She pulled the blanket tighter around herself. "You left. We thought you were gone for good. Then you co back, and you don’t talk to anyone. You disappear again. And when you do talk, it’s like you’re not all the way here."
"I’m not—" He paused. "I’m here."
"You sure?"
rlin’s gaze dropped to the floor between them. The old hardwood creaked just slightly under his heel.
’I didn’t ask for any of this.’
A soft ping echoed in the back of his mind.
[System Notification: Physical Adaptation 27% — Skill Lock in place. Estimated ti to next Unlock: Unknown.]
He blinked it away.
"What’s going on with you?" she asked. Her tone didn’t rise. Didn’t snap. It was just quiet. Honest.
He swallowed. "It’s hard to explain."
"Try ."
He looked up. Her expression wasn’t soft. It wasn’t angry either. Just... focused. Present.
He ran a hand through his hair.
"There are things I saw," he said. "Things I... can’t forget."
"Labyrinth stuff?"
"Yeah." His jaw tightened. "And after."
Elara didn’t push. Didn’t scoot closer either. She just stayed where she was, watching him like she was trying to gauge which version of him had co back.
"I’m not the sa," he said. "But I’m not broken."
She tilted her head. "You sure about that second part?"
He gave her a look.
She shrugged. "Just asking."
A long silence hung in the hallway. Sowhere behind them, a wall clock ticked too loud.
Finally, rlin stood. "I should sleep."
She nodded but didn’t get up. "Okay."
He turned to his door.
Paused.
Then looked back.
"I’m glad you’re here," he said. "Waiting."
Elara shrugged again, but this ti her eyes didn’t look away. "Soone has to."
He stepped inside his room and closed the door gently behind him.
And for the first ti in days, he let out a breath that didn’t feel like a lie.
—
The training field behind the complex wasn’t fancy. Just a flat stretch of scorched dirt and grass patches, surrounded by what used to be fencing. So of the posts still stood. Most didn’t.
rlin kicked a rock off the field and cracked his knuckles. "You ready?"
Nathan stood a few feet away, stretching his arms overhead. "For what? You dragged out here without a word."
"Exactly," rlin said. "That’s how you know it’s serious."
Nathan groaned. "I should’ve faked sleep."
rlin tossed him a wooden blade. "But you didn’t."
Nathan caught it one-handed. "Why wood?"
"You’re not cutting anything today. You’re just trying not to get wrecked."
Nathan made a face. "That sounds worse."
rlin turned, facing him fully. The sun hadn’t risen high yet, which ant the ground hadn’t started baking, and the breeze still carried a bite. Better ti than most.
"I need to test a few things," rlin said.
"On ?"
"You volunteered."
"I really didn’t."
rlin rolled his shoulders, sliding into stance. "You ready or not?"
Nathan gave a shrug, stepping forward, raising the sword casually. "Sure. Hit with whatever you’ve got."
rlin didn’t say anything. He stepped in, blade low, movent fast and quiet.
Nathan blocked, but just barely. The impact knocked him back half a step.
"What the hell—" he muttered. "You weren’t this fast before."
rlin adjusted slightly. No words. No taunt. He just ca again. Different angle. Faster.
Nathan gritted his teeth and blocked. This ti he stumbled. "Okay, okay, what are you eating lately?"
’System’s unlocking combat reflexes slowly. Strength’s up. Speed too. Not by a lot. Just enough to make it feel unfair.’
[System Notification: Rathan’s Martial Insight (Tier 1) – Synchronized: 19%]
He felt the shift in his own body like a second pulse running underneath his first. A rhythm that didn’t co from instinct, but mory.
He pressed forward, feinted left, then ducked right.
Nathan twisted, tried to track him, but he was late.
rlin’s wooden blade tapped his side. Not hard. Just enough to prove the point.
Nathan groaned and straightened. "Okay. What the actual shit. You’re not pulling moves you learned in school."
rlin stepped back. "Didn’t say I was."
Nathan wiped his forehead with the back of his sleeve. "What the hell happened to you in the Labyrinth?"
rlin hesitated. Just a second.
"I trained," he said.
Nathan gave him a flat look. "In hell?"
rlin shrugged.
’I’m not lying.’
He circled again. Nathan raised his blade, but the frustration was showing now. His stance was tense, reactive.
rlin could see the lines forming in real ti—his footing, his shoulder roll, the twitch of his jaw right before he moved.
It felt... wrong.
Not Nathan’s form. The ease. The understanding.
Like he’d fought Nathan a thousand tis already and this was just going through the motions.
He blinked hard. Pushed the thought down.
’It’s not . It’s Rathan. System’s blurring the line too fast.’
"Co again," he said, loosening his grip. "This ti, don’t hold back."
Nathan huffed. "Oh yeah. Because clearly I’ve been winning here."
But he ca anyway.
The clash was sharper. Stronger. Nathan’s blade swung with real weight this ti, and rlin let the pressure hit. He absorbed it, countered once, twice.
Nathan pushed him back a few steps.
Then, he dropped low, swept a leg out.
rlin jumped it.
’Nice.’
But Nathan didn’t stop. He ca up with a thrust, forced rlin to deflect.
Then grinned. "Getting tired?"
rlin breathed out slow. "Barely warming up."
Nathan laughed, short and sharp. "Liar."
They traded a few more hits before rlin dropped the act and disard him cleanly.
Nathan stood there, breathing hard, looking at his empty hands. "What the hell are you, man?"
rlin lowered his blade.
’Good question.’
"Still ," he said. "Just... sharper."
Nathan looked him over, quiet for a second.
"You’re not slipping, right?" he asked, voice lower. "You’re not doing that thing people do when they lose themselves in power?"
rlin t his eyes. "I’m not."
Nathan nodded, slowly. "Okay."
rlin turned to the horizon, jaw tight.
[System Notification: Combat Synchronization increased. Rathan’s Physical Flow: Tier 1 – Synchronized 33%]
He exhaled.
’It’s gonna get harder to hide this.’
But for now?
He just handed Nathan back his sword.
—
Nathan ca at him again. Sa form. Sa grip. Just a little more desperate now.
rlin watched the blade arc, eyes calm, arms loose at his sides. He didn’t block.
He stepped in.
Nathan’s strike went wide. rlin was already inside the guard. Elbow to ribs, soft, not enough to hurt, just to remind.
Nathan stumbled back, coughing.
"Okay," he wheezed. "What the hell was that?"
rlin tilted his head. "You left your side open again."
"I didn’t. I an—I did, but you didn’t even look at it. You just knew."
rlin gave a small shrug. "Lucky guess."
Nathan squinted at him like he was trying to do math. "Dude. I’ve seen you fight. Before the Labyrinth. You weren’t—" He waved at him vaguely. "This."
rlin didn’t answer.
He was already spinning the practice blade in his hand, idle. Just to keep the tension out of his fingers. His body still wanted to move, still buzzed with the undercurrent of a fight it hadn’t been allowed to finish.
’Rathan’s instincts don’t switch off. Even when I tell them to. System said "unlocking," but this feels like full access.’
[Synchronization: Rathan’s Battle Flow – 45%]
[Warning: Host body nearing limit. Physical strain accruing.]
’No shit.’
Nathan ca in again, this ti more reckless. rlin caught the blade with his forearm, ducked low, and pivoted behind him before Nathan even knew what happened.
"Co on," Nathan muttered, panting. "Don’t hold back. I can take a few bruises."
"You sure?" rlin asked quietly.
Nathan turned to answer, and rlin moved.
Fast.
Faster than he should’ve. Three steps, one feint, blade to Nathan’s throat.
Not pressing. Just there.
Nathan froze.
"...okay," he said after a long second. "That’s new."
rlin dropped the blade.
"I’m done."
Nathan lowered his arms, rubbing his neck. "What the hell, man."
"I told you."
"No, you didn’t. You said you trained. You didn’t say you trained with ghosts or so shit."
rlin didn’t laugh. He just sat down on the edge of the field, elbows resting on his knees.
Nathan stayed standing. Still catching his breath.
"You’re not gonna tell , are you?" he asked finally.
rlin didn’t look at him.
’What would I say? "Hey, I inherited the muscle mory of a genocidal war god locked in my system. Also, I died for a bit. Also, I think the gods are watching."’
"No," he said out loud.
Nathan grunted. "Cool. Love the transparency."
He flopped down in the grass next to rlin. Their shoulders didn’t touch, but the weight of the spar hung there between them like another person.
"Are you okay, though?" Nathan asked after a while.
rlin blinked. "What?"
"Are you okay?" Nathan repeated. "Like, in the head. I know what it looks like when soone’s pretending to be fine."
rlin’s throat tightened. Just a little.
’It’s too early in the day for this.’
"I’m not broken," he said.
"That’s not what I asked."
rlin looked at the sky.
"It’s not that simple."
Nathan exhaled through his nose. "It never is."
They sat in silence for a few more minutes.
Then rlin stood.
He needed to move. Think. Breathe.
[New Quest: Control the Flow]
[Objective: Reach 60% Synchronization without exceeding physical strain threshold.]
’Perfect.’
He turned slightly. "We’re doing this again tomorrow."
Nathan raised a brow. "You trying to train or humiliate ?"
rlin cracked a dry smile. "Both."
Nathan stood. Groaned. "I hate you."
rlin didn’t answer.
He was already walking back toward the complex, grip still flexing like it couldn’t quite forget the feeling of holding a blade.
And sowhere behind his eyes, Rathan’s muscle mory whispered:
That wasn’t a fight. That was a warm-up.
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