"Anyway, that how it’s going to happen, if you have complained just speak to Sect Leader." Damon then turns around and left.

"Just as he walked, he turns his head around. "Tomorrow I will be back with the other disciple." 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

Then Damon left.

"Wait!" Selene tried to stop him, but he already left.

Seeing his departing figure, Selene then turn and look toward Mei. "Lady Mei, can you explain to me what just happen?"

****

Damon walked back to his cliffside villa, the cold mountain air of the core disciple court fading behind him.

The sky was darkening into evening, and the lights from the windows of his residence glowed warm against the gathering dusk.

He pushed the door open and was immediately met with a wave of warmth and noise.

Ariel was pacing by the sofa, her long dark blue hair swaying with each step. Mio and Mia sat on the floor nearby, playing a quiet game of tiles with Neko, who was in her human form, her silver hair and twitching tiger ears bent in concentration over the board.

All four heads snapped up the moment he entered.

"Damon!" Ariel cried out, her vivid blue eyes wide with worry. She rushed forward and threw her arms around his waist, burying her face against his chest.

"You’re back. We were so worried. Elder Selene... she didn’t hurt you, did she?"

He rested a hand on the back of her head, feeling the softness of her hair. "Don’t worry, I’m fine, Ariel. Nothing happened."

Mio scrambled to her feet, her cheerful face tight with concern. "We felt that huge aura blast from halfway across the sect! It was like a mountain shaking. What did you do?"

Mia stood up more slowly, her deep purple eyes studying him with her usual quiet intensity. She didn’t speak, but her gaze asked the same question.

Neko abandoned the game entirely and bounded over on bare feet, her tail swishing behind her.

She didn’t just hug him, but she pressed close to his side, looking up at him with luminous silver eyes. "Master is okay?"

"Master is perfectly okay," Damon said, a small smile touching his lips. He gently extracted himself from Ariel’s embrace and guided them all toward the large sitting area. "Come, Sit. I’ll explain everything."

They gathered around him, Ariel clinging to his arm on the sofa, Mio and Mia taking the chairs opposite, and Neko curling up on the floor at his feet like a large, attentive cat.

He told them everything. He described following Selene to her icy mansion, her demand for an attack, and the lie he crafted about a late master’s implanted memories.

He explained the sheer force of the sword aura that knocked her unconscious, the arrival of Sect Leader Hector and Mei, and the new arrangements that were made.

"So," Damon finished, his gaze settling on Ariel. "Starting tomorrow, we’re moving. Both of us."

Ariel blinked, her graceful features puzzled. "Moving? Where?"

"To Elder Selene’s mansion. We’ll be staying there as her direct disciples."

A soft gasp escaped Ariel’s lips. Her fingers tightened on his sleeve. "The core disciple court? But... I’m just an inner disciple now. I don’t belong there. The spiritual pressure alone..."

"You’ll be fine," Damon said, his voice leaving no room for argument. "The Sect Leader himself agreed to it. You’re part of the tournament team now. This is where we need to be to train properly."

Mio leaned forward, her ponytail swinging. "Wait, so you’re just... leaving this villa? What about us?"

"You and Mia are already core disciples," Damon pointed out.

"You have your own residences there. This doesn’t change much for you. You can visit whenever you want. Selene’s place is just a short walk from the main court."

Mia finally spoke, her voice quiet but clear. "Elder Selene is... intense. And she’s a Frostborn. Her family..."

She didn’t finish the thought, but the story from Ariel about of Jack’s threats and the forced marriage letter hung in the air and she couldn’t help but look at Ariel.

"I know what she is," Damon said, his golden eyes calm.

"And I know what she wants. She’s just a sword freak, obsessed with the sword path. She doesn’t care about politics or family feuds. She only cares about understanding sword aura."

He reached out and took Ariel’s hand, feeling the slight tremble in her fingers.

"You’ll be safe there with me. Safer than here. No one will dare cause trouble in a Heavenly Spirit Realm elder’s personal domain."

Ariel stared at their joined hands, then looked up at him, her blue eyes shimmering. "If you say it’s safe, then I believe you. I’ll go wherever you go."

She managed a small, brave smile. "I suppose I should pack my things now."

Neko, who had been listening quietly, tilted her head. "Do I go too?"

Damon looked down at her. "Do you want to?"

She nodded vigorously, her silver hair flying. "Where master goes. The ice lady’s place might have interesting things to explore."

"Then you come too." Damon said.

Mio let out a long sigh, slumping back in her chair with a pout. "I guess it makes sense. Mom’s probably lurking around there anyway, knowing her."

She perked up slightly. "The training will be insane, though. Elder Selene is famous for being ruthless. Are you ready for that, Ariel?"

Ariel squared her petite shoulders, a new determination hardening her gentle features. "If it makes me stronger for Damon, and for the tournament, then I am ready."

They talked for a while longer, the initial tension melting into practical plans. Mia, ever the observer, listed the items they should bring from the villa to elder Selene’s Mansion.

Packing was a simple affair. Damon owned little beyond the robes on his back, his sword, and the storage rings on his fingers.

Ariel’s belongings were similarly sparse, just a few changes of clothes and her precious Trident, which she stored away in her storage ring.

Neko had nothing to pack at all.

By the time they were ready. Damon stood in the center of the now-empty living area, the villa feeling hollow without the warmth of their presence. Ariel stood beside him, her small hand finding his.

"It feels strange to leave," she murmured, her voice soft in the quiet room.

"It’s just a building," Damon said, but he gave her hand a squeeze. "Our home is wherever we are together."