Silence. The environment was completely silent, it didn't even seem like there was a crowd a few meters above. Kayden automatically started going back the way he came. His mind was still going through what just happened.
More specifically, your feelings and emotions in the fight. Little by little, he realized that it really wasn't intentional on his part. His fighting style aimed to disable his opponent quickly and lethally.
"Fighter, place your sword on the altar." Kayden was ready to leave when he heard the genderless voice call out to him. His mind was so clouded that he forgot that little detail.
Placing his sword on the altar and injecting mana, his katana returned to its normal appearance.
"Sir, what about the clothes and the mask?" Kayden asked politely.
"They are yours until you retire or need to replace them. We want our competitors to maintain the same image to the public." Kayden thanked him automatically and went back on his way.
After returning to the entrance, Kayden found himself lost. He decided to wait for Shang and continued reflecting on what just happened.
A few minutes later, a drunk blond can be seen appearing down the hall.
"Kayden, boy!" The man smiled from ear to ear and sobbed. "You made me a rich, filthy rich man, boy!" Shang was laughing to himself as if it was the happiest day of his life.
we 'll talk later , okay?" Kayden asked bluntly. His tone was enough for Shang to realize something had happened. The moment the katana hit his opponent's neck, Shang started celebrating like a lunatic.
He didn't get to see the moment when the boy was lost on stage. Getting rid of his drunkenness with a simple spell, he acquired a serious tone.
"Come with me." The blonde began to lead the way without saying anything. He was going over what happened in his mind. The silence lasted until they reached the cart.
"Do you want to tell me something, Kayden? I'm open to anything you need." Shang broke the silence after being unable to think of what could have affected the boy.
Kayden thought for a few seconds. He didn't feel comfortable enough to open up to Shang. Kayden probably only had one person in this world with whom he could fully open up.
"There is nothing, Shang, thank you. I just need a little time." Kayden forced a smile that they both knew was fake.
"Okay, Kayden, but just know that I'm here, okay? I take care of mine." Again, silence was imposed between the two. This time, it lasted until they found themselves facing a door identical to the hotel's.
Shang stood up and began to lead the way. The door led to what appeared to be a fully furnished underground apartment. Without a doubt, they were not in the same place Kayden came from.
It was a small space, with just a living room and kitchen. Strangely, there was no bedroom. Everything seemed to be artificial, it did not appear to have been inhabited by people in recent times.
"Don't be surprised, there are several such spots in the city." Shang said with a smile and handed a booklet to Kayden. "Here are the entry and exit points, when you have time, take a look at them all."
"Don't I need an amulet to get in or out?" Kayden remembered perfectly that all doors needed to be opened with the object and mana. Shang made a face like he messed up.
"I forgot about that, I will find you tomorrow and take you to make your amulet. You've already been validated by the administration, so you can enter without one of those strangers in masks." Shang apologized with an embarrassed smile.
" I won't be in town tomorrow , Shang. Leave it for Monday, ok? I'll wait for you in front of the school." The blonde didn't force Kayden, the two headed towards the exit. The residential building faced a train station, it was probably designed by Shang to make it easier for the boy.
"Thank you for everything, Shang. I hope we have a good collaboration." Kayden thanked him for the offer as he said goodbye to the man.
"It's okay, Kayden. Monday we'll talk about money, right?" Kayden didn't even remember that detail and thanked Shang again with a smile. As soon as he turned to enter the train, his smile disappeared.
As he walked home, Kayden thought about what to do now. He only had one person who could help him in this situation, someone he had come to trust with his life in recent years.
........
A man along with a child could be seen sitting at a table, on one side there was wine and pizza and on the other just pizza. The two were in a small isolated mansion outside the city.
"You can start, Kayden." David poured himself a glass of wine and focused his attention on the boy. He had never seen his friend so upset since he met him. Kayden organized his thoughts and began:
"For some reasons I can't say, I almost killed someone and it's playing on my mind." Kayden said it directly and quickly, his words shocked the scientist, he didn't expect something like that.
"Was it a fight? What did he do to deserve this?" David tried to get more information.
"It was a struggle, I can't say much more, David." The penny dropped for the scientist that it was probably because of a contract. He was silent before continuing:
"What do you feel? Fault? Repentance?" The scientist expressed some plausible emotions the boy might have.
"No, I don't feel anything, just that I did something wrong, but it wouldn't exactly be guilt or regret." It was difficult to express feelings in words, even the ones humans made did not fully express what they meant.
"This is normal, Kayden. I remember when I killed for the first time." David seemed to be overcome by memories. "I had nausea, headaches and panic attacks." Kayden never imagined that the scientist had gone through something like this.
"I killed just because I was offended and I was stronger, like a hot-headed idiot. Of all the people I killed, that was the only one that haunts me..." Before he could continue, Kayden interrupted him.
"I thought you were just a scientist, David." The image of David fighting and killing other people seemed strange in Kayden's head.
"The higher you go in the magical world, the more you need to fight, Kayden. No matter what class or what you chose to do, at one time or another you will need to demonstrate strength or they will eat you alive." The scientist's eyes sparkled as he replayed his memories.
The two remained silent for a few minutes, David while remembering his past and Kayden while respecting his friend's moment of reflection.
"The first is the hardest, then it gets easier and easier until a moment when it no longer means anything to you." His voice had a certain regret. "But your problem is time, Kayden. Just give it time and you will improve."
It seemed like an ambiguous answer, but they both knew that time could heal much of the pain. In Kayden's case, it was more of a reality check really. It was a situation he had never been through.
"You're going to kill someone at one point or another, Kayden, and you're going to have to live with it." David muttered to a quiet Kayden.
"I know, David."
.....
Kayden returned Sunday from David's house after spending time with his friend. Talking about his experiences helped Kayden understand what he needed to do and how to react if it happened.
On Monday, the boy woke up normally and did his usual routine. Then he headed to the school. He still needed to talk to Shang. Last time, he was so upset that he forgot many details.
Kayden arrived at 10 am and waited for his patron. The hours passed while the boy cultivated. Around 3 o'clock in the afternoon, a groggy Shang appeared in front of Kayden.
His clothes were all bulging and his hair looked like a rat's nest. It looked like the man had just woken up after a long night of drinking. Letting out a yawn, he greeted Kayden:
"Good morning, Kayden. I hope it has improved." The words came out elongated along with the yawn.