In the heart of a relentless snowstorm, I found myself standing on a frozen lake. I was surrounded by an endless expanse of ice and snow as far as the eye could see. The tempest raged, transforming the landscape into a chaotic blur.

The world was white. I couldn't see anything. I strained my eyes, trying to pierce through the veil of snow, but it was a futile endeavor. The storm seemed to have swallowed everything in its relentless fury.

Suddenly, above the howling wind, a sound reached my ears—a faint but unmistakable cadence of footsteps. My grip tightened around the hilt of my sword as I raised it, prepared for whatever approached.

The footsteps grew louder, their rhythm steady and determined, yet their origin remained obscured by the storm’s wrath. It was as if nature was playing a cruel game against me, hiding the source of the sound, and testing my resolve.

Panic threatened to consume me, a suffocating wave of uncertainty crashing against the shores of my mind. The overwhelming weight of the situation bore down upon me, my heart pounding in my chest like a trapped bird.

Don’t let your fear control you...

I drew in a deep breath, the frigid winter air clawing at my lungs.

As I exhaled, I felt a semblance of serenity wash over me. I relinquished the grip of fear, allowing my mind to settle and my senses to sharpen like the keen edge of a blade.

In that moment of clarity, I embraced the storm, embracing its relentless fury as a challenge to overcome.

With renewed focus, I listened intently, my ears attuned to the symphony of the storm. Step by step, the sound of the approaching footsteps grew clearer, guiding my senses through the white abyss. I adjusted my grip on the sword, readying myself for the encounter that lay ahead.

From the right! She’s coming from the right!

Just in the nick of time, I ducked as a small dagger flew just over my head.

I-I can’t believe she’d try to go for my-

Oh shit, she’s attacking again!!!

As fast as I could, I leaped back, my body instinctively evading the deadly arc of an axe. The weapon soared past me, its metallic hiss mingling with the howling winds. As it crashed down upon the ice where I had stood mere moments before, a shudder reverberated through the frozen expanse beneath my feet.

Through the blizzard, Dahlia emerged, like an evil spirit poised to devour my soul. Her eyes, fierce and unyielding, pierced through the veil of the storm, locking onto my own.

“So, you managed to discern my presence,” she mused, her voice a melodic echo. “Impressive. You truly have improved.”

I shrugged, my breath visible in the freezing air. “Save the chatter, Dahlia.”

The tension between us crackled like the electrified air before a thunderstorm. The weight of our unspoken challenge hung heavy in the frigid atmosphere.

With a sudden burst of energy, I propelled myself forward, aiming a swift kick toward Dahlia’s stomach. As if time had slowed down, she moved with an intangible grace, effortlessly sidestepping my assault.

Undeterred, I twisted my body, wielding my sword in a wide arc, hoping to catch her off balance.

With reflexes honed to perfection, Dahlia elegantly retreated, her dark hair billowing like a dark flag in the blinding snow.

Noticing that I was a tad bit off balance, she sprung forward, lurching an attack straight for my life. I instinctively ducked, just as her axe sliced through the air, a mere breath away from my shoulder. The force of her swing crashed into the ice beneath, sending ripples of fractures radiating outward like a shattered mirror.

A knowing smirk curled upon Dahlia’s lips as she circled me, her eyes gleaming with a mix of admiration and excitement.

She’s taking this too lightly! I need to step up my game...

I rushed forward once more, and our weapons collided in a symphony of steel. The air crackled, each clash sending sparks of light into the murky gray. The bitter wind whipped at our cloaks, adding an erratic rhythm to our deadly dance.

In a fluid motion, I lowered my body, thrusting my blade straight for Dahlia’s legs, hoping to land a decisive strike.

As if she had rehearsed this many times, she eluded my attack, her movements serpentine and swift.

Damn, how is she so fast?! I can’t get through to her...

Within the storm’s encroach, we continued our relentless contest, our figures blurred by the whirlwind of snow and fury. My heartbeat thundered in my chest, a fierce drum roll harmonizing with the chaos that surrounded us. Fatigue clawed at my limbs, urging surrender, yet my spirit remained resolute.

As the battle raged on, a surge of focus surged through my veins. While my attacks grew fiercer and more precise, I noticed that Dahlia’s defenses were faltering. I was beginning to see holes in her once impenetrable guard.

Seizing the opportunity, I unleashed a flurry of rapid strikes, an unrelenting tempest of steel aimed at overwhelming her defenses. The resounding clash of our blades reverberated across the icy terrain, groaning in protest as if burdened by the weight of our battle.

For the first time in all the fourteen months I’d known Dahlia, I felt the scales of fate tipping in my favor. Her once-impenetrable defenses wavered, her movements growing sluggish beneath the weight of the battle’s strain. Lines of weariness etched upon her face, while a flicker of triumph ignited within me.

It’s over, Dahlia. After all this time, I’m finally going to beat you!

I lunged forward, aiming my blade straight at Dahlia’s chest. But just as my sword was about to make contact, a searing pain tore through my right arm.

I cried out in anguish, my voice lost in the roaring winds. The world around me blurred, the snowflakes transforming into ethereal blurs of white as blood stained the snow beneath me.

My right arm, severed from my body, hung limply by my side, a grotesque reminder of the price I had paid for claiming victory too early. Darkness threatened to claim my consciousness as I knelt on the unforgiving ice, clutching my severed limb with my remaining hand. The pain was overwhelming, radiating from the wound like tendrils of fire.

Dahlia stepped over me, her blade dangling at her side as she regarded me with a mixture of pity and triumph. “You fought well,” she said, her voice almost gentle. “But not well enough.”

An eruption of rage surged within me, a primal fury born of the countless defeats I had suffered at her hands. Thoughts raced through my mind, memories of past encounters where I had faltered and failed. I was tired of losing, weary of being cast aside as a mere amateur in Dahlia’s tests.

I’m no amateur. I’m no beginner... I’ve fought in hundreds of battles, and killed hundreds, no, thousands of enemies. I’ve faced death more times than anyone could possibly imagine... So how is it that I, the one and only, Victor Drake, still can’t beat this freaking fairy woman!!!

A flicker of determination ignited in my chest, a flame of defiance that refused to bow to the weight of defeat. My weary soul grasped onto a resolute resolve, refusing to yield, unwilling to accept another loss.

Just as I was about to fall deep into thought, I spotted a crack in the ice, a jagged fissure stretching into the depths of the unknown.

In that fleeting moment, the crack became more than a mere fracture in the frozen surface. It transformed into a symbol of hope, a sliver of opportunity through the chaos.

I looked up at Dahlia, my gaze unyielding. A grin formed on my bloodied lips, a glimmer of madness in my eyes. “You’re not going to win! Not this time...”

Summoning every ounce of energy left within me, I propelled my head forward, driving it with all my might against the fragile line of the crack. Time seemed to slow as the impact resonated through my skull, sending shards of pain cascading through my body. Darkness descended upon me, swallowing my world, as the sound of splintering ice echoed in the storm.

BOOM!

I opened my eyes abruptly, my senses latching onto the surroundings, a mix of confusion and fear flooding my mind.

Where the hell am I?

Gradually, the haze lifted, and I realized with immense relief that I was back within the familiar boundaries of the training grounds. The safety of its well-trodden paths and known contours grounded me, washing away the tumultuous memories of the icy lake and raging storm.

Lost in my thoughts, I failed to notice the approaching presence until the sound of clapping pierced the air.

The rhythmic applause guided my attention, and there she stood—Dahlia, her hands creating a symphony of admiration. With measured steps, she drew closer to me, her eyes gleaming with approval.

“Bravo,” Dahlia commended, her voice tinged with genuine admiration. “You have surpassed not only my expectations but your own limits. Our lessons in the spirit realm are hereby finished.”

“Finished!? What do you mean by finished?”

Dahlia crossed her arms and smiled. “You’ve proven that your mind will not easily break. You’ve shown me an incredible amount of mental fortitude... So, it’s time we shifted our focus to the physical training.”

Has she gone mad?!

“In all the time we’ve been training, I’ve never come close to beating you,” I admitted, feeling frustrated. “But today, for the first time, I actually managed to catch you off guard... Just when I thought I was getting somewhere, you tell me our training phase is over?!”

A brief silence hung in the air, pregnant with the weight of my words.

“The day I’m able to hold my own against you is the day I’ll agree to move on," I continued.

“Your arrogance truly knows no bounds, child.”

Child!? Did she just call me a freaking child!?!

I clenched my fists. “Arrogance? Wanting to hold my own in battle is arrogance? If that’s what you think, then we must have very different definitions of the word.”

Dahlia scoffed. “Did you truly believe that after a mere year of training, a six-year-old child could defeat me? I, who have lived for over three millennia...”

I opened my mouth to counter, but the words dissolved on my tongue. There was no point in arguing further. Painful as it was to admit, Dahlia spoke the truth. Even after a year of training, I wasn’t anywhere close to her level, and I hadn’t even seen her use magic yet.

A shudder traveled through my legs as I pictured what it’d be like to fight Dahlia when she used mana.

“You were right, Dahlia,” I managed to say, the admission a bitter pill to swallow. “I am pretty arrogant... I apologize.”

Dahlia sighed wearily, shaking her head. “It’s all right, my boy. You’re still young and it’s natural to harbor lofty aspirations as you grow. But do not let those aspirations consume you entirely.”

“I’ll take that into account.”

Just as I turned to leave, Dahlia uttered words that caught me off guard. “In all my life, I have never encountered a child quite like you.”

Oh, crap! This isn’t good...

Dahlia leaned forward, her eyes fixed on me. “There is a darkness within you, my boy. I’ve caught glimpses of it during our battles... I cannot fathom what or who could have birthed such darkness within you at such a tender age. Nevertheless, I believe this darkness is both a force of motivation and a potential danger that could consume you someday.”

How... How does she know? Am I that easy to read?

“When I first laid eyes on you, I knew instantly you were extraordinary,” Dahlia continued, her words measured. “Initially, I believed it was because you were marked, but as time passed, I realized I was wrong... I’ve encountered only one other marked being in my lifetime, and she possessed a monstrous power that eventually consumed her. You too, my boy, possess strength, but that isn’t what terrifies me.”

How long has she been wanting to say this... I had no idea she was this invested in me...

“Your mind is your most formidable weapon,” Dahlia disclosed. “Frankly, it is more fearsome than the power you wield. I have personally witnessed the swiftness with which you learn, how quickly you adapt, and the unwavering focus with which you sharpen your skills. There are no words to describe how I feel when I witness a six-year-old boy engage in combat as if he’s fought for decades... Tell me, Lucian. How can a child remain so unflinching in the face of death?”

“Uhh... You see... The reason I’m not afraid of getting hurt or dying in the Spirit Realm is because it’s not the real world,” I clarified. “Believe me, if we fought right here and now, I’d be much more cautious...”

Dahlia dismissed my words with a casual shrug. “While that holds some truth, there is something I must confess to help you better grasp my perspective... When I first accepted your father’s request to train you, I devised a plan. The purpose of our sparring sessions in the Spirit Realm was to break your spirit and then rebuild you into a force far greater than you could have ever imagined. I aimed to subject you to the harshest trials, pushing you beyond the limits any ordinary child should endure. Yet, as days turned into weeks, and weeks into months, I realized that nothing I did would break you. I forced you to confront me in the most grueling circumstances, demanding from you what no ordinary child could bear. And despite it all, your mind did not weaken; instead, it grew sharper... I don’t believe you fully comprehend how strong you’ve become during these last couple of months, at least from my perspective.”

“Where are you going with all of this?”

“I know you’re not an ordinary child, my boy.”

I snorted. “Of course, I’m not ordinary. I’m marked.”

Dahlia closed the distance between us until we were practically face to face. “I’ve been watching you closely, and I think I’ve figured something out. Tell me your name?”

“Are you serious right now?” I sighed, rolling my eyes in irritation. “You already know my name. It’s Lucian.”

Dahlia shook her head, waving me off. “Not that name, I mean your real name. The name from your old life.”