Chapter Three
Eugene opened his eyes to Rin's distant voice calling him,
"Eugene… Eugene."
Still half-asleep, he mumbled back,
"What is it…?"
He slowly rose from the soft green grass, warm sunlight brushing against his face. He had to squint for a moment before his eyes adjusted to the brightness. When he finally looked around, he found himself surrounded by trees and lush grass, the warm sun and gentle breeze making the field sway peacefully.
"Where… am I?"
Shock spread across his face. It took him several long seconds to process what he was seeing—why this place felt so strangely familiar. He stood up quickly, turning his head left and right, searching for something, anything that made sense.
Then he heard Rin's voice again—closer this time.
"Eugene!"
He spun toward the sound and saw Rin walking toward him.
"I've been calling you forever. Why didn't you answer?"
Eugene still hadn't wrapped his head around any of this. He grabbed Rin by the shoulders, voice trembling:
"Are… are we in Elesu Village?"
Rin looked confused.
"Yes? Of course we're in Elesu Village!"
Eugene's eyes widened with pure relief. He jumped in place, laughing,
"Yes! It was just a dream!"
He lunged forward, hugging Rin tightly as tears streamed down his face. But when he pulled back to look at him—everything froze.
Rin stood motionless.
His eyes… empty. Completely hollow, like a bottomless abyss.
Before Eugene could even decide if what he was seeing was real or not, flames erupted violently around them. The village burst into fire, the screams of people echoing viciously inside his head.
Eugene spun around, panicking, as flames devoured everything. Suddenly, hands shot up from beneath the ground, grabbing his ankles and pulling him down. Eugene struggled wildly, tears blurring his vision, his heart hammering against his ribs.
And then—
He heard his mother's voice.
"Eugene!"
He jerked his head toward her.
There she stood—her black hair disheveled, her clothes torn—and worst of all, her eyes were empty like Rin's.
She spoke with a voice that sliced through him,
"Eugene… why didn't you save me?"
---
Eugene's eyes snapped open to Rin's voice again—this time clear, close, and real.
He bolted upright from his bed, breath shaky, only to find himself in the academy dorm. Rin stood beside him, wearing the academy's uniform: long black robes tied with a brown belt.
"Come on, get up, you lazy idiot. Our academy orientation is about to begin."
Eugene was still shaking off the nightmare.
Just a nightmare.
But the screams and his mother's empty eyes still clung to him.
He got out of bed and went to the bathroom. As he showered, the steam rising behind him, the flashes of burning buildings, the claws dragging him underground, and his mother's voice kept replaying in his mind.
He stepped out, droplets of water sliding down his hair. After dressing quickly, he stared at his reflection: yellow sun-shaped eyes, shining black hair, clear skin, and sharp fang-like teeth.
He and Rin left for the student gathering area. Eugene remained silent the whole way, unlike Rin, who kept commenting excitedly on the cherry blossoms, the waterfall sounds, and the warm sunlight.
When they arrived, all eyes turned toward them.
Some students glared with irritation—jealous of the attention Moses had shown them.
Others stared at them with curiosity, still shocked they were the only survivors of the attack.
And some whispered mockingly that they were homeless, penniless nobodies with no family.
Eugene ignored them, but Rin felt every stare stabbing into him.
His mind spiraled: Are my clothes messy? Is my hair weird? Do I look strange?
While Rin battled his anxiety, a man appeared in front of the crowd—a tall, thin figure with blond hair, tired eyes half-closed. He clapped his hands, and everyone immediately turned toward him.
He introduced himself,
"I'll be your instructor and guide for this academic year. My name is Professor Alex."
A student whispered to his friend on the right, but Alex shot him a sharp look that shut him up instantly.
Alex began the tour, explaining the academy's different sections:
the main hall that reached above the clouds,
the ancient library holding centuries-old scrolls,
and the training grounds where beginner cultivators learned their fundamentals.
As they walked, Eugene noticed strange engravings on some walls—symbols eerily similar to the ones in his nightmare. He tried to shake the thought away, but his heart started racing again.
When they reached the inner garden, Alex stopped before a massive tree with shimmering silver leaves.
"This," he said while gently touching the trunk,
"is the Tree of Knowledge. It has been growing here since the academy was founded. Remember—cultivation is not just about power. It's about understanding the world and its nature."
Eugene turned toward Rin, who was completely mesmerized by the garden. Near them stood Reem, the girl they had met earlier. She admired the tree with sparkling eyes, pulling a small notebook from her bag to jot down notes. She caught Eugene looking at her and gave him a shy smile.
Eugene felt it again—
This academy was different.
Not just a place to learn…
but a place to discover.
Not just power—
but oneself.
They continued until they reached the classroom—circular in shape, built around a massive tree in the center with branches extending into walkways that led to the seats.
Eugene and Rin sat in the front row, Reem taking the seat beside them.
Alex began class with a simple question:
"Why do you want to become cultivators?"
Hands shot up. Students answered:
"For power."
"For wealth."
"To protect people."
When it was Eugene's turn, he replied softly but firmly:
"I'm looking for the truth."
Silence dropped like a stone.
Even the white crow perched high above stopped flapping its wings.
Alex looked at Eugene with an expression full of meaning, then smiled slightly before starting his lecture.
"Listen carefully. Cultivators are given that title because cultivation is a long, complex road requiring patience, wisdom, and understanding. But who are they, really?"
He continued,
"Each one of you carries a core known as the Skill Tree Core—a transparent, intangible essence that stores feathers. And what are feathers? Simply put, feathers are life energy—fuel for thoughts, senses, trades, and instincts. All of these make up feathers."
A student raised his hand.
"What do feathers have to do with cultivators?"
Alex sighed and motioned for him to sit.
"Didn't I just tell you cultivation requires patience? If you can't wait for me to finish explaining, how will you handle the patience required for cultivation itself?"
The student flushed with embarrassment.
Alex continued,
"Everything in this world possesses feathers, but each person's feathers differ. We call these differences imprints. I won't go deep into that now. What you need to understand is that cultivation begins with understanding feathers, adapting your body to them by absorbing primitive resources. Through absorption and meditation, you extract the good from these resources. Training merges the refined essence into your blood, organs, cells, and veins."
"So what will you do now? You will head to the academy library. Each of you must take a copy of the Primitive Resources Manual. Every person requires different types and amounts of resources. Study the manual carefully—learn each resource's composition and how it aligns with your blood type."
A student asked,
"So… do we go now?"
Alex looked at him blankly.
"What do you think?"
Then he grabbed his notebook and walked out.
The moment he left, the students began chatting excitedly as they filed out of the room. Rin walked beside Reem, talking with her, while Eugene stood near the window, exhaustion and sadness clouding his eyes.
End of Chapter Three