Varian glanced across the training ground, his sharp eyes catching sight of Lior, who was sparring with Baldric. Lior moved gracefully, his strikes precise and fluid as Baldric defended with equal skill. Varian's lips curled into a smirk.
"Lior!" he called out, his voice cutting through the clamor of the training ground. Both Lior and Baldric paused, turning toward him.
Kael immediately stiffened, his grin fading as he realized what was coming. "No," he said quickly, shaking his head. "No, no, no. Not happening."
Varian raised an eyebrow, amused. "What's not happening?"
Kael pointed toward Lior. "I'm not sparring with him. Nope. Not gonna happen."
Varian crossed his arms. "And why not?"
Kael sighed, glancing toward Lior. "No offense," he said, trying to sound polite.
Lior chuckled, wiping sweat from his brow. "None taken."
Kael turned back to Varian, his tone firm. "It's just not a good idea. He's my elder half-brother. It'll get weird. Or worse, I'll hurt him—or he'll hurt me. And you know what? Let's not even go there."
Varian tilted his head, clearly enjoying Kael's discomfort. "So, what do you suggest? You're full of energy today, remember? Surely, you're not chickening out."
Kael rolled his eyes, a hint of frustration creeping into his voice. "I'm not chickening out. I just think... maybe I should spar with you instead."
Selene gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. "Kael! You can't be serious!"
Varian blinked, then threw his head back in a deep laugh. "You? Spar with me? That's rich, Kael. You're a long way from that."
Kael straightened, crossing his arms defiantly. "Why not? If I spar with you, I'll improve faster. Isn't that what training's about?"
Varian's laughter slowed, his smirk returning. "Nice try. But no. Spar with Lior. He's more your level."
Kael groaned, running a hand through his hair. "This is such a bad idea," he muttered under his breath. But seeing Varian's unyielding expression, he knew he wasn't getting out of this one.
Lior walked over, his usual calm smile in place. "Don't worry, little brother," he said lightly. "I'll go easy on you."
Kael narrowed his eyes. "That's exactly what I'm worried about."
Varian clapped his hands, drawing everyone's attention. "Alright, listen up. This will be a hand-to-hand spar. No abilities, no weapons—just pure skill. Got it?" He looked pointedly at Lior, his tone firm. "That includes you, Lior."
Lior smirked, rolling his shoulders. "Got it, Master Varian. No tricks."
Kael let out a small sigh, muttering under his breath. "Yeah, great. No tricks."
Varian ignored him and gestured to the center of the training ground. "Take your positions."
Kael and Lior stepped forward, standing a few feet apart. Lior's stance was relaxed, his movements fluid and practiced. Kael, on the other hand, looked a little stiff, but there was a sharpness in his gaze that hinted he was taking this seriously.
"Ready?" Varian asked, looking between the two of them.
Both brothers nodded.
"Begin!"
Lior moved first, closing the distance with a quick jab aimed at Kael's chest. Kael barely dodged, shifting to the side as he threw a counterpunch that Lior easily blocked.
"Not bad," Lior said, his tone teasing. He stepped back, his movements smooth and calculated, clearly testing Kael.
Kael didn't respond, his focus entirely on Lior's every move. Each step, each shift in weight—it all registered in Kael's mind. He could see the patterns, the flow of Lior's technique.
Lior advanced again, throwing a series of punches and low kicks. Kael dodged and blocked as best he could, but it was clear Lior was more skilled. Every time Kael tried to attack, Lior was already a step ahead, countering with ease.
But then, something shifted. Kael's movements became sharper, more precise. He started anticipating Lior's attacks, dodging with less effort and landing counters that Lior didn't see coming.
Lior frowned, surprised by the sudden improvement. "What the—?" He blocked a swift punch but stumbled slightly when Kael followed up with a spinning kick that grazed his side.
Varian watched from the sidelines, his brows furrowing. "Interesting," he muttered to himself.
Kael didn't let up. His strikes were faster, more controlled, and his footwork had improved dramatically. It was as if he'd been practicing Lior's techniques for years.
Lior gritted his teeth, shifting to a more defensive stance. "Alright, Kael," he said, a little breathless. "Where did this come from?"
Kael smirked, not answering. He pressed forward, forcing Lior to block and evade as the fight tipped in Kael's favor.
The onlookers around the training ground murmured in confusion. "Isn't Lior supposed to be better?" one of the guards whispered.
"Kael was struggling a minute ago," another said. "Now he's dominating."
By the time Varian called out, "Enough!" Lior was panting, his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. Kael, on the other hand, stood tall, barely breaking a sweat.
Lior looked up at his younger brother, his expression a mix of frustration and grudging admiration. "You've been holding out on me," he said, his voice low.
Kael shrugged, his smirk returning. "Guess I've been learning faster than I thought."
Varian stepped forward, his sharp eyes fixed on Kael. "Faster, huh?" he said, his tone neutral. "We'll see about that."
Kael met his gaze but said nothing, keeping his secrets to himself.
Varian walked to the center of the training ground, clapping once to get everyone's attention. "Alright, that's enough for today," he announced. "Kael, you're done. Go cool off and call it a day."
Kael nodded, his usual grin turning smug as he glanced at Lior. Without saying a word, he turned on his heel and walked away, his head held high.
Lior straightened, still catching his breath as he wiped the sweat from his brow. "Guess I'll get back to it," he muttered, shooting a glance at Baldric, who was waiting nearby.
Baldric, however, looked stunned. "You lost to Kael?" he asked, disbelief clear in his voice.
"It was just a spar," Lior replied, brushing off the comment. "And he's… improving faster than I expected."
Baldric shook his head, still processing what he'd seen. "Improving faster? He made you look like a rookie by the end."
Lior rolled his eyes, motioning for Baldric to get ready. "Are we sparring, or are you just going to keep talking?"
Meanwhile, as Kael disappeared from sight, Varian turned toward Queen Selene, who stood watching from the edge of the training ground. Her expression was unreadable, but there was a tension in her posture that hadn't gone unnoticed by Varian.
He approached her, his tone low but curious. "Are you sure he's pathless?"
Selene blinked, caught off guard by the question. "Yes," she said firmly, though there was a flicker of doubt in her eyes.
Others nearby nodded in agreement, murmuring confirmations.
Varian frowned, crossing his arms as he looked back toward where Kael had been moments ago. "I'm not so sure. Either he's awakened a completely new Path we've never seen before, or…" He paused, his voice thoughtful. "Or he's just a once-in-a-lifetime genius. Either way, there's more to him than we realize."
Selene's lips slowly curled into a wide smile. For a moment, she said nothing, her eyes sparkling with an emotion that could only be described as pride. Then, without warning, she burst out laughing, the sound echoing through the training ground.
The onlookers turned to stare, confused by the sudden outburst, but Selene didn't care. She waved them off, her laughter finally subsiding as she wiped a tear from her eye.
"All my worries," she said softly, almost to herself. "Gone. That boy… he's going to get everything that belongs to him."
Varian raised an eyebrow, intrigued by her reaction, but he said nothing. Instead, he turned his attention back to the training ground, where Baldric and Lior had resumed their sparring.
Selene stayed where she was, watching the scene with a serene smile. For the first time in a long while, her heart felt light.