Chapter 23 #2
I stood in the center of what had once been a small arena.
The stone stairs still held the shape of an amphitheater, but time had worn everything down.
The ground was uneven, and where the stone had crumbled away, bushes and weeds grew wild.
I noticed two half-destroyed portals in the right and left corners of the arena, and above our heads, the sun blazed fiercely in a clear blue sky.
Even with the stands rising around us, you could still see the ruins of the ancient city, and just behind them, the gigantic wall loomed over the landscape.
“We’re in Dornéu,” I exclaimed, as if it weren’t obvious.
The place was over five thousand years old and appeared in all the city’s history books; it was where the academy’s old physical tests took place, as well as being Interion’s first neighborhood.
“Yes.” He looked around too, as if trying to see the place through the same joyful lens I did.
“By the gods! I never thought I’d get to see it.
It’s wonderful—this is living history.” I pointed to a broken stone and touched it, feeling the magic flow through the place.
“You can feel the energy echoing in the stones, built up from all the elemental explosions during the games that were held here.”
Zion suppressed a satisfied smile as I walked around touching everything I could, trying to sense where the energy was strongest—but the entire place exuded magic. All the greatest warriors of the past had been tested in this arena, and it had withstood tremendous damage without being destroyed.
However, this region had been the first to fall during the great war, since it lay to the west, where a secondary gate had allowed trade with the Drutes nation.
Despite all the destruction, Dornéu had endured, and even in ruins, the arena still possessed a certain beauty.
Around it, the ancient city lay in tatters—most of the buildings had been made of wood and suffered the worst from the Drutes armies’ assault.
After the war ended, the entire population of the outer area migrated to the median district, fearing future attacks.
Only a few stone walls still stood against time.
“This is where we’re going to train,” Zion announced, glancing at me.
“Seriously? We’ll come here every night?”
I didn’t want to admit it, but I was excited.
“Yes, if you agree, of course.”
A smile tugged at his lips.
“You know that’s a low blow, right? Using my curiosity about the outside world to get me to accept your offer.”
He raised an eyebrow in amusement, then put on the most cynical expression.
“Part of being a general is knowing how to adapt your strategy based on your opponent’s emotional reactions. Some battles are won with psychology, not swords.”
We laughed as I pressed my ear against the stands to listen to the sound of magic echoing through the stones. Then I stood up and looked around with satisfaction.
“But at night, this place can’t have any lighting,” I mused, searching for light fixtures and finding none.
“That’s not a problem. There’s a mechanism, but I can only show you at night.”
I looked at him, confused.
“So you’re already familiar with this place.”
“For years, my tutor trained me and some friends in this arena. This was also my getaway—I always escaped here when I needed time away from the world. There’s a cabin nearby where I spent my days off.”
His eyes were squinting against the sun, but I could tell he was happy to share. I absorbed every word—any information he was willing to give was precious. That place seemed intimate to him, a little secret he was spontaneously sharing with me.
“A cabin in the middle of nowhere? Where is it?”
He scratched his forehead and gave me an uneasy look.
“One day I promise I’ll show you, but right now, we’re not here to talk about cabins.”
I opened my mouth to protest but was interrupted by something flying overhead. The creature descended from the clouds in free fall, then spread its wings as if testing their power. Dust billowed up all around us and pebbles rolled as Kiara landed in the center of the arena.
“Show-off.” Zion and I smiled at her, and the chimera hopped happily.
My eyes drifted back to the arena.
“So, what are we doing today?” I asked eagerly.
“Today you’re in charge of training. We’ll do whatever you want.”
He pulled off his shirt, already soaked with sweat from the scorching heat, and set it on a stone table next to the stands along with his gloves.
“Whatever I want?” I murmured, staring at his perfectly chiseled abs. If I did what my biology was urging me to do, Zion would run from me for the next three months. I shook my head, pushing the thought away. “Okay! Whatever I want.”
“Yes,” he said, his voice strange. I frowned, trying to read his tone, then he added before I could analyze further. “As long as it’s light—after all, you have a sonar test tomorrow and physical activity is discouraged.”
I nodded, remembering the message.
Despite it being autumn, the day still held onto summer’s warmth and the heat was intense.
My skin felt sticky, and under my arms a horrible sweat stain was starting to form, so I used his tactic.
I pulled off my shirt and stood there in the white sports bra I wore underneath—it helped a little with the heat.
I looked at Zion, and his eyes were fixed on the small piece of clothing. A smug smile tugged at my lips.
“I want to stretch—my body is really stiff,” I said, walking toward him. “But we’re going to stretch my way.”
He shot me a sideways glance, probably mentally kicking himself for letting me choose.
“You’re the boss,” he replied, shaking his head.
Δ
“Is this payback for the training in the silent woods?”
We were almost done with the stretching session. I had stretched and pushed Zion to his limit. Now only one last set remained.
“I’m just stretching you in a different way. I’m not vindictive,” I replied, sitting down. He positioned himself behind me to push my torso toward the ground.
“Where did you learn to stretch like this? This feels like torture.” Zion pushed me forward, and I was pleased to discover my flexibility was still perfect.
“When I was little, I took dance classes.” I inhaled and exhaled calmly, touching my forehead to the ground. “I never danced again, but I like the stretching. It calms my mind and body.”
The minutes ended and I stood up. Zion watched me with furrowed brows, and I could almost see the gears turning in his head.
I called him over for the final exercise, sitting down in front of a stone wall with my face nearly pressed against it.
He followed, and I signaled for us to lie down facing the blue sky.
He did the same beside me. I pressed my butt against the wall and raised my legs.
“Why do I have the feeling this is going to be worse than the last one?” he asked, gazing at the sky.
The sun was already sinking behind the wall, its shadow covering us and blocking the rays from hitting us directly.
“Because it is,” I joked, spreading my legs. “This move is called the ‘gravitational clock.’ You just open your legs as wide as you can and let gravity push them down. Ten minutes of this works wonders for flexibility.”
I showed him by opening my arms and stretching them out to my sides, as if waiting for a hug from the heavens.
Reluctantly, he did the same. Our hands rested side by side, and I gazed at the devastatingly beautiful sky above our heads.
Kiara played among the clouds up there, free as a bird.
It made me realize I should let her out of the house more often—lately I hadn't been a good companion to her.
I heard Zion clear his throat beside me and turned my head toward him.
“You said you took dance classes as a child. Can I ask how that came about? I thought you'd always been a Drutes prisoner.”
I looked at the sky and swallowed hard. A hard, bitter knot had formed in my throat.
I knew it was because I had to think about the past—I'd never talked about it with anyone.
I'd only shared a few fragments with Breno, Ambrose, and the psychologist. The thought of reopening this wound that had taken years to heal still made me nervous.
“How about we make a deal?” I asked with determination. “I'll tell you part of my life, and you tell me part of yours.”
“I already told you part of mine yesterday. Doesn't seem fair.”
“It's fair because you already know so much about me, and I know almost nothing about you. Besides, at the party I caught you spying on my mind through the bond—you definitely owe me one.”
“I don't know if I can answer your questions,” Zion said, avoiding my eyes. “Ask your question, and I'll see if I can answer. Then we'll make this deal.”
I smiled and drummed my fingers on the ground, still warm from the sun. There were so many questions, but I knew he wouldn't answer any of the most important ones, so I started with something simple.
“What's your level?”
He laughed and looked at me, amused.
“Seriously? That was your big question?”
“If you want, I can change it—I have endless personal questions, but I didn't want you running home to hide,” I joked, and he laughed harder.
“Shit. Looks like you've already figured out that I hide under the bed.”
We smiled at each other, enjoying one of the few peaceful moments between us.
“All right, let's get to the answer then,” he said, still upbeat. “My level is 2,900.”
I stared at him. Yes, I just stared at him, motionless against the blue sky and all the clouds watching us. I couldn't say a word—I was shocked.
“How?” I managed to ask, still shaken. “How is that possible? Your level is way beyond normal—actually, it's beyond even what would be considered abnormal.”
“I have some theories about my bloodline, but I've already answered one question. Now it's your turn to share.”
I sighed, nodding. My brain was still trying to process that number, but I forced myself to find my voice.
It was my turn.