A Change

Peering down at Ryan's trembling form, Link's arrogant eyes, set deep within his chubby cheeks, curved into a cruel grin. He revelled in the power he held over the smaller man, relishing in the fear and defeat that shone in Ryan's eyes.

Ryan hung his head low, his thoughts consumed by a single, desperate face. Despite the pain coursing through his body, he forced himself to lift his head, summoning every ounce of strength and determination he possessed. And as he stood, he could have sworn he heard the sound of his bones cracking, the effort of his movements pushing his body to its limits. But he would not be defeated, not yet. He would not let Link see him cower and beg for mercy. He would stand tall, and fight with everything he had.

Ryan adopted the same stance his father had taught him, his legs shoulder-width apart, one in front of the other, his eyes locked onto his opponent. Breathing fluently without any emotion, maintaining indifference.

Link's smile began to dissipate as he realized that Ryan wouldn't budge, standing firm and unyielding, his gaze filled with a fierce determination.

"What was your name again?"

Link asked, trying to provoke Ryan into a flying rage. But it seemed to have no effect as Ryan stood still, his face expressionless, his eyes locking onto Link with a fierce glare.

"Hmph, fine then. I'll give you what you want,"

Link said, his confidence beginning to waver. Realizing that Ryan would not be easily defeated. Link placed one foot on the boy who had been struck in the solar plexus, still recuperating on the ground, and leapt into the air, cocking his fist back in one swift motion as he dashed towards Ryan.

But Ryan had seen this move before and remembered the counter that Deno had used against Link before. He had the closest seat to the fight and etched it into his very being.

Shutting his eyes, Ryan tensed every muscle in his body, summoning all of his strength for one final, desperate strike. He lunged forward with fierce determination, delivering a crushing blow to the midsection of Link, his opponent. Link's body buckled under the impact, his face contorting in a mask of pain as the air was forced from his lungs. The crowd watched in stunned silence as Link crumpled to the ground, defeated.

But Ryan was not yet done, finally having triumphed over Link, something he had always dreamed of, he was sent into a rush of euphoria.

'Is this what Deno felt?'

Ryan thought inwardly as his body tingled with pride.

Gazing towards the sky, Ryan swore for a second he could see his father within the clouds. The sky seemed to be alive with his father's spirit, watching over him and guiding his hand in this final moment of victory.

Ryan looked back down, his neck snapping back to its original position as he dashed at Link. The price of hurting Link would be the same no matter what he did, so Ryan dashed at Link and beat him up. Ryan's fists were a blur as he unleashed all the pent-up anger and frustration of years of defeat and failure, raining blow after blow upon his defeated foe. His punches echoed like thunder in the arena, each one a symphony of violence and triumph. With every strike, Ryan could feel the weight of his father's legacy upon his shoulders, pushing him to greatness and glory.

"Not bad."

One disciple said with a nod of approval, his eyes alight with admiration.

"What do you mean, that was a dirty trick."

Another disciple said, scowling in disapproval.

"It's not the kid's fault Link exposed his weakest area during his attack."

Another disciple responded, his voice calm and measured.

Ryan looked around the crowd in shock, he hadn't noticed all these people watching him with awe. Normally he was surrounded by a different sensation, embarrassment, but this time he gained an aura of a warrior with his chest puffed out and his fists still clenched. The sea of faces that surrounded him was a mixture of admiration, envy and respect. Ryan knew truly had become a warrior, just like his father before him. Ryan felt like he was on top of the world, and at that moment, nothing could bring him down.

"Hey, move out of the way!" Jeremy shouted, his voice cutting through the herd of the bustling crowd. He was strolling through the area, sauntering through the smooth cleaned concrete with autumn leaves swept to the side creating a clear path for him to walk through, but ever since the Deno incident, most disciples had gotten really cocky, thinking they could challenge each other and cause an absurd amount of commotion without any dire consequences. Jostling his way through the throngs of people, some he recognized as fellow Outer disciples. Jeremy's eyes landed on Ryan, to which Ryan's heart ceased to beat.

The universe seemed to enjoy proving Ryan wrong. Ryan had thought he had put the past behind him, but here was Jeremy, a constant reminder of his weakness. Jeremy's eyes were cold and disdainful as they met Ryan's, and Ryan could feel the weight of Jeremy's gaze bearing down on him like a leaden weight.

Jeremy walked up to Ryan with a cold gaze impressed with how the kid had overcome his own bully.

"Is Deno your friend?"

Jeremy asked Ryan, his curious gaze fixed upon the younger man. His curtain bangs hung low over his forehead, obscuring his eyes as he stooped down to Ryan's level. The prideful glint in Jeremy's eyes was almost on par with Deno's, but when it came to arrogance, Deno was in a different league altogether.

The question took Ryan by surprise, as it seemed to come out of nowhere. Weighing his options, Ryan came to the unerring conclusion that there were only two options available to him: to answer truthfully, and risk getting pummeled as a punishment, or to lie, and hope to be let go peacefully.

"No..."

Ryan replied hesitantly, lying through his teeth. A bead of sweat trickled down Ryan's neck as he waited anxiously for Jeremy's response.

"Oh, that's too bad. He must be a better guy than I gave him credit for, saving someone who he wasn't even friends with."

Jeremy mumbled softly, his hand stroking his chin in thought.

"Credit?"

Ryan's eyes widened in surprise as he hadn't expected such a reaction. He couldn't believe his luck, he was really going to get a day outside without a beating from some bastard.

Suddenly, Jeremy's hand clamped down upon Ryan's shoulder with a grip as tight as a vice. He leaned in close, the breath from his words hot against Ryan's ear as he whispered,

"We both know that Deno doesn't know about the... Cafeteria incident. So let's keep it that way."

Ryan could sense the threat in Jeremy's tone, he knew that he was in a dire situation. Jeremy's cold, calculating gaze seemed to bore into Ryan's very soul, leaving him feeling exposed and vulnerable.

"As thanks, I'll ignore this incident?"

Jeremy said in a questioning tone, his voice low and menacing. Ryan could feel the sweat beading on his forehead as he quickly nodded his head in agreement, eager to avoid any further confrontation.

"Now, you better leave before someone who actually cares for Link arrives,"

Jeremy warned Ryan, his voice like a whip crack. Ryan nodded again before Jeremy promptly turned on his heel vanishing back into the herd of disciples.

The crowd parted before him like the Red Sea, their curious gazes following him as he walked away. Ryan could feel their eyes turn upon him once more, judging him, and he knew that he had to get out of there as fast as possible. He felt like a criminal on the run, his guilt heavy upon him as he fled the scene of his crime.

Snapping back to his current situation, Ryan realised that he really needed to part before he got in trouble. Turning around Ryan limped away attempting a stride that parroted Jeremy's as a huge grin made its way across his face.

As he left the area, he couldn't help but feel a sense of relief wash over him. He had narrowly escaped punishment and had been given a second chance. He couldn't help but feel grateful for Jeremy's leniency in seeing him in a completely new light.

*****

Pride Sect, Market place.

The marketplace bustled with activity, as a sea of disciples, each adorned in robes of varying hues, flowed through the streets like a river. Deno, his bleach-white robes standing out in stark contrast, strolled among them, studying each disciple with a keen eye, measuring their strength against his own. The mild-blue robes of the Outer disciples were most prevalent, filling the area like a tide. The disciples paid Deno little heed, lost in their own worlds and pursuits, as he passed by.

'There are many Outer disciples here,'

Deno observed as he walked past two of them, engaged in a heated argument over spirit stones.

'Mhm, Ally had explained their outfits to us previously,'

Adriana said, her thoughts drifting to the kind-hearted Ally, whose purity of heart was matched only by her beauty.

'Right,'

Deno said, sheepishly, as he realized that he had not remembered her explanation. Reluctantly, Adriana repeated Ally's words,

'Sigh, the robes of the disciples bear the colours of their mastery. The white robes of the starting disciples signify their entry into the fifth stage of Cultivation. The light blue robes of the Outer disciples mark their progression through the fourth, third and second stages. The Dark blue robes of the Inner disciples signify their mastery of the first stage. And beyond these, the robes of the core disciples are adorned with the regal red of the Master stage. The Instructors and Elders, who have transcended even the highest levels of understanding, are granted the freedom to adorn themselves as they please, for they are the alpha cultivators of this sect who have achieved the Expert stage.'

Adriana drew in deep, ragged breaths.

Deno sneered at her dramatics, knowing full well that as a spirit, the act of breathing held no purpose for her. Her thoughts alone were enough to converse.

'Right, and what of the rank of Mystic? What robe colour is it, exactly?'

Deno queried, his curiosity piqued.

Adriana erupted in frustration, her voice rising in a tempestuous roar.

'Do you truly believe that such a weak sect as this could produce a Mystic? How could you even fathom that I would be so lowly? I could unleash destruction upon this entire sect with but a single thought, if I so desired.'

'Alright, relax. I won't disrespect the name of the Mystic.'

Deno conceded slightly amused by her useless bursts of anger.

'Wait!'

With a sudden exclamation, Adriana arrested Deno's progress, using her full force to stop his body causing him to freeze as if he were a marionette under her control. Gazing to his left, Deno's attention was drawn to a cluster of mushrooms, their unusual appearance with stripes of green wrapping around it in a spiral causing it to stand out amidst the throngs of disciples that surrounded them.

But none of the disciples recognized it to give it much thought.

'What is it?'

Deno questioned, slightly irritated, though his interest was piqued by Adriana's sudden outburst.

'Those mushrooms are known as Vietros,'

Adriana began, her voice tinged with awe.

'When combined with the blood of spirit wolves and boiled water, they possess a unique property that can rapidly heal the body.'

Deno listened intently as Adriana continued,

'These mushrooms are quite rare, and it is no surprise that the simpletons of the Sutra Empire have no knowledge of their true potential.'

'Now this is why you are my 'wiki','

Deno exclaimed, a hint of reverence in his voice.

'Wiki, if I hear that word come out of your mouth again, I swear to the Supreme Dao,'

Adriana retorted with a roll of her eyes.

'Now, now, wikis aren't supposed to talk back,'

Deno teased with a sly grin.

"Hey you're Deno righ-?"

The unknown disciple said as he approached, his hand reaching out to grasp Deno's wrist. Deno responding with lightning-fast reflexes turned around and pulled his wrist out of the disciple's grip. In response, Deno's fist shot forward, his attack aimed at the unsuspecting disciple's face. But at the last moment, the disciple's finger intercepted the blow, halting it mere inches from its intended target.

Despite the sudden turn of events, Deno's expression remained impassive, his mind racing as he processed the unexpected turn of events. Internally, he was shocked by the ease with which the disciple had blocked his attack, yet externally, he maintained a poker face, revealing nothing of the turmoil within.