- Determination, fortitude, resoluteness...
Fate closed the diary and took a break. He must need sleep. Fate is physically and mentally exhausted, weary from trying and attempting to find answers from his father's diary. The time he wasted was not worth it, but at least he got a clue from the diary. Had Fate never read the diary, he will remain innocent until his very last breath. The time Fate has wasted trying and trying to find the answer was not worth it, but Fate never regretted it nonetheless. He knows he could find it himself. He could uncover it by himself. No one - not even the Eternal Primes and the Overseers can stop him from removing the fog that enshrouds the answer Fate's trying to find.
Fate fell asleep for a bit, trying to gain at least a little bit of energy. He must not completely fall asleep, or he will not be able to attend the training.
"Should I try asking Sir Caeruleus about the diary?" He thinks.
Fate is hesitant about asking Caeruleus about his father's diary. Fate thinks he might invade his father's privacy once he asked Caeruleus about it. Fate knows how his father hates him so much that his father almost took his life last night. Fate has a never-ending curiosity, but he must hold back what he wants to do, or else he might mess things up and escalate the tension between him and his father.
"The answer... it's almost on my hands now, but... but there's something that keeps me from reaching it!" Fate assumes.
Whatever that is, Fate knows he must eliminate that 'something' that separates him from the answer he wants to uncover. He must do something to uncover that answer he wants to get, whatever the cost.
Fate had finally gained strength and got just a little bit of a rest. The sun is about to rise, and he must hurry. He cannot afford to be late on the training day.
Fate opened his bag. He rushed to his closet and took some clothes he will be needing. He carefully packed it inside his bag in an organized way. He reached under his desk and took the pairs of sickle his father gave him and packed it inside his bag along with the clothes he just packed. Fate reached under his bed and took the piggy bank. He smashed it open and he was left with 574 silver coins. It was Fate's largest money he saved, and he must be careful handling that huge amount of money.
It is already 5:30 in the morning - 30 minutes before the training starts. He really needs to hurry. His stomach is empty and Fate never ate any breakfast, even just a coffee. Fate wants to eat, but he will just waste more of his time and he will be late.
He double-checked the time, and it is already 5:45 am. Time's running fast, and he will be late if he never caught up. He double-checked his bag to make sure he never forgets anything important. He will not be going home for a month, and if he forgot something, it will be a mess for him.
He hurriedly went outside and rushed towards the Academy of Tera. It will be a long journey for him if he will never act fast. He bumps everyone in his way, but Fate doesn't care.
He needs to be at the Academy on time as the schedule of the Academy is very strict. Once you are late, you will never have the chance to go inside.
He finally reached the Academy of Tera, and he has barely not made it. He checked the time on his left wrist. It is already 5:59 am. Just in time. He pants rapidly as he drained every bit of his energy trying to reach the Academy of Tera on time. He almost collapsed due to his exhaustion. He drank the water from the well just the east of the gate of the Academy. It refreshed Fate and he gained composure after drinking from the well.
It is time for him to find everyone. They must be forming a line already. He looked everywhere, but it seems that Fate can't find them.
"Wait, I made it on time. Everyone should be here," Fate exclaims. "Did I miss the gathering?? This should be their rendezvous!"
Fate looked around, but his surroundings are empty. No signs of students having social life whatsoever. He must've missed the gathering at the rendezvous.
A man patted Fate's head, "You're here for the training, aren't you?"
Fate just met a man, probably in his thirties, wearing thick armor along with his sword almost as big as his body on his back.
"S-sir Caeruleus?"
Fate met Sir Caeruleus. He was surprised that he is the only student on the rendezvous. "Did I never make it?" He thinks.
"I'm glad you're the one who made it first here, Fate," Caeruleus replied as he takes a sip from the freshly brewed coffee he just made. "You really are dedicated to proving yourself to everyone, aren't you?"
Fate started to wonder, "Wait, I'm the first one to get here?? Wait I thought... I thought I never made it..."
Sir Caeruleus sits down next on the bench just behind him, "Take a seat, kid. Reward yourself and get yourself a little bit of rest."
Fate suddenly sits down. The excitement in his eyes is almost noticeable. The drowsiness he feels after not having enough sleep last night was replaced by a wave of excitement and enthusiasm.
"So, how's your day, Fate?" Caeruleus asked as he takes another sip from his coffee.
Fate excitedly replied, "I-it's uhmm... it's just fine, s-sir..! Not expecting t-to uhmm meet you like t-this!"
"Are you really sure you're fine, kid?" Caeruleus replied as he intently looks at Fate's eyes, "It seems like you haven't taken enough rest."
"N-no, sir... u-uhmm it's really f-fine!!" Fate denies.
Caeruleus reaches something inside his armor. "Here, drink this," Caeruleus reacted as he gives Fate a small glass bottle with a blue-ish substance inside.
Fate opens the bottle. He smelled it and he was left with a fragrant smell that closely resembles a rose with a hint of freshly brewed coffee. Fate takes a sip and he suddenly spits out the substance he drank.
Sir Caeruleus laughed as he saw Fate's face the moment he drank the substance he had just given to Fate.
"It's bitter! Eugh!" Fate exclaims.
"Hah hah hah! You were deceived by its aromatic fragrance, didn't you?
"Try drinking it, kid. You will regain energy in no time. That is a potion I made myself. I made it when I passed The Triplet's Vow."
Fate drank the potion without stopping. He wants to throw up since he doesn't like the taste of what he's drinking.
Fate emptied the bottle. He felt as if he got enough rest last night. The exhaustion and tiredness he's feeling went gone in an instant.
It is already 30 minutes past 6:00. The gates of the Academy have been already closed, yet Fate has not seen a single student from the rendezvous.
Caeruleus placed his palm on Fate's shoulder. "Well well, it seems like everyone doesn't wanna attend this training day." Fate looks at Caeruleus' eyes and replies, "What do you mean...?"
"The moment I said that I will personally train you, the excitement from everyone's eyes faded and vanished. It was, erhhh, replaced with curiosity and regret. The way I see it, it feels like every student inside this academy hates you.
"Instead, they hired personal Peer's Summon to train them. Maybe they wanna train on themselves. Who knows if they trained in groups or they are training by themselves. It was... kind of disappointing, to be honest. I thought I could get to know every student this time."
"W-well uhhh, I could see it too, sir..." Fate replied with a sigh of regret. "I don't even know why they feel it..."
Caeruleus stands up, "Enough talking, kid. We should get started now, shall we?" He faced Fate and gave him his hand. "Hold my hand, Fate. We will be traveling hundreds of kilometers if we tried to walk it. We will teleport to a place where Inzary and I started training.
"Grasp my hand, kid. Do you wanna start?"
"Y-yes, sir Caerule-"
"I can't hear you kid! Do you wanna start?!" Caeruleus interrupted.
Fate's eyes are shimmering from the determination he had just felt. "Yes, sir Caeruleus!! I want to be a better me! I... I won't disappoint you, sir!" Fate shouted out loud.
"That's why I wanna train you personally, kid! That's the spirit I want from you!" Caeruleus replied.
Fate took Caeruleus' hand and grasped it tightly.
"I am expecting this to be interesting, kid. Don't disappoint me!" Caeruleus reacted.
"I wish you good luck, kid..."
Sir Caeruleus closed his eyes. Fate immediately saw it and closed his eyes too. Caeruleus then chants,
"Taxidi sto Agnosto!"
[Taxidi sto Agnosto: a magic spell used by almost everyone in the Kingdom of Tera. It is a magic spell used to teleport into a place someone secretly knows - a private place].
Sir Caeruleus let go of Fate's hand. "We're already here, Fate. I want you to see this paradise."
Fate opens his eyes and he was mesmerized and bedazzled by what he saw. It was something everyone could've dreamed of. What he just saw is a garden full of flowers with vibrant and bright colors. The aroma of the flowers wafted throughout the area. It is so fragrant you could be hypnotized by it. Petals of flowers flew along with the aromatic wind. The sky was clear. The atmosphere was just right for him. It was a sunny day, but it was not as hot as he expected. Not scorching hot for him to be exhausted and be thirsty, and not freezing cold for him to shiver and shudder. Just right for him to stay under the Sun. It was a perfect place for training.
They went for the tree to their north. Fate never thought his training place would be this bedazzling. He cherished every moment just by walking as he know he won't be experiencing this moment again.
They have finally arrived at the tree. They went to the shadow the tree has cast.
"Ahhhhhh," Caeruleus exclaims as he takes a deep breath. "This is relaxing, isn't it, Fate?"
Fate smiles and sits down as he puts the bag beside the trunk of the tree. He replies, "I could only dream of going to this place and never experience it... but... I-I never thought I would cherish this."
"I knew your mind was full of sorrow and despair trying to prove yourself for everyone who can't see your blood, sweat, and tears you have put in your efforts. I thought... maybe I should spoil you a little bit as my trainee, heh heh heh" Caeruleus replied.
Fate got emotional, but he decided to hold it back. He knows it is not the time to be emotional. He took a deep breath to relax and satisfy his emotions a little bit.
"The diary... you have read it, haven't you?" Caeruleus asked Fate.
Fate's heart is racing. How did Caeruleus know what he did last night?
"H-how did you know, sir...?" Fate nervously asked Caeruleus.
Caeruleus sat next to Fate as he removes his chest plate. He replies, "I have cast a spell on that diary the moment your father finished writing his entry on it. It was already five years, and I thought neither you nor your twin, Kismet, would be able to read it.
"I know, Fate. Your mind is full of questions right now. But, I apologize... I can't answer all of them. I promised Escarion that I won't tell anything that had just happened that day.
"However, I could tell you how great your father was." Caeruleus sits down beside Fate and proceeded to state everything he wants to say.
"I have met your father when I was training under The Juvenile's Pledge. I saw your father. He has no friends to help him. I could see from his eyes, he wants to have a companion to help him pass The Triplet's Vow. But... there's something different about him. Something I could always dream of having.
"He continued training on his own. I will stop training just to watch him pour his blood, sweat, and tears training himself. I have watched him too many times, I have adapted some of his moves. Up to this day, I still use that technique he has made of. That's how I idolized your father back then.
"The lack of friendship and companion never stopped him from struggling just to make himself strong. He would skip meals and he would ruin his sleeping schedule just to make himself powerful.
"One day, The Vow of Paladias will occur. The Level 5 entity was so strong not even a single person can defeat it. It would take battalions of Level Threes and Level Fours just to take down that monstrosity. It almost killed me... Its razor-sharp teeth and its drooling mouth almost devoured me... but... but there's one person who became my saving grace.
"It was Escarion... your father, Fate. He helped me escape my inevitable demise. We both defeated the Level 5 entity and we already passed The Juvenile's Pledge. We have become a Peer's Summon at a very young age. I was your age at that time, Fate.
"By the time we were sent to a rendezvous point when we're infiltrating the opposing kingdom, we always have each other's back. Your father was amazing, Fate... he could single-handedly defeat five to seven knights.
"It was until that tragedy happened in this Kingdom. He... he was devastated and he lost himself...
"I don't want to badmouth your father, Fate. But... please... never be your father. Never lose yourself... whatever happens."
Caeruleus looks at Fate's eyes and said, "Fate... the reason I have personally picked you as my trainee is that..." Caeruleus points his index finger at Fate's chest, "...you and your father are the same. I could see and feel the same burning fire of determination inside your heart as what I have seen from your father's.
"You have that potential, Fate. You have that potential as what I have seen from your father's. You just never dedicate yourself enough to it, Fate. Something is holding you back. It's hidden inside you, Fate. You can't just release it."
Caeruleus stands up and goes in front of Fate. He then pulls out a sword from his left waist almost as long as his left elbow. He then stances in a seemingly fighting stance.
"This time, I will pay my life debt from what your father has done to me a long time ago. This time, I will help you progress and I assure you, you will be greater than your father.
"Let's start, shall we?"