"Kenji… Kenji… Kenji."
Kenji blinked his eyes open and found himself leaning against the bark of the tree. His dusk eyes opened to see a warm smile on a handsome face. His eyes met familiar emerald eyes that were just as warm, in fact, they were kind and even held happiness.
Takahiro was happy to see his younger brother. He was older than Kenji by two years.
Kenji got up and stretched before yawning. "Yo."
Kenji raised his hand to cover the stray beams of sunlight that pierced through the branches and leaves. He squinted his eyes.
Is it me, or is the sun giving him a boost in looks?
Kenji could somewhat feel it. The air around Taka was different. It was like Ro and some of the adults, the presence of an Awakened. He couldn't quite explain it. This stirred a feeling of envy in Kenji. He wasn't proud of how he was feeling, but he wanted what Takahiro had.
"It's good to see you, Kenji."
Kenji hesitated before responding. He swallowed back the feeling, suppressing it.
Hard work never betrays the worker. After all, the harder you work, the greater you're rewarded in the end.
He thought to himself, tightening his fist and looking at Taka.
"It's good to see you too, brother," Kenji responded with a smile.
"Is your meeting with him done?! We have a lesson with Papa!" a voice shouted from below.
Kenji looked down to see a girl with short, earthy-brown hair and matching eyes glaring at him.
"Yume, we just got here," Takahiro said, loud enough for Yume to hear.
"Well, we need to attend the lesson. Papa said it's important before the tournament begins today," Yume answered.
Taka was about to respond, but Kenji placed his hand on his brother's shoulder.
"It's okay, Taka. Go on. I have to prepare as well," Kenji said.
Taka looked at him reluctantly, with a bit of sadness.
"Okay, we'll talk later."
Takahiro, who had been squatting, stood to his full height, turned toward the ground, and jumped down, landing perfectly without taking any real damage.
Yume grabbed him by the arm and pulled him away from Kenji's tree. Kenji watched them go, his face turning impassive. He made his way down the tree instead of jumping. Unlike the Awakened, who could jump up and down trees with ease, he was unawakened, and trying those things would only get him hurt.
After reaching the ground, with all the sleep gone, he finally realized.
Ro had left.
He looked sad for a bit before clapping his cheeks.
Time to get serious.
Takahiro and Yume continued their way back to the village.
"Why did big sister want us to go see him? It just ruined my day already," Yume said, still fuming about her meeting with Kenji.
Takahiro looked at her sadly but didn't say anything.
She turned to Takahiro with a glare. "And why are you always excited to see him? He's bad news, Taka. Just… just don't talk to him."
Takahiro kept his mouth shut for a moment before speaking softly.
"Yume, that's our brother. Didn't he used to—"
Before he could continue, Yume cut him off.
"Whatever, let's go!"
She raised her voice, then sprinted ahead at full speed.
Taka watched her go before sprinting after her.
The duo made it to the village, which was bustling with activity. Just outside the village, people were working on constructing a platform, while others continued with their usual work.
As Yume and Takahiro entered the village, many villagers greeted them. The duo waved and returned their greetings, though the village women and girls reacted more to Takahiro. That was why Yume held his arm as they walked through the village toward their home.
Takahiro kept his warm, kind smile as he looked down at Yume, who held his arm.
They passed their home and headed to the back, where they found Ray with Natalie and Collin. The two kids stood in front of Ray, who had his hands clasped behind him.
The group turned toward them. Natalie merely frowned at them, while Collin looked at them with an indifferent expression as they arrived.
"Perfect, you two have arrived. Let us begin," Ray said.
Yume released Takahiro's arm, and they walked over to stand beside the other duo.
Before Ray could speak, Natalie raised her hand. Ray's gaze shifted to her.
"Forgive me for interrupting, Elder Ray, but am I not supposed to be with Master Annah? She has returned, has she not?" Natalie asked.
"Yes, Annah is back. However, she has some final instructions to give the others who have not awakened yet. Unlike you, who have awakened, and since I was already instructing the Awakened among my students, she said I must instruct you as well. But worry not. This grandpa and Annah aren't teaching anything new. I'm simply touching up on restraint of force. We don't want any bad injuries, do we?"
Natalie nodded.
"Good, good. Let us begin. As newly Awakened on the Hashi Path, you are all what we call Beginners. You have successfully gathered Hashi in your bodies and concentrated it into a core. This core is called a Foundation Core. Its mere presence in your body has boosted your physicality to a great extent, beyond what an ordinary human can achieve, as we have tested over the past two weeks."
Ray paused, then continued.
"But such great strength must be carefully controlled. For two weeks, each of you has been going wild, trying to see what your limits are. So now, during this tournament and the competition that follows, you must learn restraint. This is essential for you. With great power must come restraint, and you must know when to wield it."
"So, Master, what's the point of us competing in this tournament if we are going to be the remaining four?" Collin asked.
"Ahh, Collin, it is simple, you see. You will also be using this tournament to brush up on your Arts. The Hashi Path is not only about power but also the Arts. I, your parents, as well as Annah, will be seeing your mastery of your Arts through the tournament. Also, do take caution during this tournament. If any of you four go beyond what's acceptable, you will be disqualified from the tournament and the following competition. You will have to do chores, and neither Annah nor I will continue to teach you for a period of time."
Everyone looked shocked at this. Every bit of time spent training was essential for the Examination.
"So, can we begin with this quick exercise?" Ray said. "Come at this grandpa. Be gentle, yes? These bones are old."