Over the following week, Alexander fell into a new routine. He would go to school, talk to Nia if it was possible and spend the rest of the evening sparring with both his father and uncle.
"Again!" a booming voice resounded in the backyard.
Alexander picked himself up and got into a fighting stance. Just this evening he had to do it almost two dozen times already. Unlike his father, uncle Nikolai was way rougher when it came to sparring.
Alexander rushed toward his opponent. He swung his arm forward, aiming for his uncle's abdomen. His attack was blocked by his uncle's palm grabbing his fist tightly.
Instead of trying to break free, Alexander kicked off the ground using his legs. At the same time, he twisted his torso to avoid getting hit by his uncle's knee strike. Using the momentum he gained, he aimed his next kick at Nikolai's head.
Unfortunately, his uncle anticipated the move and dodged it by moving his head slightly. Then, he just released his grip on Alexander's fist. Alexander lost his balance and landed on his back, right on the grassy field.
"Ha!" Alexander exhaled as he jumped up.
When he landed on his feet, Alexander looked up to see Nikolai smirking at him.
"Not bad, quick thinking like this can save your life in a fight." He complimented with pride. "Now, again!"
This time Alexander tried something different. Rather than attacking straight ahead, he changed directions mid-way to evade his uncle's block. His leg slammed into Nikolai's stomach instead, however it felt as if he kicked a literal block of iron.
"Owowowowowowowowowwwwww!"
"Hahahahaha!" Nikolai couldn't stop himself from laughing out loud. "You're getting better every day! That was great!" He congratulated while rubbing his gut. "I even felt something. However, you should learn how to control your attacks a bit more. Don't always rely on speed alone. Look for weaknesses and opportunities. Don't try to butt your head against the brick wall."
Nikolai walked over and helped Alexander to stand up.
"Alright. It will be enough for today. I see that Theo has taught you well. You don't know any kind of particular style but your basic skills are incredible. That might be a good thing, in the future, you will be able to learn various styles with relative ease."
"By the way, uncle, how many meridians did you unlock? At which stage are you?" Alexander asked as he rubbed his leg.
"Hmm? Oh, well I unlocked all of the meridians already." He answered honestly, "And I am currently beyond the Body Tempering Realm. Your father's cultivation is beyond it as well."
"Really?" Alexander gasped in awe. "How far past?"
"Don't think much about it. Better focus on improving. You will naturally learn about inner strength cultivation as you progress." He advised, patting his nephew's shoulder. "Oh yeah, I forgot, you know that Theo and I will have to leave for a reassignment?"
"Ah yes, father mentioned that," Alexander replied.
"Well, don't worry about it too much. We won't be gone longer than a month or so I think." He reassured him. "We'll train together again after our return."
Alexander nodded. He hadn't realized it until his uncle mentioned it, but he was genuinely excited at the prospect of sparring with Nikolai again. The first few sessions were rough because he had very little knowledge of how to use his own power correctly.
With each passing session, he started to understand more and improve significantly. Even without being aware of it, he was starting to love combat. Perhaps it was always in him, and he just wasn't noticing it.
After the last round of sparring, Alexander returned inside to wash himself and get ready for his meditation. Ever after feeling the benefits of it, he was keen on doing it daily. As he passed through the living room, he caught the sound of a news anchor's voice coming from the TV.
"...ports of abnormal weather continue to come in with increased frequency. Just yesterday, seven cases of coastal city flooding were reported. Dr. Hans Cameron of the Imperial Institute of Applied Sciences is our special guest today. Dr. Cameron, what is your opinion on this matter?"
"There isn't much I can say, but I have noticed one interesting detail. This situation is very similar to what humanity has already experienced during the New Dark Age. I think it is the consequences of the Celestial Civil War still showing up in a cyclical manner that affects the wea..."
"The weather is truly weird lately," Alexander muttered absentmindedly as he made his way to the meditation room. "I seem to hear about earthquakes and floods all the time nowadays. Maybe they are connected somehow... Eh. I'll let smarter people figure it out."
As Alexander sat down cross-legged on the floor, he focused on clearing his mind and letting his thoughts flow freely. It didn't take long before his consciousness started to drift away.
***
A weekend flew by and a new week started. Alexander's father and uncle Nikolai left for their assignment that same day, so Alexander was already living by himself for a couple of days. As usual, he woke up and got ready for school. As he was dressing up his gaze fell upon the black smart-watch his father gave him.
"Shucks. I forgot to ask dad to check it. I guess it'll have to wait."
He had a quick breakfast and got to the bus. He didn't feel like running to school today, since as any normal teenager without supervision he made a silly decision to play some online games with his friends deep into the night. Hence he felt particularly sleepy this morning.
As he got into the bus he found a comfortable place to sit and relaxed. The route was rather long so he might as well catch a few winks. The seat he chose was near the engine so it had an added benefit of a relaxing, almost massage-like vibration.
Slowly, he fell asleep, not knowing what this fateful day would bring.