uncovering the truth? Or… allowing himself to be captivated once more by the face that had once haunted his dreams? Ye Xue's words, "Your love was nothing but an unnecessary burden," echoed in his mind, twisting his heart like a sharp knife.
New student training began swiftly. The instructors announced the first task: team combat exercises. The objective was simple – to awaken the cadets' primal ferocity and killing instincts.
"Five per team! Form your own groups, or wait to be assigned!" The instructor's harsh voice echoed across the training ground.
New students immediately moved, seeking out teammates they found agreeable or strong. Rin didn't move. He remained in his corner, his gaze sweeping over the crowd like a hawk. He had no intention of actively forming a team, but fate, it seemed, never allowed him to choose his own path.
"You! And you! The rest of you, over here!"
A burly instructor pointed at Rin, and then at Ye Xue, who was not far away. Also called out were the buzz-cut boy Rin had fought in the dorm, and two other new students who looked quite formidable.
Rin's heart leaped again. The gears of fate, so crudely, had bound them together once more. He, Ye Xue, the buzz-cut boy, and the two others were assigned to the same training group.
Ye Xue's body visibly stiffened for a moment. She glanced at Rin, her eyes complex, but quickly regained her usual cold composure. She knew the familiar feeling she'd sensed wasn't a delusion, and this boy before her was definitely not to be underestimated.
"This is your first team training, and your first chance to prove your worth," the instructor said coldly. "Remember, in Shadow Academy, your teammates can become your enemies at any moment. So, before you trust them, weigh your own life carefully."
Rin and Ye Xue stood separated by the buzz-cut boy, an invisible current seeming to flow in the air between them. He could feel Ye Xue's aloofness and wariness, so strikingly similar to the ruthless and efficient "Blade of Demise" he had been in his memories, dancing on the edge of a knife. Yet, the hint of unknown confusion in her eyes also seemed to remind him that this was not the Ye Xue from his past who had already chosen betrayal.
He felt a massive contradiction tearing at him. The profound blood feud from his past life, their reunion in this life, and that vague whisper of "him causing her death"—all left him in turmoil. Should he expose her true nature? Or, even more terrifyingly, would he, under fate's cruel mockery, fall irrevocably in love with this woman again? This woman who had personally pushed him into the abyss, yet now appeared in this life as a stranger.
He looked at Ye Xue, and she happened to look up, their gazes meeting in the air. In that moment, Rin distinctly saw the intuition and ruthlessness of a top assassin in her eyes, and also a strange ripple from the depths of her soul, one she herself might not have even noticed.
Fate, it seemed, was pulling him back onto that blood-stained old path. He had to survive in this academy of slaughter, and more importantly, uncover the truth of the betrayal from that year, and the tangled destiny between him and Ye Xue. All of this would begin with this dangerous first training lesson.