Revelon stared at the four before him. Their eyes showed uncertainty, pain, and admiration.
He waited until they were all standing up again before he continued speaking.
"I will give each of you a final chance. From now on, you must forget your previous lives. You will serve under me until your death."
Revelon scanned them with his eyes. He saw through all the doubts, insecurities, and conviction within them.
Cleo took a step forward. He stared straight at Revelon with a resolute expression.
"I accept, Sir Revelon."
Revelon wasn't paying attention to him since he already guessed his answer long before.
"I shall serve you, Sir Revelon," Euste muttered, kneeling with one leg down to show his sincerity.
When Cleo noticed this, he quickly followed suit.
"So do I, Sir Revelon." Justin kneeled the same way. His eyes showed extreme respect. His earlier experience with the bamboo stick was still fresh in his mind. He didn't expect that it was possible to make something appear darker under the moonlight.
"M-me too."
It was unclear if Geppe was pressured into joining, or if he was scared of death.
Revelon had been focused on him from the start. His fear was like a super power that made it unclear about his next move.
"Good. Not one more had to die tonight," Revelon said as he smiled.
Their skin crawled at the sight. It was their first time seeing such a brutal person who looked "kind" when he smiled.
"Sir Revelon, shall I take over?" Aleia asked. Everyone could tell she was beaming under the fabric that covered her face.
"Teach them the basics for tonight. Tomorrow, I shall teach them the shadow techniques."
"Certainly, Sir Revelon!"
Aleia bowed with great respect before slowly turning to face the four. Their eyes shuddered at the thought of training under her. They could feel their own bones screaming at them to run simply by making eye contact with those gem-like eyes.
Revelon left the group of Shadow Brokers. He stopped a short distance away.
"Come out."
A figure walked out from the shadows. He smiled at Revelon and bowed.
"Sir Revelon, is it time tomorrow?"
"How are the people reacting?"
"As you predicted, Sir Revelon. They are looking for a new leader."
"How confident are you in becoming the interim mayor?"
"Very," the man enunciated. "As long as the envoy from the capital doesn't suspect anything, I shall become your hand in this town." The man smirked—a very evil one.
"From now on, you don't have to participate in our nightly gatherings." Revelon looked behind him at the distant groans of pain. "We will communicate using our cipher during the day."
"As you wish, Sir Revelon."
The man's figure dissolved into the surroundings and left no trace of his existence.
"Elias, I have high hopes of you."
Revelon turned around and went back to the camp.
He sat on a tree branch and observed the four as Aleia used her limbs like blunt weapons.
"I can do this!" Cleo erupted with a valiant fighting spirit. He charged at Aleia's dark and slim figure hoping to hit her.
However, Aleia moved like fluid between Cleo's arms and stood behind him. He tried to swing around to his back, but she casually flicked her ankle and Cleo was sent tumbling onto the shrubs.
Faint laughters erupted around as the other Shadow Brokers watched in amusement.
Unlike his subordinates, Revelon watched with the intention of learning everything about these four. Tomorrow night, he would teach them magic that was created by the empire.
"Well, I got you!" Euste exclaimed as he raised his hand, about to touch Aleia's back.
A snarky "Huh?" came from Aleia, proving how unbothered she was.
When Euste touched Aleia, his hand sunk and he almost lost balance.
"The rule is to touch any part of my body without getting hit." Aleia tauntingly explained. "My shadow isn't my body."
"Ah!"
Aleia casually kicked Euste to the ground where Cleo fell. They both hit each other and their bruises doubled.
After doing all of that, Aleia swiveled around in a smooth motion. She caught Justin about to launch a kick at her. He figured it was safer than using his hands, but it took more than that to overcome Aleia.
"Kick me."
And so, Justin kicked her as hard as he could.
Aleia dodged by letting her body fall back. She then followed with a kick that sent Justin's leg flying up.
It happened in one fluid motion, too fast to process.
"Shit!" Justin exclaimed as he toppled over.
"Aghuuhahuuh!"
At that moment, an unusual cry came from Geppe. He charged at Aleia with fear still on his face.
"What are you doing?"
Aleia was about to deflect his punch when he attacked with both left hand and left leg. She had allowed Geppe to get close in anticipation of his punch which she was fully prepared to deflect and counterattack.
And yet, that was the reason she couldn't react as Geppe's awkward attack hit her by transferring the momentum from his punch to his kick.
He hit Aleia on the waist.
She didn't flinch. She simply stared at him with widened eyes.
"W-what the…"
"I-I got confused and attacked with both… Ahahaha…" Geppe tried to sound cool, but the lack of confidence in his voice was evident.
The other Shadow Brokers watching also widened their eyes in amazement. Many of them had suffered under Aleia's training, and it was their first time seeing someone new manage to touch Aleia.
"Good job. Sir Revelon must have been watching that."
Aleia turned to Revelon sitting on a tree branch some distance away.
None of them could tell, but his pupils were imperceptibly shaking. He himself couldn't have predicted that attack. It was too unorthodox, too weird, or too unconventional to be predicted.
"You have potential. I expect more tomorrow," Revelon spoke now that everyone was staring at him.
"Y-y-yes, sir!"
Geppe wasn't amused at those words. He felt like they were a threat more than anything.
The four's basic training didn't end there as it became more intense due to Geppe's success.
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