Citadels.
They are places of strength and might that show just how long humanity has prevailed against the harrowing horrors of the rift; it's not something as simple as towers, no.
It's the symbol of hope of humanity, something that everyone will see when they look up in the sky and remember just how high they have gotten, surpassing the legends from centuries ago that would seem like a fantasy.
The very sky that people feared to soar above!
Four people were brave enough to conquer them and earn the titles of the strongest delvers in history.
Frost Sentinel, which guards the citadel of Frigora, the place that seemingly froze in time.
Mad Scientist that oversees the lands of Hammer Corporation and creates inventions one couldn't even imagine.
King Slayer, who rules over the Kingdom of Blood and thrives on battle, thirsting for the blood of the beasts.
And lastly, the person who protects the citadel of Grondier with the iron fist of a cold-blooded ruler, Golden Boy himself.
They live in the skies, awaiting the depths to drag them back where they belong, and finally put an end to their existence.
...
A few weeks after receiving his uncle's letter were harsh.
Vlad's motivation to improve had quadrupled... Albeit for a short while.
He spent his days trying to polish his skills under Cesar's watchful eyes; every day was just as exhausting and repetitive. In the end, he would end up in his room exhausted, praying that his scar wouldn't reopen and land him back where Jayce was running his experiments.
The elevators got repaired, though!
And the very first day after they did, people broke them...
The lack of them made everyone get fed up with going up the endless staircases, resulting in people breaking the system by accident and rendering it useless for another day.
But there's nothing a little patience can't fix, with most people starting to use stairs for once, the elevators slowly became stable and finally available for Vlad, who didn't have to torture his legs just to go to sleep.
What changed the most, however, was the fact that his cousin, who would spend most of her time on the upper floors of the citadel training with her brother, started to appear around the middle of it, leading to occasional friendly small talk.
"Where are you going, you wretch?"
"Down."
"I asked where, as in a location."
"Into a room."
"Be more specific."
"To the elevator."
"UGH!"
And all of them would result in her storming off with a red face. He was a little amused by it; she was supposed to be older than him by a year, and yet she acted like nothing more than a child. Even the workers around them seemed stunned by how Vlad treated her, not caring whether or not she would cut off his head.
Cesar, on the other hand, started to avoid Vlad instead, always stopping their training midway and running off somewhere to answer calls from his pulseband. It turned out that he didn't need to ask if Cesar could tag along; instead, he himself was invited for some reason and now had to prepare twice as much as he needed.
...
- Hup!
Vlad took a deep breath before sending a kick at the wooden dummy in front of him, his body turned sideways, almost flipping to the side as he stood on one leg and almost got sent back from the recoil.
He hopped on his leg a few times, retreating into his previous position.
'Ouch.'
The dummy stood in its place, but a red mark was imprinted in the place where one's liver would be, exactly the size of his calf.
Then, a static voice followed, like a hollow voice of praise that echoed in the empty practice grounds.
"You have inflicted a fatal injury for the tenth time in a row! Would you like to compare it to-"
"Skip."
The voice got cut off instantly, disappearing alongside some faint sparks of flux.
'I finally got the hang of it.'
Vlad smiled to himself as he looked down at his knuckles, which were now covered in calluses. His leg shook for a second, he stomped on the ground, and calmed down.
It was a different fighting style that he practiced with Cesar lately, a self-defense martial art focused on using swift leg movements and striking vital points. His words echoed inside his mind, drilled through countless sparring sessions.
"No matter what kind of weapon you wield, when you lose it, you become useless."
'I wonder if that freak has the guts to say that again.'
He clenched his fist tightly, focusing on the wooden dummy in front of him.
It was made of a tough wood taken from the rift; its insides were full of flux that strengthened it even further and created something similar to an indestructible punching bag for practicing.
He took a deep breath, sharpening his gaze on the area where a human abdomen should be located, and with a lightning-fast jab, he hit right where he wanted, sending a gust of wind forward and staining the dummy with some of his blood.
"You have-"
"No."
The static dissipated quietly under Vlad's voice as he got ready to leave this place behind.
It was tomorrow that he, alongside his cousins and Cesar, would go to the Frigora and meet with the other prodigies. He still needed to pack his belongings since the time they would spend there might be longer than they thought.
Unlike awakened, he couldn't store things with his flux; in fact, he didn't even know if he had any. Thus, he needed to do everything by himself, even if it would inconvenience others in the process.
'I hope I have enough meds to treat my scar.'
He thought, checking his pocket, which held a small wooden box the size of his palm.
He washed his hands, cleaned up the room to not inconvenience others, and prepared to leave for his room, maybe even talk to Sera if she knew how long it would take to get there.
But not all things are as calm as they seem.
Soon after he reached the elevator and prepared to ride up to his floor, a hand stopped the doors from closing, giving him a brief scare.
The door closed on the person's hand, crushing it slightly and making him let out a yelp.
A familiar face appeared from behind the doors. To which Vlad called out, surprised.
"Gabriel?"
The butler looked up, his lips curling up weakly and shaking.
"Young Master!"
He said with a relieved expression, his hand fixing his disheveled hair that covered his eyes.
"Why did you come here?"
"I needed to catch you, young master."
Vlad stepped out of the elevator, raising his brows.
"What?"
Gabriel looked at him, in his eyes, and continued.
"Your father is back!"