(Please read Author's thoughts.)
"Sure, go for it."
A few others too got their personal weapons out, and there was even a guy who used daggers for this.
I drew my bow from my back, and tried to focus on the job ahead of me.
"Targets set. Five shots each. No pressure, but if you miss all your shots, you'll be running laps until your aim improves." Instructor Gale announced.
Cain grinned, and turned towards me."No pressure at all, huh?"
"Yeah, there is no pressure at all. For me, at least." I smirked at him.
His grin grew wider. "Overconfident much?"
"I learned from the best at it." I said, keeping my smirk.
I turned towards my lane, took a deep breath and aimed down the sight.
Focus. Breathe in. Steady your grip. Exhale. Fire.
That was what his uncle taught him, and I am him now.
Swish.
The first shot hit bullseye.
Swish.
Second shot, close but not a bullseye.
Swish.
Third shot, bullseye.
Swish.
Fourth shot, bullseye again.
Swish.
Last shot, bullseye once again.
A wave of silence followed as I lowered my bow.
"...Damn," Cain muttered.
A lot of people looked at me in shock, wondering how I did that.
Even Instructor Gale looked mildly surprised before he nodded. "Not bad, not bad at all. But I didn't expect you would score 4 out of 5, Preto. Either you are one lucky man or you've been training in secret."
I gave a small shrug, still trying to process it myself. "Just practiced a lot, I guess."
Ruby, a few spots down, gave me an impressed nod. "Nice shooting."
"Looks like we got ourselves a hidden ace." Cain whistled.
I wasn't sure if I'd call myself an ace, but one thing was clear, Douglas Preto's instincts were becoming my own.
And I wasn't sure how to feel about that.
***
After all the classes ended, I went towards the entrance of the mall.
Although normal people weren't allowed to visit their relatives or friends within Bless, there was one exception to this rule.
High ranking military figures.
And fortunately or unfortunately, my uncle, Darius Preto, was a high ranking military officer. Specifically, General of the eastern army corps.
As I approached the entrance of the mall, my stomach ached with unease.
Even with the memories flooding my mind, even with the instincts and experiences of Douglas Preto starting to settle into my body, I still couldn't shake the deep rooted anxiety that came with the thought of meeting Darius Preto.
The man was more than just my uncle, he was one of the strongest people I knew, and my mentor from childhood.
Yet, he was a strict, ruthless soldier who expected nothing less than excellence from his nephew.
And now, I was that nephew.
I gulped.
I spotted him immediately. It was hard not to spot him when he had such a massive figure, towering over even the 6 foot security guard near him.
He was within a military uniform, looking menacing even if it wasn't his intention. His eyes scanned the area, and locked onto me the moment I stepped within view.
His presence alone was enough to make people instinctively stand straighter, speak quieter, and step out of his way.
I swallowed the lump in my throat and walked up to him, keeping my expression neutral.
"Uncle." I greeted, standing with my posture out of habit- no, out of his habit.
Darius eyed me up and down, then scoffed. "At least you don't look like a complete disgrace. That's a good start."
Ah, right. This was how he showed affection.
"Good to see you too." I said.
He raised an eyebrow. "You're getting bold. I expected you to flinch or stutter like usual."
How was I so dumb? Even when I got his memories, I still couldn't act like him.
I started sweating buckets. He noticed that I changed.
"Maybe I'm just finally growing up." I replied casually.
He looked at me, up and down. His gaze was chilling, as if he could see right through my soul.
Then, without any warning,
Whoosh
He shot his fist forwards towards me.
My body moved before I could think.
I leaned to the side, barely dodging the strike, but I could feel the wind grazing my face.
Shit. He realised I am not his nephew. I am gonna di-
A small smirk was plastered at his lips. "Good. Your reflexes haven't dulled at least."
Phew, he isn't going to kill me.
"Was that really necessary?" I asked.
"If you couldn't dodge that, you would've proven yourself as a waste of my time." He crossed his arms.
"But it seems you've been keeping up. Maybe even improving."
I forced a chuckle. "Guess I had good training."
Darius's smirk faded slightly. "We'll see about that. Come, we have much to discuss."
With that, he turned and walked toward a quieter part of the mall, expecting me to follow without question.
I indeed did follow him. Because even if I had my own mind, my own past…
There was no escaping the fact that I was his nephew now.
As we walked, the tension in my shoulders refused to ease.
Darius wasn't a man of unnecessary words.
If he called me out here, it meant there was something important. Whether that was a lecture, a test, or something else entirely, I didn't know yet.
He led me to a small, quiet cafe hidden away from the main attractions of the mall. It was surprising. He never seemed like the type to enjoy places like this.
Without a word, he took a seat by the window. I followed suit, still on edge.
A waitress approached, looking nervous but she still continued coming forward.
"W-What can I get for you, sir?" she asked, clearly scared by his presence.
"Coffee. Black." He didn't even glance at the menu.
The waitress nodded quickly and turned to me. "And for you, sir?"
I hesitated. Normally, I would've ordered something like a latte, but Douglas Preto wouldn't. "Uhh... give me the same as my uncle."
Darius raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
The waitress hurried off, and an unsettling silence was between us.
I shifted in my seat, contemplating in my mind on what I should say.
"Tell me, you fool. What is your goal?"