Mark felt guilt, and was also angry at himself for not telling Athan the consequences, he thought Athan would be like most kids.
If he had told Athan about the pain involved in the process, Athan would've given up, Mark knew the reason he hadn't told Athan about the consequences, was because of his own insecurities, his fear that Athan would've left him.
Mark felt that he wasn't worthy of being Athan's mentor, he had doubts about whether he was even qualified to be a mentor.
That fear made him to keep quiet but he still made Athan go through the process, he knew it would've caused Athan to lose his life, but he still went through with it, even if Athan will be pissed at him for this he still did it, he wanted to make Athan stronger with or without his permission.
He didn't want to see Athan dying, but he still made him go through the process that could have made him die.
During the process he thought that Athan would hate him, but all he could feel from Athan was nothing just disappointment, Athan didn't hate him he was just confused about 'why' I made him go through that, even when he was about to die, Athan still didn't hate him.
As Mark witnessed Athan powering through with pure will and barely a shred of resentment towards him, he was shocked, he wanted Athan to despise him for what he did, to hate him for making him nearly die.
As he gazed at Athan eating delightfully, a tear rolled down his eyes which he quickly rubbed off, his chest was suffocated with feelings of guilt and happiness.
He gazed at Athan's grey hair, before looking at the blood on the floor, his happiness waned as his guilt increased, but there were no signs of his emotional changes displayed on his face.
"Burp" Athan patted his stomach with satisfaction evident on his face, which quickly turned to a questioning look he directed at Mark.
Mark unconsciously directed his gaze away before standing up.
"First, I'm sorry for what I did." only those words were said by Mark, before he gazed directly into Athan's heterochromatic eyes.
"But I will stiil put you through that grueling process again as long as it makes you stronger" Mark said with a firm tone while still holding his gaze with Athan, before he later directed them away after a few seconds.
Athan just kept on looking at Mark, confusion etched all over his face, his emotions were in turmoil, but in the depths of his eyes he felt satisfied.
Mark didn't know anything about Athan's inner thoughts, his guilt was still weighing on him, but his gaze was firm , his insecurities might have made him not to disclose information about the subsequent processes, and pain you'd experience before being able to become an aether user.
But he did it, and there's no turning back now, the decision has been made and he has no regrets.
"Okay, I don't know why you didn't tell me about the full process of becoming an aether user, but whatever your reason, I'll beat it of you one day." Athan replied in response, as his words interuptted Mark's thought, he then looked at Athan's spot to see Athan standing, while directing a burning gaze at him, the aether around Athan seemed to lose its qualities as Athan's will burned intensely.
Athan fell to the ground as he was hit on the face by an object, he noticed that what hit his face was clothes.
"Put them on." he heard as Mark's voice drifted in the wind.
"You've got training to do." Athan gazed at Mark's back before standing up, he put on the clothes.
Before dashing into the forest to catch up with Mark.
Mark's figure was like a phantom as it phased through the surroundings at high speed seemingly uncaring of Athan who was behind him.
Athan was running with full speed as his figure was like a bullet tearing through the air.
Mark's figure then came to a halt after some moments, Athan arrived at the spot where Mark was standing and noticed a huge gorilla sitting a few feet away from Mark.
The gorilla was about ten feet tall, it had two protruding horns on it's skull and eyes that were pure black, it possessed four arms, and a rugged back, bulging muscles highlighted it's figure, but most menacingly of all was the Aether flowing around it's body.
Athan's gaze was bewildered, before lighting up as he came to a conclusion, this creature was his training partner.
A smile could be seen on his face before he heard a loud resounding 'boom'. The ten foot tall creature appeared right in front of him, before it threw a punch at him.
He was surprised as to why the creature didn't attack Mark, before he noticed that Mark wasn't even around the premises.
While his thoughts were in overdrive, he raised his arms and positioned them to block the incoming punch, as the punch collided with his arm he was flung a few meters away, before coming to a stop due to the trees he toppled.
The creature appeared again, this time it's four hands were clenched above it's head, as it slammed Athan with it.
The force from the impact between the creature's fist and the ground quaked the surroundings, as a dust cloud was formed.
The gorilla fists could be seen as the dust dispersed, the gorilla's fist were buried deep in a crater that was formed due to the impact caused as the creature's fist made contact with Athan's arms.
A struggling look could be seen on the gorilla's face as it's arms were being raised, it used most of it's strength in retaliation, but that did nothing as it's arms were being raised by a small figure.
Athan could be seen with his arms crossed above his head, the arms of the gorilla were ontop of his, his knees were buckled slightly as he beared the whole weight of the impact.
He gazed up at the gorilla's arms while pushing, he was then disoriented as the weight on his hands disappeared quickly, before he felt a huge impact on his hand, which made the crater bigger, but that wasn't the end as the gorilla was pounding him with it's fist.
The crater was getting bigger and deeper, while Athan just used his arms to keep withstanding the impact, his arms were getting sore as the continuous pounding kept on.
The gorilla-like creature could be seen with a smile on its face, as it kept on pounding Athan.
As it raised it's hands to hit Athan, a blur could be seen rushing out of the dust cloud, before the creature's was sent flying a few meters away.
The blur then landed on the floor, revealing Athan whose arms were red, he gazed at the gorilla-like creature that was already standing up from the floor with no injuries, as he gazed at the gorilla-like creature he saw a small line of text that read, {Skill created : Dash} a small smile forming on his face.