Chapter 13: Strength, Weakness, and a Healer’s Gaze

Without saying another word, Dion used his magic to lift Reik and carry him floating through the air to receive treatment. Reik was so exhausted he could barely stand; that battle had pushed him further than he had ever imagined.

"You did very well. I'll take you to the infirmary—they'll heal you with advanced magic."

"Thank you so much, Dion. Don't you know any healing magic?" Reik asked.

"No, unfortunately, I was never able to learn it," Dion replied quietly.

For some reason, not having healing magic seemed to affect Dion more than he wanted to admit. Reik felt like he had said the wrong thing.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to bring up something negative..." Reik said, trying to make up for his mistake.

"It's fine, don't worry about it," Dion replied, downplaying it, though his expression said otherwise.

"One more thing—I want you to keep quiet about being half-demon. No one would take that news well, so let's keep it a secret for now."

"I understand… What about my friends?" Reik asked with some hesitation.

"For now, no one. Trust me on this. We don't know who might be listening, and believe me, it's in your best interest to follow my lead."

Once in the infirmary, Dion used his magic to gently lay Reik down on a stretcher. On the stretcher next to him, Fain was sitting with bandages on his arms and an exhausted expression on his face.

"Reik… Looks like you didn't pass the test either…" Fain said with a tired smile.

Dion turned slightly toward him and replied in a calm voice,

"He did pass the test."

Fain's eyes widened in surprise.

"You're incredible... Kaiser will be really proud of you… But me, I'm sure I'll just disappoint him…" Fain said, lowering his gaze.

"Don't say that. You're strong, Fain. You'll make it!" Reik replied firmly.

Fain clenched his fists in frustration.

"The truth is… Dion had to stop my fight quickly… The second demon I faced could've killed me if he wanted to. I didn't stand a chance… I need to get stronger…" he whispered, his voice breaking as tears rolled down his cheeks.

Reik was genuinely surprised to hear that the second demon Fain had fought was so much stronger than him. However, on the other hand, he understood that he himself wouldn't have passed the test if it hadn't been for his demonic power.

Dion looked at Fain, who was visibly frustrated, and said firmly:

"Right now, you're still weak, but that's exactly why you're here—to become stronger."

Fain, his eyes filled with determination, nodded and replied:

"You're right… I will get stronger. I don't know if I'll ever be able to pass that test, but no matter what happens, at the very least, I'll grow more powerful."

Dion sighed and added:

"The test is the least of it, Fain. To begin with, it was humanly impossible. Very few humans could pass it... only a select few. I'm sorry to say, you're not one of them, but that doesn't mean you can't become a great warrior. You can still get strong enough to serve in this war and save lives."

Fain, surprised and not fully understanding, asked:

"Then? Why make us take these tests? I don't understand the need to face something impossible to overcome just to make us stronger."

Dion sighed and responded calmly:

"You see, Fain, the tests aren't just for you to pass. They're a way to measure your strength, skill, and most importantly, to see how far you're willing to go in a fight where your enemy completely outmatches you. Not everyone is ready to fight against a being they know they can't defeat. Most would panic."

Dion paused before continuing:

"What good would it do to train you if we don't know your limits? If, when you reach the battlefield, you freeze in fear, all your training will be useless. These tests teach you to face terror, to not give up, and to discover how far you can go when you're staring death in the face."

Both Fain and Reik understood Dion's words and fell silent. It made perfect sense: if they ever faced an overwhelmingly superior enemy without having experienced that feeling of helplessness, the most likely outcome was they'd be defeated before they even had a chance to react.

"I still don't understand one thing. If you say very few humans could pass the test, does that mean Reik is one of the chosen ones?" Fain asked with curiosity.

Reik lowered his gaze, fully aware of the real reason he had been able to pass.

"Yes, Reik is one of the chosen ones," Dion affirmed without hesitation. "In addition to that, from what little I've seen, I can point out that he has great reflexes, monstrous strength, and, clearly, it's obvious that he's not afraid of even death itself."

Fain felt a mix of emotions. He was happy for his friend, but at the same time, he was dissatisfied with himself. A single tear slid down his cheek as he looked at Reik with determination.

 "I'm not going to fall behind," he said firmly. "I'm going to fight by your side."

 *Reik smiled and said*

 "I wouldn't expect anything less from you. Let's go far together."

After that conversation, a mage approached Reik to heal him.

"You took longer than I thought, Serene. Where were you?" Dion asked.

"I'm really sorry, I was changing Sira's sheets," Serene replied nervously.

"It's fine, it's no big deal," Reik intervened, downplaying it.

Serene placed her hands on Reik, and a brilliant energy began to surround him. Slowly, his wounds started to heal at an incredible speed.

"You're amazing... Thank you so much, Serene. My name is Reik."

"It was nothing, luckily, they were just superficial wounds," Serene replied, blushing slightly.

"Really, thank you. I owe you one," Reik said with a smile.

"Don't be modest, Serene. You're an incredible healing mage," Dion added.

Serene smiled shyly and thanked him for the compliment. However, her gaze returned to Reik. There was something about him that intrigued her, something that caught her attention in a way she couldn't explain.

"Are you alright, Serene?" Reik asked, noticing she couldn't stop staring at him.

Serene jumped slightly, quickly looking away, and nervously replied:

"Yes... of course, perfectly fine."

Once healed, Reik tried to sit up to get up.

"Don't even think about it. You need to rest, so you'll stay here lying down for the rest of the day," Dion said firmly.

"But... I have to train to get stronger," Reik replied.

"Tomorrow. Rest today," Dion declared with a serious look.

Fain chuckled softly and looked at Reik.

"You'll never change, huh? Always in a hurry for everything. Rest, starting tomorrow, we'll train nonstop," he said with a smile.

"Alright, sorry," Reik said, looking at both of them.

Serene, a little farther away, smiled at the scene.

Reik looked at Dion with a more serious expression and asked,

"Could you find out if my friends are okay? On one hand, I'm excited, but on the other, I'm worried."

"Yes, of course. I'll let you know as soon as I find out something. I imagine you're worried about whether they've moved on to the second test and if something could happen to them, right?" said Dion.

"Yeah..." Reik replied, looking down.

"Don't worry. Remember, when I brought you here, I dismantled the magic myself, so even if they pass through the door, they won't see or have to fight any creatures," Dion said, trying to reassure him.

"That makes me feel much better," Reik said, sighing in relief.

"Alright, you two stay here and rest until tomorrow, okay? I'm going to continue with those who pass. Tomorrow, I'll train you," Dion said.

Reik and Fain smiled and waved as he left the room. Serene walked over to them with a smile.

"If you need anything, just let me know. I'll be around," she said kindly.

They both nodded, but before Serene could walk away, Reik called out to her.

"Hey, Serene, do you have a boyfriend?" he asked bluntly.

Fain looked at him, surprised by how direct he had been, while Serene was even more stunned. Her face turned red like a tomato, and her voice trembled as she replied.

"I... I don't... I don't have one..." she stammered, completely flustered.

"That's strange," Reik said, genuinely surprised.

"Strange? Why would it be strange?" Serene asked, confused.

"Because you're very beautiful, and an incredible mage too," Reik replied with complete sincerity.

Serene grew even more nervous than before.

"B-Beautiful? Don't be silly," she said, avoiding his gaze.

"What's wrong? It's the truth," Reik said, not understanding why she was so surprised.

"I... I'm going to check something. I'll see you around later. If you need anything, let me know—I'll be nearby," she said hastily, practically fleeing the conversation with her face completely red.

Once Serene left the room, Fain and Reik looked at each other and, almost simultaneously, Fain burst into laughter.

"You're truly unbelievable, Reik..." he said between laughs.

"What? Did I say something wrong?" Reik asked, confused.

"I'm just going to say that if Laira had seen that scene... she'd be really pissed off and jealous."

"I don't see what Laira has to do with a simple question I asked Serene," Reik replied, frowning.

Fain, surprised that his friend still hadn't grasped the situation, sighed.

"You're strong, but when it comes to emotional intelligence... you're seriously lacking," he said, laughing again.

Reik, still not understanding anything, decided not to ask further.

The next morning, Dion and Jack entered the room. As soon as they walked through the door, Jack shouted:

"Wake up, boys!"

Reik and Fain, who had been sleeping peacefully, jumped at the sound of Jack's voice.

"What a way to wake us up..." Fain grumbled, rubbing his eyes.

"Come on, up and at it! It's time to continue training," Jack said energetically.

Reik looked at him with concern and asked,

"What happened to Tharion and Laira? Did they pass the trial?"

Jack shook his head.

Reik frowned, a flicker of worry crossing his face, but before he could say anything, Jack continued,

"They didn't take the trial. We have a different kind of training prepared for them. You won't see them for now, but they're in good hands. I promise you—they'll grow stronger... so you need to give it your all too."

Reik was surprised by those words; it had never crossed his mind that someone could receive a different kind of training from the one they were going through.

"Another kind of training? Why would they get something different?" he asked, confused.

Jack crossed his arms and replied calmly,

"Because, in their case, they wouldn't be able to pass the physical part—let alone face the demons in the second trial. So we decided to assign them training better suited to their abilities, so they wouldn't waste time."

"But if they haven't even tried, how can you be sure they wouldn't pass?" Reik insisted.

Jack sighed and looked at him seriously.

"Reik, I've been training people for many years. Believe me when I say—I knew they couldn't."

Reik lowered his gaze for a moment, reflecting on his words.

"Alright, I'm sorry. Where are they right now?" he asked more calmly.

"They're with someone else who will be training them," Jack replied. "Like I said, their training will be different, but that doesn't mean it's a bad thing. On the contrary, it's the best path for them."

Reik smiled, trusting that his friends were in good hands. With that thought in mind, he stood up with determination, ready to face another intense day of training alongside Fain.

"Come on, Fain! Let's get stronger!" he said with enthusiasm.

Fain sat up and looked at Reik with a confident smile.

"Yeah!"