"No one's coming, Judas."
Peter's voice was soft but firm, trying to calm the trembling boy before him.
Judas clutched his knees, sitting against the cold wall of the cave. His eyes burned red, his breaths came in ragged gasps.
"M-Master... he—he killed them. My mother. My father. Everyone…" His voice cracked, face twisted with grief and fury. "He's coming back. And this time... I'll kill him first."
Peter stepped closer but didn't say a word. He placed a calming hand on Judas's shoulder, but Judas barely noticed. The storm inside him was too loud.
Eventually, exhaustion won. Peter eased Judas into sleep, his mind still locked in nightmares of flame and blood.
---
From that day forward, Judas trained like a man possessed.
And Diana followed.
The two of them pushed beyond their limits—day after day, night after night.
Months later, Peter led them to a higher peak.
"Show me what you've got."
Diana stepped forward. Her aura flared—sharp orange. She raised her hand, eyes glowing with focus.
"Fire Beam!"
A scorching wave burst from her palm, blasting into the mountainside. The impact echoed like thunder. When the smoke cleared, a massive crater remained, glowing faintly from the heat.
Judas didn't wait. He gathered his aura into a pulsing red sphere. It grew, engulfing the crater.
"Compress," he growled.
The sphere shrank, and the rocky remains inside began crumbling into fine dust. He released the pressure—
BOOM.
Dust exploded outward like a volcanic blast.
Peter whistled and clapped. "Now that is progress. Well done, both of you."
"Thank you, Master!" they said in unison.
Peter gave a proud nod. "You've passed the basics. From now on, it's the advanced class. But magic isn't everything—you'll need strength, tactics, and most of all... weapons."
He looked at them seriously. "Choose your own. I use a bow, but the choice is yours."
"I've been trained in swordsmanship," Judas said confidently. "Advanced level."
Peter's brow lifted. "That's impressive, Judas."
Diana raised her hand. "Brother, what do these levels mean?"
Peter chuckled. "Good question."
He knelt down and drew lines in the dirt:
"Beginner level is first class—learning the basics. Next is intermediate—when you start forming proper moves. After that is advanced—you've learned to control the weapon and can fight seriously."
He tapped the next level on the ground. "Then comes expert. That's when you inject aura into the weapon and wield it like part of your body."
"I'm an expert," he added with a small smile.
"Above that is Master level. That takes years. You tame the weapon—fight with instinct, not thought. Then finally, the Divine level."
He stood, eyes distant. "A Divine warrior creates their own weapon, their own style. One Divine can defeat a hundred Masters."
Judas and Diana nodded, the weight of the future pressing on their young shoulders.
---
Peter walked to a nearby rock. "Now, let's see how you handle weapon creation."
"With aura?" Diana asked.
"Exactly. Watch."
Peter focused his green aura into his fist and punched a large boulder. It shattered—four arrowheads and several fragments fell neatly at his feet.
"How did you—?" Judas started, jaw dropping.
Peter laughed. "Relax. It's my special skill. Most magicians develop one unique trait early on. I was messing with you—I'll carve your weapons."
He turned to an iron ore nearby. With a single aura-infused blow, he cracked it apart and shaped a gleaming silver claymore.
He handed it to Judas. "Use it well."
Judas took it respectfully, tying a strip of leather around the grip. "Thank you, Master."
Peter turned to Diana. "What about you? Sword too?"
Diana grinned. "I want a whip."
Peter blinked. "A... whip?"
"An iron one. I don't know why, but I feel like I can control it easily."
Peter scratched his head. "Weird choice, but... okay."
He crafted a long, flexible iron whip and handed it to her.
"Just don't use it on me."
"No promises," Diana giggled.
---
"Alright," Peter said, stepping back. "Time for a trial match."
The two donned leather armor and took their stances.
"Ready?"
"Ready!"
Peter gave the signal.
Both unleashed their auras—crimson and orange light colliding in a shockwave that rattled the trees and sent birds fleeing.
Judas charged with a downward slash. Diana dodged, bending low, and wrapped her whip around his sword.
"Gotcha!" she smirked, yanking it away.
"I win!"
But before she could celebrate—
"Too early for that."
Judas appeared behind her and slammed a fist into her stomach. She went flying.
"End of round one," Peter said, stepping in with a grin.
---
In the days that followed, Peter drilled them relentlessly—elemental magic, aura control, and weapon techniques.
"Watch closely."
He drew his bow, formed an arrow with his green aura, and released. The arrow split mid-air into ten, striking ten different targets with explosive force.
Judas practiced sending slashes through the air. Diana ignited her whip with fire.
By age eleven, both had reached expert level.
---
On a sunny afternoon, Peter sat cross-legged atop a large boulder.
Below, Judas and Diana squared off again.
"Go!"
Diana's whip shot forward, engulfed in flames. Judas dodged, sending aura slashes in return. Their attacks became a blur of fire and metal.
The boulder Peter sat on cracked.
"Oops."
Diana spun and unleashed a massive wave. Judas teleported behind her.
"Got you."
She countered—flames shot from her mouth. Judas blocked with his blade, now glowing red-hot.
"Thanks for the heat."
He teleported again, slashing her whip in two. But Diana grinned, swung the handle into his neck, then shattered his sword with a powerful kick.
He flew backward—but yanked her whip mid-air, pulling her with him.
They hit the ground together, laughing breathlessly.
Diana's fists lit up like fire gauntlets, launching rapid strikes. Judas dodged using micro-teleports.
"Too slow!"
He kicked her back, but she threw flaming rocks. Judas opened spatial spheres—
WHOOSH—
Rocks teleported upward—straight at Peter.
Peter ducked. "HEY! I'm not part of this match!"
"Sorry, Master!" Judas shouted.
"Focus on the fight, dummy!" Diana yelled and punched him in the face.
Judas staggered. "Alright. No more playing around."
Their auras surged, clashing again. Trees shook. Small animals scattered.
Just before another clash, Peter raised a hand.
"Enough! Friendly fight, remember?"
They stopped. Diana quickly healed their wounds using her secondary healing magic.
"You two are practically deadly," Peter said.
A voice from above cut in. "Deadly? More like impressive."
They turned. A blonde boy stood atop a tree branch, casually munching on a red fruit. His clothes were simple—grey shirt, white trousers—but his presence was sharp.
He jumped down, landing softly on the ground.
"I'm Alex," he said with a grin. "Mind if I join the fun?"
---{end of chapter 6}