It was black, pitch black.

It felt like I was floating.

I should have feared the darkness, but instead soothed me like a gentle blanket covering me on a chilly night.

Suddenly, a bright light flashed above me, breaking me out of my trance-like state.

Even with its light, I still couldn't see anything as I drifted further away from it.

"Be-" a voice called out to me.

My eyelids felt heavy.

"Benj-"

The closer the light, the more tired I felt.

"BENJAMIN!"

The light was practically in my face, but I refused to close my eyelids, but my resolve wouldn't last long as thin black fingers appeared from behind me, forcing my eyelids to shut.

A weight formed on my chest

I slowly opened my eyes to a bright room.

The light blurred my vision while making my headache worse.

The wounds on my back ached.

A hand gently caressed my left cheek, causing me to glance over at whoever was doing it.

It was Ashley who was lying her head on my chest.

She hadn't noticed I had woken up.

A whisper barely left my lips. "Ashley."

Her head slowly lifted off my chest and looked toward me, and I smiled at her as she had probably been by my side this whole time.

Tears welled up in her eyes, her face loosened to a look of relief.

She lunged right at me, embracing me into a tight hug.

"I'm so sorry!" She cried.

Her hot tears flowed down her cheeks, dripping onto me.

After twenty minutes of apologizing repeatedly, I calmed down Ashley, but she never let go of me.

I liked this loving side of Ashley as I don't know who my parents are, but I know they are alive and choose to stay away from me.

"How long was I out for?"

Still hugging me, Ashley mumbled, "A week."

A week? I was shocked.

I saw white bandages wrapped around my chest, back, and arms.

Looking at how white they looked, I figured Ashley must've changed them recently.

I was wearing a thin pair of light blue pants and had nothing on the top of my body.

I wanted to see how nasty my wounds were.

"Ashley, is it okay for me to take off my bandages?"

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She finally let go of me. "Yes."

I nodded as she stood up and motioned for me to get up.

I forced myself out of my comfy bed and almost fell as I had been bed-stricken for a week, but I regained my balance, holding on to the desk near my bed.

I strolled to the big mirror on the far side of the room near Ashley.

Once I got there, Ashley turned my back to the mirror and cut the bandages off.

My short dirty blonde hair was greasy, my cobalt blue seemed to glow back at me as I watched the mirror in anticipation as the bandages fell in slow motion.

When they all fell, I saw three huge claw marks running down most of my back.

I should have been angry or embarrassed that I had scars, but all I felt was pride.

I had survived an encounter with a dangerous creature, something not everyone my age can do.

I turned my head around to see Ashley's eyes welling up again.

I hated seeing Ashley cry, so I smiled at her.

"It's not your fault I helped you, so please don't cry."

Ashley said nothing but stiffened her face to make that all-familiar calm mask.

"Now, can I get the room to myself? I want to take a shower." I announced as I noticed my stench.

Ashley nodded and turned around, and walked to the door behind her.

A thought hit me when she was halfway through my door.

"Ashley, what were those creatures?"

Ashley turned around and answered, "They're called Graelings. Dangerous beasts that lurk in the dark, looking for unexpecting prey. Graelings are weak by themselves but in a pack are tough enough where they can take out decent size groups." Ashley pondered before continuing, "Graeling possessed molecular regeneration."

I nodded but stopped, as I had no clue what molecular regeneration meant.

Ashley saw my confusion and explained, "The ability to grow back its limbs."

That's a terrifying but also a fantastic ability.

I thanked Ashley as she walked out of my room, shutting the door behind her.

I took a quick shower that made my headache go away, but the wounds on my back still ached.

I entered my room to see clothes lying on my bed.

I quickly put them on and stared at myself in the mirror.

I wore a simple outfit, dark blue trousers, a grey tunic that fit snuggly on me, and deep dark brown boots.

I opened my door and ran into the hallway down to the dining room, where Ashley was sitting waiting for me.

I stopped in an instant and stood there silently, staring at her.

"Sit," Ashley demanded of me, pointing at the chair across from her.

I complied, pulled out the chair, and sat down.

"I'm sorry for what happened, Benjamin, but I am also furious that you didn't listen to me." She growled at me, but her face looked as calm as ever.

I sat there speechless, as I didn't expect this from Ashley, but I gathered up my thoughts and spoke. "Why are you angry? We survived, didn't we?"

"You almost died! You're lucky I have the same blood type as you, or else you would have died from blood loss!" Ashley retorted.

I couldn't muster another word as Ashley's calm demeanor cracked.

"I don't know what I would have done if you died, Benjamin."

Ashley wiped her eyes and then laid her hands on the table.

I reached out and gripped her hands.

I let out a small smile.

"I'm sorry, Ashley. When I saw that creature, I was only thinking of you. I couldn't let it hurt you."

I don't want to make her worry about me, and to make that happen, I need to be strong, stronger than her.

"Ashley, I want to get stronger.." I let go of her hands, stood up, walked over to her, dropped to my knees, forced my head to the ground, and continued, "I want you to teach me! Please make me stronger!"

I want to get stronger... No, I need to.

Ashley was stronger enough to come out of that attack unharmed, so she must be strong.

"Raise your head, Benjamin."

I looked up to see a smile on her face.

"I will teach you, but it won't be easy."

I bowed down again in relief as I thought she wouldn't just accept my request.

After our tense but brief conversation, we did what we usually did during our busy day.

Ashley said we wouldn't do anything until my body was ready.

I begged and pestered her for a week before she finally agreed to train me.

She led me outside, and I couldn't help but be excited.

"Are you going to teach me mana? So I can fight as you did?" I exclaimed while throwing some punches.

"No," Ashley replied, causing me to be disappointed.

"Don't look like that! I will teach you something that's just as crucial as mana." Ashley walked over to a tree a couple of meters ahead of me, broke off two equal-sized branches, and tossed one to me.

She adjusted her right foot further up than her front left foot and announced. "Come at me!"

I ran at her with the stick above my head and swung down, which she easily deflected, then swiped down, hitting me on top of the head, causing me to yelp.

"AWW! Did you have to strike me so hard?" I groaned.

Ashley struck me on my right rib cage.

"Hey, stop!" I roared.

She struck me on the left side of my face, causing me to stumble back.

I rub the spot where she hit me while whining, "Why did you have to strike me so hard?"

Ashley spoke in a calm tone. "I told you it would not be easy."

She closed the distance between us and stuck me several times in seconds, causing me to fall over.

I was mad. I jumped right back and tried to hit Ashley but failed.

Something in my body tingled. I looked to my right to see the stick coming at me, and I ducked to dodge it.

I don't know if this surprised Ashley, as I couldn't see her face.

I felt the stick hit the back of my head, leading me to fall face-first into the dirt.

I laid there for a second as the ground was quite comfortable, and I did not want to face this beast anymore.

Ashley picked me up.

"Alright, that's enough of me hitting you today." She assured me while putting me down onto my feet.

Ashley examined me to see if I had any damage.

After she was satisfied, she walked over to our small but sturdy carriage and hooked our horses to it.

She sat down on the coach and waved me to get in.

I ran over and was about to get in when she yelled, "No, you are running next to the carriage!"

Confused, I just stood there as she whipped the horse, moving them forward.

Was she seriously going to make me run?

The house is behind me. I can always not do it, but I won't get any stronger if I don't.

I sprinted up to the side of the carriage and jogged with it down our long dirt road.

She was pacing the horses so that I could keep up with them, but that didn't mean it was exhausting for me.

So by the time we got to the town, I was exhausted.

My legs felt like jelly, and I could barely stand.

I was covered in sweat and dirt as I had tripped multiple times because of my exhaustion, but I caught back up every time.

Once Ashley stopped the carriage, she told me I could rest in it until she was done shopping, and I was thrilled.

I looked at the towns sign 'Garter' what a weird name,

laid down on the wooden floor, and it felt like heaven.

I rested for an hour before Ashley finished her shopping.

She forced me out of the carriage to run again.

"NO, PLEASE JUST LET ME REST!" I begged, but she ignored my cries.

She forced me to run back to our house.

I wish I could say I made it, but I didn't. All I remember was falling down and then waking up in my bed.

This process continued until I could make it to the town and back, then Ashley would spar with me, which led her to beat the crap out of me, then made me do the chores, chop firewood, feed, water the horses, tend to the crops, and clean the house.

I wish I could know what this helped me with, but Ashley would make me spar with her every time I asked, so after the first time, I never asked again.

Time passed, and before I knew it, almost three years had gone by before Ashley finally told me I was ready for the next stage.