Three days had passed in the blink of an eye, and Finn's training continued as usual. Today, however, a new figure appeared in another formation—one that Finn recognized.
The boy had long black hair that cascaded down to his shoulders, with two sharp eyebrows framing a pair of eyes that radiated an aura of menace. His face was chiseled, with a straight nose and a square jaw. Dressed in an old robe, he was slightly smaller than Abram. This was the person Finn had seen before in the sorcerer's chamber.
"Back again? I wonder if he'll behave this time," someone nearby whispered.
Finn shot a glance at the speaker, somewhat intrigued, but he had little energy to concern himself with others' affairs. With the daily training routines and the sweltering weather, he found himself too occupied to think of anything else.
A massive poster was affixed to the bulletin board at the entrance of the Bloodthirsty Arena, capturing the attention of passersby. Invitations had been sent out, and Dune City was about to welcome an unprecedented event.
"How's that little guy doing? He hasn't caused any trouble these past few days, has he?" Elmo asked Augustus while looking over a report in his hands.
"No, everything is going well with his training. I've already sent a report on his progress to Aelric," Augustus replied respectfully.
"Hmm, what do you think of him?" Elmo inquired again.
"Very dangerous," Augustus answered without hesitation.
"Oh?" Elmo looked up, slightly surprised. "Dangerous? A thirteen-year-old kid? Heh, it's not often we hear you say someone's dangerous, Augustus."
"He possesses an unusual killing intent, something that neither humans nor beasts should have," Augustus said, furrowing his brow, his expression slightly grim.
"What's the matter?" Elmo had never seen Augustus take such a serious interest in a new recruit.
"I don't know why, but I always feel a sense of unease. He gives me a vibe that reminds me of… things that are taboo. Of course, I trust Aelric wouldn't choose someone like that as an apprentice. But… it's just…" Augustus hesitated, unsure of how to articulate his thoughts.
"Hmm, I understand," Elmo replied, closing his eyes and leaning back. "Some things are inevitable, after all. Besides, we can't be sure. Aelric may be a bit reckless, but he's not an idiot. Let's give him the benefit of the doubt."
"Yes, boss. I'll take my leave now." Augustus slightly trembled at Elmo's words, then bowed respectfully before slowly stepping away.
"Ah, time. What I need to do now is buy some time. To hell with the temples and the supreme gods. I don't care about what's forbidden or the 'War of the Gods' from a hundred thousand years ago. I don't have that long to live; my heart only belongs to them." After Augustus left, Elmo slowly stood up and crouched in the corner, mumbling to himself. It was rare for him to not be smoking.
"Boss," Joseph sighed softly, standing quietly in another corner, watching Elmo.
Elmo's eyes shone with an unprecedented light, a chilling blend of deep hatred and profound sorrow.
"The pulse of time keeps beating. History has passed, the future is about to arrive, and a new wave will overturn past patterns. The world will once again enter a beautiful yet tumultuous era full of passion. How wonderful, how wonderful," the sorceress said, alone in the dark little room, gazing at the crystal ball in her hands. Her eerie voice echoed in the empty space.
The night had grown deep, the moon rising higher, as time slipped away unnoticed by the people.
"Is this what they call fate?" Aelric stood up and gently waved the straw in his hand. The previously limp stalk instantly became as rigid as a steel needle.
"You believe in that?" Sinner's biological clock seemed to match Aelric's; he slept during the day and was alert at night.
"It's not about believing; it's about having felt it," Aelric replied with a faint smile. "Didn't you come here because you sensed your fate?"
"Me? Hmm, if you put it that way, maybe you're right, but it also feels wrong." Sinner lay back down, placing his hands behind his head. "There are always things in the world that captivate us. What I care about is what lies behind those fascinating things—what really controls them. Are those things that can deceive people's eyes truly beautiful? Is what lies behind beauty really goodness?"
"Oh? I didn't know you were such a thoughtful person," Elijah suddenly interjected.
"Hey, I thought you were asleep! What's wrong? If someone as pretty as you doesn't get enough sleep, it could affect your looks," Sinner teased.
"Because of a certain someone, I haven't moved much these past few days, so I'm not worried about what one sleepless night will do," Elijah replied nonchalantly, completely unfazed by Sinner's tone.
"I say, you're not here just to watch me clean the cell, are you?" After staring at Elijah for quite some time, Aelric suddenly spoke, making Elijah feel uncomfortable under his gaze.
"Seriously?" Elijah turned away and buried himself in the bed. "I don't have time to watch you. I'm going to sleep."
"You're acting like a shy little girl," Sinner chuckled.
Elijah remained silent.
"The stars seem particularly bright tonight," Aelric remarked, peering through a crack to the sky, though he could only see a sliver of it.
"Is that so?" Sinner replied casually, unable to see the sky from his position.
"Yeah, the stars are bright, but the moon is missing. Today isn't a new moon night; the moon has been acting strangely lately, not as regular as before. Is the Moon Goddess angry?" Aelric mused softly.
"Hey, hey, even though we're in this remote west, it's still wise to watch your words within the realm of the supreme god's temple," Sinner said, sitting up against the damp wall, his voice unusually low.
"What's the difference? Ha, forget it." Aelric shrugged, smiled faintly, glanced at Finn lying beneath the bed, and then rolled into the pile of straw.
At that moment, Finn was fast asleep, utterly exhausted from a day of training, yet he could not stop someone from intruding into his dreams.
"Black-haired devil? What's his name?" Finn pondered in his dream, watching a figure running. He had only seen the writings on the leather paper at the sorceress's place, but he still wasn't sure if that content referred to the boy.
As he gazed into the boy's eyes, something seemed to crash into his mind repeatedly, a primal instinct that stirred deep within him.
The vast Everlasting Wilds experienced only two seasons: the dry season and the rainy season. As time passed, the rainy season was drawing near this year. Although the rainy season wasn't as hot as the dry season, the land composition of the plains made travel very difficult, significantly impacting attendance at gladiatorial events. Therefore, large-scale gladiatorial performances were usually scheduled before the rainy season.
"Hey, do I look like a woman?" During their usual morning training, the black-haired boy suddenly asked someone beside him. The people around him, already anxious and trying to keep their distance, were startled by the unexpected question, causing one of them to jump back in fright, stumbling out of formation and falling to the ground.
"What's wrong? Am I a ghost? You're scared out of your wits," the black-haired boy shot a disgruntled glare at the soldier, making the latter sit back down instead of getting up.
"Damn it, what are you doing, trying to get yourself killed?" Augustus swung his whip, landing a few sharp cracks on the fallen recruit, leaving him screaming in agony as his skin split open.
"Useless piece of trash," the black-haired boy said, wrinkling his brow as he watched the unfortunate recruit. "I was just asking a question. Seriously, it's not like I'm a girl or something. How can a grown man lack the guts to even talk to me?"
"What are you mumbling about?" Augustus shot back, his eyes narrowing as he noticed the blood splattered on his whip.
"Nothing important," the black-haired boy muttered, falling into step with the squad's rhythm as they continued to run forward.
"Damn it, all of you are just troublemakers," Augustus sighed, kicking the fallen recruit again. "Did I hit you a bit too hard?" At this point, the recruit wasn't just reluctant to stand up; he simply couldn't.
"Um... what's the group called that helps people in need? Damn it, after all these years with new recruits, I've never thought about saving anyone. But this batch of kids is different," Augustus complained as he yelled at his subordinates.
"Do I really look like a woman?" The black-haired boy took advantage of Augustus's distraction and switched places with another soldier, squeezing over to Abram's side. He leaned in, hope written all over his face as he asked Abram, "What do you think?"
"Do you want me to say yes or no?" Abram looked at the black-haired boy for a long moment, his brow furrowed as if he were struggling with the question.
"..." The black-haired boy nearly fell over. "No way! I thought you could give me a straight answer. I didn't expect you to be just as unsure."
"Why are you asking that?" Abram asked, puzzled.
"Look, that little guy keeps staring at me, his eyes filled with infatuation," the black-haired boy replied, glancing around before leaning closer to Abram's shoulder, almost like a thief. He initially intended to whisper in Abram's ear, but Abram sharply pushed him away, making a face as if he were about to be sick.
"Infatuation? I don't see it! But it does seem like he's interested in you," Abram said, glancing in the direction the black-haired boy indicated, where Finn was looking back at them. "It's pretty cold. Maybe calling it infatuation makes sense; only a gaze like that would suit you."
"No way, dear Abram, how can you say such things? That's just heartless," the black-haired boy replied, feigning heartbreak.
"Damn it, don't talk to me like that," Abram retorted, reacting in a way that was all too typical.