Touching the handle of the silver sword, memories of Lieutenant Gray, Clara, and all those he got the chance to meet at Bion City flashed in his mind like a disc.

Tears traced down Kai's cheeks, tilting on his chin and dripping onto the floor like blood.

Behind him, Jude stood there, utterly confused and astonished, just seeing Kai's reaction.

Long shadows cascaded into the chamber as the sun tilted, hiding behind the clouds that were merging into one.

Slanted shadows appeared on the floor as the sun moved out of the clouds and began moving to the west.

Outside the meditation chamber of the Radiant Palm Cult, monks clothed in wine and white dresses moved, gazing at each other.

"When are we ever getting the chance to move out as the Shadow Cult monk did?" the white-dressed monk asked in a voice that drew the attention of all three wine-dressed monks.

"…Do you want your entire family to be wiped from the face of the earth?"

All three of the wine-dressed monks stated one word and stared at him strangely.

"What at all do you wish to do outside this temple, Martin? As a matter of fact, this is the most peaceful place to ever live," the short one among the wine-dressed monks said, turning toward the white-dressed monk.

"Have you forgotten about the attack and the strange behavior some of the dead monks went through in previous years?" Martin said, his expression tensing into a serial dread.

Silence ruled between the four monks for a while, leaving the leaves that moved around them to display their moves.

"You are right, Martin. We'd better seek a way to leave this place before another strike happens." The short guy's voice echoed softly as if he could foretell the future.

All three monks, the two wine-dressed and the white-dressed, turned to Elion—the short guy.

Martin shifted his gaze from Elion and shook his head.

"Why do you always want to scare us?" Martin sighed. "If I can remember clearly, you said a similar thing three days before that attack came."

He tilted his gaze back to Elion. "Listening to you has instilled a dread so immense I can't stay here a day or two any longer."

The two wine-dressed monks turned to Martin, laughed, then turned funny gazes at each other.

"Run." Their voices echoed in unison. "That's all that the so-called Whispering Wind Cult can do. Go to your mountain."

"We will fight our fight. Just like we did the last time."

Elion stayed quiet, while the other two Radiant Palm monks hurled heartbreaking words at Martin.

Their words repeated themselves in Martin's ears as he moved toward the direction leading to the mountain's side.

'Why didn't I find Jude when I tried searching for him?' Thoughts reeled in his mind as he turned and looked at the three Radiant Palm monks.

'Did he tread back to the mountain without my knowledge or what?' He turned and placed a hand at his chin, then exhaled.

…

Meanwhile, Jude stood at the gate of the meditation chamber, waving at Kai.

Reaching to the side where the fence at the top of the stairs was, Kai turned back, the sword now resting calmly in a bag that was of the same size as the sword.

'How come Jude's body structure and voice tone have increased more than mine? Were we not of the same height?' he said low in his thoughts and waved at Jude.

Kai exhaled sharply, turned, and dashed forward, closing in with Yung Mai, Jack, and Hu—the Radiant Palm leader.

"Thank you, Master," Kai said in a polite tone and bowed to Hu. He remained in the same bowing posture until he felt a hand touching his left shoulder, where the dirty white cloth wrapped around his half side was.

"Be the person we all want you to be," Hu said, smiled, then turned toward Yung Mai.

"I will surely die before you, which is not right nor normal for a junior to go before his senior brother goes." He giggled, shook his head slightly, and stared back at Yung Mai.

"Give the kid all that he deserves to know about the sword, himself, and the power he's wielding."

Hu's words hung in the air like a poisonous gas even after he turned and walked toward the meditation chamber, where Jude stood.

…

'Does Master know about the glows I see, the vibrations I feel, and the reason for my dual eyes?' Joy surged in Kai's eyes as thoughts reeled in his mind.

'Wait, does he also know why the obsidian sword flew to me?'

The more the thoughts reeled, the more excited Kai became.

And when he descended the stairs and vanished into the fog, three leaves spun where they stood.

The first leaf was as brittle as broken glass. It shattered into several pieces the moment it touched the ground.

The second, which seemed to be bigger and greener, spiraled four times, and when it landed on the ground, it remained there as if something wasn't allowing it to move back up.

But as the third leaf finished its seventh spin and touched the ground, it flew back up and hovered in the air, almost as if only the third and smallest one was destined to withstand any pressure.

…

"You and your friend will be great one day, I promise," Hu said, tapped Jude's shoulder twice, then walked past him.

Jude stood there, confused as the words of the Radiant Palm leader repeated several times in his mind as he tilted his gaze toward the old man.

'Why, is something going to happen?' he thought, then turned his gaze back in the direction of the stairs.

After ten minutes of staring, Jude turned toward the direction he saw the man move.

"Master, I'm also taking my leave," he said after bowing three times.

Hu's face glittered with smiles as the boy bowed for the fifth time and stopped.

"You may go," his voice echoed calmly. "I'm sure the other monk you came with is looking for you. Go."

Hearing the monk's words, Jude bowed one last time and ran out of the meditation chamber.

When he reached the large courtyard, he spun around for two minutes. "Where can I find big bro?" his voice came out hollow.

Spotting a tiny figure climbing the mountain at the far west side, Jude exhaled. "Why didn't he look for me!"

He doubled his steps as he reached the three wine-dressed monks standing twelve feet closer to the part separating the Whispering Wind land from the Radiant Palm land.

"…Isn't that the kid Martin was searching for?"

"…I don't think so. But if it was him, why didn't Martin search the shore—I always see the boy there whenever he visits this part."

"…I'm sure it's him. Didn't you see how he ran past us? For me, I think he wants to catch up with Martin."

The moment Elion's words ended, the other two monks turned to him with a frown.

"Cut the crap!"

Their voices echoed in unison while they threw their hands on Elion's bald head.

…

Meanwhile, at a far distance from the western side of Westeros to the southern part, Jinx, Max, Mike, and Nich stood by the side of the wall, arguing.

"Why didn't you tell us she was Lieutenant Gray's wife the very day you saw her enter this barracks?" Jinx said, her voice echoing in a loud tone that needed no break.

"Did any of you listen when I tried to tell you?" Max said, turned his gaze away from Jinx, pretending as if she wasn't the one he was speaking to.

"You're our senior, but things like these shouldn't have been kept as a secret. Even if you would keep it a secret, it shouldn't have been a secret to me." Jinx's voice kept increasing with every word that exited her mouth.

She chuckled and turned her back when she saw Max turn toward her. She folded her arms on her big breasts.

Her entire body bounced countless times as she tapped her right foot over and over again on the ground.

"Guys, this is not the time to argue over trivial matters," Nich said, stepping in between Max and Jinx the moment he saw Max move a step forward.

"I know we shouldn't be arguing over this, but it annoys me." Jinx turned a wild eye at Nich, then chuckled when Max moved a step past Nich.

"Guys, guys, stop!" Mike's face shimmered with smiles as he stood at the back of Jinx, positioned his waist to Jinx's ass in a way that he could feel her soft ass bounce on his waist.

"Jinx, come with me," he said, wrapping his arms around Jinx and pulling her closer.

Jinx allowed herself to be pulled, but the moment she felt something touching her ass —which was covered—she turned and gave Mike a dirty slap.

PAM. PAM.

"Learn how to hold a lady!" she said, frowning at Mike after giving him two fast-motioned slaps.

A giggling sound erupted from Nich when his gaze fell on Mike's reddened cheeks.

"Man, sorry," though he tried to console Mike, but his tone did not console; it triggered a bomb blast.

After an hour, when the anger died down, Max walked to Jinx, who had leaned against the side of an apple tree.

"Jinx," his voice echoed in a soft tone that made a squirrel that was hiding in the hole at the top of the branch peek its head out.

Max placed his right arm on Jinx's shoulder and pulled her until she was face-to-face with him.

"Sorry for not telling you." His face softened as he saw the genuine look of acceptance in Jinx's eyes.

"I don't have any grudge with you, but with the relationship I have with you, you shouldn't have hidden that from me," Jinx said, lowered her head, and stared at Max's waist.

A soft giggle echoed from Max as he spotted Jinx's body moving closer to him.

"So what's her next move after you told her about Kai's information you gained at the Gilgal Village?"

Jinx's face tensed, at the same time saddened, the moment Max's words ended.

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