[Morning - Training Yard, One Week Later]
The wooden sword clattered to the ground.
Shitou stood in the center of the courtyard, his thin arms trembling, his small chest heaving. Sweat dripped from his forehead despite the cold.
"Again," Kael said.
Shitou bent down, picked up the sword, and returned to his stance. His legs shook, his grip was weak, yet he stayed silent.
Kael watched him, arms crossed. The boy reminded him of someone—himself. Not Luzhihuan, but Kael. The boy who'd been shoved into lockers, mocked in hallways, beaten behind the gym. The boy who'd been weak.
"Hold the stance," Kael said. "One incense stick."
Shitou's jaw tightened. He nodded.
Kael turned away and walked to the edge of the courtyard, leaning against one of the wooden posts. From there, he could see Shitou's reflection in the polished training stones—small, fragile, but determined.
Yun Juan's voice drifted over from the other side of the yard. "Shu-ge, I told you I'd win!"
"You cheated!"
