In the city of Albany, the capital of New York State, in a more secluded rural area, stood a three-story residence.
The construction, made entirely of wood, was visually stunning, harmonizing with the lush vegetation surrounding it.
About ten meters in front of the house, space seemed to vibrate and soon distorted into a spiral. In the next instant, two individuals appeared as if sprouting from nothing, startling the birds resting in the adjacent trees.
Daniel scanned the surroundings before looking at William, who was observing him anxiously.
— "You may go, William. I will be waiting," the master expressed as he leaned against a tree trunk.
William smiled enthusiastically. He intended to run quickly, but since his mentor was watching him, he decided to maintain his composure. However, as he walked, he began to reflect.
It had been five months since he had last seen his wife, Juliane. Due to the problem he possessed, he did everything possible to avoid spending much time with her, hurting her deeply with his evasive attitude.
It tore his heart as much as hers, but now the circumstances were different. His master had cured him, and more than that: he was now a new man, as if he had been reborn.
William had taken a good look at his physique and appearance, clicking his tongue in wonder at what he beheld. Everything was supernatural, from his new strength to his aesthetics.
If his master was the most handsome man in the world, no one besides William would dare claim second place.
He was certain his wife would love the new person he had become; however, he now had to redeem himself before her and explain why he had acted that way in the past. Only then could he fulfill his promise to make her the happiest woman in the world.
William was still moving forward when he noticed several footprints from what appeared to be heavy boots, along with tire tracks in the vicinity. Looking around, he noticed the damaged wooden fence and, looking to the left, saw the vegetable garden his wife cultivated completely trampled.
William's gaze turned icy. His expression was a mix of acute concern and a murderous coldness.
Opening the door of the residence, he found the interior in shambles. There were broken chairs, a radio they owned lay on the floor, and paintings had slashes across the canvas.
In the past, he would have despaired and screamed, seeking to find his beloved, but since he had undergone his master's care, his temperament had suffered a metamorphosis. He had become more analytical and rational; furthermore, his mentor was nearby—if there were anything beyond his capabilities, he would assist.
William remained in silence as he inspected every corner of the property with calm and austerity. It was as if the more he examined, the more the fury in his core grew.
Going up to the second floor, he noticed some splatters of blood. His expression darkened; he accelerated his steps and climbed to the third floor, where the couple's bedroom was located.
There, on the bedroom door, he saw bloody finger marks. Entering the room, besides the sheets on the floor and scattered clothes, he found nothing else.
At this, he gave a sigh of relief for not having encountered Juliane's corpse in that place. This meant she might still be alive.
Picking up a picture frame containing their wedding photo, he walked out until he stood before Daniel.
As if the strength left his legs, he fell to his knees while facing his master. William's eyes were reddened, as if he were trying his hardest not to show weakness.
Daniel observed him with a touch of appreciation for his new posture before speaking:
— "You must have seen everything, correct?"
William understood the words. His master knew the situation but had allowed him to see it with his own eyes.
Extending his hand, Daniel asked for the picture frame. Even without understanding why, William simply handed it over. Looking at the image, the master saw a beautiful couple: in the photo, the young man was thin, with black hair and common features.
Beside him, a young woman in a wedding dress smiled, displaying perfect teeth. Her eyes were green, her fair skin lightly tanned, and her brown hair framed a face that overflowed with energy and joy.
With this appearance in mind, Daniel expanded his spiritual sense across the entire state of New York. Under his omnipresent perception, nothing went unnoticed; in moments, he located a black armored van traveling along a deserted road. Upon peering into the vehicle's interior, he found six people.
Five were men. Tied with ropes and displaying purple bruises on her face, was the woman from the photograph. Despite the injuries, she was still perfectly recognizable.
Daniel projected a portion of his True Ki over her. The energy molded around her body like an invisible garment; now, not even the direct impact of a missile would be able to harm her. Even if the shock threw her far, she would remain intact.
— "I have found her," he announced in a serene tone.
William's eyes sparkled with hope. — "Quick, master! We have to save Juliane!"
The young man was anxious and distressed, but the happiness of knowing his mentor could rescue her shone through his voice. However, the master remained motionless, holding the disciple's gaze for a few seconds, which made him step back, intimidated.
— "William... do you know why I didn't tell you that your wife had been kidnapped?"
The question left him stunned. Indeed, he wondered why the master had remained silent if he already possessed such knowledge. The young man kept quiet, not knowing how to respond.
— "Have you wondered, if the enemy were someone with capabilities similar to mine... how would you save her? And if I weren't here, what would you do?"
The disciple opened his mouth to retort, but the words failed him. He realized that against a powerful being, he would have no resources. He noticed, with a bitterness in his mouth, that without Daniel's help, he might not even be able to locate her.
Despair began to take hold of his interior as he noticed how dependent he had become. It had been little more than an hour since he had accepted the discipleship, and the speed with which he leaned entirely on another person frightened him.
Daniel, on the other hand, showed no haste; his priority was William's mentality, which could become a deadly poison if not shaped immediately.
Walking calmly, the master turned his back to the pupil and gazed at the firmament, as if seeing something beyond the clouds, hidden from mortal eyes.
— "The world is changing, William. The fact that I am here, in this timeline, is already proof of that."
The young man had already stood up, watching intently the back of that man who, despite his youthful appearance, exhaled the aura of a millennial elder.
— "If you wish to keep special people around you—your parents, your wife, children, and friends—understand: being weak is what will allow destiny to take them from you one day!"
The words cut through William's chest like a blade, but he remained silent, absorbing every syllable.
— "From now on, only the strong possess the right to preserve that gift. For the day will come when you may be forced to watch everyone disappear before your eyes, without being able to intervene."
Daniel observed a pair of birds playing in a nearby tree and allowed himself a brief smile.
— "I learned on my journey that a human being, devoid of love and compassion, can become the worst of monsters... but even the cruelest of men, at some point, longed for affection."
He turned his attention to the disciple:
— "My dear William... if you want to protect this love, you must cultivate the conviction that you need to become the strongest. And not just you, but everyone around you. This is not a choice, it is an obligation, if you do not want to lose everything in the end."
William reflected deeply on his master's words and, slowly, understanding settled in his chest.
He realized that although the master was teaching him, he was also speaking of himself. The memories he had been shown were still vivid in his mind: that dark future where lives were reaped like ants in a flood of terror, with no one having the strength to intervene.
"How many must have watched their loved ones die before their eyes, helpless?" he questioned himself in thought.
Soon, his reflections turned back to the man in front of him. Daniel spoke little of his own trajectory; if it weren't for the shared visions, William would know nothing about him. The pain his preceptor carried—the burden of seeing beloved disciples perish one after another despite all his power—must have been excruciating.
The young man looked at Daniel's silhouette. He was a being of immeasurable power, but William felt, in the nuances of his speech, that the master saw himself as that same weak person who one day lost everything.