Side by side, Yana Fatma and Tayfun strode toward the secluded training grounds. Gone were Fatma’s drab servant's clothes, replaced by lighter and more practical wear. Her blue pants adhered to her legs, ending in soft folds over the arches of sturdy boots. Her cropped top of the same color left her arms free and unfettered. She was fully prepared for her first day of training.

In one of the secluded training grounds near the castle, they were greeted by the sight of Hakan, whose silhouette against the starset was as disinterested as it was imposing. Her bored gaze shifted, and upon spotting Fatma, it sparked to life, shaping a smile as warm as the allure of thirty thousand life stones.

“How have you been?”

She asked as it had not been very long since they had met each other. Hakan would at times visit the boy who lay in a coma. Whenever she went there, she would always meet Fatma and chat with her.

“Sister!? Will you be the one teaching me?”

Fatma was taken aback, filled with anticipation. Not only did she get along with Hakan, but she was also not ignorant of Hakan’s reputation. She was renowned for instructing several of the most talented seekers in the Heart Isle.

Before Hakan could respond, she was interrupted by Tayfun.

“What do you mean by ‘sister'!? She is your master! Be respectful!”

“Scram, kid.”

Hakan dismissed him with a flick of her wrist. Tayfun was aghast as her junior sister was treated like a normal human being. So unfair! Why the difference in treatment? He had worked his bones off for the said master and barely ever received praise.

Truly, how could Tayfun stand a chance against thirty thousand life stones? At the time, he didn’t know that his real competition wasn’t Fatma herself, but her uncle’s deep pockets.

Downcast, Tayfun left the area. Fatma took a fleeting glance at his disheartened expression, afterward refocusing on Hakan’s figure.

Hakan threw a small pebble toward Fatma as the latter caught it.

“That’s right. You have to call me master from now on.”

Fatma nodded with a light smile. She took a glimpse at the small pebble in her hand.

“Master, why did you give me a life stone?”

“To double-check. Murad said you have an affinity with water. On some occasions, it might change throughout your life, although rarely.”

Fatma focused on the small pebble in her hand as she lightened her body. As there was no resistance, the pebble slowly sucked bits of elemental energy out of her palms. It soon gave an oceanic glow.

“Good.”

Fatma would have had to find a new instructor if she did not have affinity with water. Furthermore, Hakan was of the opinion that having mastery over only a single element was for the best.

“We can start with your awakening.”

“Uh…”

Fatma lowered her gaze as she was embarrassed to ask.

“Just say it.”

“How do people awaken?”

Hakan involuntarily gasped. She was taken aback as slight disappointment washed over her face. The process of awakening was common knowledge in this world. Just how clueless was she?

“Some people have dormant abilities ingrained into their souls at birth. Some have one, some two, while others none. Upon awakening, as its name suggests, you can awaken one of those dormant abilities at choice, that is if you have one. We call that an inborn ability. The process itself is called awakening.”

Hakan took a small break in her speech to let Fatma digest the newly given information.

“There are countless types of abilities among ninety-eight known paths that you can get. To manifest one of those abilities, one needs to awaken. I believe you at least knew this much?”

“Haha…”

Fatma had no idea. Hakan was further taken aback. Just how does this make any sense? She swallowed her discontent before it left her mouth upon remembering the sum she was paid.

“Never mind. I will give you an example. Let’s say someone gets an ability of time pathway. What do you think they could do?”

Hakan preferred an interactive way of teaching, wherein students themselves find the answers. Fatma took a moment to think about it after which she confidently gave a response.

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“Control time?”

“Precisely. Obviously, there are more nuances. But do not worry about the choice as of the moment. First, you would need to awaken. The choice only comes after that.”

“Is the process… painful?”

Fatma asked hesitantly. She wasn’t scared! Not at all! Yeah, just curious. Or so she thought…

Hakan could not be any more disappointed.

“Of course it is. Well, it will depend on you. The longer you can endure my spiritual energy, the vaster your options when you choose an ability. Not only that, but the more spiritual energy you can gather, the stronger the ability that you get.”

Fatma fell into deep thought. She did not fully understand what the paths, abilities, or spiritual energy were. But she could get the gist of it.

“What? Did you think treading the path of a seeker was easy? Don’t you remember Damian? Why do you think he went through such lengths?”

After hearing his name, Fatma’s expression changed. Hakan only tried to ignite the fire inside of her, but who could have thought that the effect would be so great. Be it any other person in place of Fatma, she would try to talk them out of awakening.

But thirty thousand was thirty thousand; alas, she had no intention of letting the girl go, as she had no intention of giving the thirty thousand back.

“We will start with just doing some physical exercises to sharpen your will. You are not ready for the awakening yet.”

“No! I can do it now!”

Fatma shouted resolutely. It’s true that she wasn’t ready. She would never be. But living is all about making sacrifices. To attain one thing, you have to give up another. She had already steeled her resolve before coming here. Her mind would frail, but her determination wouldn’t.

“Listen well. You do what I tell you to. Haste makes waste.”

The seniorship between the disciple and her master cannot be taken lightly. Fatma understood that much. She could do nothing but concede.

Soon, her master conjured up two icicles.

“Here, take this.”

Fatma grabbed at the thing that Hakan threw. Only then did she take a closer look at it.

“Cold!”

She gave a confused look to her master. Hakan only grinned at her innocent look as she clenched the stick of hers.

“Do not worry. I will instill my teachings into you. Pain is the last thing my student should be afraid of.”

Hakan closed in. Fatma mirrored her, retreating with equal caution, but her backward escape was cut short by the rough trunk of a tree that had crept up behind her. Trapped, with the bark pressing against her back and nowhere else to turn, her heart raced, her palms sweating as she realized escape was not an option.

“After all, the best way to sharpen your will is by sharpening your body.”

“Haha… I don’t understand, master.”

Hakan smiled warmly. The same smile she had when receiving her payment.

“Don’t worry.”

Hakan said as she smacked the glacier stick at Fatma’s thigh. The sound of ice against flesh sliced through the cold air.

“ARGHHHHH!”

A sharp cry escaped her lip. The cold from the glacier stick seeped into her skin, its icy grip clenching her muscle with a sting. She staggered slightly, the icy touch leaving a bloody mark against her pale skin,

“You will get to understand. Open up your ears and engrave this onto your mind! You either die on your knees or feet.”

She administered another firm strike to the same place. Both her leg and the glacier in Hakan’s hand broke. She conjured up another one.

“Nine to go.”

----------------------------------------

Isla was sitting around the triangular golden table.

She looked at the people around. Some had hues of dark colors gushing out of them. Others’ were relatively lighter.

Evil and Good.

She could distinguish between the two. After her awakening, she had attained an ability of empath pathway. All the quillin praised her and placed high hopes on her. Not only were those with the empath pathway rare, but she had also acquired a very powerful ability.

Yet, she herself loathed it. The ability was more of a curse than a blessing. She couldn’t live normally. She wanted to return to the times when all were colorless.

That was why she was both surprised and happy to find someone devoid of any hue enveloping them. The blonde boy was completely blank. She could not understand, and she was happy to be unable to understand him.

She wanted to befriend and talk to him. Just what type of person was the boy? She wanted to know.

Then the pandemonium began.

Screams and blood.

The girl was frightened. Just what was happening?

As she watched the boy suffer, she felt bad for him. People are the embodiment of their paths. She was an empath, and as such, she could empathize with the pain the boy was going through.

But as she focused her frightened gaze on the boy, therein, inside the boy, a black orb was forming.

‘What is that thing?’

She thought. Others seemed to be unable to sense it.

Then, the boy laughed. He laughed crazily, maniacally, like a psychopathic lunatic. He laughed without stopping. He laughed at the world, at his life, and the pain he was going through. Laughed, laughed at himself.

The black orb was enlarging. At an enormous speed. It was then that the girl fathomed this complete blackness.

The darkness transcended the boy’s body and engulfed the area. Isla felt terror, as if her world would end at the very next moment. Others could not feel or see it, yet Isla could. Isla knew what that thing was!

Pure evil!

The boy was the embodiment of evil.

Isla froze in her place, unable to muster a single squeak. The darkness screeched at her skin. But suddenly, it all disappeared in a glimpse of time.

The boy lost consciousness.