The first rays of sunlight bathed my room in a warm light, stirring me awake.
Since I did not have to rest anymore, I pulled the blanket away and jumped out of my bed. Sleep had been bliss, but I couldn’t afford to sleep any longer. Rest was for the weak, and I was tired of being weak.
As I changed my clothes, I inspected my thigh and was satisfied with what I discovered. My thigh was still sore, and the wound was taut when I moved, but whatever Peter Zerog had used to tend to it had worked.
It was still early when I left the apartment with a sandwich that Mom must have prepared the night before. Mom had thrown worried glances in my direction, yet she didn’t say anything about my choice to join the Camp.
After talking to my parents further about our lives in the Bastions, they’d reluctantly agreed that we’d been raised in a very sheltered environment. As difficult as the lives of unBlessed were at times, we were safe—relatively. As long as the domes prevailed, that is. And while I knew I wasn’t going to become a core function in the defense of the Bastions, I wanted to be part of the bigger picture.
I considered leaving the Bastion early in the morning to hunt again, but my feet dragged me to the skytrain station. It didn’t take long before I arrived at the Silverstreak gym in the second sector. I returned to fundamentals and completed a standard workout when I noticed that the combat simulation room was occupied. Once it emptied, I stepped inside, only to see someone familiar entering from the other side of the room.
Are you serious now? Where the hell is she coming from? There is only one entrance from the gym! I grimaced, but it took only a moment before I flashed her a bright smile.
The demoness looked a little stupefied, clearly not expecting me to smile at her sudden arrival, but that was all the more reason to flash her with my most vibrant smile.
“Thank you for your guidance. If not for our spars, I would probably be dead,” I said, and I meant everything I said. If not for the demoness’ thrashing, her daily beatings, I’d be dead.
The woman raised her eyebrow at my words.
“I don’t think I introduced myself yet,” I continued. “My name is Adam Savier, and I truly mean it when I say that I’m grateful for your beati–...guidance.”
She chuckled lightly and offered a thin smile, although it looked more predatory than kind.
“I know who you are.”
That was a surprise.
“My name is Selene, and I’m glad my guidance helped you.” There was no need for a family name, apparently, but I quickly realized that the demoness was not done guiding me. Selene conjured the python fang in her right hand, and her predatory smile grew.
“How about some more guidance?” she asked, though I couldn’t consider it a question—she charged straight at me.
I unsheathed the refined silvernit sword attached to my belt in a hurry. Still, I was more interested in the demoness’ name.
Selene? Where did I hear that name before? I wondered, putting the thought aside when Selene arrived before me, moving even faster than before.
***
To say I was exhausted was an understatement. Selene was way too strong… and heartless. She started off relatively nice by pushing me to my limits. We exchanged blades and transformed into a lethal whirlwind in the first minute—or so it looked to me—then I saw her yawning.
The worst part about that? The moment our eyes met, Selene accelerated. Her attacks grew heavier, her movements more fluid, and her smile became even more disturbing.
Selene slashed me countless times with the python fang, but a sheen of ether dulled the weapon, or I’d be dead rather than beaten black and blue. Although, I wondered for a moment if it might have been less painful to die than to be covered in bruises on top of bruises, each layered with more bruises.
“You improved.” Selene squatted down beside me. “It looks like you didn’t waste the last few days. I almost feel bad for calling you a coward when you didn’t turn up the first time.” She snickered lightly, but everything she said sounded more devious than the words before.
“Your body is lackluster, but your constitution is excellent. A bit odd, but excellent nonetheless.” She grimaced, pressing her palm on my chest. Ether surged through her palm and entered my body, filling me with warmth. “You must have had your fair share of troubles as a child, considering how much ether your body needs. It’s hard to believe you’re only at the second gate.”
“You don’t say.” I mimicked her grimace and stared at the ceiling until I felt a little better.
Does she know about my condition? I doubted it, but it wouldn’t change anything either way.
***
The following day I visited the Silverstreak gym again, and, as usual, Selene appeared to beat the living shit out of me. At this point, I would be more surprised if she stayed away. The beating wasn’t great, especially when it came to figuring out how to explain my appearance to Mom and Dad, but they didn’t even ask. Mom looked like she was on the verge of bawling her eyes out, yet she asked no questions.
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I told them about my training in the Silverstreak gym, and I was sure I saw a glimmer of relief and understanding in Mom’s eyes when I explained that the training ensured my survival outside the Bastion. It was far from perfect, but it was better than nothing.
After my daily routine of working out, getting beaten black and blue, refining my World, and studying for a few hours, I took the skytrain back to the Zerog family estate. I was greeted by the butler this time. He stepped out of thin air, startling me, opened the gates to let me inside, and disappeared a moment later.
I reached the elevator and returned to the luxurious, pompous living room where Chloe Zerog was already waiting.
“Hello, Adam. Come and sit down. Peter should be back at any moment.” Chloe gestured to the couch, her eyes lingering on the black and purple bruises covering my arms with interest. She looked like she wanted to say something, but the elevator behind me opened with a ring.
“Adam!” Daniel’s familiar voice rang out from behind as I turned to see two tall frames stepping out of the elevator. Daniel and Peter Zerog stepped into the living room, wearing what could only be training suits. However, they couldn’t have looked more different. Daniel was limping, his hair was drenched in sweat, and he had a bloody nose. Despite that, he smiled at me and rushed over until a towel smashed into his face with blinding speed.
“Jump into the shower and get changed, will you?” Chloe Zerog asked her son with a sweet smile on her lips, yet the sweetness never reached her eyes. Daniel looked at me apologetically and spun around to return to the elevator. Mrs. Zerog waved at her husband as well, but all he did was release a burst of ether that shrouded my sight. Even though I could not see what was happening until the ether shroud dissipated, an earthy, floral scent permeated the air.
It could have been no more than a second or two before Peter Zerog emerged from the ether shroud, wearing more comfortable clothes. His attire looked comfortable, but it was a dozen times more fashionable than my clothes, and definitely more expensive than anything in my wardrobe.
“Show-off.” Chloe said with a snicker, but the love in her eyes was impossible to miss.
Peter sat down beside her and turned to me after a moment. “You are punctual.”
It took me some effort to control my facial features, but I managed.
“You might be curious why we asked you to meet up on such short notice,” he added, but I wasn’t. To be honest, I expected Daniel to message me the day before. Regardless, I nodded slowly.
“We figured it would be best to start sooner rather than later. Two days of rest should be more than enough, though…it doesn’t look like you rested a lot.” He studied my bruises, and I could see a glint of…acknowledgment?…in his eyes. “We have to learn a lot more about you to understand where you currently are in terms of education and…well, everything. You need to grow in every aspect.”
That made sense. I nodded again.
“Let us start with the basics. What do you know about the Camps?”
I didn’t know much, but it did not look like they expected me to know a lot.
“Every Bastion has a Camp,” I started, rummaging through my memories. “The Camps are funded by the Council and often visited by lecturers of prestigious academies and instructors from the military. One could say that they’re a mixture of intense military training and academy seminars, carried out by the best of the best of both worlds. The Camps are wells of knowledge, created to push the body, World, and minds of the cadets to the limit and beyond.”
There was a lot more I could say, but most of it was based on rumors spread in public forums. Everything I said was either confirmed by the Council or mentioned in the files the Zerog family had given to me a few weeks back. I highly doubted they’d provide me with false information—especially if they wanted to avoid embarrassing themselves should I spread anything untrue.
Daniel’s parents looked at each other and shrugged.
“That’s about it,” Peter Zerog said. “We could give you a lengthy speech to explain everything to you in great detail, but I don’t think you would want that. In the first place, we don’t know for sure what this year’s Camp will look like, since it changes every year.”
He shrugged lightly and switched to the next topic. “I’m sure you’re curious about all this talk of retinues. Did you search the drive for information regarding retinues?”
I wanted to do that, but I’d forgotten about it. Chloe was about to take over the explanation when the elevator opened again and Daniel stepped inside. He greeted me with one of his bright smiles and light steps—there was no sign of a limp anymore—and he slumped down on the couch, letting out a relieved sigh.
“Anyway,” Chloe Zerog threw her son a deadly glare, “Retinues are exempt from the regular tests. You won’t have to go through the same trials as the other cadets because we are vouching for you. However, that does not mean you are allowed to be complacent, Adam. You have to grow stronger, or we will have to take our word back and give our quota to someone else.”
She did look apologetic, though her voice was ice-cold. Daniel, who had just relaxed a moment ago, jerked up in anger. He looked royally pissed, but I just nodded in understanding. I didn’t expect them to invest in me if I underperformed.
“We will make sure to unseal your dormant potential. That means we will give you everything you need to survive and to grow. You won’t have to worry about anything—be it meals, training equipment, serums for you and Aureus, techniques, and studies. The best of the best have been prepared to push you above and beyond, and everything will be taken away from you if you fail us.”
Daniel leaped to his feet, his face beet red. “Mom! Do you have to be like that!?”
Peter silenced his son with a sharp glare.
“Yes, she has to be like that. Adam has to know what awaits him.” He turned to me. “We want you to be fully focused on your studies and training. That being said, we will pay for your family’s debts and bills. If we didn’t do that, you’d be constantly distracted and cause trouble not only to yourself but to us as well, worrying about finding ways to repay their debt.” Peter cleared his throat. “Chloe said it already, but I will say it again: We will take care of everything.”
Peter Zerog went on and talked about the dangers of Rizarn. He pointed out the constant struggle of Blessed, how many well-trained Blessed fall outside the dome, and a lot more. I had never heard Daniel’s father talk so much, and it looked like Daniel hadn’t either. Peter continued talking about the dangers from outside, and I listened intently.
As an unBlessed, I’d always thought that Blessed were privileged. Then again, I still thought that. However, now that I was a Blessed as well, I finally understood that they had their own weight to carry. Everything Peter said was in accordance with all the things I’d read in the last few weeks, and it strengthened my resolve.
But there was also something else that occupied my mind. It was something that had been bothering me for a few days, and the more I thought about it, the more confusing it was; Daniel’s parents’ attitude had changed drastically after I became a Blessed, and it… didn’t make any sense.
“Why are you helping me?” I butted in when Peter Zerog was finally done. “I really don’t understand your reasoning, and I highly doubt you’d do all of this for mankind’s sake.”
I didn’t doubt their sincerity or their desire to protect mankind. But even if they considered themselves the protectors of humanity, it was their sincerity that made me the most suspicious.
“I want the truth,” I said in a much harsher tone than I intended, “Please.”