The air was thick with anticipation as I stepped out of the mental training room, the familiar weight of my mind settling into place after what felt like an eternity of training. Every muscle in my body ached, and yet, there was a strange lightness to my steps, as though I had shed an old skin. I could feel it—the shift, the change that had been slowly taking root within me. My will had been forged, tempered by the hardships and lessons I had endured. I was ready for what was to come next.
As I walked into the quiet courtyard, I found him waiting.
Qin Shi Huang stood in the center of the courtyard, his expression unreadable as always. His usual golden robes had been replaced by a simple, yet regal combat attire. The weight of his presence hit me like a wave, and for the first time, I felt as though the distance between us had truly narrowed. His eyes now covered by a blindfold caught my attention. The same blindfold he always wore during our training.
I stopped in my tracks, something stirring inside me.
He had never asked my name.
Despite all the time we had spent together, despite everything I had learned from him, he had never once asked me who I was. Not once had he cared about where I came from, what my goals were, or who I used to be. He had simply taught me, shaped me, and pushed me to my limits without hesitation. I had always wondered why.
Now, standing before him, I couldn't hold the question back.
"Teacher…" I began, my voice steady despite the weight of the moment. "Why did you never ask my name? Or anything about me?"
Qin Shi Huang's gaze flickered toward me, and for the briefest moment, something akin to understanding passed through his eyes. He didn't speak immediately, letting the silence linger between us, the air thick with his presence. When he finally answered, his voice was calm, but there was an underlying weight to his words.
"I waited for you to introduce yourself."
His words settled into me like a stone sinking into still water. He hadn't needed to know my name, my past, or my identity. All he had needed was for me to recognize who I was, what I had become under his tutelage, and to speak that truth for myself.
I swallowed, my throat dry despite the cool night air.
I wasn't sure what I expected, but hearing those words from him—something about it made everything fall into place.
"I see," I said, finally understanding.
I took a deep breath, stepping forward, and knelt for a moment, my hands pressed firmly against the stone of the courtyard. "Teacher, I want to thank you. For everything. For all the lessons, the guidance, the hardships you put me through. I couldn't have come this far without you."
There was no outward sign of emotion from Qin Shi Huang, but the way he stood there, told me that my words were enough. His approval was there, hidden beneath the surface, unspoken but understood.
Then, to my surprise, he reached into the folds of his attire and produced something from within—a blindfold. The same as the one he wore. He held it out to me, his eyes unwavering.
"If you best me," he said, his voice low, almost reverent, "and truly gain the power of my eyes, it will grant you vision as well as pain. It is the price you must pay.That is why you will need this."
I took the blindfold, feeling its weight in my hands. The fabric was soft, but i could feel the burden it carried, the strength woven into its fibers. I had heard of his power—the ability to see beyond what others could perceive—but it came at a cost, one I had already felt in every fiber of my being.
"You've already learned to be blind most of the time," Qin Shi Huang continued, his voice a steady calm that belied the intensity of his words. "Your training has already forged your mind to endure that pain. This blindfold will only serve to make it complete."
I tied the blindfold around my head, the cloth tight but not uncomfortable. The darkness was instant, and for a moment, I stood still, allowing the weight of everything I had learned to settle into place. The forms, the mindset, the will—it all came together, melding into one, sharpening my senses beyond what I had known before.
I took a step back and felt the rush of air around me, the subtle shift of the courtyard beneath my feet. I was no longer the same person who had first walked into this world. I wasn't just some lost soul. No, I was more now. I was the successor. One who is capable of leading others.
I straightened, feeling the power within me coalesce into a singular purpose.
"My name is Christopher," I said, my voice steady and filled with certainty. "I am the successor of the Emperor, where it all began."
Qin Shi Huang's eyes, even hidden behind his own blindfold, seemed to glimmer with an unreadable intensity. He gave a single nod, the faintest hint of approval in the air.
"Very well," he said, his tone hardening, his body shifting into a battle-ready stance. "If you truly believe that, then you must prove it. Let us see if you have the strength to back those words."
Without another word, he moved.
I didn't hesitate. I reacted, the forms I had spent so long learning surging through me in an instant. The Heavenly Hand of Defense met his first strike, the force of his blow shaking my arms but not breaking my stance. I knew, in that moment, that this would be the true test. Not just of my strength, but of everything I had become under his watchful eye.
The battle had begun.