I hesitated for a moment, feeling a twinge of doubt in my gut. But then I took a step forward, and another, my gaze locked on Dahlia's. She was strong, stronger than anyone I had ever fought before, and I knew I had to be careful.
With a fierce determination, I lunged forward, my sword gleaming in the sunlight. Dahlia sidestepped with ease, her lithe form darting out of my reach.
I gritted my teeth and pressed on, channeling my mana into swift and powerful movements. My blade whistled through the air, but Dahlia's movements were too quick for me to keep up with.
She dodged and weaved with effortless grace, but made no attempt to counter my attacks. I attacked her with all the skills and experience I had gained over two lifetimes, but still, I couldn't land a hit.
She's fast! Really fast...
As we continued to dance around each other, I began to feel a sense of frustration and exhaustion creeping in. No matter what I did, nothing seemed to ever reach its mark. It was as if I was fighting a ghost.
Damn! My eyes can follow her movements, but my body won't be able to keep this pace for much longer. I need to finish this quickly!
"You're skilled," Dahlia said as she ducked under one of my swings. "But you're too arrogant with your attacks. You're leaving yourself open to counterattacks."
"Prove it," I snapped back at her angrily.
"Prove what?"
"Instead of running away, show me those openings you so kindly speak of."
For a second, I saw what seemed like a hint of anger in her eyes. Had my words gotten to her? Had my taunting worked?
Just when it seemed that things were nowhere near changing, I noticed Dahlia's movements becoming less lavish. It seemed my words had reached home. There was no doubt in my mind that she was preparing for an attack.
I need to bait her! I need to trick her into attacking me!
With each strike I unleashed, I feigned a momentary lapse in focus, purposefully leaving an opening in my defenses. It was a calculated risk, a deliberate invitation for Dahlia to seize the opportunity and strike.
Seconds stretched into minutes as I continued my relentless assault. Even though things seemed to be the same on the outside, I knew all too well that something had changed. There was a method to her restraint, a cunning strategy taking shape in the depths of her gaze. I could see it in the subtle shift of her eyes, like a predator assessing its prey. All I needed to do was to figure out where she was going to strike...
My throat! She's going for my throat!
A subtle shift in her stance betrayed her intentions, her body preparing to slip beneath my guard.
With a primal roar, I unleashed a sweeping horizontal swing, the arc of my blade singing through the air. But in a display of agility and grace, Dahlia contorted her body, bending with serpentine grace to evade the strike. For the briefest of moments, a window of opportunity materialized, a fraction of a second that hung suspended in time. In that heartbeat, she pounced.
With a velocity that defied comprehension, her hand sliced through the air, a lethal blur hurtling toward my throat. Time seemed to stretch and twist as my instincts kicked in, my body dropping to my knees in a desperate bid for survival.
The whoosh of air filled my ears as her hand sailed over my head, grazing the space where my life had hung in the balance mere milliseconds before. The rush of relief was intoxicating, but I knew I couldn't afford to revel in the moment. This was my chance to turn the tide.
With unyielding determination, I seized her wrist in a vice-like grip, my fingers wrapping around the delicate bones beneath her flesh. She struggled, her eyes ablaze with a mixture of fury and surprise, but I held firm, refusing to relinquish my hold.
Checkmate, my dear Dahli-
Just as the tip of my dagger was about to reach her throat, my whole body came to an abrupt halt.
AARGH!
A searing pain erupted in my chest, unlike anything I had ever experienced. Blood gushed from my mouth, and every attempt to draw breath was met with a suffocating resistance. Something was blocking my airway, denying me the life-giving oxygen I desperately needed.
Through the haze of pain and desperation, I mustered the strength to cast my gaze downward, my eyes drawn to the source of this unfathomable agony.
Dahlia's arm had plunged deep into my chest, piercing through my bones and tearing through my body as if it were as soft as bread. The sheer brutality of the act left me gasping, my voice strained as I mustered the strength to speak.
"Y-You... H-How could you?!"
Dahlia's lips curled into a sinister grin, a twisted satisfaction gleaming in her eyes. "I did warn you, young one. Your arrogance has brought you to this unfortunate end..."
Confidence? What confidence?! Is she freaking kidding me right now?!
With each passing moment, the grip of death tightened around me, its icy fingers constricting my fading life. The pain, once a raging inferno, dulled to a numbing ache as darkness crept at the edges of my vision.
I extended a feeble hand towards Dahlia, pleading for mercy, but my strength waned, leaving my arm to fall limply at my side. The realization of my impending demise settled upon me, a somber acceptance that I could not defy.
"Farewell, young one," she sighed. "May your demise serve as a warning to all who challenge the forces beyond their grasp."
Her words lingered in the air as darkness enveloped me, consuming my consciousness. In that final moment, I embraced the bitter truth of my own hubris, my breath fading into silence.
Farewell, Valtair. Farewell, Cassius. Farewell, world. Maybe in the next life, I'll actually manage to get my revenge and do something worthwhile...
As the veil of darkness enveloped me, I succumbed to the stillness of eternity, surrendering to the finality of my fate. Yet, within that abyss, a faint whisper reverberated through the void, piercing the silence of my slumber.
"Wake up, young one."
The voice, a haunting echo, jolted me from the depths of oblivion. My eyes snapped open, my senses awakening to a surreal reality. Instead of the cold embrace of death, I found myself surrounded by the familiar sights and sounds of a dense forest.
Confusion clouded my mind as I struggled to comprehend the shift in my circumstances. And there, kneeling beside my motionless body, was Dahlia. Her features, once marked by triumph, now displayed a mix of concern and uncertainty.
"Wha... What happened?" I managed to croak, my voice strained and weak.
Dahlia's gaze met mine, her eyes shimmering with a depth of emotions. "You died in the spirit realm, young one."
"I-I didn't die. You killed me!"
"That was the point," Dahlia said, shrugging off my murder like it was nothing.
"You stabbed my chest with your arm! Who the hell does that?!"
Dahlia sighed tiredly. "If you can't handle dying, then I suggest you go back to your father, young one. I'm sure he warned you that training under me would be no walk in the park."
I opened my mouth to argue but then remembered Valtair's warnings. He'd told me that his master didn't like talkers. If what he'd said was true, then I didn't want to risk losing Dahlia's favor. Thanks to our little duel, I was now sure that her strength and experience far surpassed Valtair's. This was an opportunity I absolutely could not waste.
"Death is a fear that every warrior must overcome," Dahlia said as she rose to her feet, gesturing for me to follow. "I see a lot of potential in you, young one. I see that you carry a lot of experience in combat, despite your young age. You might have experience, but I assure you that my three thousand years of life supersede any sort of experiences you may think you have."
Three thousand years!!! Is she screwing with me?!
"My lessons are going to be broken down into three parts. First, I will test the limits of your mind and push you beyond your limits. I will try to break you, over and over again, until I'm confident you've conquered every fear you might have."
Dahlia glanced back at me to make sure I was listening, and I gave her a reassuring nod.
"Secondly, I will test your body and push it past its break point. I will sharpen your body so that it becomes a weapon and a fortress that will not be easily destroyed."
Dahlia stopped walking as we reached a small clearing in the forest. From where we stood, I could begin to hear what sounded like a waterfall. "What's the last stage of your lessons?"
"Magic," Dahlia replied. "The last part of my lessons involves magic. I will teach you how to use the mana around you so that it becomes second nature to you. I will teach you every trick in my arsenal, and plant a seed in you that will keep growing even long after you've finished training under me."
"Very well, when do we start?"
Dahlia's lips curled into a knowing smile, a hint of fondness dancing in her gaze. "You're just as impatient as your father, young one. Always eager to learn and grow. However, before we start your training, let's get you settled in."
"Settled in? Where?"
With a graceful sweep of her hand, Dahlia cast a whispered incantation into the air, a hidden power carried within her words. As if responding to her command, a subtle tremor coursed through the forest, a secret symphony of ancient magic awakening.
My eyes widened in awe as the surrounding trees began to stir, their mighty trunks shifting and groaning in response to Dahlia's magic.
T-This is unbelievable!
In utter disbelief, I witnessed the once steadfast trees gracefully parting, forming a pathway that led to the newly fashioned haven. They seemed to have sprouted legs, stepping aside to unveil the hidden wonders that lay beyond their woody embrace.
As I followed Dahlia down the winding pathway, an air of enchantment enveloped me. The trees leaned in closer, their branches forming an archway overhead as if guiding us to our destination.
Emerging from the verdant canopy, I beheld a sight that stirred both awe and wonder within me. Nestled within the heart of the woods stood a beautiful mansion, its silhouette rising proudly against the backdrop of the forest's embrace. The mansion appeared as if it had been plucked from the pages of a forgotten fairy tale.
The mansion's facade, adorned with ivy-clad walls, exuded an ageless charm, blending harmoniously with the surrounding foliage. Its windows, like crystal eyes, gleamed with a soft light that hinted at the mysteries held within.
But what truly stole my breath, was the cascading waterfall that tumbled gracefully beside the mansion. Its crystalline waters, kissed by sunlight, danced and sparkled, creating a symphony of shimmering droplets. The sound of rushing water mingled with the rustling leaves, filling the air with a soothing melody that echoed through the secluded estate.
"What do you think?" Dahlia asked, noticing the look of awe on my face.
"About what?"
"My home."
"I-I think this is the most beautiful home I've ever laid eyes on."
Dahlia smiled and nodded in agreement. "Not to brag, but I built this place with my own two hands."
"You did? How long did it take?"
"A couple of centuries..."
A couple of centuries?! Is she insane? No wait, hasn't she been alive for three thousand years... A couple of centuries must be nothing for her...
Dahlia pushed open the large doors of the mansion, and a wave of opulence engulfed me. The interior was a tapestry of grandeur, radiating a timeless elegance that spoke of centuries past. The entrance hall boasted a sweeping staircase, its balustrades carved with intricate designs. Sunlight streamed through stained glass windows, casting vibrant hues across the marbled floors.
This place is amazing... I want to live here...
Dahlia guided me through a labyrinth of corridors, each adorned with portraits of figures from ages long gone. Their watchful gazes seemed to follow us as we traversed the mansion's interior.
After walking around the house for what felt like hours, we stopped in front of a small wooden door. Dahlia reached for the doorknob and turned to me. "This is the room I've designated for you, during your stay."
"Oh, okay..."
Dahlia opened the room and we stepped inside.
A large four-poster bed occupied the center of the room, its canopy swathed in a soft fabric. The wooden walls absorbed the gentle daylight that seeped through the window, lending a warm ambiance to the space. I also noticed that there was a small desk nestled at the back of the room, complete with pencils and pens. Even though it was small, it reminded me of my study back in Valoria.
"This might not be as luxurious as what you're used to, but I think it's a nice place."
"Dahlia," I said, marveling at the room, "this place is incredible. It's more than enough for me."
She smiled, her silver eyes gleaming with satisfaction. "I'm glad you approve. Now, leave your bags in the room, and come with me. There's someone I want you to meet."
