Chapter 16: Cold and Heat

After the exciting duel and the squadron's ovation, Olaf announced the next training orders. "All right, now you are all going to train together," he declared, thought for a moment and said. "You will run ten laps around the barracks, and when you have finished, you will conduct duels among yourselves."

At the orders the recruits responded briskly, "Yes, sir!"

As they began to run around the barracks, Luzbel felt Ember once again lean on his shoulder. Whispering to the little bird, he asked, "Ember, go explore while I finish my training." With a disgruntled peck, Ember left his shoulder and disappeared.

As they moved on, they passed other squads of initiates and regular soldiers who were also running and training. The air vibrated with the determination and effort of all the recruits striving to improve their skills and earn a place in the army.

Lancelot, who was running alongside Luzbel, decided to strike up a conversation. "Luzbel, you are an exceptional swordsman, but I wonder why you joined the initiate squad. With your talent in mana and swordplay, you should wait two years and enter the academy directly.Why did you come here?"

Luzbel looked at the blue-eyed youth and answered earnestly, "I want to become powerful as soon as possible, and I can't afford to wait two years without doing anything." Lancelot, surprised by the answer, looked at him and asked, "Why are you desperately seeking power?"

Luzbel looked at his hand, where a ring with two wings adorned his finger, and said, "I need to understand certain things, and I need revenge. And for that, I must become very powerful." Lancelot nodded, not wanting to delve too deeply into the life of someone he had just met. "The truth is, your goals are great compared to mine, I only came because I had neither the talent nor the ability to enter the mana academy." He extended his hand towards Luzbel as they continued running and said, "I hope we can be friends."

Luzbel looked at him, but instead of shaking his hand, he simply nodded. Lancelot, perplexed, scratched his head with his previously outstretched hand and laughed, realizing that Luzbel was someone reserved and aloof.

After completing the ten laps around the barracks, all the recruits began dueling each other. Each one who faced Luzbel was defeated, being amazed by his skill. Respect for the cold and distant boy began to blossom in the hearts of the other recruits.

After the intense duels, the squad of initiates gathered in the barracks cafeteria for lunch. Luzbel sat next to Lancelot in silence as he listened to the lively conversations of the other boys. Laughter and stories of their pre-army lives filled the air, with everyone sharing their longings to return home and reunite with their families when the long-awaited vacations arrived.

However, something deep inside Luzbel stirred, something he thought he had outgrown. A sharp pain began to grow in his chest as he remembered the tragic death of his mother and the sacrifice of his grandfather. Although he struggled to remain stoic in front of his companions, the weight of loneliness and loss became unbearable at that moment.

Once the meal was over, the Initiates had the afternoon off. Titus ordered a soldier to take Luzbel to the carriage back to the village. The carriage began to move, setting off on the return journey, while Luzbel's mind was lost in his dark and painful thoughts.

Arriving at the villa, he felt depressed and longing to be alone, so he told a servant girl that he would not be dining that evening. He opted to explore the mansion's surroundings for the rest of the day, with his faithful feathered companion, Ember, at his side.

Luzbel ventured with a heavy step through the places that enveloped the majestic mansion, wandering into the gardens and woods. The pain in his chest, that sharp emptiness that threatened to tear him apart, kept increasing. Anguish invaded him, the certainty that he would never again see the loving face of his mother and the wisdom of his grandfather tore him mercilessly.

His steps led him to the edge of a small lake, where the crystalline waters unfolded like liquid mirrors, capturing the gaze of dusk. Luzbel let himself fall with regret, leaning against the ancient trunk of a tree, and his eyes were lost in the horizon painted in golden and reddish hues. Strangely, the sunset reminded him of a scene etched in his mind, the atrocious explosion that destroyed his mother and the entire town where he grew up.

The torrent of emotions engulfed him in its entirety, tears welled up uncontrollably and a heartbreaking sob escaped his lips as he clung to Ember, his faithful companion. In that desperate embrace, pain and rage merged into a swirl of anguish and a silent oath was forged deep within her being. Luzbel, the tormented soul, knew that his quest for power became a mission to claim justice and vengeance, even if it meant losing himself in the darkness of his own being.

***

Luzbel's absence at dinner caught the attention of Morrigan, who began to search for him throughout the house. She went through the rooms in vain, without finding any trace of him. Desperate, she decided to ask the maids, who revealed that Luzbel was in the lake near the house.

Moved by curiosity and concern, Morrigan ventured stealthily towards the lake, seeking to meet Luzbel. As she drew closer, her ears picked up the muffled sobs echoing in the night air. Luzbel was there, holding something in his arms, something that Morrigan could not make out in the darkness.

Suddenly, Luzbel sensed the noises nearby and stood up abruptly, alert for any possible threat.

Morrigan, in her attempt to flee from Luzbel's presence, stumbled and fell, hitting her head against the ground. The impact was enough to render her momentarily unconscious. Luzbel, alerted by the noise, quickly approached and found her lying motionless on the ground.

Wasting no time, Luzbel crouched down beside her and carefully lifted her in his arms carrying her on his back. Morrigan seemed so fragile and vulnerable in that instant, and a mixture of concern and something else inexplicable gripped Luzbel's heart. He felt her warmth through his skin, as if her presence could dispel the sadness that had tormented him until that moment.

With cautious steps, Luzbel set out on his way back to the house, carrying Morrigan's limp body on his back. As he advanced, the softness of her breathing and the beating of her heart mingled with Luzbel's agitated thoughts. Amidst the silence of the night, her presence reassured him, as if that little body on his back was the lifeboat in the stormy sea that is his mind.

Little by little, Morrigan began to regain consciousness, but when she realized that it was Luzbel who was carrying him on her back, she decided to keep her eyes closed and pretend to be still asleep. Her heart was pounding, a mixture of curiosity and excitement, anticipating what was to come.

Finally, Luzbel reached the inside of the house and went to Morrigan's room. Gently, he gently laid the girl's body on the bed, making sure not to wake her. He watched her serene face as the moonlight caressed her complexion, revealing the beauty hidden beneath the innocence.

After a while watching her pretty face without saying a word, Luzbel slowly moved away from the bed and closed the door behind himself, leaving Morrigan alone with her troubled thoughts. As he closed the door Morrigan opened her eyes and pressed her hands to her chest as she felt her heart pounding a mile a minute. As she felt overwhelmed by all the intense feelings she felt she whispered a phrase. "What happened?"