The man tilted his head, a quiet smile curving his lips—gentle, but not without mystery.
"Apologies for the delay," he said smoothly. "My name is Dam…" He paused, then corrected himself with a faint shrug. "I mean Kael."
Ophelia's brow tensed. The name barely registered. It was his presence—unsettling, out of place—that made her pulse quicken.
She fired off her questions like arrows.
"I didn't ask for your name," she snapped. "Who are you really? What are you doing here? And what was so funny? Do I look like a joke to you?"
His smile lingered, calm and unreadable.
"Lower your sword," he said, "and we'll talk properly."
She hesitated, then slowly let the wooden blade drop.
"Talk. I'm not here to play games."
Kael touched his lips, as if weighing his words.
"Why the rush?"
Ophelia didn't answer. Her stance remained guarded.
He continued, voice light but deliberate.
"How about a deal?"
She narrowed her eyes.
"A deal? With someone I don't know?"
He tilted his head again.
"What makes me so unknowable?"
She looked him over, suspicion sharp in her gaze.
"Everything. The way you look. The way you just appeared like a thought I didn't ask for. You don't belong here."
Kael chuckled softly, his gaze steady.
"Trust isn't required. Just need. I'll teach you how to fight. In return… I stay close."
Ophelia blinked, thrown off by the simplicity of it.
"Stay close? What, you want to move in?"
A flicker of mischief lit his eyes.
"Didn't expect you to offer so soon."
She sighed, clearly unimpressed, her stare locking with his.
"Talking to you is exhausting. Just answer me—can you actually fence?"
Without a word, Kael stamped the ground and lifted a sword from beside him, pointing it at her with practiced ease.
She barely had time to react before her footing slipped—but he was faster, catching her before she hit the ground.
He held her steady, a smirk tugging at his mouth.
"So? Still not convinced?"
Ophelia shoved him back, her eyes sharp with defiance.
"I don't need your help. And I don't want you near me."
But Kael grabbed her wrist firmly, stopping her from pulling away, his gaze steady and serious, carrying the weight of truth.
"Everything around you is chaos — even your swordsmanship is unstable. Are you sure you'll last long? Haven't you noticed? Your skills aren't improving. Do you know why? Because your body lacks a vessel to hold mana. Your abilities can't grow without it. You need me."
She tried to break free but hesitated, her voice tinged with disappointment.
"Fine… the deal, or whatever it is. Let's do it."
She knew well her life wouldn't get better, that she'd sink deeper into despair. Even if this stranger worsened her misery, she couldn't refuse. Saying no would mean exposure — the end of everything she'd fought so hard to build.
Since that day, Kael began appearing at Ophelia's training sessions like clockwork. No knock on the door, no sound of footsteps—just a sudden materialization, as if he were born from the very shadows surrounding her.
She glared at him, arms crossed with visible annoyance.
"Are you some kind of ghost? How do you always appear without a sound?"
Kael gave her that infuriatingly sly smile she was slowly growing used to, stepping closer with deliberate ease.
"If I were a ghost, would you fall for me? No worries—I wouldn't mind haunting you."
Without warning, he reached out and took her hand, brushing his lips lightly across her fingertips. His eyes studied her face with a subtle boldness that made her skin prickle.
She yanked her hand back, her face flushing with quiet irritation.
"This wasn't part of the deal. I didn't agree to that. Now answer me—what did you mean when you said my body lacks a vessel for mana?"
His expression shifted. The grin faded, replaced by a brief, unreadable stillness. He sighed softly, as if the truth weighed more than he was ready to say.
"Mana, Ophelia, isn't just energy. It's awareness—a raw spirit that needs a vessel to contain it… a home, if you will. But you…"
He paused, his eyes finally shedding all traces of mockery.
"You're just a shell. Rootless. Hollow."
Her eyes narrowed with suspicion. "Are you saying I'm worthless?"
Kael met her gaze again, this time without the usual smirk—his voice steady, almost gentle.
"I'm saying you're empty."
He stepped closer, the air between them thick with something unspoken.
"And I can be that vessel. That source of strength. This deal—it isn't just about training. It's about fusion. You and me."
Ophelia took a cautious step back, her brows furrowing as she tried to read his face.
"Fusion?" she repeated the word like it left a bitter taste. "That's not what I agreed to."
Kael's smile returned, but there was no arrogance in it now—only a flicker of something that felt like sorrow.
"Maybe not. But you need it. Without a vessel, you'll stay stuck—trapped in stagnant power. You can train until your bones give out, but you won't gain anything. The mana will keep rejecting you…"
He paused again, softer now.
"…because you simply don't belong to it. Not yet."
"And what exactly do you gain from all this?" she asked sharply.
"Perhaps... more than you think," he replied without hesitation, turning slightly away. His voice dropped, tinged with something almost vulnerable. "Maybe... a chance to be free, too."
Silence fell between them, thick and uncertain.
Ophelia studied him carefully, her eyes glinting not with fear or trust—but something cautious, edged with curiosity. "Free?"
Kael gave a faint smile, his gaze shimmering with something unreadable. Then, in a quieter tone, he said:
"You'll understand when the time comes, Ophelia. Until then... don't ask too many questions. And don't think about pushing me away."
He stepped closer, close enough for her to feel the warmth of his breath, then whispered as if casting a spell:
"You're the one who opened the door… so don't be surprised when you find me standing behind it."
Ophelia instinctively stepped back, but her gaze didn't waver. Her brows furrowed slightly.
"I hate this cryptic nonsense. If you're going to help me, the least you can do is be clear."
Kael chuckled lightly as he turned his back on her:
"Clarity is boring, don't you think? This isn't some tale about a girl learning to fight and triumph. You... you're something else entirely. And I'm here to make sure you don't break before you figure that out."
Then Kael cast a sideways glance, his blue eyes suddenly turning cold.
"But remember this—everything has a price. What I'm offering you isn't free."
She didn't reply. Just stood there, watching as he vanished the same way he had appeared, leaving behind nothing but silence... and a thousand questions trailing in the air.