Chronos Elior

  The moment Selena and I stepped through, I felt it.

  It’s changing.

  The last time we entered Raiden’s Aether Realm, it had been a chaotic mess, a storm of shifting hills, terrain that refused to settle, an environment as restless as its owner.

  Now? It was different. Not calm, not fully controlled, but… shaped. Defined. The once-erratic landscape had begun to stabilize, the rolling waves of earth now smoothing into something intentional. Less wild, more structured.

  But the most interesting part? It wasn’t static. The realm still shifted, still adapted, but now it adjusted for us. The ground beneath our feet flattened as we walked, moving just enough to accommodate us. No unexpected dips, no jagged rises. It wasn’t just stabilizing.

  My previous assumption was right, it is aware, but now it’s…

  Selena hummed in fascination, stepping forward and watching as the terrain responded to her movements, "Well, well~ This is new.”

  I smirked, crossing my arms, "Looks like he’s gaining control, whether he realizes it or not.”

  She knelt, pressing a hand to the ground, her aura pulsing outward. Instantly, the realm reacted, energy twisting in response, not rejecting her, but acknowledging her.

  “…It’s aware,” she murmured.

  I nodded, "It’s always been aware. But now? Now it’s listening.”

  Her grin sharpened, green eyes glinting with curiosity. “Oh, Rai-Bear, what exactly have you done to yourself?”

  My gaze shifted ahead, toward the chain. It was still there. Massive, oppressive, unyielding. But even from here, I could see it wasn’t untouched.

  Selena’s smirk faded, her expression turned calculating, "…Well, isn’t that interesting.”

  Three fractures still ran across its surface like scars. But something was different.

  I narrowed my eyes.

  They’ve deepened.

  Selena let out a slow exhale, placing a hand on her hip, "So he did make progress. He pushed the seal further.”

  I smirked, “Almost broke it.”

  She tilted her head, “And yet, it still holds.”

  I didn’t answer immediately, keeping my gaze locked on the fractured chain. The seal restraining him.

  Still unbroken. But for how much longer?

  I crossed my arms, voice dropping to a murmur, “Not for long. After what we saw it surprises me just how much damage he did.”

  Selena pointed at the seal, “Yeah well don’t forget that not everyone has a seal that basically kills his insight. From what he told us, he was clearly about to have his revelation but his mind just made him forget. As if he wasn’t thinking about it to begin with.”

  I nodded, “It’s like drawing something on a piece of paper, but everytime you start, you forget what it is you wanted to draw in the first place. So all you have left is a half made outline. The worst part is you have to use that outline to figure out what it is you wanted to draw in the first place.”

  Well then Raiden, I guess this just means you have no time for slacking.

  After returning to Selena’s lab, I barely had time to stretch before Rai’s voice hit my ears.

  “Wait, wait, wait, you’re leaving?”

  I turned to see him standing stiff, his eyes flicking between me and Selena like a man who had just been sentenced to death.

  Selena, on the other hand, was practically glowing with excitement. She was already rolling up her sleeves, her seaweed-green hair a mess from her earlier tinkering, and her grin was the kind of grin that made people consider running.

  I smirked, "Yeah, I gotta grab something. You’ll be fine.”

  Rai pointed at her like he’d just spotted the final boss, "No, I won’t! Do you not see that lecherous look on her face? She enjoys this! Too much!”

  Selena clasped her hands together with an innocent tilt of her head, "Oh, come now, Rai-Bear~ You make it sound like I’m some kind of mad scientist.”

  He turned to me, desperation creeping into his tone, "Chronos, please. Don’t leave me with her. Look at her, she's drooling! Agh fuck, your expression!”

  I grinned, “Good luck, Rai.”

  With a wave of my hand a portal emerged. The last thing I saw before stepping through was Selena throwing an arm around Rai’s shoulders as he visibly deflated.

  “Now then, let’s really see what’s going on inside you,” she purred.

  His defeated groan followed me into the void.

  I stepped through the portal and into my estate, the air here crisp and still, untouched by the chaos of Rai’s ever-shifting realm.

  For a moment, I just stood there, letting my mind replay everything I had seen during that fight. Illya was strong, controlled. But Rai? Rai was something else.

  I walked through the grand halls, passing towering windows that overlooked the sprawling landscape beyond. A quiet hum filled the air, the distant pulse of wards and defenses woven into the estate itself. It had been a long time since I had seen someone push a seal that aggressively. Even restrained, Rai had still—

  I exhaled, running a hand through my hair.

  No, not just restrained. Hindered.

  His mind wasn’t just sealed. It was actively fighting against him. Most people with seals could at least sense what they were being denied, like looking through a frosted window. But Rai?

  He wasn’t even aware the window existed.

  Selena was right. He had been on the edge of his revelation, right there, right at the moment of clarity, only for his own mind to rip it away from him before he could even grasp it.

  I glanced out at the horizon, watching as the sun dipped lower, its golden glow casting long shadows over the estate.

  That was the problem. Rai wasn’t just sealed. His very thought process was being rewritten to keep him from reaching what was already his. And the fact that he had still pushed through that? Still cracked it three times? All in the same fight on top of that.

  I smirked.

  He really is something.

  I turned, making my way deeper into the estate, toward what I had come to retrieve. If he had come that close to breaking the seal, then it wouldn’t be long before he tried again.

  The estate was quiet as I walked through its halls, making my way to a secured chamber. A flick of my wrist unraveled the layered barriers, each seal dissipating in turn until the door yielded to my presence.

  At the center of the room, sitting atop a pedestal, was a single object, small, unassuming, yet more important than most would ever realize. A key.

  I picked it up, feeling the familiar weight of its power in my palm. With a thought, the inscriptions along its surface pulsed, and a projection shimmered to life above it, displaying the current settings of Rai’s anchors.

  I scanned the numbers, and a low whistle left my lips.

  "Thirty pounds," I chuckled.

  Damn, Rai.

  Fighting Illya while carrying that level of resistance wasn’t just difficult, it was absurd. But then again, this wasn’t meant to be just resistance training.

  The true reason I put the anchors on him wasn’t to weigh him down, it was to refine him.

  Most people trained their bodies separately from their Aura, treating them as two distinct things. But that was a mistake. Because once an Ascendant reached Blue Rank, their Aura remade them, reshaping their very body to align with it.

  And that’s what I was preparing Rai for.

  Every moment he spent fighting, every second he endured under that strain, his body was adapting, learning, molding, integrating. When he finally awakened, his body wouldn’t just be rebuilt by his Aura. It would already be primed for it.

  The stronger his body is before his awakening, the stronger it will be after.

  That was the first step. The second? Making sure his body was more than just strong. It had to be a perfect vessel.

  Aura wasn’t just about power, it was an extension of the self. And the more intimately Rai understood his body, the easier it would be for him to wield his Aura as if it were second nature. No wasted energy, no unnecessary force, just absolute control.

  And from what I had seen in that fight? I smirked, rolling the key between my fingers. He was getting there.

  Speaking of which, the fact that he ended up getting introduced to Esoteric Arts so soon without me getting a chance to teach him was quite the blow on my pride as his teacher. I looked through a few more shelves and found the box I was looking for. Opening it, I pulled out one of the four devices inside and slipped it into my pocket.

  This should suffice for the time being.

  With the key and item secured, my thoughts drifted to another matter.

  Ella Vel’aeris, the moment I learned her name, I did some digging. She was talented, that much was obvious. She carried herself like someone with a legacy behind her. But when I looked into the Vel’aeris family? Nothing.

  For a family under the Skyhaven Sect, they were practically irrelevant. No major influence, no noteworthy contributions, just another branch overshadowed by stronger bloodlines.

  And the reason? Their family head.

  Pathetic.

  The man had no talent. None. And because of that, he had no ambition.

  Instead of pushing his house forward, instead of cultivating strength, he did what all spineless men do. He looked for a shortcut.

  A merger with the Brightmoor family. Brightmoor wasn’t on the level of a true ruling house, but they were big enough to matter. And for him? That was enough. He wouldn’t become an elder, but he’d have influence. A position.

  And all it cost him was his daughter. Disgust rolled through me. This wasn’t leadership. This was parasitism.

  He was a talentless hack that forcibly advanced through the family wallet. Pills elixirs, absorbing rift energy, ruining his advancement. Because of his impatience and pointless endeavor he of course hit a wall at Nexus. He had no strength of his own, so he latched onto something stronger. And instead of cultivating power in his own bloodline, he traded it away.

  And Ella? She wasn’t his successor. She wasn’t someone to build a legacy with. She was currency.

  I exhaled sharply, tossing the key once before catching it again.

  I hate people like that.

  For now, it wasn’t my concern. But it was something to keep an eye on. I turned and opened a portal. Time to head back.

  I stepped through the portal and was immediately met with an interesting sight.

  Rai was hanging from one of the cables on the ceiling, clinging to it like his life depended on it. His arms were wrapped tight, legs tucked up as high as they could go, as if he could somehow phase through the roof if he just held on long enough.

  At first, I was confused, until I noticed Selena standing below him, holding a plastic cup with a lid on it.

  I raised an eyebrow, "...Do I even want to know?”

  Selena, completely unbothered, waved the cup, "Come on, Rai-Bear, I just need a small sample.”

  Still latched onto the cable, Rai practically hissed down at her, "Woman, I don’t understand what peeing in a cup has to do with me awakening!”

  Selena shook her head as if he were the crazy one, "Oh, my dear Rai-Bear, don’t you know? When it comes to research, you need to check every corner!” She lifted the cup a little higher. “Now get down here and piss in this—”

  Then she noticed me, “Oh, that was fast, Chronos.”

  I blinked, then exhaled through my nose, pinching the bridge of it. “I was gone for ten minutes.”

  Rai, still clinging for dear life, pointed aggressively at Selena, “And somehow that was all the time she needed to violate my human rights!”

  Selena pouted, “It’s not a violation if it’s for science.”

  I sighed, “...Selena, stop traumatizing my disciple.”

  She made a tsk sound, crossing her arms, “You’re no fun.”

  Rai let out a victorious huff, “Damn right he’s not—” Before he could finish, Selena grabbed the cable and shook it.

  His eyes widened, "Wait, wait, wait—” With an undignified yelp, he dropped.

  I caught him by the collar before he could hit the floor, holding him up like a misbehaving cat. He dangled there, arms crossed, thoroughly unamused.

  “This is abuse,” he deadpanned.

  I smirked, "You’ll live.”

  Selena huffed, tossing the cup onto a nearby counter, "Fine. No urine sample. For now.”

  Rai turned to me with haunted eyes, "Take me with you next time.”

  I grinned, "Nah. This builds character.”

  Rai gave me a deeply unamused look as I finally set him down. Ignoring his suffering, I reached into my pocket and pulled out the small device I had retrieved earlier, handing it to him.

  He turned it over in his hands, inspecting it, "What is this?”

  I smirked, "This is a gift. Something you’ll be able to use after you awaken. I won’t elaborate on what it is now, because it’s much better to experience it for yourself.”

  Rai’s eyes narrowed slightly, "That sounds ominous.”

  “Oh, it is,” I said, completely unapologetic. “But I will tell you how it works. After you awaken, you’ll imbue this device with your aura. After that… you’ll see.”

  He gave me a blank stare, "...Thanks?”

  I grinned, "You’re very welcome.”

  Selena, who had been listening with obvious curiosity, pouted dramatically, "Aww, but I wanted to see what it does~”

  “It was never meant for you, Selena,” I said, waving off her curiosity. “I don't intend on wasting it.”

  To her dismay, we said our goodbyes, and I brought Rai back to my estate. The moment we stepped into the training hall, Rai turned to me with a serious expression.

  “Can you teach me to detect presences?”

  I raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean?”

  He rolled his shoulders, clearly thinking over his words, “Since I’m in a bit of a situationship with Ella, I want to be able to know if I’m being watched or followed.”

  I blinked, "A situationship?”

  He gave me a completely straight face, "Yeah.”

  I let out a low chuckle, "Rai, I knew you were reckless, but actively messing with the fiancée of a noble from one of the strongest sects while still sealed? That’s a new level of bold.”

  He smiled and shrugged his shoulders, "Hey, I’m all about self-improvement.”

  I shook my head, amused, "So, does this have something to do with your previous question, how I knew you were fighting Ella’s sister?”

  He nodded, "That’s part of it, but mostly for this reason.”

  I crossed my arms, evaluating him. Learning to detect presences was a useful skill, it was mostly a necessity in high-level combat. If he was asking now, that meant he was starting to think ahead.

  Smart. You've earned yourself a week off of the weight increase.

  But before I answered, I had to be sure of something.

  I smirked, "You sure this isn’t just because you want to catch Ella sneaking peeks at you?”

  His expression didn’t even flinch, "If she wants to look, that’s her business.”

  I snorted. Cocky little bastard. But confidence was good.

  I exhaled, rolling my shoulders, "Alright, let’s see what you’ve got.”

  Raiden Alaric

  I had always thought my senses were pretty good. I mean, I could hear someone sneaking up behind me, see a punch coming before it landed, and dodge a thrown spoon from across the room when my mom got pissed.

  That was enough, right? Turns out? Not even close. Chronos made that clear on day one.

  I sat cross-legged in the training hall, rubbing the back of my neck as he paced in front of me.

  “So here is what I have for you,,” he said. “You might think your senses are sharp, but right now? You’re basically blind.”

  I frowned, "I’m pretty sure I can see just fine.”

  He smirked, "Oh? Then tell me exactly how many steps I’ve taken since we started talking.”

  I blinked.

  Wait, had he moved? He must’ve, but I hadn’t been paying attention.

  I hesitated, "Uh… five?”

  Chronos held up two fingers.

  I scowled, "I was close.”

  “No, you weren’t.” He crossed his arms, "You’re tracking movement like a fighter, not a predator. You react to what’s in front of you, but you don’t actually notice your surroundings. That’s why today, we start fixing that.”

  He lifted a finger, “First is sensory awareness, once we get you past that you will be able to learn the advanced techniques.”

  I cracked a grin, "Finally, we get to the good stuff.”

  Chronos raised an eyebrow, "Oh? Feeling confident now?”

  I shrugged, "I mean, yeah. Took me a bit, but I’ve got decent reflexes.”

  He smirked, "Good. Let’s see if that enthusiasm survives this next round of hell.”

  That sounded ominous. Chronos had me stand in the middle of the training hall.

  “First lesson,” he said, crossing his arms. “You need to stop trying to track everything. Instead, you're going to stand here and just… feel.”

  I frowned, "Feel what?”

  He gestured around us, "The flow of the room. Every environment has a rhythm, a natural pulse. The way the air moves, the subtle shifts in pressure, the balance between sound and silence. The moment something disrupts that rhythm, you’ll know.”

  I exhaled and closed my eyes.

  At first, it was just like before. I could sense the usual things, the faint hum of energy barriers in the walls, the cool air brushing against my skin.

  But then, I started paying attention differently.

  Instead of trying to track specific things, I let my awareness settle.

  

  
• The air had a gentle pulse to it, moving naturally.


  
• The training hall had a quiet rhythm, the distant hum of the A.C. faint but steady.


  
• The floor beneath my feet felt firm, unmoving.


  

  And then, a disturbance. A slight shift in the air. Something off-beat.

  I snapped my eyes open, "You just moved.”

  Chronos smirked, "Where?”

  I hesitated. I could feel the change but hadn’t learned to pinpoint it yet. I took a guess, "To my left?”

  He raised an eyebrow, "Better than before—but still wrong.”

  Before I could react, a flick hit my forehead, “Ow—damn it!”

  He chuckled, “Relax. You felt the change, but you’re not refined enough yet. We’ll work on that.”

  Despite the pain, I grinned. I was getting it.

  Today, Chronos decided I needed a handicap. He blindfolded me and had me walk around the training hall while tracking the room’s flow.

  “If you try to rely only on your ears, you’ll fail,” he said. “Your body needs to be a sensor.”

  At first, I walked slowly, cautiously. Every step felt unnerving, like I was about to crash into something.

  But after a while, I started picking up details.

  

  
• The floor had subtle dips and rises I had never noticed before.


  
• The air shifted differently near walls and open spaces.


  
• My own footsteps created tiny ripples in the stillness.


  

  Then, a shift in the flow. Something was approaching me. I dodged. A second later, something whizzed past my head. I ripped off the blindfold and saw a pebble on the ground.

  Chronos whistled, "Not bad.”

  I stared at him, "You—when did you—”

  He grinned, "You didn’t see it. You felt it. That’s the point.”

  I blinked, then grinned. “That was kinda awesome.”

  Chronos smirked, "And now you’re getting hooked.”

  Damn it. He was right.

  Chronos upped the difficulty this time, yesterday was one thing with the pebble. His new idea?

  “Today,” he said, “I’m going to move around this room without making a sound. Your job? Track me anyway.”

  That sounded impossible. And at first, it was. I stood still, eyes closed, and focused on the flow. Chronos was completely silent. No footsteps, no breathing, no energy pulses. It was like he wasn’t even there.

  Frustration built in my chest, "How the hell am I supposed to track you if you’re basically a ghost?”

  “Think, Rai.” His voice echoed slightly. “You know I’m here. So ask yourself: what’s different?”

  I gritted my teeth, focusing harder. Then, I noticed it. Something felt different. I couldn’t hear or see him, but the air pressure in certain areas was subtly shifting. A pattern was breaking.

  I smirked, "You’re—” I pivoted and pointed. “There.”

  Silence, then a chuckle.

  “Finally.” I opened my eyes. Chronos stood exactly where I pointed.

  Holy shit, I had sensed him.

  I grinned, "Oh, I’m definitely getting hooked on this.”

  Chronos smirked, "Then let’s make it even harder.”

  By now, I was using it everywhere. At school, I sat in class, sinking into the room’s rhythm. I stopped trying to track people individually and just let myself feel the flow.

  And that’s when I really started noticing things.

  

  
• The way people moved in groups, creating patterns in the halls.


  
• The slight gaps in sound when someone stopped moving suddenly.


  
• The difference between casual glances and intentional stares.


  

  Which led to… Irena. I don’t know why, but I kept noticing her. Every time I let my senses drift, she stood out. The way she glanced at me frequently. The way her energy focused on me more than anyone else.

  I grinned.

  Interesting.

  Thank you Irena for giving me plenty of experience of being watched. Now when I’m pretending to date Ella, I’ll know when I’m being watched at a distance.

  By the end of the week, there was no more learning, just doing. Chronos tested me again, moving silently, trying to disrupt the room’s rhythm. I didn’t have to think about it anymore. I felt the shift immediately. A change in the air. A disturbance where there shouldn’t be one. I pointed before he could even speak.

  “Right there.”

  Chronos smirked. “Took you long enough.”

  I exhaled, feeling the ease in my body. “Damn. That actually feels… natural now.”

  He nodded. “You’re finally understanding it.”

  I grinned, rolling my shoulders. “So what’s next?”

  Chronos smirked. “Now? We take it to the real world.”

  Oh, hell yes.

  Stepping into the mall, the sheer chaos of movement hit me like a brick wall.

  People flowed like currents, shifting, swaying, parting around one another with a natural rhythm. Groups moved in clusters, dodging others without thinking. Some walked with purpose, while others meandered, drifting aimlessly from store to store.

  Everywhere I looked, the environment was alive.

  Chronos led us to the food court, grabbing an empty table near the center. He leaned back, completely relaxed, while I sat stiff as hell, my senses struggling to adjust.

  He smirked. “The time has come. Time to put your training to the test.”

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  I exhaled. “Let me guess. I’m not allowed to look?”

  “Are you stupid? Of course you're allowed to look, you kind of need to.” He tapped the table. “Eyes open, use only what you’ve learned.”

  I cracked my knuckles, forcing myself to relax. “Alright. What am I looking for?”

  “Let’s start simple.” He propped his chin up with one hand. “Tell me where the natural flow is breaking.”

  I frowned, focusing.

  At first, everything felt like a blur, people moving, shifting, flowing. But I forced myself to settle into the rhythm of the space.

  A moving crowd has a pattern, a pulse. The way bodies weave around each other, the way certain pathways naturally form as people walk—it all follows an unspoken rule. A disturbance is anything that disrupts that rule.

  I slowed my breathing. Watched the way people moved.

  Then I saw it.

  Near the entrance of the food court, a section of the crowd moved strangely. People hesitated as they passed, glancing toward something. The natural flow stuttered, forcing others to awkwardly adjust.

  I pointed. “Near the food court entrance. Something’s causing people to shift their paths slightly—probably someone standing too still or acting weird enough to make others avoid them.”

  Chronos raised a brow, his smirk growing. “Not bad. You got the right area. Guy over there’s been standing against the railing for too long, not really doing anything. People pick up on that kind of thing subconsciously and give him space.”

  I grinned. “Hell yeah.”

  He tapped the table again. “Next task. Someone just changed direction suddenly. Where?”

  I focused again, letting the environment settle in my mind. The flow of people was like a river, predictable unless something interfered. A second later, I found it.

  “There.” I pointed toward a woman near the escalator. “She was going toward the smoothie stand, but she stopped abruptly and turned back toward the clothing store. Could be she forgot something, or she saw something that made her hesitate.”

  Chronos let out a low whistle. “Damn. You’re catching on fast.”

  I smirked. “It’s not that hard once you see it.”

  “Good. Let’s take it up a notch.” He leaned forward. “Find the person actively trying not to be noticed.”

  I frowned. Actively avoiding attention? That was different. Most people don’t think about their movements, they just exist in the space naturally. But someone deliberately avoiding notice?

  They’d be too controlled. Too careful. Moving too slow or too fast. Not matching the rhythm of the environment.

  I let my awareness expand, scanning the crowd. Then, I saw it.

  “There,” I said, my voice quieter. “Far left corner, near the coffee shop. Guy in the black hoodie. He’s walking, but every movement is a little too intentional. Too measured. Like he’s adjusting himself to blend in rather than just moving naturally.”

  Chronos grinned. “And that, my dear Rai, is the first sign of someone up to something.”

  I exhaled, rolling my shoulders. “Damn. This is actually kinda fun.”

  Chronos smirked. “Good. Because this is only the beginning.”

  The next day, I found myself back in the training hall, sitting cross-legged on the floor while Chronos stood over me with an evil glint in his eyes. I didn’t like that look.

  “At this point, you’re getting decent at detecting presence through the flow of an environment,” he said. “Now we isolate one of the most important senses in combat, hearing.”

  I cracked my neck, “Sound detection? Alright, I’m listening.”

  Chronos grinned, “Not well enough.”

  I blinked, “What—?”

  A sharp snap rang through the air. I flinched. It wasn’t a normal snap, it was way too loud.

  Chronos held up two fingers, “Rule number one of sound detection, your ears are lazy.”

  I scowled, “Lazy?”

  “Yeah.” He rolled his shoulders, “Most people tune out background noise without even thinking. Their brain filters out what it doesn’t need. That’s useful for daily life, but in combat? It’ll get you killed.”

  I exhaled, “Alright. So how do I train my ears to stop being lazy?”

  Chronos smirked, “We overwhelm them.”

  That sounded… concerning.

  Chronos had me sit blindfolded while he played overlapping sounds throughout the training hall. He set up multiple speakers around the room, blasting different noises at the same time, flowing water, shifting fabric, footsteps, whispers, muffled voices, metallic scraping. It was pure chaos.

  I winced, "This is worse than the mall.”

  “Good,” he said, his voice barely distinguishable in the mess. “Because your first lesson is learning to separate sound layers. Right now, it all blends together. But sound isn’t a wall, it’s a puzzle.”

  I clenched my jaw, trying to focus. At first, basically impossible. Every sound overlapped, clashed, and blurred together.

  After roughly an hour of listening, I started noticing patterns.

  

  
• The water had a rhythm, steady, repetitive.


  
• The fabric shifting was irregular, like someone adjusting their posture.


  
• The whispers weren’t uniform, some sharper, some softer.


  

  Chronos’ voice cut through, “Now—find the one sound that doesn’t belong.”

  I frowned, “What?”

  “There’s a sound in here that doesn’t fit. Find it.”

  I focused. At first, I didn’t notice anything wrong. But then that’s when I noticed a tiny, inconsistent noise. A soft tapping.

  I frowned, “Something… clicking?”

  Chronos chuckled, “Not bad. That’s me.”

  I yanked off the blindfold. He was sitting on a crate, casually tapping his fingers against his knee.

  “You’re learning to filter,” he said. “Good start.”

  Today, Chronos had me track objects by sound distance. I sat blindfolded again while he moved things around the room. A wooden crate, a metal pole, a stack of books.

  “Listen,” he said. “Everything makes a different kind of noise. The way sound bounces off surfaces tells you how far away something is. Start paying attention.”

  I gritted my teeth. This was harder. At first, everything sounded like it was the same distance. But after an hour, I started noticing things.

  

  
• Dull sounds? Closer.


  
• Sharper echoes? Farther away.


  
• Metal clanging? Had a slight lingering ring.


  

  I pointed to the right, "That one was… six feet away?”

  Chronos hummed, "Seven, but close. Again.”

  Now it was getting ridiculous. Chronos moved around the room with complete silence. No footsteps, no heavy breathing, nothing. I was supposed to track him anyway.

  “How am I supposed to do this if you’re literally a ninja?” I grumbled.

  “You’re over-relying on obvious sounds,” he said. “Stop listening for what’s there. Start noticing what’s missing.”

  That sounded like bullshit. But I focused anyway. At first there was nothing I could point out. Then soon I realized what he meant. The room had a natural sound balance. The soft creaks of the walls, the ambient noise from outside.

  Then, a dead spot. A space where sound wasn’t bouncing correctly.

  I pointed, "There.”

  Chronos chuckled, "Getting sharper.”

  We hit the mall again. This time? I wasn’t tracking movement. I was tracking by sound alone.

  Chronos leaned back in his chair, "Alright, Rai Find me a group of people wearing high heels.”

  I exhaled, shutting my eyes. At first, it was all just noise. Soon, I started breaking it down.

  

  
• Sneakers had a muted rubbery squeak.


  
• Boots made a heavier thud.


  
• High heels? Sharp, rhythmic clicks.


  

  I found them almost immediately.

  I smirked, "Back left corner, near the ice cream place. Three of them.”

  Chronos grinned, "Damn. You’re getting dangerous.”

  "Alright, let’s up the difficulty,” Chronos said.

  We were back in the training hall. This time he wasn’t testing me. He was teaching me how to manipulate sound.

  "People rely on sound just as much as sight," he explained. "If you control how you move, you can make yourself harder to track."

  I raised an eyebrow, "So… moving silently?"

  He grinned, "Exactly."

  And so, I spent the next three hours learning to soften my footsteps. At first every step sounded like an earthquake.

  But once I adjusted my movement, things changed.

  

  
• Rolling my foot instead of stomping? Less noise.


  
• Shifting my weight carefully? Even less.


  
• Syncing my steps with background noise? Almost silent.


  

  By the end, I could walk across the room without making a noticeable sound.

  Chronos smirked, "Not bad. Soon, you’ll be ghosting people without them even realizing it.”

  I grinned, "That’s the goal.”

  By the end of the week? I could track individual voices in a crowded area. I could hear movement before I saw it. I could walk without a sound.

  At school I knew exactly when someone was near me. And, of course… I noticed Irena’s attention again.

  I smirked.

  She’s been paying more attention than I thought.

  …You wouldn’t think she has a crush… Nah. I’m already involved with the wealthy elite. The last thing I need is to get tangled up with another sect over a supposed school crush. Don’t get me wrong, it is nice to see that I’m appealing, then again I only consider her a friend…

  That’s when an idea popped into my head. Since she’s going to give me some glances, I’ll just use her for my training.

  Honestly, I’ve never been more thankful for this training. I know I’m not done yet, but this time around? The Gauntlet was ridiculously easy.

  Before, I had to rely purely on instinct and reaction time to navigate this maze of pain and suffering. But now I could tell exactly how far away my pursuer was.

  The slightest shift in the air. The faintest sound of footsteps. The rhythm of their breathing. Everything stood out to me like neon signs.

  I sprinted forward, ducking under a low-hanging obstacle while listening. A faint tap of a foot against stone. Four meters back. A sharp exhale. Someone trying to adjust their speed.

  I smirked.

  Too slow.

  I cut a sharp turn without looking, narrowly avoiding a hand that just barely grazed my shirt. If this were a few weeks ago, I wouldn’t have even noticed that reach. Now I felt the micro-shift in the air as they lunged.

  This training? It was cheating.

  Ahead of me, the path split into two corridors. I knew they’d expect me to take the right, shorter, but more obstacles.

  So I faked right, but cut left at the last second. I heard it instantly, their misstep. A half-second of hesitation. A shift in weight. A foot dragging slightly as they tried to correct.

  Too late. I was already gone.

  At the sound of the loud buzzer I once again had won my match. School was out in a week and I was ready to learn the rest of this.

  After the Gauntlet, I expected at least a day to rest since we trained then went straight to the Gauntlet. Chronos, however, had other plans.

  I stood in the training hall, arms crossed, watching as he dragged a large wooden crate into the center of the room. He patted it twice before looking at me with his usual “I’m about to ruin your life” smirk.

  “Alright, time for your next lesson, Vibration Sensitivity.”

  I frowned, "So what, you're going to train me like Toph?”

  “You’re pretty close.” He gestured for me to sit, "Take a seat, close your eyes, and put your hands flat on the floor.”

  I nodded and obeyed, sitting cross-legged with my palms pressed against the cool stone floor.

  Chronos crouched across from me, "Everything moves, Rai. Even things that seem still. You just never noticed before.”

  I raised an eyebrow, "So, what, I’m supposed to start feeling the Earth’s rotation or something?”

  Chronos snorted, "If you reach that level, I’ll be both impressed and concerned.” He tapped the crate, "For now, let’s start simple.”

  I waited. Then, something hit the crate. A small impact, it was light, but I barely felt it.

  Chronos smirked, "Could you tell which side?”

  I frowned, "Uh… no?”

  “Exactly,” he said. “Your body is too used to ignoring subtle vibrations. You need to train it to recognize them instead.”

  Great. Another skill that would probably make my head explode. Chronos had me sit with my palms and feet flat on the floor.

  At first, it was just silence. But then, I started feeling tiny shifts.

  

  
• A faint thud when he tapped the crate.


  
• The way the floor barely trembled when he took a step.


  
• The vibrations of my own heartbeat in my fingertips.


  

  He walked in a slow circle around me, "Your body is a sensor. You just haven’t learned how to read it yet.”

  I focused harder. Then there was a pulse.

  I frowned, "You just tapped the crate. Back left corner.”

  Chronos chuckled, "Better. But let’s make it harder.”

  He switched tactics. Instead of tapping, he had me feel different types of impacts.

  

  
• A soft knock versus a hard slam.


  
• A slow dragging motion versus a sudden jolt.


  
• The way vibrations traveled differently through wood, stone, and metal.


  

  I started noticing patterns. It wasn’t just about feeling the vibrations, it was about understanding how different surfaces carried them.

  Now comes the fun part. Chronos had me stand barefoot on the stone floor.

  “The goal is to track movement without using sight or sound.”

  I shut my eyes, concentrating. He walked around me.

  At first, I couldn’t tell where he was. But then, I started picking up on small shifts.

  

  
• When he stepped closer, the floor trembled just slightly more.


  
• When he shifted his weight, I could feel it in my legs, not just my feet.


  
• The distance between steps changed the intensity of the vibrations.


  

  After an hour, I pointed, "You’re behind me.”

  Chronos grinned, "Not bad. Now, dodge.”

  I blinked, "Wait—”

  The floor vibrated. I felt the shift, a sudden press of weight against the ground. I rolled to the side, just before something hit the spot where I was standing. I opened my eyes and saw a small weighted bag on the ground.

  I looked up at Chronos, “You just tried to hit me.”

  He smirked, “And you dodged without seeing it. Congrats.”

  I blinked.

  Holy shit. That actually worked.

  Now that I could track ground movement, Chronos decided to expand the difficulty. He set up a long wooden beam across the floor and had me place both hands on it.

  “Now, feel through this,” he said.

  I frowned, "Isn’t this the same thing?”

  He smirked, "You tell me.”

  I sighed, pressing my palms against the beam. As per usual, I felt nothing. Then, a tremor. Something small tapped the far end.

  I frowned, "You… hit the wood?”

  Chronos nodded, "Where?”

  I hesitated. The vibration had traveled down the beam, but not evenly. It started on the right.

  “Right side,” I guessed.

  “Not bad.”

  Then, he switched it up. Instead of tapping, he had me track different kinds of contact.

  

  
• A rolling object moved differently than a solid impact.


  
• A soft press versus a sharp strike traveled at different speeds.


  
• The farther the impact, the weaker the vibration.


  

  By the end of the session, I could tell exactly where he made contact without seeing it.

  Today we took the training outside. Chronos led me to an empty warehouse, where he had me sit against the wall with my hands flat on the ground.

  “There’s someone else in here. Find them.”

  I froze, "Wait—someone else?”

  He grinned, "Yup. Get to work.”

  I don’t recall Chronos ever having anyone over.

  I swallowed hard, shutting my eyes. It was quiet, but I felt it. A faint shift. Not footsteps, but… weight pressing down on a surface. Someone was leaning against something.

  I focused harder.

  

  
• The vibration traveled through the floor, then up the wall.


  
• The person was near a metal container.


  
• They adjusted their weight slightly—just a tiny shift.


  

  I pointed, "Behind the stack of crates. Left side.”

  A second later, a man stepped out. He was clad in a deep red cloak, hood drawn over his head, obscuring most of his features. A black mask covered the lower half of his face, revealing only piercing, unreadable eyes. His movements were silent, calculated, too precise to be normal.

  Chronos smirked as the man approached and gave him a pat on the shoulder. And then, he was gone.

  No sound. No movement. Just… gone.

  I blinked, whipping my head around. “What the hell—where’d he—?!”

  Chronos chuckled, "Don’t worry about him.”

  I stared at the empty space where the man had been, no footsteps, no trace. I swallowed. That was next-level.

  Chronos walked over nodding his head, “You caught him just from how he leaned against a surface.”

  I exhaled.

  Holy shit, really?

  Now that I could feel movement, Chronos flipped the training, now I had to hide.

  “If you can track movement through vibrations,” he said, “you should also learn to reduce your own.”

  And so, for the next two days, I learned how to move while minimizing vibration.

  

  
• Stepping lightly to avoid tremors.


  
• Placing weight evenly instead of all at once.


  
• Rolling movement instead of sudden stops.


  

  By the end of the week, I could walk across a wooden floor without making it creak.

  Chronos smirked, "Soon, you’re gonna be able to sneak up on people like a damn ghost.”

  I grinned, "That’s the goal.”

  Sunday finally arrived, and now I wasn’t just feeling vibrations, I was using them. I could track people through walls just by feeling how the surfaces reacted to their weight.

  I could tell where someone was standing based on the shift in the ground. I could walk without making a sound—and without making the floor react.

  At school, I could feel when someone stepped behind me. And, of course… I noticed Irena again.

  I smirked.

  It goes without saying that we still talk often, but now that I’m actually paying attention, it’s… weird. I hadn’t really thought about it before, but she watches me pretty often. Not in a casual, passing way, deliberate. Focused.

  I’ll have to reach out to her at some point about it. I’m starting to wonder, is this actually a crush thing, or is something else going on? Maybe her sect is scouting for new blood? I couldn’t tell you.

  By now, I could track people by sound alone. I could feel their movements through vibrations. But, according to Chronos, I was still half-blind.

  “You’ve been relying too much on tunnel vision,” he said, standing in the middle of the training hall with his arms crossed. “You’re still focusing only on what’s directly in front of you.”

  I scowled, "Because that’s where the danger usually is.”

  Chronos smirked, "And that’s why you’d miss the guy about to stab you from the side.”

  I opened my mouth… then closed it, “…Fair point.”

  He clapped his hands together, "Alright, then. Time to fix that.”

  Chronos started by having me test my limits.

  “Stand still,” he ordered. “Look straight ahead. Tell me when you can’t see my hand anymore.”

  I stood there, staring at the wall in front of me while he moved his hand from the edge of my vision inward. At first I thought my peripheral vision was decent. But after a few tests, I realized I lost track of movement way too soon.

  Chronos hummed, "Yeah, your side vision is garbage.”

  I scowled, "Thanks.”

  “Good news? You can train it.” He handed me a thin strip of cloth.

  I frowned, "What’s this for?”

  “You’re gonna wear this just above your eyes,” he said. “It’ll cut off part of your upper vision and force you to rely on your side awareness.”

  I hesitated, "…This isn’t just to make me look stupid, is it?”

  Chronos smirked, "It’s a bonus. Since you are complaining here’s a little extra.” He handed me earplugs.

  I groaned but tied the cloth around my forehead, letting it hang just low enough to limit my forward vision. Then put in the earplugs and the sound around me muffled.

  “Now,” Chronos said, stepping back. “Without moving your eyes, track me.”

  As per usual, I couldn’t see shit. I kept losing him. Every time he moved, my vision felt sluggish, slow.

  Soon I started noticing more.

  

  
• The way light shifted when he moved.


  
• The subtle shadows at the edges of my sight.


  
• The difference in depth perception when something changed.


  

  By the end of the session, I wasn’t perfect, but I was catching movement faster.

  Chronos nodded, "Good start. Now let’s make it worse.”

  I groaned.

  Of course.

  Chronos called this "snapshot scanning."

  “Your eyes are just as lazy as your ears were,” he explained. “You’re taking in too much information at once, and your brain isn’t processing what matters.”

  “So how do I fix that?” I asked.

  He tossed a wooden ball at me.

  I barely dodged, "The hell?!”

  “That’s your new problem,” he said, crossing his arms. “I’m gonna throw things at you. Your job? Glance once—just once—and remember everything in your surroundings. Then dodge.”

  I frowned, "That’s—”

  A second ball came flying. I cursed, barely ducking under it.

  Chronos grinned, "Figure it out fast.”

  For the next hour, he threw random objects at me while forcing me to take only a single glance at my surroundings.

  If I didn’t have a single glance I would have been fine. I missed half the throws because I didn’t register things quickly enough.

  But as I repeated the drill, my brain started picking up details faster.

  

  
• I caught object placement in a single glance.


  
• I registered movement instead of just static objects.


  
• My reactions got sharper.


  

  By the end, Chronos tossed a small bag of coins at me, and I dodged it effortlessly.

  He raised an eyebrow, "Nice. You’re finally seeing the whole picture.”

  I smirked, a spark of excitement running through me. “I’m actually getting this.”

  Chronos smirked back, "Let’s see how long that confidence lasts.”

  “Now we get into the real skill,” Chronos said, setting up the next test.

  The goal is to detect tiny changes in my environment. He had me sit in the training hall while random things in the room subtly shifted. Doors creaked slightly open. A candle flickered unnaturally. A rope moved just a few inches.

  My job was to call out what changed.

  This was easier said than done. I missed most of it because I was still focusing on the big picture instead of details.

  But over time I started picking up the tiny irregularities.

  

  
• The way a chair was slightly off-center.


  
• The faintest shift in the reflection on the floor.


  
• The way air currents moved differently near a cracked door.


  

  After catching three changes in a row, I grinned. This was actually fun.

  “I got it! The cup moved—half an inch to the left!”

  Chronos chuckled, "Look at you, all excited. Guess you finally found something you’re good at.”

  I smirked, "Damn right.”

  The next two days, I started applying it outside of training.

  At school, I made a game out of it.

  

  
• One glance into a room—I tried to remember everything inside.


  
• In the halls, I tracked people’s movements at the edge of my vision.


  
• I tried catching small inconsistencies in how people acted.


  

  That’s when I noticed something... odd.

  Irena, actually wasn’t in class during these days. How did I know? Well no one was watching me. And well the fact her seat next to me was just empty.

  Oh well.

  Chronos took me to a crowded market.

  “Alright, so here’s what you’re gonna do Rai,” he said, hands in his pockets. “You’re gonna find who’s tailing you.”

  I blinked, "Wait, someone’s actually tailing me?”

  He smirked, "Oh yeah. Try not to get pickpocketed. Ah right did you bring your earbuds?”

  I did, I pulled them out of my pocket and put them in. I scrolled through my phone to find my favorite playlist, “Liked Songs.” I hit shuffle and got ready to begin.

  Rockwell as the first song huh? Fitting…

  I exhaled. Fine, I got this, or so I thought. While I may still be able to hear, it’s mostly meant to prevent me from using my hearing to find where this person is.

  I did what I’d been training for, scanning quickly, tracking subtle movements, feeling the flow of the environment.

  I locked onto a woman in a dark blue cloak who kept shifting her stance. She wasn’t moving with the crowd, and she kept glancing around like she was being sneaky.

  I smirked and pointed, "That’s them.”

  Chronos raised an eyebrow, "You sure?”

  I nodded, "One hundred percent.”

  Chronos turned and immediately waved at the woman. She blinked, looked between us, then walked over.

  “Uh… can I help you?” she asked.

  My stomach dropped.

  Chronos grinned, "Nope, just teaching the kid a lesson.”

  I wanted to disappear. The woman muttered something about weird people and walked off.

  I glared at Chronos, "You set me up.”

  He smirked, "Nope. You assumed instead of confirming. Try again.”

  I groaned.

  I tried a different approach. Instead of picking someone too obvious, I focused on patterns. A man leaning against a wall had been in the same spot for a while, not shopping, not talking.

  I narrowed my eyes, "It’s him. He’s been standing there too long.”

  Chronos sighed, "Alright. Let’s check.”

  We walked over. The guy noticed us, frowned, then pulled out a pocket watch.

  Chronos clapped my shoulder, "Congratulations, you just caught a guy waiting for his wife.”

  I groaned, rubbing my face, "I hate this.”

  Chronos chuckled, "Yeah? You’ll hate it more if you actually get tailed for real one day and miss it.”

  I exhaled. Okay. Time to really focus.

  This time, I didn’t just look for someone suspicious.

  I used everything I’d learned:

  

  
• Peripheral vision to catch side glances.


  
• Quick scans to recognize patterns.


  
• Vibration sensitivity to feel when someone was moving unnaturally.


  

  And then I noticed it. Not someone standing still. Not someone acting weird. Someone who was too normal. A man walking with the flow of the crowd, but he always kept the same distance behind me.

  Never too far. Never too close. When I stopped moving, he adjusted.

  I smirked.

  There you are.

  “Two o’clock, gray tunic,” I muttered. “Walking too smoothly for a crowded place.”

  Chronos turned his head slightly, then grinned.

  “Now you’re getting it.”

  I exhaled, "Finally.”

  By the end of the week, I wasn’t just looking, I was finally seeing. Every time I caught something before Chronos could test me, a rush of excitement shot through me.

  At school, I could see patterns in how people moved. And, of course… I noticed Irena again. Yes, our little stalker is back. Okay maybe calling her a stalker is a little rude, but regardless I’ll have to talk to her soon. Because now I’m sure this isn’t just a crush thing. Something else is going on.

  After weeks of training, I had sharpened every one of my senses.

  I could hear a pin drop in a crowded room. I could track someone’s footsteps through the slightest vibrations. I could catch the smallest shifts in my surroundings with just a glance.

  And now Chronos was putting it all to the test. We stood in the training hall, the air thick with expectation.

  “Alright, alright, alright,” Chronos said, hands in his pockets. “You’ve learned a lot. But knowing something and using it under pressure? Two very different things.”

  I smirked, "You trying to psych me out?”

  He smirked back, "Nope. Just making sure you don’t embarrass yourself.”

  I rolled my shoulders, "What’s the test?”

  Chronos snapped his fingers. The door at the far end of the hall opened, and in stepped him, the man in the red cloak.

  Chronos spoke casually, but his tone carried weight, “He’s somewhere in this estate. Your job? Find him.”

  I raised an eyebrow, "That’s it?”

  Chronos grinned, "That’s it.”

  I glanced at the cloaked figure. Same hood. Same covered face. But now that I was paying attention, there was something... off about him.

  He wasn’t just standing there. He was fading. Not literally, but the way he moved, the way he stood… he blended in with the environment too well.

  I watched closely as Chronos patted him on the shoulder and just like last time, he vanished.

  I tensed.

  No footsteps, no sound, no trace.

  Chronos turned back to me, "You have an hour.”

  Then he left, shutting the door behind him.

  I exhaled.

  Alright, time to get to work.

  I closed my eyes, shutting out the temptation to rely on sight first. Instead, I let my ears do the work.

  The estate was massive, hallways stretching out in all directions. But every space had layers of sound.

  

  
• The faint creak of wooden beams.


  
• The steady rhythm of air circulating through the vents.


  
• The distant hum of the estate’s walls settling.


  

  I filtered everything out. Then, a break in the pattern. Something moved, a fraction of a second, a whisper of fabric shifting against stone.

  I grinned. Got you.

  I pressed my palm to the ground, focusing on the subtle tremors. Chronos’ estate was solidly built, but nothing could erase movement completely.

  I stayed still, waiting, then there it was. A shift. Someone was moving, light on their feet, but the vibrations gave them away.

  Third floor. Right wing. I took off.

  I moved fast, keeping my head straight but scanning my entire field of vision. Most people make the mistake of looking too hard.

  Instead, I let my peripheral vision track the shifting details in the environment.

  

  
• A curtain swayed—but there was no breeze.


  
• A shadow stretched too long—meaning someone just passed by.


  
• A chair was barely shifted.


  

  I followed the trail, my heart pounding with excitement. This was fun. He was good. Every time I got close, he’d change direction, move slower, blend into natural movements in the environment.

  I smirked.

  Smart, but not smart enough.

  Instead of chasing, I changed my approach. I stopped, listened, then I did something unexpected. I backtracked. Because if I were him, I wouldn’t keep running, I’d circle around.

  I reached a hallway leading to an open balcony, too open, too obvious. Which meant, he was hiding nearby. I closed my eyes.

  Focused, then there, a faint breath. Just once. I turned sharply, and lunged. My hand snatched at the empty air, only to catch fabric.

  A split second later, he twisted away, but it was too late. I had him.

  The red-cloaked figure stopped, tilting his head slightly. Then, with a smooth motion, he pulled down his hood just enough for me to see his masked face.

  A silent acknowledgment. Then, in an instant, he disappeared. But this time, I wasn’t confused. I had felt it. The way he moved, his weight, his balance, his rhythm. He didn’t vanish. He just moved in a way that made you believe he was never there.

  Damn.

  I let out a slow breath, my heart still racing. That was insane. Then, from the shadows, Chronos slow-clapped.

  Chronos grinned, "Not bad. You actually caught him for a second.”

  I exhaled, still feeling the rush, "That was insane.”

  He chuckled, "Now you understand.”

  I nodded, my mind replaying everything. I had used everything. Sound, movement, vibration, awareness. And I still barely caught him.

  I smirked, "Okay, that was actually the best training so far.”

  Chronos raised an eyebrow, "Oh? Enjoying yourself?”

  “Hell yeah,” I said, rolling my shoulders. “That was a damn hunt.”

  He chuckled, "Good. Because next time?”

  He leaned in slightly, “He won’t hold back.”

  I grinned, "Can’t wait.”

  Then Chronos said something I completely forgot about, "Isn't tomorrow your last day of school?"

  "Oh... OH!"