A week had passed since Alexa had managed to pass her test. We find her again, this time running against the current of a river near the hill. The green-eyed young woman, her expression full of conviction and small beads of sweat on her skin, seemed to have found the training challenging. Looking at her toned legs, the only odd thing she wore was pieces of cloth tied around her ankles. As she moved toward the deeper area, she jumped to the shore where the warrior was lying back, sunning himself.
Alexa — panting: "She's having fun, isn't she?"
Jayden — eyes closed: "Of course. She's perfect for napping."
Alexa — making a slightly annoyed face: "I see. You were surely confident I couldn't fall and drown, weren't you?"
Jayden: "And even if you did, nobody knows me — much less your parents to sue me. I don't see a reason to worry about your life."
Alexa — her eyes cold and with a little fury: "Has anyone told you you're quite rude?"
Jayden sat up, left leg extended and right leg bent to rest his elbow on his knee. "Quite rude," he said, "but most people are idiots. Enough questions — give me the ankle straps."
She quickly untied the tight cloth and threw them to the adult, who caught them immediately with one hand. He opened his eyes slowly, glancing at the girl's legs for a second, then spoke: "Good. Flex a little and let's see how much you've progressed," he concluded as he stood.
The dark-haired girl obeyed. She bent her legs slightly and — like a frog — sprang upward, launching herself into the sky with arrow-like precision that overcame any resistance. She rose about twenty-five meters. At the peak she surveyed everything from above and savored the moment for a few seconds before beginning to fall back to the ground. As the fullness of the moment enveloped her, her eyes shone a brightness stronger than when she feigned joy. As she started the descent that light faded, and without being overwhelmed by the imminent impact, she landed with such delicacy that she did not raise a single speck of dust.
Jayden: "Well, what you asked for — I've already shown you."
Alexa: "Yes, that was very good," noticing what he referred to. "Wait — this can't be all, right?"
Jayden: "You asked me to teach you to jump, and that's it."
Alexa (in her mind): "What?! This has to be a joke — that's all?"
Jayden walked away from her. "Goodbye, Alexa Wind," and disappeared from the spot.
Alexa tried to grab his clothes to stop him, but failed. "WAIT!"
When she dropped to her knees, her expression changed as she realized he had called her by her surname; her eyes widened and she could only say, "You didn't have to know that."
It was a new day in Guarly. Alexa, in Forte, walked with her usual smile, walking alongside her friends who were talking about Leslie's new friend, someone named Emily. Before entering their classroom, the three of them turned aside so Tamara and Leslie could introduce her to the new girl. As they approached the corridor leading to the first-B classroom, they crossed paths with another youth with slightly darker skin, who slid past them with subtle dexterity. Alexa was the only one who noticed — the boy left her with a strange feeling.
Leslie: "Hey, Emily! Good morning."
Emily — a little startled: "H-hi, Leslie."
Leslie: "I told you, you can call me Les. By the way, meet my friends Tam and Alex."
The girls shook hands. Leslie added the brown-haired girl to her group and they chatted for a while about trivial things. During that short time, Alexa noticed that Emily gave off an aura that few could perceive, along with slight muscle calluses and small blisters on her hands. This, combined with the boy, caused Alexa to remember for an instant a faint sensation similar to what she had felt before. She thought this while never losing her damned smile.
Tamara: "Emily, you're really fun — we should hang out sometime in Kiryoku."
Leslie: "Yeah, good idea. What do you think, Alex?"
Alexa: "Uh? Yes, of course — that would be great."
Emily: "That would be fine, but… I usually have things in the afternoons. Don't get me wrong, it's just that activity is very important to me."
Hearing that, Alexa gave Emily a big, closed-eye smile while thinking, "How is that possible? That guy trained two others? THAT'S WHY HE STOPPED TRAINING ME — THEY MUST BE HIS students!" Her fury wasn't perceptible except to those with special abilities; to the other girls it was invisible. With Emily, she felt that enormous chill emanating from the girl, but not understanding what it was, she ignored it.
After seeing that pair that day, our emerald-eyed young woman spent about three days going to the hill hoping to find the man training them, but nothing. Her search radar grew increasingly frustrated with no success; there was not a single trace. Her anger grew and grew. On the fourth day she decided to follow the river, which after several kilometers ran into a forest. Several minutes passed in silence; almost the whole day had gone by and it was already dusk when she stumbled upon a clearing in the great forest. There was a cabin there, its door open.
The girl entered without fear — after all, she knew the rumors that the warrior lived in a cabin. Inside, she took a Dao-type sword and went down a corridor that opened onto the backyard, where she found the adult seated, holding a cup without a handle and drinking a reddish brew that emitted a thin steam, adding to the peaceful scene — a peace that was soon interrupted when Alexa drew the weapon and pointed it at his neck.
Alexa: "Tell me, why did you stop training me?"
Jayden — sipping his drink — raised his hand in a gesture for her to wait.
Alexa: "Stop the nonsense and talk. All I expect is that you train me."
Jayden — sighing: "What gives you the right to impose your wishes on me?"
Alexa: "Easy — I have the weapon and you only have a cup."
Jayden smiled faintly. "Oh, child, you having that changes nothing."
In an instant Alexa felt how the whole peaceful scene was eradicated by an enormous presence that made her fall to her knees, dropping the sword. She looked at the man for a few seconds and realized that he didn't just emit a simple aura — it seemed as if an enormous beast stood in his place. Terrified, she apologized and bowed to the warrior, restoring normality to the place.
Jayden: "What I did is called Aura Pulse, and you couldn't even resist it. Your grandmother didn't train you well."
Alexa, still bowing: "Forgive me for not having told you, but she did train me magnificently."
Jayden — taking another sip: "She didn't. Changing the subject — so you already knew who I was. What else do you know?"
Alexa stopped bowing and looked at the ground in embarrassment. "A lot. I know you have other students besides me. I know about the Directorate, the Council, that you are a Barrier and…"
Jayden: "Of course you know about the Confederation — your sister is there."
Alexa began to cry, though her facial expression didn't change. "I beg your forgiveness for having lied to you."
Jayden: "That doesn't interest me. What bothers me is that you didn't say what you truly wanted," he said, taking another sip of his drink.
Alexa: "Does that mean you will train me?"
Jayden: "First, what is it you seek?"
Alexa: "You must already know why I'm here, so there's no point in telling you."
Jayden set the empty cup beside him. "Of course it matters. You're asking for something — give me reasons to consider training you, or simply say goodbye to your life, because you should know what it means to point a weapon at someone."
Alexa, stunned: "Wait — are you going to kill me?"
Jayden: "Of course. What you did carries a punishment — except for the students of a master."
Alexa, looking him in the eyes and still crying: "Please help me become strong enough to take the life of my grandmother's murderer."
Jayden: "Fine. I accept. You will not repeat the test. I'll make something clear: I will train you by my methods, and you will do everything with everything you have, following my advice as the only law. Understood?"
Alexa bowed: "Yes, master."
Jayden: "And since you know so much, it's up to you what you do with that information. Now go."
Alexa: "Yes, master. Here," she said, handing him the weapon.
The young woman began to leave with night falling when she heard Jayden shout, "Hey, the others go by bus — you do the same. Follow some of their steps." She accepted and left the area.