Jabari followed Aziz helplessly, unsure of where they were going. He wanted to ask – to demand answers about his secret, about what Aziz intended to do with it – but he knew it would be pointless.
Aziz didn't seem like the type to hand over information just because someone asked nicely. He would reveal what he wanted, when he wanted, and not a moment sooner.
Left with nothing else to do, Jabari turned his attention to studying his mentor's movements. Since Aziz already knew about his ability, there was no reason to hold back. He activated his spirit-enhanced eyes, sharpening his vision to its utmost limits.
Aziz's irises flickered with a faint red glow as he glanced back, an amused smirk playing on his lips. But Jabari was too engrossed in his observation to notice.
The more he studied, the more enchanting Aziz's footwork became. His mentor's steps were fluid, perfectly balanced, as if the very ground bent to accommodate him. Jabari instinctively tried to mimic it – only to realise he was making little to no progress.
Aziz, clearly aware of his attempts, slowed his pace, exaggerating each movement to make it easier to follow. What should have been a five-minute walk stretched into a fifteen-minute stroll, but neither of them seemed to mind.
As they neared their destination – a large cabin, similar in design to those of the seeded students but far grander – Jabari felt something click.
Subtle, almost imperceptible, but in that moment, when he took his next step, his entire body seemed to move as one.
To an untrained eye, the change would have been easy to miss. But Aziz? Aziz noticed immediately.
Both of his brows lifted in near disbelief as he witnessed Jabari almost perfectly replicate his movement. A moment later, he let out a quiet sigh – before vanishing like mist in the wind.
Jabari barely had time to process before agony exploded through his legs.
A raw, guttural scream tore from his throat as he collapsed, his body no longer able to support him. It felt like every muscle in his legs was being burned from the inside out, white-hot pain searing through his nerves.
Just as he was about to hit the ground, Aziz reappeared in front of him, catching him with ease.
Jabari's legs had already been sore from his morning training with August, but that pain was nothing compared to this. If he had the strength to move, he might have clawed at his own flesh just to make it stop.
"It's impressive that you managed to copy my footwork," Aziz admitted, lowering him gently onto his back, "but you were only half right in your attempt."
Jabari barely registered the words through the haze of agony, but his mind slowly cleared as Aziz raised a finger and began pressing precise points along his legs.
"My movement utilises every part of my body in perfect harmony," Aziz continued. "If you rely only on your legs, the pressure they have to bear will be overwhelming. Even the most well-trained warriors would collapse. Let alone you – severely malnourished and underdeveloped as you are."
With every precise touch of Aziz's fingers, the pain gradually faded. Jabari exhaled sharply, his muscles relaxing bit by bit as the unbearable fire in his limbs dulled into something more manageable.
"If I hadn't reacted quickly enough," Aziz added, his tone light but firm, "you'd have lost all function in your legs permanently."
Jabari shuddered.
He had been that close to ruining everything. Not just for himself – but for Inayah.
A surge of frustration and fear boiled inside him, and before he could stop himself, he snapped, "Why didn't you stop me earlier?!"
He forgot, for a moment, the vast gap in power between them.
Aziz, however, didn't seem bothered in the slightest. He merely shrugged. "Who told you to copy someone else's technique without truly understanding how it worked?"
Jabari stiffened.
He couldn't argue with that. Aziz was right. He had been so desperate for a shortcut, so focused on accelerating his growth, that he hadn't stopped to think about the consequences.
And that kind of recklessness was exactly what had landed him in this mess with Aziz knowing his secret in the first place.
'I can't afford to keep being so reckless.'
He swallowed hard, his frustration shifting into something colder – determination.
"I'm sorry for my rudeness," he said sincerely.
Aziz waved a dismissive hand, still pressing along Jabari's legs as he worked to ease the damage.
Jabari felt a wave of relief that Aziz hadn't taken offence to his outburst. But just as he was about to let his guard down, his gaze fell on Aziz's right hand – and his eyes widened in both shock and confusion.
A crimson mist-like aura coated Aziz's index finger, swirling like living smoke. With each precise poke, that mist seeped into Jabari's legs, vanishing beneath his skin.
"What the hell are you doing to me?!" Jabari barked, his voice laced with anger and panic. He thrashed weakly, trying to push Aziz away.
Damn it! He had just promised himself to be more careful, yet here he was – allowing someone he had known for all of five minutes to inject an unknown substance into his body.
Unfortunately, the difference in strength between them was like heaven and earth.
With a single, effortless motion, Aziz raised his glowing finger and tapped Jabari on the forehead.
Instantly, his body went rigid.
Jabari's eyes widened in horror as he realised he had lost all control from the neck down.
"I'm keeping you from becoming a cripple," Aziz said lazily, continuing his treatment without so much as a pause. "Now be a good boy and let me save you from your own stupidity."
Jabari gritted his teeth, suppressing his frustration as he tried to make sense of what was happening. He hated feeling powerless, but for now, all he could do was endure.
At the very least, the unbearable pain in his legs had dulled enough for him to think clearly again.
That was when he had an idea.
Even though Aziz had paralysed his body, he could still sense himself internally.
Jabari closed his eyes and channelled his spirit through his body, focusing entirely on his legs. This technique – one he dubbed 'Inner Sight' – allowed him to perceive the internal state of his body as if he were seeing it with his own eyes.
And what he saw shocked him.
Unlike the rich crimson blood that flowed through the rest of his body, the blood in his legs had turned into a sickly greyish-red colour.
More than that, he could feel what was happening on a microscopic level. His cells, tissues, and muscles were dying. His legs were on the verge of complete failure.
At the same time, that same crimson energy from Aziz was seeping into the damaged areas in slow, rhythmic pulses. Each wave of energy reversed the decay little by little, repairing the damage at a painstakingly gradual pace.
Jabari's racing thoughts slowed. 'So that's what he's doing…'
There was no foreign energy trying to corrupt him, no hidden side effects. Aziz's strange power wasn't harming him – it was healing him.
"That should do it," Aziz said, finally withdrawing his hand after forty straight minutes of treatment.
Before Jabari could even process what was happening, Aziz hoisted him over his shoulder like a sack of rice.
"Ugh-
Wait, what are you-"
Aziz didn't care for his opinion. Without a word, he strode through the entrance of the luxurious cottage, carrying Jabari inside with ease.
'How do I keep ending up in situations where I need to be carried?!' Jabari groaned internally.
Aziz moved through the cabin effortlessly, eventually bringing him to a massive room at the back.
Jabari's eyes widened slightly as he took in his surroundings.
The space was huge – This room alone was easily larger than his personal accommodation.
"Welcome to my humble abode," Aziz said, his voice laced with amusement – right before casually dropping Jabari onto the floor.
Jabari grunted as he hit the ground, unable to do much else. Though his body was still paralysed, he could at least move his head, allowing him to take in his surroundings.
The spacious room was lined with five sturdy wooden training dummies, their surfaces worn from repeated use. Against one of the walls, a rack stood filled with an array of wooden training weapons – staffs, swords, daggers, and more.
So this is his training hall, Jabari mused.
His thoughts, however, quickly shifted to his more pressing concern. "Can you undo the paralysis now?"
Aziz smirked. "That depends…
You're not going to attack me again, are you?"
Jabari rolled his eyes at the teasing grin on his mentor's face.
Without another word, Aziz tapped Jabari's forehead, releasing the hold over his body.
Jabari exhaled in relief, only for his expression to twist as a deep soreness settled into his legs. He pushed himself up, attempting to stand-
Only to find his legs felt like they were made of lead.
The effort it took just to shift his weight made it painfully clear that moving around wasn't going to be easy.
"Until your legs finish absorbing the energy I channelled into them, you won't be able to move much," Aziz explained, watching as Jabari struggled to rise. "You likely won't be able to stand for a few hours."
Jabari clenched his fists in frustration, but when he thought about how close he had been to permanently losing all function in his legs, that frustration gave way to something else.
Relief.
'I should be grateful I can still move at all.'
His mind drifted back to the treatment Aziz had administered. That crimson mist…
"What was that red mist anyway?" he asked, curiosity taking over.
Aziz raised an eyebrow. "You didn't think you were the only one with a bloodline ability, did you?"
Jabari tensed. His mind instantly flooded with questions, alarm bells ringing in his head.
But first, there was one thing he needed to clarify.
"So…
You don't want to steal my ability?"
Aziz blinked at him, then suddenly burst into laughter. "Steal yours? Hahaha! Where did you even get that idea?"
He shook his head, still chuckling, before his expression turned slightly more serious. "No, I don't want your bloodline, nor do I have any intention of harming you." His lips curled into a smirk. "You seem perfectly capable of doing that on your own."
Jabari let out a breath he hadn't realised he was holding.
Though he wanted to remain cautious, Aziz's words – combined with the fact that he had saved him instead of letting him suffer – helped pacify his fears.
With that reassurance, the floodgates opened.
"What are bloodline abilities? Where do they come from? Does everyone have them? What's yours? How can-"
"Woah, now." Aziz cut him off, raising a hand as though warding off an oncoming storm. "Slow down. Ask one question at a time."
He rubbed his temples, exhaling as if he already regretted entertaining Jabari's curiosity.
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