It was a usual night for the two of them as they prepared for slumber. Eir was on the very edge of the bed, curled up. Bane regretted asking if she remembered that morning; now she seemed even more uncomfortable.
He wanted to reach out and ask her what was wrong, but he feared that anything he said or did might make things worse. So, like strangers, they fell asleep facing away from each other. Bane usually fell asleep quickly—a skill he had developed when he was younger and only had a short amount of time to rest.
But lately, he found himself lost in his thoughts at night, pondering everything imaginable. He kept his eyes shut, imagining scenarios playing out in his mind. What will the training be like? What will floor seven look like?
Soon, however, his thoughts were interrupted by a whisper nearby. "Bane, are you up?" Eir whispered, her voice soft and still turned away from him. His first instinct was to answer, but he decided against it, staying quiet to let her continue.
"Bane," she whispered again. Hearing no response, the covers rustled, and Bane could feel her moving closer. Slowly, she assumed the position she had been in the day before: her head on his chest, her arms over his abdomen, and her leg draped over his.
She's so cold… Bane thought as his warmth was drawn from him. But soon, their body temperatures reached equilibrium, and Eir's breathing relaxed. She became dead weight, clearly asleep. With that distraction gone, Bane lay still, allowing her to enjoy his warmth. Before long, he too drifted off to sleep.
Bane found himself in the dungeon, cornered against a wall. Moments earlier, his katana had shattered as he tried to fight a massive golem. He reached for his backup weapon, but it was nowhere to be found.
What? Where is it? Panic set in as the golems closed in on him. He held the shattered remains of his katana fearfully, quietly accepting his fate.
"Huh!?" Bane jerked awake, breathing heavily, beads of sweat on his cheeks. He quickly looked around before collapsing back onto the pillow.
Just a dream. He regulated his breathing and glanced down at the still-sleeping Eir. Gently, he wrapped his arms around her as he calmed down.
Bane had been prone to nightmares growing up in the hellish environment of his childhood. His mother had always been there to comfort him, but after her passing, the nightmares only worsened. It had taken him a long time to overcome his fears and nightmarish tendencies. Now, they were mostly gone, except for the occasional nightmare like this one.
Maybe it's best to get some basic training first. I don't want my nightmare to become a reality, Bane thought. He wasn't psychic, and the system had mentioned nothing about foresight, but he could easily imagine that nightmare coming true—his sword disintegrating as he tried to attack.
Instead of rushing off to the dungeon, Bane decided to take an extended, much-needed rest. He had a general idea of the time; he usually woke up just after sunrise, and from the light streaming through the window, it wasn't much later than that.
Just a few more minutes, he thought as he fell back asleep. Thankfully, this time, his slumber was calm and peaceful.
Rays of sunlight shone through the window as Eir woke up. In her drowsy state, she stretched with a slight groan. She rested her head back on Bane's chest, but then she realized:
…Bane is still here?! She tried to carefully move away from him, but as her weight shifted, he awoke.
"Good morning, Eir," Bane grunted, stretching his arms. He sighed and turned toward her. She had pulled the covers over her face, peeking out at him.
"G-good morning," she mumbled, her voice muffled by the blankets.
Bane squinted in confusion. "Are you alright?" he asked, tilting his head.
"Yes," she replied, still hiding under the covers, which made Bane chuckle.
"Can you move the covers from your face? There's no need to be embarrassed," Bane reassured her, meeting her eyes. Her hair was sticking out in every direction, and it was hard for him not to laugh, but he knew that would be a mistake.
Eir hesitated, reluctant to move the covers. But it's so embarrassing! Still, she slowly pulled them down, revealing her reddened cheeks.
"Thank you. Did you sleep well?" Bane asked.
Eir averted her eyes and nodded slowly. Bane continued without being prompted, "I slept okay. I had a nightmare… but when I woke up and you were there, I knew everything was fine. Thank you."
He gave her a small smile, and Eir looked up at him with concern. "I'm sorry about the nightmare, but I'm glad you're okay," she managed to say, though her cheeks flushed as she maintained eye contact.
"Well, I must go," Eir said quickly, rising from the bed. She grabbed her hairbrush and began combing through her wild, silky black hair.
"Why?" Bane asked, confused by her sudden urgency.
"I'm going to give the renovator the money and let him know we're ready whenever he is," she explained, dragging the brush through her hair.
"Oh, okay. Well, I'll probably be back soon today. I have training with Mr. Grey, and I'm not going to the dungeon today either," Bane said.
Eir turned to him and smiled. "I understand. You're not part of a big faction, so you can take as many days as you need."
Bane was grateful for her understanding. After exchanging brief goodbyes, Eir got ready and left. Bane lingered in bed for a moment longer before forcing himself to get up. As soon as he left the warmth of the covers, he winced at the cold air and the chill of the floor beneath his feet.
He quickly changed from his sleepwear into his armor, which was holding up well. He inspected it and found no major damage. Instead of his usual back sling, Bane holstered his katana at his waist. It felt unfamiliar at first, but during his walk home from Mr. Grey's the previous day, he had started to get used to it.
After ensuring he had everything and locking the door, Bane set off for Old Grey's. A light frost had settled overnight, leaving a dewy morning in its wake. His walk was peaceful but chilly, the overcast skies and empty streets of Gren adding to the drab atmosphere.
Bane arrived at Old Grey's shortly after leaving home. The doorbell rang, and Mr. Grey emerged from the back room, looking surprised.
"Skipping the dungeon today?" Mr. Grey asked.
Bane nodded. "Yeah, I had a bad feeling that my katana would just break if I didn't get some proper training in technique," he explained.
"I see. Give me a moment, and then we can go," Mr. Grey said, disappearing into the back room. He returned shortly, looking unchanged, and grabbed a katana similar to Bane's from the wall.
"Well, let's get going," Mr. Grey said. Without further questions, he locked the door, placed a "Closed" sign out front, and they headed for the outskirts of the city.
Bane wasn't sure what to expect. Initially, he thought they would train inside the building or perhaps just outside.
Finally, he asked, "Where are we going?"
"To the forest just outside the slums," Mr. Grey replied, walking along the dirt path. "Everything is so cramped in the city, and sometimes it's nice to connect with nature."
"I see…" Bane nodded, not minding the change. The cold would be a bit of a nuisance, but it was nothing he couldn't handle.
The scenery gradually shifted from the impoverished slums to the leafless trees of the forest. Mr. Grey pursed his lips slightly. "I was hoping it would be a little greener," he said with a sigh.
He set down his things and drew his sword, gripping it with one hand as he pointed it at Bane.
"For today, I want to see how skilled you truly are. If you'll indulge me, I'd like to duel you," Mr. Grey said.
Bane had expected something like this. He slowly reached for his sword and nodded. "Okay, I agree."
Bane unsheathed his blade and held it out in a similar stance. In a blur, Mr. Grey attacked. Just barely Bane maneuvered his sword in front of him and with two hands, blocked Mr. Grey's incoming attack.
Though he blocked it, Mr. Grey was just better in ever facet. Bane landed on his back at the brunt of the strike and Mr. Grey announced, "That was good, at least you were able to block it. Not many people could." Mr. Grey put out his hand.
Bane took it and heaved himself up ward, "That was incredible." Bane said, his speed was incredible, but no where near the level of Sol, who could practically teleport. Even though he still laid Bane out on his back.
"Would you like to become like me?" Mr. Grey asked.
Bane nodded, "Yes."
"Then lets start training." Mr. Grey held out his hand for a shake. As soon as Bane and Mr. Grey's hands met, a text box appeared.
[Weapon Mastery Unlocked]
[Katana]