"I want whoever made these steps fucking crucified."

Khan and Rin were pulling themselves up the last couple steps with heavy breaths and aching muscles all over. Their battle from earlier and constant walking left them rather fed up, Rin was just better at dealing with it. Khan and Rin finally reached the last two steps then let out a sigh of relief.

“Seriously, I get that Mount Yu’s…meant to be detached from the stuff below but…this is ridiculous,” Khan says in between tired pants.

"Worst part is…we still have to train for the evening when we get in." wheezed Rin. The two were about to take their last step before Rin suddenly came to a stop causing Khan to bump into her from behind.

"Oh shit, I'm sorry." he sputtered. Khan looked up and noticed she wasn't moving. "Hey Rin, no offense to the bakery back here but we need to hurry inside. Otherwise Master's gonna-"

"Yes, what will he do, Khan? Please continue," Khan's eyes widened in shock at the smooth patience in the voice. He peeked around Rin in the hopes of getting a better look. Rin immediately bowed her head causing Khan to awkwardly step around her. Standing before them at the top of the 12,000th step was a lean man who looked to be in his early thirties with warm brown eyes. He held his hands behind his back and his gaze was one of curiosity. He was mostly bald if not for the long ponytail braid at the back of his head. He wore black Tai Chi slippers and matching pants with a beige Tang suit with rolled up sleeves.

“Master Yuze! Jeez, don't scare me like that, you made me worry.”

"Forgive us for being late Master," Rin continued bowing out of respect. When she noticed Khan wasn't bowing she elbowed him in the side.

"Right, sorry," Khan bowed, albeit with far less grace. His thoughts weren't particularly focused either. Khan had never been one for bowing but knew better than to be disrespectful.

Master Yuze looked down at the two latecomers, not saying or doing anything before he flashed a bright smile. He gave them the sign to rise.

"Please, no need to be so formal. It’s good to see you two alive and well. I worried that Kyouji would prove too challenging, but I sensed your qi and knew all would be well."

"You got all that from our energy?" Khan questioned.

"Qi Sense isn't just for battle Khan. You're sensing life-force, a person’s spirit, the vital energy throughout the Worlds. I could sense you two were alive even all these many miles away."

"You humble us with your faith, Master," said Rin. Master Yuze nodded his head.

"And you humble me by using what I teach you."

"So…where's Master Brock?" Khan questioned.

"He's inside, waiting for you two. The other students have already trained and eaten their fill," chirped Yuze smoothly.

“Well aren’t we lucky?” Khan said sarcastically.

Rin elbowed Khan in the ribs, causing him to wince in pain for a moment.

“What about you Master Yuze, has anything special happened since we left at dawn?” she asked with genuine interest.

Master Yuze’s expression became a bit more serious.

“An Innard Gateway was opened at the base of the mountain today. The other Masters and I thought it was nothing at first, perhaps a simple traveler visiting other regions and Worlds. Then we sensed the level of the qi within it, things could’ve gotten dangerous.”

“That’s pretty wild, so what did you do? You said they opened a portal, right? What level was it?” asked Khan with a tilt of the head.

“Higher than what you two can currently handle, we’ll leave it at that. Let’s just say there’s a reason us Masters keep watch over the sanctum.”

“Oh come on Master Yuze, give us some credit. Rin and I aren’t that weak, we beat Kyouji after all.”

Master Yuze slowly shakes his head, his small smile hinting at a deeper knowledge.

“I don’t say this to downplay how strong you two are, I say it because this ‘visitor’ was literally 2 realms above you.”

“Two whole levels?” Rin asked with a puzzled look on her face. “Are you sure, Master?”

“We didn’t wait for whatever was on the other side to enter our reality, I sealed the Innard Gateway shut under orders from Master Brock. Chances are they could’ve been even stronger.””

Rin shook her head in disbelief with a tired sigh, the dangers of the cultivation world sure were endless.

“Just when we were beginning to think we were strong,” she muttered with an inkling of annoyance. Master Yuze chuckled softly at that, all too familiar with her frustrations with the never ending conflict across Worlds.

“It’s not all bad Rin. Just means we have to keep improving. Cultivators get loads stronger with every fight, we’ll get there.” Khan’s response seemed to soothe Rin’s somewhat damaged ego. He reached out and gently nudged her arm with a small smirk on his face.

“Right, we’ll just have to keep training,” she said in agreement.

“Well, remember, it’s not just about training. Reaching the higher realms of cultivation requires more than just a powerful qi. You could get infinitely stronger and still never reach many of the higher realms. A good cultivator doesn’t stop at powering themselves up, they exploit every avenue of power.”

Khan threw the burlap sack holding Kyouji’s head over his shoulder.

“Got any suggestions?” he asked bluntly.

Master Yuze cracked the tiniest of smirks at Khan’s straightforwardness, knowing his students like the back of his hand.

“Sharpen your alchemy skills with Master Zhou. I know crafting pills and what not may not be the most exciting activity next to combat, but it’s just as important,” explained the Master with a fatherly warmth to his voice. He could already see Khan grimacing at the suggestion. Rin’s reaction was the opposite, her previous frown flipping into a smile. She had always been the more studious of the two, but Master Yuze also knew how to get Khan’s attention. Part of teaching was keeping your students engaged. “Tell you what. Improve your alchemy skills- and as a reward- I’ll finally teach you Magia.”

Khan’s attention had been piqued, his eyes lighting up with a hint of newfound curiosity as he looked Master Yuze in the eyes. Even Rin found herself perking up at the idea.

“Magia? What's that?” Khan questioned.

“I remember reading about it in our first years of study. The school of magic, right? Cultivators use it to cast spells instead of techniques.”

“Nerd,” Khan whispers teasingly.

Rin elbows Khan in the side, earning a pained chuckle from him. Master Yuze’s smirk widens a bit while slowly nodding.

“Rin’s correct though. It's basically the entire field of magic, quite important for a cultivator to learn. The path towards the status of Fighting God demands diversity in learning, but Magia is incredibly dangerous if not handled with care. However, I think you two overcoming Kyouji is proof that you’re ready for it,” Master Yuze answered gently. He steps back to allow Rin and Khan to join him on the 12,000th step. “If you two put in the extra time to improve your alchemy I’ll gladly teach you both the secrets of magic. Just don’t expect it to be easy, Magia demands as much commitment and even more patience than qi. If you two think you can handle that then I’ll be sure to teach you a few spells after you talk with Master Brock.”

Khan and Rin turned to one another before simultaneously nodding in quiet understanding of the others’ feelings.

“Alright Teach, you’re on,” said Khan with a mix of confidence and anticipation in his tone. “Stronger we get the more Master Brock will trust us with.”

“Finally, a chance to learn some spells, we'll do our best. Thank you Master Yuze,” said Rin with a small bow.

“Let’s not keep Master Brock waiting then,” Master Yuze suggested while motioning for them to follow him. The laid-back Master then turned around and walked through the last torii at the top of the stairs.

"Of course," mumbled Khan. He looked over to Rin and whispered in her ear. "Get ready."

Rin mentally prepared herself. She knew training was going to be hellish tonight. Rin and Khan followed Master Yuze beyond the final torii and stepped before a massive temple with two large stainless steel doors. They were adorned with large door knockers shaped like dragon heads made of bronze carrying rings. The doors were towering at 15 meters and together weighed over 8,749 tons. They stood as a literal and metaphorical wall to anyone hoping to enter the sanctum who was too weak. Students were expected to open these doors every time they entered the sanctum after induction as a test of physical might. Master Yuze, with a nod of his head, motioned for Rin and Khan to open them.

“I trust you two still have the strength to enter even after your quest,” said Master Yuze. Khan looked to Rin, deciding that she had done enough for his benefit today.

“You mind if I do it this time?” asked Khan while cracking his knuckles. He had no complaints about getting the chance to show off his strength. Rin happily stepped out of the way, it wasn’t something new to them. Khan moved towards the doors and placed one hand on each door. He was tired and injured from his fight, but he had trained many days and nights in this very sanctum. Opening the door was nothing compared to what awaited inside. With a hard push, the massive doors were forced open with a loud metallic creak that echoed throughout the walls of the sanctum’s first chamber. Khan dusted off his hands and took a moment to stretch before feeling the ache in his shoulder. “Ah shit, forgot about the wound.”

Rin entered after Master Yuze who patted Khan on the back and kept moving. Rin walked up to Khan and gently placed a hand on his bandaged shoulder. The two stared at one another for a moment in silent understanding before Rin motioned for him to follow. She’d get no argument from him, Master Brock was waiting. As they walked into the depths of the first chamber their footsteps echoed throughout the halls. The Master and students entered a corridor to the right of the entrance, passing beautiful paintings. Three paintings in particular caught their attention. They were portraits of students. They all had the typical dojo shoes in common, the black Tai Chi slippers much like Master Yuze. However, the rest of their attire each had their own flair. The first was of a short girl with braided black hair and a pink/black gi. The second was of a tall boy with four ritual burn marks etched onto his forehead. His hair was mostly shaved leaving only a fade cut, he donned a yellow sleeveless shirt, black wristbands, and black pants. The third was a girl with her hair in small loops wearing a white skirt and brown jacket. Khan walked up to the paintings and lowered his head.

"It took us a month of searching and a day of fighting but…we got him, guys. We got him," Khan whispered softly. He stared at the pictures, showing no emotion in his face. Yet, Rin could see the clenching of his fists. She understood and chose to stand by his side, saying nothing, only wanting to honor their lost friends. They couldn't mourn for too long, they had to meet Master Brock. Rin and Khan quietly followed Master Yuze through the corridor until arriving at another room. Master Yuze stood at the door for a moment before hearing a quiet grunt of acknowledgment. The young Master slid the door open revealing a room lit solely by two candles. Along the walls were racks filled with weathered weapons, each while old was still very lethal. At the other end of the room were two towering wooden ogre statues. The statue across from Rin had a halo of a moon, the statue across from Khan had a halo of a sun. A scent of an old jasmine flooded their senses, their eyes spotting a cup of incense that rested at the feet of both statues. Between the statues was a middle-aged man behind a table, deep in meditation. His black hair was tied in a clean topknot and his skin was of an olive complexion. The students saw the slightest shifting of movement underneath his black small sleeve robe. The large prayer beads around his neck made only a fraction of noise as he breathed in and out. As the candles illuminated his figure both pupils entered the room and then dropped to their knees, bowing their heads respectfully. Master Yuze entered but remained behind the students with his hands at his back.

"I see you two have come back alive, but where is the proof of your victory?" asked Master Brock. Khan presented the burlap sack with both hands, dried blood still stained the fabric. Master Brock exhaled as the candles flickered, then stood up. The Master stepped further into the candlelight, his white trousers practically gliding along the floor as he walked around the table.

"Then blood was paid with blood, good. Give him here," ordered Master Brock. Khan handed him the sack. The head of Kyouji was freed and tossed onto the table, the neck stump planted onto the wood. Rin closed her eyes, remaining quiet and still. Master Brock looked down at the severed head, apathetic to the brutality. He was jaded, a man whose face carried long streak-like scars akin to tears on both cheeks that stopped at his chin. His unflinching eyes were a dark gray, a shade away from black.

"We are not done with him yet," said Master Brock. This earned the confused gaze of both his students. He held up his left hand and connected the tips of his ring, pinkie, and thumb together with his middle and pointing fingers stretched. He had performed the Prana Mudra, one of the many hand marks. "Rise once more, wicked Kyouji."

Both Khan and Rin sensed it at that moment, the spark of Kyouji's qi. The severed head began to blink and even seemingly breathe despite lacking lungs. It was astonishing, they had never known the Master to be able to give life to the dead. Master Brock with but a single gesture had undone the death they dealt him.

"Master, why-" Before Khan could finish Master Brock’s eyes shifted to him with a hard stare, asking for silence. Khan bit his tongue and kept his doubts to himself. Kyouji looked up only to see the haunting visage of the sanctum's leader. Master Brock's icy shadow encompassed the head leaving no light to reach him. Immediately Kyouji began to sweat, he couldn't feel any limbs with which to protect himself. The Thief of Styles was now but a helpless head, powerless to make demands or even lift a finger. His days of consuming other fighters were over.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

"Ah there you are," said Master Brock.

"What..how? Where am I?!"

"Your prison," Master Brock answered coldly. He leaned forward, staring into Kyouji's eyes. The gray head felt the Master's qi and when he saw the Master's scars, he recognized the menace of a man that sat before him.

"It's like sensing the silence of time. This qi, it's abnormal. You..no, you're him," sputtered Kyouji. His eyes widened as what could only be described as terror gripped his tongue and soul. "The Scar-Eyed Demon of the Mountains. The man who snuffed out a trillion lights."

"Their Master, yes. I am Master Brock, Grandmaster of the Mist Mountain Sect.”

He leaned back satisfied in knowing he would need no further introduction, but never broke eye contact with Kyouji. "And you are my prisoner, the murderer of 3 of my pupils. Thief of Fighting Styles, Kyouji."

"So you wanted to punish me, is that it? You're doing this for revenge?!" asked Kyouji with panic in his voice. Master Brock's gaze turned into a glare.

"No," The Grandmaster's one word shook his two pupils to their cores, especially Rin. Her eyes widen in disbelief, almost feeling insulted by the ease with which Master Brock had said it. She tried to contain her outrage, to contain her anger. "Your debt of blood has been paid in blood, you have a greater use to me. There is nothing to be gained from the prolonged grief of people, certainly not for pupils too weak to survive. That they perished to you is proof they have failed as students."

Khan grits his teeth in silence, but he remains calm. Kyouji was right, Master Brock didn’t care. Rin on the other hand was not as well practiced in suppressing feelings. To hear their Master speak so poorly of her friends angered her to no end, but with one look towards Khan, she saw the composure she needed. Khan shot her a hard stare as if ordering her not to act. It took a great deal of restraint, but she stopped herself. Master Brock tucked a hand into the fold of his robe.

"Then if you're not going to punish me? Why did you bring me back?!" exclaimed Kyouji.

"Who is your Master?"

The room fell silent, Kyouji's eyes widened. Khan and Rin were now even more confused.

"Kyouji…has a Master?" whispered Rin in disbelief. A bead of sweat ran down Khan's cheek as he listened. He didn't like where this was going. Kyouji was already a mighty foe capable of destroying a large city in one strike if he felt like it. Who could possibly be giving him orders? A look of pain and fear was etched onto Kyouji's face as he mumbled incoherently before speaking.

"W-What are you talking about-"

"I know your secret. I know that as skilled as you are you couldn't possibly be operating alone. There are too many sects in this region, you couldn't evade so many opponents on your own. You work for someone else," said the Grandmaster. Kyouji remained still, mouth agape. His head began to sweat profusely. "And you're going to tell me who and where they are."

"I-I can't! If I did, death would become a mercy compared to what she'd do to me. She'd-" explained Kyouji.

"She? Interesting. Why?" interrupted Master Brock.

Kyouji’s eyes widened a bit as he realized his mistake.

"I-I can't…I can't say," sputtered Kyouji. Fear echoed throughout every sound he made and every slight movement of his head. His every breath was riddled with panic. His eyes darted from side to side as if looking for an exit. "Please, I can't say anything else."

"If you do not tell me, the Netherplane will seem like a luxury."

Kyouji once again fell silent. The Grandmaster breathed a sigh of disappointment.

"I did not want to do this, but you leave me no choice."

Master Brock reached over with his hand, a purple flame formed on one of his fingertips. The next thing Kyouji felt was the piercing burn of the finger digging into his flesh.

"What kind of technique is that?" asked Rin worriedly. The sounds of Kyouji's trembling screams filled the room, echoing throughout the room.

"The interrogation kind. Touch of the Ghostflame," said Master Yuze from behind the two students. "Right now Kyouji is in a personal mental hell, a loop of unimaginable torture. Every pain he's ever dealt or felt is now his enemy. A terrifying technique for sure. The Grandmaster could make him feel centuries pass in an attosecond or turn a moment into a billion years in that world. Kyouji can die a thousand times in mind, only to be brought back again and again."

"That's…so cruel," Rin murmured. "Master Yuze, shouldn't we stop this?"

Master Yuze shook his head, placing a hand consolingly on Rin's shoulder.

"Even if it was my place I couldn't. The Grandmaster is unrivaled by any other Master in our sect. Trust in Master Brock’s restraint. Everything he does, he does for a reason."

Kyouji's screams grew louder for a moment, becoming a wail of agony so exquisite it could peel the paint off the walls of the sanctum. Then, the creature went quiet. When Master Brock finally removed his finger from the Thief of Styles' head Kyouji was left panting heavily with drool trickling down his chin. His eyes were glazed and bloodshot. Rin got ready to try and intervene, Khan held out his hand and stopped her. He knew it was difficult for her to watch something like this, but this was their Master's Way. If something won't give, bend it until it does. This is what made him the Scar-Eyed Demon of the Mountains. The purple flames on Master Brock's finger dispersed. Then suddenly Kyouji looked up, his eye movements slow and exhausted. Master Brock had stopped only at the absolute limit that Kyouji's mind could endure.

“Only a second of that world, Kyouji. Test my patience further and the next time will be a minute.”

"No more…I'll talk! I'll talk, just...no more…"

"Then speak," commanded the Grandmaster. Kyouji's hesitation quickly fell away at the thought of going back into that world of pain. Whatever endless torture existed within that technique scared the murderer to his core. “Who helped you?”

"Sire, her name..is Sire. She hired me to kill as many cultivators as I could. She'd tell me where to look and I would get their parts to add to myself. It was a win-win."

"What does she look like?” pressured Master Brock. Kyouji blinked in thought, trying to think of the most discreet way to divulge the information.

Hearing the Grandmaster’s intensity caused Khan and Rin to inch back, putting distance between them and the interrogation. The candles flickered around Master Brock.

“S-She’s a blind woman dressed in black armor made from protective plates, short white hair, glossy purple eyes! She has an organization of fighters!” confessed Kyouji.

“Where is she?”

“Across the Great Mud River to the north! They meet at an old lodge in a peach tree grove!”

“Is that all?”

“That’s all I know, I swear that’s all I know!”

For 1/1000 of a single second Master Yuze is able to see the horror behind Master Brock’s qi. He says nothing, for it was unbecoming of any Master to fall apart at the mere sight of danger. Yuze had seen the sight of strength and terror expressed in a simple form all held behind the gaze of the Grandmaster.

“Now you have paid your debt to me, Kyouji.” The Grandmaster placed two fingers on Kyouji’s forehead. The murderer looked up, terror-stricken.

“Please, don’t…don't kill me.”

“Quiet,” ordered the Grandmaster. Master Brock’s fingertips pressed against Kyouji’s forehead would be enveloped in the violet ghostflame. Instead of putting him through mental torture it simply left a violet branding, a triangle surrounded by a ring, etched into Kyouji's flesh- the symbol of the Mist Mountain Sect. It was a surprisingly painless procedure.

“What is that, Master Yuze?” Rin whispered.

“Mark of the Ghostflame, it places a brand on the victim that the user can use to mentally punish them. It’s meant to reign in disobedient subordinates.”

“I knew Master Brock was powerful, but I didn't know he had techniques like those,” mumbled Rin with a tinge of fear in her voice.

Master Yuze nods, understanding all too well the shock that came with seeing the Grandmaster's abilities.

“What did Kyouji mean by ‘Scar-Eyed Demon’?” Khan asked in a hushed tone. “Master Brock has got scars…but he's not a demon- I think.”

“When Master Brock was early into his cultivation career he entered a great battle with a giant that stood larger than a Spiral-World,” answered Master Yuze in a hushed voice.

“An entire universe?” Rin asked in disbelief.

Master Yuze gently nods his head.

“The giant threatened to consume every region in our World, all the stars and planets therein. He nearly succeeded, he had devoured a trillion regions. So Master Brock intervened and unleashed a technique so devastating it earned him two titles: the ‘Scar-Eyed Demon' and-

“Killer of a Trillion Lights,” finished the Grandmaster. Both Khan and Rin looked up to see Grandmaster Brock suddenly standing over them. His shadow being cast over them.

“Master…you…beat this giant?” Rin asked in a mix of astonishment and fear. Master Brock’s gaze softened only slightly.

“800 years ago. The giant Master Yuze speaks of, was voracious. He sought to devour our entire World, something needed to be done. So I unleashed a technique I had created and honed for 50 years, destroying the giant and with him- the regions he devoured. ”

The two students were left in a state of quiet awe as they wondered what the battle had been like.

“800 years ago. How much stronger has he gotten since then..?” thought Khan to himself.

“Enough storytelling now. You both heard him, yes?” the Grandmaster asked Khan and Rin calmly. Both students quickly nod, knowing better than to upset him. “Your training will intensify, I expect you two to be able to fight this Sire that Kyouji spoke of.”

Rin cleared her throat as her eyes flickered over to Khan and then back to the Grandmaster.

“All due respect, Master, but the path to the Great Mud River is at least a 10-day trek from here. Kyouji said this Sire lived past it, but he didn't say the path we'd need to take to reach her hideout. How are we supposed to find her?”

Master Brock reached down and grabbed Kyouji's head by the stump and returned him to the burlap sack.

“You'll be taking Kyouji with you. You two will decide who should carry him, and leave in one week.”

Master Brock then held the sack out to Khan to take. Khan felt his anger swell a bit.

“You expect us to bring him along, after all he's done?” he asked.

Master Brock looked to Khan with an apathetic gaze.

“I expect you to put aside your desires for the good of the sanctum. Kyouji is the only one who can guide you to Sire. She cannot be allowed to live, her operations are a threat to the Mist Mountain Sect.”

Master Yuze remained standing behind the two pupils, understanding how hard this would be for the two of them. He sensed the storm of emotions within Rin and the restraint Khan was trying to employ.

“You've got to be kidding me. Master Brock, he killed Johan, Kiki, and Ming-Ming,” Khan countered. His soul seethed with quiet fury, try as he might to keep his composure there was no doubt in his mind that his friends deserved better.

“You made him pay for that, Khan. Kyouji is more useful to the sect alive, whether we like it or not,” Master Brock replied with a neutral expression on his face.

Khan stepped closer, his red eyes reflecting pain and guilt.

“You had a technique to resurrect the dead this whole time. Why didn’t you bring them back? Why Kyouji of all people?” Khan questioned angrily.

Master Brock stepped closer, his gaze softening only the slightest bit.

“Johan, Kiki, and Ming-Ming died because they were not strong enough to survive. Cultivators are like blades, honed and sharpened over lifetimes of battle and study. My job as Master- and especially as Grandmaster- is to nurture and guide, but most importantly, to teach. The bond of teacher and student is one built on results, not pleasantries. You want to honor them? Defeat the woman who sent Kyouji to kill them, take the final revenge for the comrades you lost.”

Khan was about to make a retort, but then Master Yuze cut in.

“Khan, whoever this Sire is, she's aware of our sect and wanted Kyouji to dispose of as many of us as possible. There’s a good chance that this enemy plans to invade the sanctum, we can’t allow her the time to acquire greater strength. We must focus on her, taking this threat down must be a top priority,” Master Yuze interjected. Khan’s eyes shot over to the Master, the brown eyes of the laid-back teacher half-lidding with a quiet flicker of sadness. Khan’s eyes widened slightly in shock though still felt the same boiling anger in his soul. “You and Rin are the only students currently available who can contend with warriors stronger than Kyouji.”

Khan turns his head, his eyes focusing on Master Yuze for a moment before shooting a glance at Kyouji’s severed head.

“Khan, let’s just do it.”

Khan’s eyes quickly turn to Rin, his red gaze studying his friend’s face with a careful eye.

“Rin..?” he mumbled.

Rin shook her head before slowly rising to her feet causing Khan’s heartbeat to steady a bit. He hadn’t considered how hard this was for her, knowing what they were being asked. She was barely keeping it together, barely holding back what she truly wanted to say. Yet, her heart and mind remained focused on the mission. He could see it in her eyes, the flicker of determination.

“Don’t be hard-headed, this is our duty and ours alone. If Sire’s goal is to wipe out the sect then we shouldn’t needlessly drag more members of the sect into it. We handle this on our own or not at all. Many of the sanctum’s other students are out on their own journeys, completing quests, and the Masters have to stay to guard the sanctum from other sects or anything else that might try to invade.”

“But Rin-”

“No buts, you and I are the only ones who can do this. I don’t like it either, but we owe it to our friends to see this through,” she declared sternly.

Khan went quiet, gritting his teeth for a moment before turning back to Master Brock and bowing his head.

“Fine,” he grunts. Khan’s hands clenched momentarily only to slowly let go, he was left unsatisfied and furious but he could tell Rin was struggling to control herself. He didn’t want to push her any further. “I’ll…do as you ask, Master.”

A cold silence filled the room, the candles being completely snuffed out. Master Brock’s posture relaxed slightly when Khan accepted the burlap sack holding Kyouji’s head. The Grandmaster then returned to his seat and gave the gesture for Master Yuze and his pupils to leave.

“Remember, one week from today. Get your affairs in order then depart at dawn,” the Grandmaster ordered.

“Yes sir,” Rin whispers softly before nodding. She and Khan follow Master Yuze out the room, the door sliding close behind them. It became clear to both students that Kyouji, for all his evil, had been right. The cultivation was already cruel, but having an uncaring Master made that truth weigh that much heavier on their shoulders. Sensing their turmoil, Master Yuze spoke up.

“Take 30 to rest, then meet with Master Tenzin in the 2nd chamber for combat training. A week passes quickly, use it wisely. I’ll let Master Zhou know you’ll be meeting with him tomorrow for alchemy classes, train hard and study harder.”

Master Yuze takes a step to leave them, looking back at his students for a moment. He looks as if there’s more he wants to say, but decides against it and leaves them alone in the hall. Khan watches the Master leave before shifting his eyes to Rin, she hadn’t said anything or even responded to Master Yuze.

“Rin?” he calls.

Rin still refuses to speak, instead taking steps through the hall towards the 1st chamber of the sanctum. Khan follows closely behind, not saying anything more as they enter a hall to the left of the sanctum entrance. As the two of them walk through the hall they can hear the quiet voices of other students in their rooms, talking, gossiping, and playing games to enjoy their downtime. In a world like this, distractions could sometimes prove useful. Khan wished he could distract Rin from what she was feeling, wished he could do something to make things right with her but he knew the problem was beyond his ability to fix. As they walked past a dozen closed doors they eventually reached their room, sliding the door open and being greeted by the sight of two simple beds and white walls. A potted flower rests on a nightstand by one of the beds, a single orchid that looked like it was entering its final stages of life. Rin walked over to her bed and took a seat, hugging her knees to her chest as she buried her face in her arms.

“Damn it,” Khan whispers with a hint of guilt. He walks over to her bedside before taking a seat on the edge next to her. “Rin…”

No response. Khan reaches out and gently takes Rin’s hand into his own, his thumb brushing over his friend’s knuckles.

“Rin, look at me.”

Rin’s lavender hair shifts, her head tilting up. Her blue eyes lock with Khan’s red, neither looking away from one another.

“I know,” he murmurs.

Rin’s eyes slowly begin to water, her lips quivering. Khan immediately scoots closer and pulls her into a hug. Rin buries her head into his chest as soft tears spill from her eyes. Khan’s expression holds guilt and pain, but he holds himself together, not for his sake- but for Rin’s. She wasn’t like him, she embraced her feelings.

“Let them flow. I’ll be here to wipe them when you’re ready…”

Rin’s quiet sobbing and muffled cries of grief only heighten Khan’s guilt. His arms tightened around her while his fingers stroked her hair with the sweetest touch. Khan could feel it all. Her frustration, her anger, her fear, and her exhaustion. It was an overwhelming concoction of feelings, enough to drive him to the limits of his own composure. Yet, he buried his feelings deeper, because the only heart he couldn’t let break more than his own- was in his hands.