The sixteenth day dawned with the same pre-dawn summons, but this time Jack's knock carried a different quality. Not the usual thunderous demand, but something more measured. Almost respectful.
I was already awake, dressed, and ready when he knocked. Sleep had been difficult, my mind cycling through the techniques I'd learned, visualizing the hunt that awaited me.
Jack stood in the hallway when I opened the door, his expression unreadable in the dim light.
"Final preparations," he said simply, turning and walking toward the courtyard.
I followed without a word.
The warm-up was brutal as always, but I pushed through with the efficiency that had become second nature over the past two weeks. One hundred push-ups. One hundred sit-ups. One hundred squats. Five laps. My body moved through the exercises with mechanical precision, conserving energy for what was to come.
"Your target," Jack said when I finished, pulling out his notebook and opening it to the page with the Crimson Alpha sketch, "is a pack leader. It will be larger, stronger, and more intelligent than the regular Crimson Maws you've encountered. Peak Novice rank, possibly touching the threshold of Apprentice."
He studied me carefully, evaluating.
"It will test everything you've learned. First Light to initiate combat and land the killing blow. Phantom Step to maintain optimal positioning and avoid counterattacks. Heaven Splitter if you need to break through its defenses or create distance."
Jack closed the notebook.
"You have permission to use the Einsworth Family Saber for this hunt. You've earned the right to wield it in combat."
I felt the weight of the legendary blade at my hip, its presence constant and reassuring through our soul bond.
"The Crimson Alpha's territory is in the western quadrant of the Saber Garden, approximately three miles from the main entrance. It marks its territory with claw marks on trees and the remains of its kills. Follow the signs. They'll lead you to it."
He paused, his expression becoming serious.
"You leave within the hour. You return before nightfall with the Alpha's core, or you don't return at all. Understood?"
"Understood," I said, my voice steady despite the anxiety churning in my gut.
Jack nodded once.
"Then this final training session is complete. Go. Prepare yourself. Meet me at the manor's eastern gate in forty-five minutes."
I returned to my room and gathered what little I needed. The Einsworth Family Saber, already strapped to my hip. A waterskin filled from the manor's well. A small knife for harvesting the core. Nothing else. Anything more would just weigh me down.
I stood in front of the mirror and looked at the person staring back. Kaine's face, but the eyes were different now. Harder. More focused. The face of someone who'd spent two weeks learning to kill with efficiency and precision.
'This is it. Time to prove that everything I've learned means something.'
I left the room and made my way through the manor's corridors. Servants I passed pressed themselves against the walls, their eyes tracking me with the same mixture of fear and confusion they'd shown for weeks. But now there was something else there too. Curiosity, maybe. Or uncertainty.
Word had spread about my training. About the techniques I'd learned in impossibly short timeframes. About the legendary saber at my hip. The household didn't know what to make of me anymore.
'Good. Let them wonder.'
Jack was waiting at the eastern gate as promised, standing beside a carriage that would take me to the Saber Garden's edge. He examined me briefly, checking that I had everything necessary.
"Remember what I've taught you," he said. "Speed and precision over brute force. Position over power. End the fight before it begins."
"I remember," I replied.
"Then go. Hunt well, Young Master."
I climbed into the carriage, and the driver immediately urged the horses forward. The estate grounds fell away behind us as we headed toward the forest that had nearly killed me three weeks ago.
The journey took perhaps thirty minutes, the carriage following maintained roads through farmland and small villages. People stopped their morning routines to watch as we passed, recognizing the Einsworth crest on the carriage door.
When we reached the forest's edge, the driver stopped but made no move to leave his seat.
"I'll wait here until sunset," he said, his voice carefully neutral. "If you haven't returned by then, I leave."
"Understood," I said, climbing down from the carriage.
The Saber Garden loomed before me, its entrance marked by ancient trees that seemed to watch with silent judgment. The last time I'd entered this forest, I'd been weak, untrained, carrying Abel's murder like a weight around my neck.
Now I was returning stronger, more capable, but with that same weight still pressing down on me. The guilt hadn't diminished. If anything, the past two weeks of growth had only sharpened the understanding of exactly what Kaine's crime had cost.
'But guilt won't keep me alive in there. Focus on the hunt. Everything else can wait.'
I checked the Einsworth Family Saber one final time, ensuring the blade moved smoothly in its sheath. Drew and re-sheathed it twice, feeling the familiar motion that had become as natural as breathing.
Then I turned and walked into the Saber Garden, leaving the carriage and the driver behind.
---
Duke Eamon stood at the window of his study, watching the eastern road where he knew the carriage carrying his son had departed nearly an hour ago. His expression was carved from stone, revealing nothing of the thoughts moving behind those golden eyes.
A knock at the door broke his contemplation.
"Enter," he said without turning.
The door opened, and Jack stepped inside, closing it behind him with a soft click. He moved to stand a respectful distance from the Duke, hands clasped behind his back in a military posture.
"You summoned me, my lord."
Eamon continued staring out the window for a long moment before speaking.
"Kaine has entered the Saber Garden to hunt the Crimson Alpha I assigned him."
"Yes, my lord."
"Tell me honestly, Jack. Will he survive? Or will I be burying another son?"
The question hung in the air between them, heavy with implications. Jack considered his answer carefully before responding.
"I believe he will survive, my lord. More than that, I believe he will succeed in the hunt."
Eamon turned from the window, his gaze sharp and penetrating.
"Explain."
Jack straightened slightly, choosing his words with precision.
"When you first assigned me to train Young Master Kaine, I expected to spend these weeks forcing basic competence into someone who had wasted their potential through months of self-destructive behavior. I expected sullen resistance, lack of discipline, and minimal progress."
He paused, organizing his thoughts.
"That is not what I found. From the first day, Young Master Kaine approached training with a focus and determination I've rarely seen, even in dedicated warriors. He accepted every correction without complaint. He pushed through exhaustion and pain without hesitation. He never made the same mistake twice."
"Results," Eamon said flatly. "I don't care about his attitude. What can he do?"
"He learned First Light in three days, my lord."
Eamon's expression shifted minutely, the only sign of surprise.
"Three days?"
"Three days from beginning stance training to successfully projecting cutting pressure at range. Lord Abel required two weeks to reach the same level of proficiency."
Jack pulled out his notebook and opened it to a page filled with detailed observations.
"By day twelve, Young Master Kaine had learned Phantom Step. By day fifteen, he had learned Heaven Splitter. All three foundational arts of the Flash God Technique, mastered to basic proficiency in fifteen days total. Lord Abel required six weeks."
The Duke walked to his desk and sat down, his posture still perfectly controlled but his attention now fully focused on Jack.
"Continue."
"His learning speed is exceptional, but that's not what impressed me most," Jack said. "It's his adaptability. When I demonstrate a technique, he doesn't just memorize the movements. He understands the principles underlying them. He asks questions that reveal genuine comprehension of why techniques work the way they do."
Jack flipped to another page in his notebook.
"His physical capabilities have also improved dramatically. The warm-up routine that nearly broke him on day one, he now completes in under twelve minutes. His mana capacity has increased through constant circulation practice. His stamina and endurance have grown significantly."
"Attributes?" Eamon asked.
"Difficult to assess precisely without formal testing, but based on his performance, I estimate he's achieved Novice-rank physical capabilities despite still being officially Unranked. His strength and speed rival guards who've trained for years."
Eamon leaned back in his chair, his fingers steepled in front of his face.
"And you believe these capabilities are sufficient for him to defeat a Crimson Alpha."
"Not just sufficient, my lord. I believe he's actually well-suited for the challenge. The Crimson Alpha is a beast that relies on aggression and pack tactics. Young Master Kaine has learned techniques specifically designed to counter such opponents. First Light can end the fight before the Alpha realizes combat has begun. Phantom Step allows him to avoid the creature's natural advantages in strength and reach. Heaven Splitter gives him a way to penetrate its enhanced defenses."
Jack closed his notebook.
"More importantly, he has the Einsworth Family Saber. That weapon alone elevates his combat effectiveness significantly. A legendary blade in the hands of someone who's learned our family's techniques, even at basic proficiency, is a formidable combination."
"You're confident," Eamon observed, his tone neutral.
"I am, my lord. I would not send him into that forest if I believed it would be his death. I've trained enough warriors to recognize when someone is ready for a challenge and when they're being sent to slaughter. Young Master Kaine is ready."
The Duke sat in silence for a long moment, his expression revealing nothing of his thoughts. When he finally spoke, his voice carried a weight that Jack recognized as genuine concern beneath the stern exterior.
"He's changed. In three weeks, he's become someone almost unrecognizable from the son who entered that forest. The question that troubles me is why. What happened in the Saber Garden that transformed a self-destructive disappointment into someone capable of this level of focus and dedication?"
Jack had no answer for that. He'd wondered the same thing during training, noticing subtle differences in the young master that went beyond mere improvement. The way he sometimes seemed unfamiliar with basic manor layout. The way he approached training with methodologies that suggested different foundational thinking. Small things that accumulated into a larger puzzle.
"I don't know, my lord. But whatever the cause, the results speak for themselves. The Young Master I've trained these past weeks is capable and disciplined. Whether he'll disgrace the family or honor it depends on his performance at the Continental Academy, but based on what I've seen, I believe he has the potential to surprise many people."
Eamon stood and returned to the window, looking out toward the distant forest where his son hunted.
"Abel was my pride," he said quietly. "The son who exceeded every expectation, who earned the title of hero candidate through his own merit. Losing him..."
He trailed off, the unfinished sentence carrying more weight than completed words could have.
"Kaine was my disappointment. The son who squandered his gifts and brought shame to our name. If he's truly changed, if he's become someone worthy of the Einsworth legacy, then perhaps something can be salvaged from this tragedy."
"He has changed, my lord," Jack said with conviction. "I stake my professional reputation on it."
The Duke nodded slowly.
"Then we wait. If he returns before nightfall with the Alpha's core, we'll know he's ready for the academy. If he doesn't return..."
The implication hung unspoken between them. Another funeral. Another loss. Another blow to the Einsworth family that was still reeling from Abel's disappearance.
"He'll return," Jack said firmly. "I trained him well, and he learned well. He'll return."
Eamon said nothing more, simply continuing to stare out the window toward the forest that held his son's fate.
Jack stood at attention for a few more moments, then bowed and left the study, closing the door quietly behind him. He walked through the manor's corridors with measured steps, his mind replaying the past two weeks of training.
'He will return,' Jack thought again, more to convince himself than anything else. 'He has to. I've seen too much potential to watch it die in that forest.'
But potential meant nothing if you were dead. And the Saber Garden had claimed many promising warriors over the years, swallowing them into its depths and leaving no trace behind.
Jack pushed the dark thoughts aside and focused on practical matters. Preparations needed to be made for the young master's return. Medical supplies, in case he came back injured. The formal documentation of successful technique mastery that would be required for academy records. Everything needed to be ready for when Kaine walked back out of that forest.
When, not if. Jack refused to consider any other outcome.
---
I moved through the Saber Garden with careful deliberation, every sense alert for danger. The forest looked different from when I'd entered three weeks ago. Not physically different, but my perception had changed. Then, I'd been stumbling through unfamiliar territory with no real understanding of what I faced. Now, I understood.
Every sound had meaning. The rustle of leaves could be wind or could be a beast moving through the underbrush. The snap of a twig could be natural settling or could be something large approaching. My awareness extended outward, cataloging everything within my sensory range.
The Blade Sense skill activated automatically, detecting any bladed weapons or natural weapons like claws within range. It was subtle, more of an intuitive awareness than explicit information, but it helped me maintain awareness of potential threats.
I headed west, following Jack's directions toward the Crimson Alpha's territory. The path took me through dense forest where sunlight barely penetrated the canopy, creating a perpetual twilight that made distances difficult to judge.
After perhaps an hour of careful movement, I found the first sign. Claw marks on a massive tree trunk, gouged deep into the wood. The marks were fresh, maybe a day old at most, and they were significantly larger than what normal Crimson Maws would leave.
'The Alpha's territorial markings. I'm getting close.'
I continued west, finding more signs with increasing frequency. More claw marks. Areas where undergrowth had been trampled flat. And eventually, the remains of kills. Bones picked clean, scattered across small clearings. The Alpha had been busy.
The forest grew quieter as I penetrated deeper into the Alpha's territory. No bird songs. No insect sounds. Just the whisper of wind through leaves and my own carefully controlled breathing.
I checked my mana pool, finding it full and ready. Forty-five points available. First Light cost ten. Phantom Step cost eight. Heaven Splitter cost fifteen. I could use my techniques multiple times if necessary, but I needed to be smart about it. Running out of mana in the middle of combat meant death.
Another hour passed. The sun climbed higher, though little light reached the forest floor. I was deep in the Alpha's territory now, surrounded by signs of its presence.
Then I heard it. A low growl, distant but unmistakable. The sound of a large predator that had detected an intruder in its domain.
I stopped moving, settling into a ready stance. My hand found the Einsworth Family Saber's hilt naturally, fingers wrapping around the familiar grip.
'This is it. Everything I've learned comes down to this.'
The growl came again, closer now. I could sense movement through the trees, something large approaching with deliberate purpose.
The Crimson Alpha emerged from the shadows ahead of me, and my breath caught despite my preparation.
It was massive. Easily twice the size of the regular Crimson Maws I'd fought. Its fur was darker, almost black in places, with crimson markings that seemed to glow faintly. Its teeth were longer, its claws sharper, its eyes more intelligent.
And the pressure it radiated was immense. Not as overwhelming as Jack's, but far beyond the regular beasts I'd encountered. This was a creature at the peak of Novice rank, standing on the threshold of something greater.
The Alpha's eyes locked onto mine, and I saw the moment it recognized me as prey. Its lips curled back, revealing rows of acid-dripping teeth.
'No. Not prey. Hunter.'
I drew a slow breath, centering myself. Reached inward and gathered mana in my core, feeling it respond to my call. Let my muscles relax while my mind sharpened to crystal clarity.
The Alpha began to circle, looking for an opening. Testing me.
I settled into the Einsworth ready stance, weight properly distributed, drawing hand loose on the hilt, every component of First Light ready to execute in an instant.
The beast's growl deepened, reverberating through the forest like thunder.
And I smiled.
'Come on, then. Let's see if two weeks of training was worth it.'
The Crimson Alpha lunged, and I moved to meet it, the Einsworth Family Saber singing as it left its sheath.