He dried off, put on clean clothes, and strapped Fear Blade to his belt. Then he caught his reflection from the corner of his eye.

And stopped.

He blinked once. Then twice.

It wasn’t just the injuries healing. The command had reshaped him completely. Not like, a different person — but sharper, and more refined.

His eyes were more intense — like a wolf, it looked like they could cut through anything. His jawline was clearer, more defined. His skin was smooth.

Even his hair changed. Softer, shinier, falling into place naturally without him doing anything.

He ran a hand through it. The texture was different. Smoother. Like someone had spent hours styling it, except he hadn’t touched it.

`...I look like a completely different person.`

The command adjusted his bones and cells to be in the best shape. And it seems this made his appearance more handsome.

He stared for a long moment. Then shrugged and walked out.

The hallway was empty. His footsteps echoed off the stone walls. The kids were playing in the courtyard.

Kyle stepped outside, and the moment they saw him, the noise just... stopped.

A dozen pairs of eyes stared.

Leo spoke first. "Brother Kyle... you look different."

Scorpio tilted her head. "Did you do something to your hair?"

"It’s not just the hair," another kid said. "His face changed."

Kyle felt their stares. Dozens of young eyes are studying him. He just smiled.

"I healed."

That wasn’t a lie. He had healed — just not the way they thought.

Most of the kids had warmed up to him over the past two days. They weren’t scared anymore. Some even seemed to like him.

Leo ran up and poked his arm. "You are stronger now?"

"Maybe."

"Cool!"

A few others gathered around, asking stuff. How had he healed so fast? Why had his face changed? Could he teach them?

Kyle didn’t answer any of it directly.

He looked around. "Where’s Lilian?"

Virgo, sitting on a bench reading, looked up. "In the library. Second floor."

Kyle nodded and started walking toward the mansion.

"Hey, Brother Kyle!" Leo called out.

Kyle turned.

"By the way... why were you hurt? What happened?"

The other kids went quiet, curious.

Kyle paused for a second. Then smiled.

"A dog bit me."

Leo’s eyes got big. "A dog did that?!"

"Yeah. A really ugly dog."

Leo shivered. "I didn’t know dogs were that scary..."

Scorpio snorted. "You’re afraid of everything, Leo."

"I’m not!"

"You are."

She crossed her arms, frowning. "I have seen a dog before. They are not that scary."

"Then you haven’t seen this one," Kyle said, already walking away.

The kids exchanged confused looks.

Kyle went up to the second floor and headed to the door at the end of the long corridor.

He knocked.

"Come in." A warm voice from inside.

He pushed the door open. It creaked slightly, the hinges old and tired.

Books everywhere — floor to ceiling. Old tomes, scrolls, papers stacked on tables. Dust motes floated in the afternoon light coming from the window.

Lilian sat in a chair near the window, a book open in her lap. Her white blindfold caught the afternoon light.

When she looked up — or, well, turned her head toward him — she paused.

"You look... different."

"I healed."

"More than healed." She studied him for a moment, then closed the book. "Your body changed."

Kyle didn’t confirm or deny. Instead, his mind was stuck on something else.

`How does she know I changed? Can she see me?... No, that’s not the point. How the FUCK is she reading that book when she’s blind?!`

He pushed the thought down. Some mysteries weren’t worth chasing. He walked closer and stopped a few feet from her.

"I wanted to thank you," he said. "For saving me, and for letting me stay here."

Lilian waved a hand. "It was nothing."

"It wasn’t nothing." Kyle’s tone was firm. "You didn’t have to help me. But you did. I appreciate that."

Lilian was quiet for a moment. Then she nodded.

"You are welcome."

Kyle took a breath.

"I’m fully healed now. I can move fine." He paused. "So I will be leaving."

Lilian didn’t react right away. Her face stayed calm.

"You can stay longer if you want," she said.

"No need. I have already taken enough of your time."

She was quiet again.

Then she spoke.

"What if I offered you something else?"

Kyle’s eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

"What if I became your teacher?" Lilian said, steady. "I could train you and make you stronger."

Kyle stared at her.

`...Teacher?`

"Why?" he asked.

Lilian smiled faintly.

"A few reasons." She held up her fingers. "One — I’m bored. Two — I don’t see someone with a creature from the Chaos Era every day. Three — and the most important one — the kids like you."

Kyle studied her face, looking for the lie. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

`She’s hiding something. But that doesn’t mean she is lying about the offer.`

He thought about it.

She was powerful. Way more powerful than him. All her stats were hidden — over a hundred at least. If she trained him, he would improve faster than if he trained on his own.

And he needed to get stronger. Much stronger.

Kyle made his decision.

"Before I agree," he said, "I want to ask you something."

Lilian tilted her head. "Go ahead."

Kyle’s eyes locked onto her blindfold.

"I didn’t want to pry before. Wasn’t my business. I wasn’t going to stay long anyway." He paused. "But if I’m going to be your student... I need to know."

He took a step closer.

"What’s the story with the kids? Why do they have symbols in their eyes? And from what I have noticed —" he gestured at the window, at the empty halls, at the isolated mansion in the middle of a misty forest, "— no servants. No visitors. Just you and the kids in a Realm with three moons."

He let the question hang.

"Are you hiding from something?"