Chapter 4: Shadows of the Past

The next day started quietly. Too quietly, I thought. Mateo had left early, claiming he had errands, leaving me to train alone. But as I practiced my movements, I couldn’t shake a feeling that someone—or something—was watching.

I stopped mid-step, my ears straining for even the faintest sound. Only the wind, rustling through the trees. I shook my head. My imagination was running wild.

But then I saw him—Ofurd. I had met him briefly before, a boy older than me, calm but confident. He didn’t say anything at first. He just observed, his sharp eyes following every movement I made.

“You’re slow,” he said finally, his voice quiet but cutting. “Your mind hesitates. Your body responds late.”

I clenched my fists. “I’m learning,” I said.

Ofurd stepped closer, a small smile tugging at his lips. “Learning isn’t enough. You need instinct. And to get that, you need to see what others can’t. Watch.”

Before I could ask, he moved—a blur of motion that I struggled to follow. Every strike, every step seemed impossible. My eyes burned trying to track him.

“Do it again,” he said. “Copy me, but don’t think. Feel.”

I mirrored his movements, stumbling at first, then slowly catching rhythm. My body began to move before I even realized what I was doing.

“You have potential,” Ofurd said. “But potential isn’t enough. You’ll be tested soon. The exam won’t wait for you to be ready.”

His words sent a chill down my spine. Exam. The word echoed in my mind, reminding me of the codes Mateo had given me, the strange trials I hadn’t yet seen.

Suddenly, my thoughts drifted—flashbacks of the finger incident, of blood and fear, of uncertainty. I shook my head, forcing the memories away. I couldn’t dwell there. Not now.

Ofurd watched me, unblinking. “Control your past, or it will control you. Remember that.”

I nodded, swallowing hard. Every word sank in like a weight pressing on my chest. I had survived so much already, and yet I knew the worst was still to come.

“You’ll need allies,” Ofurd said as he finally walked away. “And enemies will appear where you least expect them. Remember—trust no one completely.”

Alone again, I trained until my limbs ached and the sky had turned from blue to the deep orange of sunset. I repeated the codes in my mind, running scenarios, imagining the exams, imagining what could happen.

I had come a long way since picking up that money. But I knew this was only the beginning.