Directly after Ferran left Sekuheim’s gate, Ardan moved to the school gardens for a secluded meditation session. The Master decreed that he was not to be disturbed.

While the other disciples feasted in the great hall, Elem waited inside his dorm room by himself. His father had told him to return to the feast but he simply couldn’t. He couldn’t move on and pretend like nothing had happened- not after what he had just witnessed.

Elem was confused. How was it possible that this Ferran character had simply returned from the grave? And why was he so hellbent on insulting his father?

From his window he could see parts of the garden. By the looks of it, his father was still meditating. So far he had refrained from interrupting his father but after hours of nervous pondering he could no longer stop himself. Elem kicked on his trainers and went outside.

He found his father sitting on a rock bed beside a large oak tree. The master had called his Minotaur and the Summon loomed over his motionless body like a guardian statue.

Elem scraped his throat before he spoke.

“Do you think you can beat him?” he asked carefully.

His father looked at him with his copper Summoner’s eyes, his gaze piercing through the night like that of a feline.

“You deserve to know what that was about,” Master Ardan replied. His voice wavered in a way Elem had never heard before.

“I am afraid that everything Ferran said is true. But I want you to know why I did what I did.”

Elem’s heart skipped a beat. He couldn’t believe his ears. What did that even mean? His father was an honorable man- not a coward and certainly not a murderer.

“It’s nearly twenty years ago but I remember that day like it was yesterday,” Ardan continued. “Ferran had been making a name for himself through Classic Duels. It was savage and unnecessary, yet for some reason he was convinced it helped him become a stronger Summoner.”

He let out a sardonic chuckle that made Elem feel even more uncomfortable than he already did.

“When he finally arrived here at Sekuheim, he had already humiliated and killed multiple masters. I remember he had just cleaned out the Bendorf School before walking through our gate. And of course your grandfather was on Ferran’s list too. At that time, your grandfather was already far past his prime. His heart was giving him issues and I just knew he wouldn’t survive a Classic Duel with a man like Ferran. But that dog didn’t care what state the old man was in. He challenged my father, and the stubborn Master accepted. If I wanted to protect my father, something had to be done.”

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Elem felt as if he just got punched in the gut by an Ogre. He didn’t dare to look his father in the eyes and instead focused on the Minotaur. The Summon let out a low growl, sending huffs of steamy hot air through its nostrils.

_________________________________

[Nineteen years earlier]

Ferran laughed. His clothes were soaked with rain and his entire body ached in pain.

“So this is how the Sekuheim school defends its honor?” he scoffed, ignoring the blood dripping from his mouth. “You lure a man into a trap and gang up on him? Ha! It’s pathetic.”

Ferran’s Cockatrice screeched at the assailants. There were five of them. All were clad in black; their faces covered with ski masks.

They had trapped him at an abandoned power generator on the Skyga river just outside of Lightningrod. Ferran wouldn’t stop laughing, he would give them hell for this.

His Cockatrice was a powerful Summon but it struggled with its opponents' sheer numbers. Every time the Cockatrice moved to attack, the other Summons moved to surround it. The Minotaur, in particular, was giving him problems. Everytime Ferran sent his Summon one way, the bull-headed creature maneuvered to charge from the Cockatrice’s flanks.

Ferran was exhausted but he wouldn’t give up. It was a tall task but if he wanted to become the strongest Summoner alive, he had to be able to overcome challenges like this.

He stared at his opponents. These were not great men. They were weaklings- hyenas who could only dream of beating a lion by assaulting him with a mob.

The Cockatrice leaped at its adversaries, keeping them at bay with its dagger-like talons. The attack seemed to work. The other Summons moved back, retreating as they tried to regroup.

A smile appeared on Ferran’s face, this was just where he wanted them. One well-timed poison spray could damage them all at the same time. After all, the Cockatrice’s poison was potent enough to give him a real edge.

“Aim for the generator!” he heard one of them call. “Now!”

One of the opposing Summons, a Firebird, sent a ball of flames at the building beside Ferran. In a flash, the inferno engorged the small construction.

Sparks scattered through the rainy night before a deafening bang split the air, followed by a blast that sent Ferran flying. He caught the scent of his burning flesh before he could register the pain. When he crashed into the Skyga, it’s water felt like concrete. He screamed in agony as the river took him.

_________________________________

Master Ardan broke his trance, sending the Minotaur back to its realm. As his eyes lost their copper coloration, Elem fully noticed his father’s shameful expression.

“I never wished for you to see me this way,” Ardan admitted. “I know what I did was wrong but it was necessary. I was terrified of losing my father and damaging the reputation of our beloved school.”

Elem didn’t know what to say. He was overwhelmed with information. In the background he could hear the other disciples having a good time, enjoying their innocence.

After a short while, his father finally broke the silence.

“To answer your question: yes I think I can defeat him. He’s facing me in the midst of my longest winning streak- as I am at the height of my strength. Ferran has been traveling around in anonymity like some vagabond but I have consistently taken on the best challengers this continent has to offer. If there ever was a moment to face that man, it is now.”

“And what if you can’t?“ Elem asked. The words left his mouth before he realized. His cheeks flushed for asking such a disrespectful question.

“Don’t worry about me son. Whatever happens will happen.”