I'm beat. My body feels like it's on fire. My brain is mush. My scar has been hurting, for some reason. Even though I'm supposed to be resting now, I can't help but feel restless looking at the starry sky inside of my mind. Master Boqin looked at me once and told me to rest this time. If I wasn't going to, I'd already be trying to master Galaxy Painting. I don't know why I'm talking to myself in my head as if someone is taking notes. This is a weird feeling.

  Miss Yue's lessons aren't as hard as others, but she is very strict. She wants me to do everything perfectly. I guess it makes sense. I've learned about the world... or at least bits she allowed me to see right now. I also learned math, alchemy, history, writing and reading... ahh, this is just too much. My head hurts every day.

  Ping's lessons are the toughest, though. My brain doesn't hurt when I'm training with him because, well... everything else is. Despite his goofy look, he swings his training sword with so much force my bones crack. I don't know what it is they're feeding me, but my body seems to heal really fast here. Appearently, while the place looks like it's inside of a dense bamboo forest, this is just a formation. It's made to look like that, but in truth, it's just a massive, hollowed out cave underground.

  That's what the Dragon told me, at the very least. Told... maybe that's a wrong word. He can use telepathy. Must be something he learned after being turned into one. His classes are... weird. This strange technique he has taught me defies everything I've seen in the world, which isn't much, to be fair— but it feels unnatural. It's almost like... like... den—

  That was when Sen woke up, startled by a loud noise. He quickly got up and ran out of the wooden shack he has actually built himself with the technique made by the Dragon. It wasn't much, but it worked nicely enough. With slobber still dripping from his lips, the boy noticed a man, one he didn't recognize. His face was contorted and turned around as if fate has disfigured him horribly. It wasn't so much different than what Sen has suffered.

  Seemingly, the man didn't notice Sen standing a couple of feet away. Even though looking right at him, somehow, he couldn't notice the boy. He hit his hands against the air, them stopping at one point, each time he hit his fists, a thudding sound was heard. Some sort of barrier, maybe? Unable to let out a word, the man groaned terribly loud, smacked himself in the head a few times and ran like a maniac to where Sen has first come through.

  At this "spectacle", Sen gulped and looked to the stoic three characters sitting where they usually sit. They haven't stopped to even look at a man, they barely paid any attention to his antics. When Sen walked up the steps to greet his masters, the woman offered him a smile. — Well, good morning, sleepyhead. Is your morning as good as ours? — She spoke, covering her mouth with her sleeved hand. She was wearing a beautiful robe with pink petals woven into the material, appearing as if they've grown out of it. Sen shook his head, kneeling near the table where a set of small bowls were prepared for him. Rice, seaweed soup and minced lightbugs. Just what he has every day.

  — No, ma'am, I... couldn't rest properly. My mind was full of thoughts, but... but who was that man? — Sen picked up his chopsticks and slowly ate, looking nervously at the three. Miss Yue only giggled, still covering her mouth. Master Boqin was still repeating the same action over and over again. Ping was picking at his nose mindlessly, not even bothering to answer. But the Dragon who sat atop, it slithered down and poked its large head inside, using telepathy to speak to Sen.

  It was someone just like you. He ended up inside this cave, dared to step up the stairs... but his mind broke in half after just one step. I doubt he will live for long. If nature won't take him, he will take his own life instead.

  Sen gulped very much audibly. He could have ended like that, mindlessly walking the cave tunnels until he dies from hunger, or maybe from something hiding in the darkness... or...

  He shook his head, not letting himself think about that. As he went back to eating breakfast, the dragon and the woman exchanged knowing looks. It slithered up to the usual spot, while she stood up slowly and circled around Sen, slowly rubbing along his shoulders. She was graceful in her movement and spent no time on unecessary steps. Each one had purpose, each one knew where to go before the previous one was even over. She sat beside the boy, wrapping her arm around his waist while pressing his cheek to Sen's dark hair.

  It was a motherly touch. A courtesan left without her voice, defiled in ways people couldn't even imagine, but as a woman, she wanted one thing in life: a child. Sighing out, she cleared her throat, which was something she had to do a lot. Without it, her voice dried up even further, barely allowing her to utter a word. — Today's lesson will be... a story, let's say. Sen, you have no information about the world. I have taught you little, all preparing for this moment. I will tell you of our world when you weren't even an idea in your parents' heads. Well, they probably weren't either at that point in history.

  The world back then was cruel. War after war, people paid to kill one another, families shattered, relationships put to tests... there was no time for love, no time for progress, no time for... a simple hello. If you had a sword at your hip and you met somebody who also had one, there was a high chance you would simply point it at each other. The person who lived would go and find another one to battle. This circle of doom... it needed to be stopped.

  You know our stories, or at least simple tellings of it. I worked as a courtesan. My job was simple: provide happiness. Whether it was a man or a woman, young or old, broken or healthy, all want one thing in the end, and that's to be loved. Cherished. Even the worst generals had to have a servant always available to hold them close. This is a nature of a human. But so is the nature to be betrayed, to murder thousands, to feel like everything would be gone if we don't try our best.

  Buqin knew very well that if his talents wouldn't be used for his clan, they couldn't just let him leave. Despite conquering so much and growing above what a human thinks possible, his family did him dirty. The dragon, him as well. What monster must you be to curse your own simply because they outgrew you? Why was I hurt for doing what anyone with a conscience should have done? Ping never wanted to go to war. Would his future look different if he never killed?

  Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

  Everyone on this planet, everyone alive has a story. They have their reasons for their actions. For one person, perhaps the young master of a prestigious clan upholds the tradition. To someone else, maybe he is the most evil person on the planet. But remember this... there is no reason for hurting another person who is weak. Eventually, you will leave this place and us. When you do that and venture into the world to explore it, all you have to do is not hurt an innocent life.

  But it's also important to remember the saying: an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Your actions have consequences. If you kill someone who has someone stronger than you behind them, they will seek vengeance, no matter if your actions were justified or not. That's why you must decide: become so strong no one can rival you or have a backing force of your own.

  As she stopped talking and looked down at the curiously staring Sen, she only smiled and kissed his forehead. In her heart and mind, she already knew this boy's story wouldn't have the same ending as theirs. Yue stood up from sitting beside the boy and went back to her seat, still keeping the corners of her mouth curled. She spoke, hands going to grab the teapot. — Today's lesson ends here. Go meet Ping who has left already when I was talking. He should be at the entrance of this forest. — Her eyes closed and she only heard soft taps of Sen's feet running towards the edge of the bamboo forest.

  The boy smiled happily after seeing the scarred man standing near where the forest meets the cave. He waved his hands towards Ping and stopped right before him. — Student Sen greets Master Ping! — Usually, the man would grin wide and ruffle his black hair, but today seemed a little different. Without answering, the man grabbed something from behind his back and showed it to the boy. It was a metal sword, very simple in appearance but clearly sharp. Even though it was closer to a knife in size than a sword, Ping nodded his head towards the boy. — Take it! It's yours. We go up to the forest today, I can't keep looking at you eat the weeds and bugs. We'll hunt a boar and have a feast! Hahaha!

  Despite training with Ping was incredibly hard because the man only held back enough to not kill Sen, his lessons were the nicer ones because Ping had a positive energy to him, no matter what he did. He looked like a man cut with every weapon in the world, but his wide smile and the infectious happiness really gave him a different kind of edge. Sen grabbed the small sword and gulped. It was his first time leaving the cave since coming down here. He only nodded, looking nervously at Ping who was looking back at him. — Oh, you know. It's just you. We can't leave here!

  A shudder went down Sen's back. He looked even more nervous now. What if he left and couldn't find his way back? What if they were throwing him out? What if he finds that man still wandering the caves, will he have to kill him? But through his somewhat of a short stay, Sen learned one thing: do not question your masters. He let out a shaky sigh and stepped outside the forest, his naked feet touching the cold stone. One part of him wanted to turn around and see if all of what he went through for the past week or so was just a dream, but he kept the small sword tight in his hands and walked forward.

  Feeling the edges of the sharp rock on his soles, Sen hissed at the pain and stopped for a second. He took off his robe until he was naked, inhaled and condensed energy around him, staring at what moss has grown on the cave's walls. The energy slowly creeped out of him and touched the green parts, taking it and shaping it almost into a thin material. It looked weird, like every atom and molecule were forcibly bent to Sen's will, then moved along the greyish force to wrap around the boy's body. From the bottom of his feet to the point under his chin, a soft and thin material appeared. It materialized itself after taking energy out of the moss.

  This was the technique the Dragon taught him. By humans, for humans, against humans. He grabbed his robe and wrapped it around himself again, dark almost bodysuit of sorts contrasting the woollen robes he put on. Taking a careful step, now the ground no longer hurt his feet. Content with that, he started walking along the long passageway where he came in through for the first time and soon found himself in the massive cave where he fell in through that hole that opened up. From what the elders told him, the cave opens for those who desperately want another chance.

  Sen looked at the small waterfall, the blue wisps of energy still around. His eyes moved along as he walked, seeing the same exact spot where he fell. This soft and large mound was the Dragon's feces. He washed his mouth many times that day after learning it. The cave system here was the most advanced, with tens of different tunnels that went God knows where. Not knowing which way to go, Sen decided to go with the way he knew. Up.

  His lips trembled as he, once more, condensed energy around himself and spoke only when it was the right time. — Galaxy Painting, Walking Technique, the Heaven's Stairway! — He yelped out, energy sending itself forward and forming somewhat see-through steps that curled upwards to the cave's jagged roof. Breathing out softly, the boy took a step... and another, slowly making his way up. This technique was the first he learned from Master Buqin, since it was the easiest one. It still took tremendous amount of focus to keep the stairs from not cracking and falling apart. It's definitely not a move to use when you're in danger, it's for situations like this. Maybe later on, when Sen grows and becomes stronger, he will be able to use this at all times and just walk across the sky.

  But for now, as Sen slowly inched towards the roof, it suddenly cracked open, letting parts of rock fall into the waterfall under. It let out a loud, hissing sound as if a massive snake woke up from slumber, but it was just rock pushing against rock. He breathed in the fresh air of the outside world and stepped onto the grass. When he did, the hole closed up and became unnoticable again. He sighed out, sitting down at the nearby rock. Using the sword, he carved an X into it. If all of this was not a dream, he would be able to find his way back. He was not strong enough to do anything right now.

  ...Well, but strong enough to go and hunt a boar by himself, it looks like.