I woke like the norm on that cold, uneven day when a knock came from the door.

A mischievous smile broke out on my face. Had the cold and stoke guardian finally locked himself out?

But I looked to find my Guardian already at the door, before the enthusiastic me. In Front of him was an old man, gaunt with kindness on his face. He had grey hair that pointed upwards despite its short length. He had a kind smile that reached far above his eyes. He wore white robes and had wrinkles that looked rather inviting rather than aged.

My mentor greeted him as his usual self.

I then noticed he held a cloth in his right hand that he laid on the table. My attention was soon grasped by another being however.

"And this is Chlora."

I met a girl.

She had snow-white hair and purple eyes. She wore black leather armour and carried a sword. A bit excessive I assumed, yet it fit her will.

My guardian looked at her coldly. The usual, I assumed once more.

"Greet him."

Her guardian urged and lightly nudged her towards me.

"Greetings, I am Chlora." Her voice was not cold but rather flat and yet a trace of elegance lay deep within.

"Hey."

I stood like a fool.

I was not struck by love or anything of the sort but strucken by my greeting. I still hadn't thought up a name.

The old man behind her raised an eyebrow.

"It is considered etiquette to present one's own name young man."

I felt a weight fall on my shoulders.

This was bad.

Luckily, my guardian broke into the conversation.

"He doesn't have one, though I didn't think it would've been such an... arduous task for him."

I cursed at my Guardian innardly. He had solved the situation yet somehow increased the damage even further.

The old man behind the girl chortled before clearing his throat.

"Calm down Elrar, I have brought gifts, for I know you have not done the same I shall not pester."

Elrar. So that was my guardians name.

I remember now the sullen days where I had asked for his name and received a summer gloom in response.

On the table lay a sword, silver and simple. And next to it lay an assortment of gems.

Annoyed at my mentor with a newfound reason I snatched the sword immediately, he looked at me coldly.

"I would argue It's been earnt." I met his frostborne gaze.

This is for those missed birthdays you pompous bastard.

"I would argue a test is in order." He looked at me coldly, his gaze this time penetrating my bones as they rattled slightly against my control. It was uncomfortable but my curiosity for this so-called test washed over my mind.

He pointed at the girl. With a wrinkled yet powerful finger I assumed.

"Fight her, with your... earnt sword. This way you have no excuse."

I could hear poison on his tongue yet the poison in his sentence hit harder.

That was it? No.

I can't underestimate her, I thought. If she came to these deserted lands she must be something special. And her eyes. Her eyes looked mysterious enough for her to be what was it called? A genius. Yes. She could be a fellow genius.

I almost felt bad when she looked at her mentory in worry, her eyes becoming almost puppy-like.

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"But- teacher."

She said with traces of sadness.

Her teacher shared the same feeling.

"Are you sure Elrar?"

I smiled inwardly. Maybe my teacher had been saying some good stuff.

"He is just a boy."

Wait what. I looked at them as they pitied me.

"I'm not, just a boy."

I met their pitied gazes with flames. War-carved flames.

"But you're free to test that."

I had already pulled the sword halfway out of the sheath.

The old man merely looked at me in surprise.

"Relax child. I'm sure Elrar wouldn't pick a paper boy to be his student."

I sighed inwardly. My guardian would probably never have even considered having a student if I wasn't sparkling like a thunderbolt when he found me.

I doubt any student would even want such different teaching methods inserted into their training plans.

But as I continued my line of thought I found my feet trodden in slow in the middle of a field of silver high-grass.

The girl's mentor looked calmly as he raised his staff. He then slammed it down with force. A wind or shockwave of some sort formed. Soon all the grass rose into the air before lying calmly. There was now a flat field fit for battle.

But that wasn't what was on my mind.

He's a genius. That was my thought line. I witnessed every inch of his movements and realised all he did was wait for the magic to gather before activating it with the slam-down.

Ah. I had talked to myself for too long. The girl had already unsheathed a night-blue blade and held it in two hands. Her pose caused the sword to be poking backwards. That can't be a good form I thought.

"Begin."

And I thought no more.

In an instant, a blur came at me and a flash of blue formed.

I cursed as my hands screamed in pain. An intolerable force bore down on my sword that I held in poor form. My sword rattled as the two metal forces clashed. Hers was clearly of a higher quality I thought in my mind with the small space that remained.

I sent world energy down and imploded it on myself to make some distance. My mind was still in fleeting thoughts. The impact hurt my stomach yet that was the least of my worries.

As I saw her begin to move again I decided to put world energy in my soles.

She charged.

But I was already gone. With but a command I made it implode, sending me towards her at a frightening speed.

Instantly, in a burst of milliseconds I was behind her.

Clash.

In Front of her.

Clash.

Above her.

Clash.

Trails were left from the power of the world-energy as I swung my sword in timed swings.

Each trade-off formed emerging purples on my hands. Pain rippled through my body and my bones creaked yet I kept going. Her reactions were immaculate. Blocking my sword from every angle. My poor form only helped her blocks.

Damnit. I swore as I used the last part of lingering world energy in my soles to make some distance.

I only had one more trick up my sleeve. If I used it wrong I would lose.

I tried to summon world-energy before her to attack from a distance yet she had already disappeared from the position and prediction each time leaving a useless blast of air that lowered my concerning energy stores all the more.

It was clear to me she was physically aided, potentially by wind magic of some sort.

I put world energy directly in front of me.

She appeared like a white-eyed demon yet my instincts triggered an instinctual reaction.

Forward.

Boom.

Her entire figure was blasted backwards by the world energy, carried before her back hit a tree. By now, my body was with all sorts of injuries due to my dangerous overuse of world-energy commandment.

I probably had one or two more uses of it before I became immobile and unable to continue battling.

I began connecting my hands as her figure rose through the wood shrapnel that stuck in slightly to parts of her armour. I watched as the strands began to rush together due to the partaking of world-energy.

She struck a pose on the tree, it reminded me of a swimmer taking off. Yet this time she flew through the air.

Boom.

A small air trail was visible from where she accelerated.

My shock-blast was only 4 seconds in. If I moved, the world-energy wouldn't be able to speed up the creation.

I cursed with the little time I had left.

But I was a genius.

I didn't win a battle with my decisions. I won it with my genius.

Before I knew it, world energy had built up behind me, incenting me to blast forward. The world energy in my hands began to slowly move around, guiding me with the decision so that it would follow me to the end.

I looked blankly before making a decision firmly.

Forward.

I found myself 3 feet in front of her demonic like eyes and 1 feet below her slowly descending feet. She would surely end this battle if her sword made anything near contact. My knees skidded across the floor. I must've looked pretty badass. My ears glowed with a vermillion red as my hands aimed at the target.

But her face was dumbfounded and shocked as she saw the ball of crazed madness in my hands, just completed.

I smirked.

I win.

And I issued a command with the last of my fleeting physical strength.

Blast forward.

I aimed the ball of innumerous dancing strands to blast through my enemy.

And that it did.

Chi-iing.

A long, uncomfortable sound like nails on metals reached my ears.

I looked as sparks flew.

My attacker had met with an ornament, a necklace of some kind. It had taken out the necklace yet her quick reaction during the aftermath caused my attack to be dispersed by a long swing. The swing battled my attack for around a second before crushing through it. Possibly due to the quality of the blade I thought in spite.

My body could no longer move to dodge fast enough and her blade lay at my neck.

The moment died down.

I knew she had not thought anything of the past few moments. She looked like instincts had driven her to the result as well. We both panted as a light clapping sound broke out behind us. Geniuses that relied on their genius. That was what we were. She must've had a similar line of thought as we met eyes.

"You should've won."

She muttered in between breaths.

"GOOD JOB CHLORA."

Her mentor shouted as he waved in delight. Still clapping joyously.

Wow. If only my mentor was so enthusiastic and taught me as much as hers clearly did. Her armour also seems to be a gift as he fixed all the pierced spots with one genius magic spell.

I pretended not to hear as I met the gaze of my ruthless guardian.

"Even if an unexpected event is to happen, you will be guided. Genius."

I walked away in contempt. At my teacher, at the match and at the laughing mentor.

My gritted teeth and limped legs struggled yet I found myself by the ravine.

And in a dangerous state of mind.