Mateo hesitated for a moment at the door of the grand house, his scarlet eyes reflecting the contrast between the luxury around him and the harsh life he had just left behind.Nai, smiling gently, opened the gate and motioned for him to come in.— Come on, Mateo. You'll be safe here. My parents won't treat you like a stranger.Mateo looked at her, surprised by such trust from a girl he barely knew.— Why? — he asked, still wary. — You don't even know me that well. Why do you care?Nai stepped forward, firm.— Because I see something in you. It's not just your blessing… it's what you carry inside. I don't want you to suffer anymore.Mateo swallowed hard, feeling a strange mix of fear and hope.They walked inside. The house was spacious, filled with warmth and light — a feeling Mateo hadn't experienced in a long time.Nai's parents appeared in the living room, smiling warmly.— Welcome, Mateo. You are our guest here, — said the father, extending his hand. — My name is Valen Arman.— And I'm Norm Arman, — the mother added with a sweet look. — You can stay with us as long as you need.Mateo felt a tear slip from the corner of his eye, quickly wiped away. For the first time, it felt like he had a place in the world.
The next day, Nai took Mateo to a small forest near the house.— You seem focused on something, — she said. — You want to get stronger… right?Mateo stared at the horizon, the sun lighting the intense red glow in his eyes.— Maybe… maybe I do want to become stronger. Much stronger than anyone else.Nai smiled, full of hope.— Then let's train. To fight my father, you'll need to improve a lot. He has a training field — he used to be a knight, though he's retired now.— Alright then, — Mateo replied with a grin.
The sun was beginning to set, painting the sky in soft orange hues as the two trained in the mansion's garden. Nai watched Mateo closely as he spun the dagger with fluid movements, each motion growing sharper and more precise.She took a deep breath, a soft but hesitant smile on her lips, and approached him slowly.— Mateo… — she said gently but seriously.He paused, wiping the sweat from his brow with his forearm. — Hm? Something wrong?Nai crossed her arms, seeming to choose her words carefully.— My father… he watched you yesterday. When you were secretly training with that old dagger in the dirt field...Mateo swallowed dryly, expecting some kind of scolding. — I just wanted to practice a little. Didn't think anyone would see…She shook her head, smiling.— It's not that. Actually… he was impressed. He said you have potential with blades. More than he expected. And...Mateo looked at her, suspicious.— And?— And he wants to fight you, — she said firmly.Mateo blinked, surprised. — Your father? That serious guy who never smiles?— That's the one, — Nai replied with a small laugh. — He said he wants to 'see with his own eyes' if what he saw was talent or just instinct. That's how he is, Mateo. He doesn't care for empty words… he only respects real strength.Mateo was silent for a few seconds, his heart pounding.— He… wants to fight me? Like… a duel?— Nothing to the death, obviously, — said Nai, rolling her eyes. — Just a test. But it's serious. He's experienced. So, you'd better be ready.Mateo then smiled — a wild, eager grin, laced with nervous energy.— This will be interesting.Nai turned and began to walk away, tossing a final comment over her shoulder:— Just try not to die, idiot. I kind of like having you around.Mateo took a deep breath and looked at the blade in his hand.— A duel with her father… If I can prove myself, maybe this world will start seeing me differently.
The training field behind the Arman mansion was spacious, with packed dirt ground marked by small white stones. Mateo stood in the center, breathing heavily, his red eyes glinting in the light of dusk. In his hand, a simple but sturdy dagger.Across from him stood Nai's father, Valen Arman. Tall, dressed in training clothes, bearing the stance of a seasoned warrior. His light blue eyes studied Mateo seriously.— Do you know how to use that blade, boy? — Valen asked, his deep voice calm, more like a teacher than someone about to fight.Mateo nodded, trying to steady his nerves.— I taught myself… but I know enough to show you what I'm capable of.Valen narrowed his eyes, a faint smile forming at the corner of his lips.— Good answer.Outside the field, Nai watched with a racing heart, biting her lower lip. The tension in the air was almost tangible.— Let the duel begin, — said Valen.
Mateo dashed forward first. Swift as the wind, he rushed in low with the dagger aimed at Valen's waist. The man sidestepped easily, as if he'd anticipated the move, and countered with a solid wooden staff — his weapon for training. Mateo ducked just in time, spinning on the ground to strike at Valen's ankle.Nai's father leapt back with surprising agility for his age.— You're wild… but you have talent, — he murmured.
Mateo gritted his teeth and launched forward again. His attacks came in rapid, desperate, precise bursts. But Valen blocked each one, dodging, redirecting, pushing him back with the staff. The contrast between Valen's refined technique and Mateo's raw instinct was clear — and captivating.At one point, Valen brought the staff down hard. Mateo crossed his arms and blocked with the dagger, but the sheer force sent him sprawling to the ground.Nai stepped forward, alarmed.— Father!Mateo, panting, knelt with blood trickling from a small cut on his forehead. But he laughed.— This… is good. This is real.He rose shakily, dagger trembling in his hand. But his eyes burned with something Valen recognized: hunger for growth.— You're… like a wild dog, — said Valen, walking toward him. — But wild dogs can be trained… if they survive.He lowered the staff, ending the duel.
Mateo stood, stunned and breathless.Valen offered his hand.— From today on, I'll train you. But don't expect mercy. If you want strength, you'll learn the right way. And that hurts.Mateo, still panting, looked at the hand for a moment… then took it firmly. His eyes flared with determination.— I accept. I want to get stronger… the right way.Valen nodded in silence, showing no pride — only respect. He turned toward the house, but paused before taking the first step.— About the blessing you carry… You won't learn to control it with a blade in hand, — he said, back turned. — For that, we'll need someone special.Mateo frowned. — Who?Valen looked over his shoulder, his light blue eyes seeming to see beyond the present.— An old acquaintance of mine… Salda. A powerful mage. Eccentric, but absurdly talented at manipulating Ki and mastering blessings. She was trained by her own mother since childhood. If anyone can handle the two of you… it's her.Nai stepped closer, surprised. — Salda? The mage who set fire to the roof of the Huwofin Academy just to "observe flame patterns"?Valen let out a brief, tired sigh.— That's the one. Unpredictable, but effective. If she agrees, she'll teach you both how to truly use what you carry inside. Until then… — he fully turned to face the two youths. — I'll handle the swords.Valen pointed his staff first at Mateo, then at Nai.— You two will train with me. Every day. From dawn until exhaustion. Because when the world finds out what's coming… they'll want to destroy you.Mateo gripped the dagger tighter.— I won't be destroyed. Not ever again.Valen simply turned his back.— Good. Then be here tomorrow at sunrise. Eat well tonight… because tomorrow, the pain begins.
As Nai's father walked away, Nai looked at Mateo with a tired but sincere smile.— Welcome to the madness that is my family.Mateo didn't answer — but he smiled back, feeling for the first time the warmth of something his real parents had refused to give him: a home.
That evening, as the sun set behind the walls of the Arman estate, something unspoken settled between them — a pact, a promise, and the beginning of a change that would echo across all of Ducathen.