The training room was meant for training, but not tonight. Through the heat, two former assassins sat, sharing stories from their past lives.

"When I was little, my parents were killed by their rivals. My best friend's parents were there as well, and they didn't survive either."

Delilah's mouth parted as she looked at Halo, sadness flickering in her eyes. Halo felt nothing, though, as though he was recounting something irrelevant.

"We might have been lucky… or cursed. We had been off the grid, playing, and when we returned, our butler found us before the corpses could be discovered and took us somewhere private."

Halo's eyes narrowed as the memories flashed back to him.

"My best friend and I were apart. The government declared us missing, but we were both training like mad to kill the one who destroyed everything."

He shrugged his shoulders.

"It never happened. I couldn't avenge my parents before this world took me."

He locked eyes with Delilah.

"And you… were you able to take revenge on the one who killed your brother?"

She exhaled sorely.

"He was already dead when I found him. It was suicide… I understood him, though. Just like me, the charges against him were lies. Maybe framing a child for a murder he committed haunted him into ending his life, or maybe my parents' actions ruined him that badly."

Halo smirked. Neither had gotten their satisfaction, after all.

"All I want is a conversation without fear of being misunderstood. Maybe, among you, I can find a brother."

'Shit. The training.'

Halo's expression dulled. Sad story or not, teaching wasn't something he knew how to do.

"So, would you teach me?" Delilah asked once more.

She'd been a nightmare for Halo since he joined this cohort, with that dark and pushy demeanor she gave off. Now, Shadow of Death knew it wasn't intentional but rather her Flaw at work, but still.

The lessons Fade of Bridle gave him were exquisite. The six of them couldn't follow regular training methods, it could lead to death. And even if they could, Halo lacked the equipment and resources to recreate those same conditions.

'What shall I do?'

While he weighed his thoughts, Delilah nervously asked:

"How old are you?"

The question wasn't particularly fitting for their situation, but he answered anyway. She pushed it forward, and as it turned out, they shared the same birthday. Crazy, huh? Same age, same date.

Yet Halo wasn't amused by the discovery. His date of birth wasn't his alone, everyone could share that day. Delilah, though, smiled. It was the second time Halo had seen it.

It was a small thing, but the smile gave Halo the motivation he needed. If she could wear that smile more often, or even just occasionally, then the darkness in her eyes could finally fade.

"I can teach you only one. Do you think you have time, though? Especially with the Northern Mist still on our plate."

Delilah's expression darkened.

"Right. Light has been gone for two days, and he should be back soon. Still, I doubt that'll be enough to stop things. This won't take long."

Halo blinked. He couldn't be more surprised. Did everyone in this cohort have such confidence?

After taking in Halo's reaction, Delilah immediately wanted to explain herself.

"This isn't what you think. I'm not trying to sound cocky. But honestly, these people aren't a match for us. Even if we explained our plan, we'd still win. That said, they could become formidable if given enough time to prepare. And with Nava involved, that's bound to happen."

There was no argument there. With the abilities they possessed, it was without question that they could win.

"Jihriel really was picky while selecting you guys."

Delilah looked confused for a moment.

"No. Jihriel personally chose only Thor and Hazard. The rest of us? It feels like fate brought us together."

Halo frowned. "How?"

Delilah shrugged.

"Thor was an old man stuck at the Knight rank. His ability, Great Ally, was mostly useless, and he didn't have the understanding of True Abilities to improve it. That's when Jihriel met him and helped him reach Assassin rank. Now the old man owes his life to Jihriel."

She gave her words a beat.

"Hazard and he clashed at first. Hazard had mistaken him for someone, and it was far from an easy fight. We don't know the full extent of Hazard's True Ability, we don't know anything at all, actually, but he does possess the Eye of God, a gift from the God of Despair.

"With his eyes closed, he can predict fifteen seconds into the future, which is how he manages with that blindfold. Open them, and he can see up to a minute ahead, sometimes having random visions. Still, Jihriel bested him without using his True Ability."

Halo didn't know whether to believe what Delilah just told him, even though he knew Jihriel was yet to use his True Ability. But defeating someone who could see a minute into the future? That was absurd. Now he could only guess at what Jihriel's True Ability could be.

Delilah's eyes narrowed. She tilted her head slightly, as though trying to read Halo's mind.

"Unbelievable, right? Jihriel has his own gift, and that's what he's been using all along. Well, it can be more than one gift too. Nobody knows exactly what it does, but I think I have an idea."

Halo's eyes narrowed, and he began nodding repeatedly. He wanted more.

"There's a legend about the first person who served the God of Darkness. He had a gift that let him communicate with the darkness. He conquered two lands in the Ashen Ages, and many scholars call him the Father of Darkness."

Her expression grew darker.

"I think the Father of Darkness was defeated, and somehow his gift ended up with Jihriel. Most gifts are destroyed when their owner dies, so it's not likely, but some do transfer, so it might be possible."

Huuu

Halo exhaled so deeply he nearly passed out.

Jihriel and his right-hand man were a mystery, but well, his strength didn't really matter. At the moment, Halo had managed a unique friendship with Jihriel, and all he had to do was keep it up to gain Jihriel's utmost trust.

"I guess the rest of us ended up joining this cohort thanks to Thor's True Ability, Great Ally."

Halo smirked. He was glad for Thor in the end; Thor had helped him meet Jihriel.

After a brief moment, Halo got to his feet.

"Okay, I will teach you one of Fade's lessons, but not now. I need to train."

Delilah smiled, but it faded barely a second later.

"Uhm, can you be—-

Halo turned to her, confused.

"Never mind…"

She said and rose to her feet.

"I will meet you again for the lesson."

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