Show Me, Seven

The training ground stretched across the right wing of the courtyard. It was an area just big enough for the seventeen knights of the Hart household. 

Normally, it would be alive with movement and sound of blades clashing, grunts of exhaustion, and shouts of commands. 

But today?

It was silent.

Weirdly silent.

The only sound was the faint rustling of the wind like even nature itself was holding its breath.

"What's going on…?"

His eyes scanned the training ground. The knights weren't training. They weren't sparring either. They were just standing there in a semi-circle position as if they were forming a protective barrier around the center.

"Eden… is it because of her?"

Though Iria mentioned that Eden was here, this wasn't normal. Eden wasn't supposed to have this kind of effect on the knights, was she? 

He tried to shake the thought off, but it lingered like a thorn in the back of his mind.

What will happen to her now?

That question haunted him. He changed everything. In the novel, Eden would rise to glory. She would avenge her younger brother's death, and the pain would trigger her development and forge her into one of the seven prophesied herpes that helped the protagonist. 

But now?

Now he was alive. And the narrative was revised and rewritten. Her vengeance and her path to greatness? 

All of it was gone.

He swallowed his saliva and pushed the thoughts away. They wouldn't help him now.

As he approached, the weight of the knights' gazes bore down on him. He could feel like he was walking into a battlefield with no armor. Some of the knights looked curious, and others looked at him suspicious. 

But none of them moved, nor did none of them spoke.

When he finally reached the entrance to the grounds, a guard stepped in front of him and blocked the way.

"Young lord…" 

The knight bowed slightly. 

"I must apologize, but Lady Eden has given strict orders not to allow anyone inside."

"She asked for my presence."

"Even so, her instructions were absolute." 

The guard straightened his posture as he rested his hand on the hilt of his sword. 

"Even if you're the young lord, I cannot allow you to—"

"Let him in."

The guard froze mid-sentence as the voice interrupted him. It was a serious command, and left no room for any replies.

Seven's heart skipped a beat. He didn't need to see her to know who it was.

The guard stepped aside instantly, and bowed so deeply that his armor clinked. 

"My apologies, young lord. You may proceed."

Seven didn't respond. He simply walked past him and entered the training grounds.

Inside, the air was suffocating. His eyes scanned the area and then he saw her.

Ding!

[Name: Eden Hart]

[Main Talent: Swordsmanship]

[Sub-Talent: ??? (Locked)]

[Characteristic: A sword prodigy, unmatched in her ability to master any sword.]

Eden stood in the middle of the grounds, her black hair tied back in a simple ponytail. She held a longsword in one hand, and the polished blade gleamed under the dim sun.

But it wasn't the sword that made him stop in his tracks.

It was her eyes.

It was the same ocean blue eyes he last saw back in the forest. 

"Sister…" 

He murmured, and Eden tilted her head. Then, slowly, her lips curled into the faintest hint of a smirk.

"You're awake."

"Yeah. I heard you wanted to see me?"

Eden didn't respond immediately. Instead, her gaze drifted past him and scanned the knights that circled the training grounds.

"Leave us."

The knights hesitated. They exchanged glances out of unease. But their hesitation lasted only a moment before they obeyed as the sound of boots crunched against the dirt.

Seven's gaze remained on Eden, as if he was unsure of what to expect. She turned to face him fully now and her ocean-blue eyes locked onto his gray-blue eyes.

Then, unexpectedly, she stepped forward.

"Seven…"

Before he could respond, she closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug.

His eyes widened. For a moment, his body froze in surprise. Eden wasn't the type to show affection, not like this. Especially not in a novel where her nickname was the 'Ruthless Empress of the North'. 

She didn't speak. She just hugged him tight.

"Sister—"

"Don't." 

She whispered, and she hugged him even tighter. 

Seven's breath caught in his throat. He couldn't remember the last time someone hugged him—truly hugged him. Not even in his life as Seojin. 

He didn't realize how much he missed it until now.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Eden pulled away with an expression as composed as ever.

"...I needed to confirm it."

"Confirm… what?"

"That you're really alive."

Her eyes lingered on him for a long moment before she turned away and walked toward the center of the training grounds. She bent down to retrieve her sword and gripped the hilt.

"Show me." 

She said, but her back was still turned to him.

"Show you what?"

"Show me that you're still you."

His heart thumped. He knew what it meant. No. There was only one meaning behind Eden's words.

This was a test to prove himself.

Without hesitation, he gripped the wooden sword at his waist. The smooth, familiar weight steadied him as he assumed a standard fighting stance, the sword raised before him.

He closed his eyes, and let the memories flood his mind—not his own, but the memories of the original Seven. 

Never strike more than seven times.

"First…"

With eyes still closed, he whispered so faint that the sound was almost drowned out by the soft rush of the wind. 

He swung the blade.

As if in response, the blade also whispered through the air in a wide, sweeping arc that sliced just above the empty ground. The movement was crude, barely resembling the elegance etched in his memory. His footing faltered, and he nearly lost his balance.

"Second…"

He forced himself back into position, flowing into the next strike without pause. The blade rose sharply, and his wrist flicked to redirect the momentum mid-motion. It dipped into a diagonal slash, as it traced a precise path from his shoulder to hip.

But his foot slipped.

The wooden sword clattered to the ground as his grip failed him and stumbled forward.

"Damn it…"

He opened his eyes in frustration. But then, his breath stopped for a moment as he saw Eden… mirroring him.

Without a word, she imitated the exact same movements he just attempted. But unlike him, her stance was flawless.

The "First" strike she performed cut through the air with almost musical grace, and her balance never wavered. The "Second" came right after, fluid and controlled, as if she was the one training the technique this whole time.

When she finished, Eden lowered her sword and turned to face him.

"You're slow… and sloppy."

"I—"

"Again." 

Eden stepped back a little to give him space. 

"And this time, don't drop it."

Seven's grip tightened around the wooden sword as he picked it up.

He took a deep breath and steadied his shaking hands. The wooden sword felt heavier now, but he refused to falter. He closed his eyes and recalled once more from the memories that weren't entirely his.

Focus. Remember.

"First…"

He stepped forward and swung the sword in a wide arc. It sliced through the air, and his footing remained firm this time, though he could feel the strain in his arms.

"Second…"

The blade snapped upward, cutting into a sharp diagonal before dipping back toward the center. His wrist flicked mid-motion to redirect the momentum, and though the movement lacked Eden's precision, it carried enough strength to steady him.

"Third."

He advanced again, pivoting on his heel. This strike came faster, a horizontal slash that aimed to clear any imagined opponent in his path. 

The wooden sword wavered slightly in his grip as he prepared for the next strike. 

"Fourth…"

He continued as Eden watched him in silence. And after the seventh strike, he dropped to one knee with the wooden sword planted in the ground to steady himself. 

For a moment, there was nothing but silence.

"Still clumsy."

Eden tilted her head, and walked toward him. She stopped just a few paces away.

"But better than I expected."

"Was that… enough?"

She didn't respond right away. Instead, she crouched down slightly, meeting his gaze head-on. 

"You've got a long way to go, Seven."

She stood up, and took a few steps backwards.

"Get up. You're not done yet."

Seven grit his teeth, pushed himself to his feet, and gripped the wooden sword once more. His legs trembled, but he stood tall.

This time, when Eden raised her blade, it wasn't to demonstrate. It was to spar with him.

"Show me that you can keep up."