Elior was completely soaked in sweat, nearly defeated, lying on the ground while gasping desperately for air. Every inhale burned his lungs. His body no longer responded. He turned sharply and ended up vomiting onto the dark ground.
When he finally finished, he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
"I can do this…" he murmured with a broken voice. "This is nothing. I have to be stronger… focus."
Clenching his teeth, he forced himself to sit up. Still trembling, he lifted his gaze toward the four elders.
"What's the next part of the training…?" he asked while wiping the sweat from his forehead.
One of the elders observed him in silence for an eternal second, then spoke calmly.
"My lord… this has only been the warm-up. The training has not yet begun."
Elior's eyes widened completely.
"What!?" he shouted, incredulous. "This was just the warm-up!? That was the most intense thing I've ever done in my life!"
He struggled to breathe, trying to recover his breath. Even so, he clenched his fists with determination.
"Then let's go…" he said firmly. "Let's continue. How do we begin?"
Another elder stepped forward.
"First, my lord, today we will analyze your limits and qualities. We must understand your true level.
For now, follow Lord Hope. He will handle the first phase of the training."
"Perfect," Elior replied, still exhausted but determined. "I'll follow him."
The elder Hope stepped forward.
"This is where the first phase begins, my lord. Hand-to-hand combat… but with certain restrictions."
"Restrictions?" Elior asked, confused. "What kind?"
"You may not use your shadows, nor may you use the environment as a weapon. Additionally," he continued, "with this amulet, you will not be able to use regeneration or any power at all."
Hope handed him an amulet. Elior examined it carefully. It had the shape of a flower… strangely similar to the one his sister used to wear.
"Please place it on your chest."
The amulet reacted on its own, forming a necklace that adjusted itself to his body.
"I like it," Elior commented with a faint smile. "Lord Hope… who will I be training against?"
"Against me."
The elder removed his robe and took a combat stance. Just by looking at him, Elior felt an overwhelming pressure. His instincts screamed danger.
"Perfect, my king. Let us begin."
He did not finish the sentence.
Hope appeared in front of him in an instant and threw a direct punch. Elior managed to block it, but the impact was so brutal that his arm was sent flying backward.
He's strong…
Elior reacted immediately and launched a quick kick. Hope blocked it with a single hand, grabbed his leg, and threw him away. Elior rolled across the ground, barely getting back up when a knee slammed into his face.
He was sent flying and crashed into a pillar.
He had no time to breathe.
Hope advanced and launched a kick, but Elior managed to block it and push it away. He sprang up and counterattacked without giving him space. His strikes became faster and faster, switching styles again and again. Every martial art he had learned came into play.
The elder blocked calmly… though something in his gaze had changed.
Elior launched a kick to the stomach. It was blocked, but the force sent the elder rolling several meters away.
Elior's body trembled. Without regeneration, the pain was real. Overwhelming.
"Very good, my lord," Hope said. "Now… more intensity."
Elior could not follow his speed.
A precise strike to the stomach knocked the air out of him. Disoriented, he threw a random punch. Hope caught his arm… and broke it.
"Aghhh…!"
Elior clenched his teeth, panting. He lunged again, receiving another direct impact to the broken arm.
The elder attacked from behind. Elior raised his leg, blocked, turned with the momentum, and managed to strike Hope's stomach.
For an instant… he dodged.
For an instant… he responded.
Even with his arm broken, he managed to land two consecutive hits.
But it was not enough.
In a movement impossible to follow, Hope attacked all his joints and vital points. Elior fell to the ground, unable even to breathe.
"That is all for this phase, my lord. You did excellently."
Elior did not hear him. A constant ringing filled his ears. When he finally recovered some air… he vomited again.
"Do not worry," Hope said serenely. "The former king experienced exactly the same thing. You may remove the amulet."
Elior did so without hesitation. Minutes later, his arm began to heal. The wounds closed. His strength returned… but the exhaustion remained.
Hope took his robe and withdrew along with the other elders.
"Lord Hope…!" Elior called out with difficulty. "Thank you… for this training."
The elder stopped and smiled.
"It is no trouble at all, my lord. I am here to help you in any way I can."
Elior barely made it to where the second elder was already prepared to begin.
"My lord, please, the same as before," he said calmly. "Put the amulet on again."
Elior did not respond. He accepted silently. Still nervous and confused, he stopped in front of a table filled with weapons: bows, swords, daggers, spears… each one emanating a different presence.
"More than combat," the elder continued, "in this phase we will evaluate your ability to work with these objects.
Tell me, have you ever fought with any of them?"
"Only a little… with the sword and daggers," Elior replied.
"That is enough. Then we will skip the introduction with those two weapons.
We will begin with the bow and then continue with the spear.
Take the bow, my lord."
Elior stepped forward and took it. The elder did the same.
"Watch closely," he said. "First, take the arrow and place it here. The hand holding the bow must be firm, but not rigid. If the tension is excessive, the shot will deviate.
Now draw the string… not with brute force, but with control.
When you are ready, breathe. Relax your shoulders… and release."
Elior listened carefully, imitating every movement.
The targets were two pumpkins placed about twenty meters away.
The elder shot first. The arrow flew clean and precise. The pumpkin exploded in the air.
Then it was Elior's turn.
He missed.
And missed again.
Over and over.
The frustration was clearly reflected on his face. He clenched his teeth, closed his eyes for a moment, and took a deep breath.
Focus…
He shot.
The arrow barely pierced the edge.
It was a hit by a very small margin, but for Elior it was enough. The bow was definitely not his strength.
"Well done, my lord," the elder said. "Now we will move on to the second weapon.
The spear. Please take it and assume a guard stance."
Elior obeyed.
"First, I will teach you how to use it properly. Then we will see if you have understood."
They engaged in a short combat. Elior could only defend; he could not attack. At first he did well, but soon he began to lose coordination.
The elder's spear struck his face. Then his chest. Then, without giving him respite, his ribs and legs.
Elior fell to the ground.
He slammed his hand against the floor and stood back up.
He watched how the elder moved the spear behind his back and tried to imitate it. He did not succeed much, but he managed to block several strikes.
Until he tried to stop the last one.
The elder's spear was stronger. It shattered his.
Elior was completely exposed and received a direct blow to the head.
He fell again.
"Two failures…" he murmured, clenching his teeth in frustration.
"I failed with two weapons…"
Without any rest, the elder led him to the next test.
"Now it will be one-on-one combat," he said.
Elior took a deep breath, grabbed his sword, and took a guard stance.
"Let's go!" he shouted.
The swords clashed with force. The fight was intense, honorable. Elior knew how to use a sword, but he still lacked experience… and the elder showed no mercy.
Cuts on his arms, his neck, his leg.
The elder seemed to be enjoying himself.
His strikes were fast, precise. Elior observed every movement, every trajectory.
And suddenly, he went on the offensive.
He moved at the same speed as the elder. He was reading the fight clearly.
But he trusted too much.
He launched a quick strike. The elder dodged and appeared behind him.
Elior followed him with the corner of his eye, turned… but it was too late.
The sword pierced his thigh.
"Ahhh… again…!"
Even bleeding, he stood up. He took a guard stance. The elder attacked again. Elior blocked, but his movements were unstable. The wound gave him neither security nor balance.
He moved closer and trapped the elder's sword under his armpit.
For an instant, the elder was surprised.
Then, a headbutt.
Elior attacked again, but the elder's sword was already at his neck.
"That is all," he said.
"You did very well for someone without much experience."
"Thank you very much, Lord Demir," Elior replied, bowing.
He removed the amulet and the wound healed almost instantly. They had been training for hours. He needed rest.
Before continuing with the other phases, they took a break.
Alice approached quickly and congratulated him.
"You're doing well."
Elior looked at her with a neutral expression.
"You saw the training, right?" he said, smiling.
"They were destroying me. They humiliated me."
He laughed and let himself fall onto the dark green grass.
"Here," Alice said. "I brought you water and a towel."
"Thank you, Alice… I'm exhausted."
"I imagine so, my lo—"
"Please," Elior interrupted. "That's enough.
I don't like being called 'my lord' or 'my king'. At least you… call me Elior."
"Alright, my—" she corrected herself with a laugh. "Elior."
Alice fell silent for a moment.
"Alice, I have a question I can't get out of my head…
and maybe this isn't the moment, but I need a distraction.
What was the former king like? How strong was he?"
"He was very strong," she replied, "but also normal.
He was one of the few who refused to go to Aetheris, despite being considered powerful. He chose tranquility.
Over time we shared, we grew together… until we formed a kingdom."
"Was he taller than me?" Elior asked.
"A little. And he liked to wear his hair long. He spent time fixing it… his hair grew quickly.
Handling so much power made his body grow at an incomprehensible rate."
"Then…" Elior interrupted, "he didn't die before becoming king?"
"He never died," Alice replied.
"He was born with what he called a curse. He watched all his loved ones die while his body remained intact… and not at the same time.
It was his power that gave him that longevity.
The exact reason is a mystery he took with him when he disappeared."
"So… you don't know if he's dead?"
"No. One day he witnessed a war and felt he had to protect those who could not defend themselves.
The war ended… but he never returned."
"That's a shame," Elior murmured. "I would have liked to meet him.
So… that's why you confused me with him?"
"Your eyes," Alice said. "Your gaze, your kindness… and above all, the aura you arrived with.
It was impossible not to notice."
"Honestly, Alice… I don't think I'm a king. I haven't even finished school."
"It's not that hard to be king here," she smiled.
"Most of us are already dead. We don't hunger or thirst. We only want to live in peace.
And you've already given them more than you think."
"Even so… I want to know their stories," Elior said.
"How they got here. Why they hesitate. Surely there are people waiting for them…"
"Some of us still have unfinished business," Alice admitted.
Elior looked at his hands.
"I hope the day comes when they can return to those they love…
I want everyone here to be happy."
"You have a huge heart," she said. "It's incredible that you're only sixteen years old. You're very mature for your age."
"I don't have a choice," he replied. "I have siblings to protect."
He paused.
"Besides… I'm being hunted. Or at least, I think I am."
"Hunted?"
"Yes. I have a mission.
I'm going to eliminate all the demons of Gehenna…" he lifted his gaze, "and all the angels."
Alice's eyes widened in alarm.
"What!? Elior… that's madness. That's a suicide mission."
"I know," he laughed nervously. "But I need to do it… or I'll never be able to rest."
"What did they do to you…?"
Before she could continue, the elders called out.
"My lord, it is time to continue."
Elior stood up and offered his hand to Alice.
With a smile, she accepted his help.
"Thank you," Elior said. "Truly. Talking with you makes everything more bearable."
"Elior… promise me something," she asked.
"Survive. I don't mean not dying… I mean not losing yourself in the revenge you want to carry out.
It has always been said that those who hunt monsters… can become one."
Elior sighed and nodded.
"Fulfill your goal… but keep your head held high, and your thoughts in order. Don't let yourself be corrupted…"