Her tone cut as razor-sharp as ever as she plopped onto the floor, nonchalantly leaning against a stack of swords like they were pillows.
"Old man, I've told you a thousand times to clean this area up a bit."
I blinked at her, taken aback by the complaint, but as my gaze swept the room, I couldn't dispute it. Dust-covered swords, tossed about scrolls, and inexplicably unclean corners—all cried neglect.
Kael was visibly hurt, covering his figurative heart at her blunt arrival and utter failure to greet him. She clicked her tongue in exaggerated disdain, sending him a glare so razor-sharp it could cut steel.
Curiosity welling up, I moved closer and sat next to her, dropping my voice to a conspiratorial whisper.
"How old is he, actually?"
She eased her head round slowly, a wicked smile spreading as though she'd been expecting this very question.
"He's a fossil. You'll never get a relic like him anywhere else," she said, enunciating each word slowly and dramatically before leaning in further. "He's twenty-five."
I recoiled like I'd been ghosted, eyes wide and mouth open, before I cracked up laughing I couldn't control. The utter ridiculousness of it created a wave of laughter within me.
Kael, already gaping at us like a parent betrayed, released a protracted sigh that somehow made the swords around him appear even more tragic.
Before I could even think about what was going on, Kael lifted both of us off the ground like ragdolls.
"Shut your mouths. No one asked for your ungrateful opinions," he snarled, holding us in the embrace of his arms like two giant babies. The girl struggled in protest, wriggling and kicking like an untamed animal, but he caught her. We were completely at his mercy.
Exasperated, Kael gave a weary sigh and dumped us on the floor like soiled washing. She thumped down with infuriatingly graceful ease, but I, naturally, fell on my back.
"Okay, you kids. Time to say hello." His voice was crisp, commanding, and not particularly full of patience.
Groaning slightly, I pushed up on my elbows and surveyed the area before I opened my mouth. "I'm Auren. Fifteen. No hobby interests unless sleeping is a sport."
As I talked, I looked over at her. She was unusually elegant, it really had been a long while I saw a girl of her beauty just walking around, and with that wonderful looking long red hair in a high ponytail that had not budged an inch from the chaos Her clothes were just as out of place—an oversized coat that seemed glued to her like it was attached to a catwalk, not a combat area. I couldn't help but wonder how she battled demons in that. or even walked, at all.
"Ah, well, I suppose it's my turn, then," she said indolently, strolling over to one of the sword racks. She stroked the hilts before picking one and drawing it up as one might choose a kitchen knife. "I'm Amethyst Velthorn. Age fifteen. Slaying demons and making a half-way decent stew are hobbies. That's introductions out of the way—now we chat, old man."
And with that, she produced a sword from the fold of her enormous coat and set it beside her, like a sack of groceries.
I blinked, caught between shock and confusion. Who was this girl? And what had she done with Kael, anyway? Before I could even start piecing things together, Kael emitted a low grunt, rubbed the back of his neck, and dragged himself over to me.
"Boy, can you do me a favor?" he inquired, standing next to me with the burden of a storm.
I slowly nodded, not understanding why I said yes without hearing what he needed.
"Whatever you hear in this room stays in this room." His voice had changed—this was no longer a question. This was a command set in stone.
The moment the words left his lips, I was aware of something surrounding me—like my body froze, my mind stopped, and the air itself pushed me against the floor. I couldn't even blink.
And then, as suddenly, the pressure was uplifted .
Kael smiled weakly and turned away, offering thanks. I dropped onto my knees, palms pressed into the earth as I struggled to gain full control of my body again.
I went to open my mouth to ask him to explain, but he got to it first, already standing before Amethyst with a stern face.
"So, Velthorn," he growled, voice low and taut with tension, "what was it so pressing you returned without warning?"
As I looked at her, my eyes met hers—and I saw it immediately. A small tremble in Amethyst's eyes. Not travel fatigue. Fear, sharp and choking, beneath those usually fierce eyes. Something had gone wrong, and she didn't want to talk about it at all under any conditions.
My mission was just recon, like you told me to.\" she breathed, voice barely above a whisper. Her gaze dropped to the ground, her fists clenched at her sides. "But I did see something I couldn't handle… not even remotely.".
Kael's expression turned stern. He stepped forward cautiously and quickly knocked the sword from her hand—less in anger than in haste. The sword rang against the floor.
"I understand, Velthorn," he said, his tone firm but with a hint of gravity. "Thanks for bringing it to me."
He gestured to her to take a seat, and to his astonishment, she did silently. That silence in itself conveyed more than anything she could have said.
And then Kael's gaze met mine, cold and calculating. He drew out a massive sword and towered over me, its point directed straight at my chest like a finger.
"Old man, you really want to do that?" Amethyst demanded over his shoulder, her worry cutting through in her usual ferocity.
Kael remained silent—barely touched her shoulder, the gentle thudding curiously comforting from so brutal a man.
His voice thundered out deep and commanding, full of the kind of passionate fire that made something in my chest move. "Now you're officially on Team Dead Revolution. And I'm going to train you two to death. You're going to pass the selection—or die trying."
That fire in his words ignited something in me. Perhaps it was madness, perhaps it was hope—but whatever it was, I was not about to let go.
It had been way past dark so we all intended to sleep as early as possible, but to be honest it was a little too cramped for my likening since I was sandwiched in between both of them shoulder to shoulder, and the way Amethyst sleeps is terrible.
Early morning when I opened my eyes, I was pulled to my feet by Kael and Amethyst.
I was in complete dismay at what had just transpired, and so I demanded from them what was all this commotion, and they stared me directly in the eye and said.
"Training starts now!" It began far sooner than I was physically and emotionally ready for.
Kael kicked the door open with the utmost force and with a single grunt spoke.
"Prepare yourselves both you. Day one commences now."
I blinked at him through my sleepy eyes, still trying to figure out what was happening. "Aren't Day one and breakfast after it?"
He reacted by grabbing me and shaking me awake with one hand and grabbing the collar of Amethyst with the other. She just barely flinched and seemed more irritated than shocked.
"You make a grand entrance, I'll give you that."
she murmured, yawning as he dumped her on the ground outside the door like a bag of rice.
I stumbled after them, my hair disheveled and my pride still asleep. The clearing at the back of the house seemed cold and miserable—already judging me.
Kael stood in the middle of the field, arms folded, and eyes aglow with sadistic pleasure.
"Today we find out what your bones are made of."
I glared at him.
"Hoping not gravel by the end of this."
Amethyst stretched out next to me, her ponytail swinging like it had more endurance than I did.
"Bet you I finish ahead of you before you even get around the first lap," she said with a grin.
"Bet you I live and that's good enough," I retorted.
Kael suddenly clapped his hands and shouted,
"Run."
No whistle, no countdown, but a sudden, blunt command that sent Amethyst sprinting and left me fruitlessly bargaining with my brain.
I began running—practically stumbling—after her, throwing my arms wildly as the cold seared into my lungs. I'd barely reached halfway when I stumbled over a root and face-planted into the ground.
"Move faster!" Kael yelled.
"You call that a stride? My grandma crawled faster with a broken leg!"
I rolled over and groaned.
"Tell your grandma she's terrifying."
Amethyst went by once more, hardly breaking a sweat.
"You good back there, champ?"
"I'm emotionally devastated and physically limp, but thanks for checking," I wheezed.
She laughed and continued running. I heaved myself up again, not wanting to die quite so early in front of them. I ran again, my legs trembling, but something within me persisted. Perhaps it was pride. Perhaps it was fear of Kael. Most likely, both.
When Kael finally stopped it, I fell flat on the grass.
"You didn't die," he said over me, looming large.
"Almost," I grunted.
Amethyst approached, handed me a water bottle, and sat down next to me.
"You did better than I expected," she said, her voice strangely gentle for once.
I blinked.
"Thanks. I think I lost two organs back there."
"Eh, you've got spares," she smiled.
Kael folded his arms once more and grinned at us.
"Welcome to Team Dead Revolution. Training's just beginning."
After a couple of rounds of agonizing drills, Kael finally released us from his torture. I fell onto the training shed floor like a wounded hero, grasping at my chest for effect.
"I can't feel my legs," I whispered.
Amethyst kicked me with her boot.
"You never used them much anyway."
I complained. "She's cruel even in recovery."
Kael was in the corner whittling one of his ridiculously oversized swords, the scrape of metal sounding like a lullaby composed of terror.
"You two were adequate," he remarked without addressing us. "Just barely adequate. But adequate nonetheless."
"Great opinion from the guy who nearly killed us with exercise," I grumbled, still nose-deep in the wood floor.
Amethyst fell back against the wall and produced something from her overcoat.
"Here," she said, throwing a little wrapped bun in my direction.
I caught it like a religious artifact.
"Food? You run with snacks?"
"Just cooking's a hobby, okay?" she said smugly, taking a bite of her own.
"It's food or bombs. You were lucky."
I blinked.
".That wasn't a joke, was it?"
She didn't respond. Just smiled. Enigmatically.
Kael stood up and stretched, cracking his neck like a tree trunk splitting.
"Tomorrow's training will be worse. But tonight, rest. You've earned that much."
For the first time, he was. human. Not a drill sergeant out of a demon-spawned hell.
With the sun below the horizon, shadows stretching long golden rays across the wooden beams, I sat there masticating Amethyst's kibble and observing the light illuminate her red hair like flames.
I had no idea what was next—demons, challenges, suffering—but for this single fleeting moment, things somehow felt strangely correct.
An odd crew. An odd village. A stranger existence than anything I'd ever known.
But perhaps this was how living truly felt.
Kael stood in the doorway and gazed back at us, his shadow outlined by the fading light.
"Dead Revolution," he whispered. "Don't forget that name. You'll be taking it to the end."
And just like that, he was gone into the night.
I turned to Amethyst.
"You think we'll survive this?"
She glanced at me, that dangerous glint back in her eye that I didn't expect.
"Only if you can keep up, rookie."