Almost everyone had left the arena, but Aramith hadn't left his seat.

Mozrael sat quietly beside him, fingers tightening on her sleeve.

His mood had changed the moment Kesha made her appearance, but she didn't remember anyone like that, and she hesitated to ask.

He looked so tense, she didn't know how to help him calm down.

"Mozrael," he suddenly said, freezing her as she attempted to hold his hand.

"You should go ahead. I want to ask Lynnor something."

She didn't want to go. Her instincts spoke to her.

There was this lingering feeling that something would go wrong.

"I—"

"Just go, I'll join later."

She looked at Lynnor for help, but the woman just shook her head. "You can't force yourself to stay back. Don't worry. I'll make sure he doesn't go chasing after other girls," Lynnor tried to joke.

But the atmosphere was too tense for laughter.

It took a lot more to convince Mozrael, but she finally left with Lynnor's reassurance, and once she was out of the arena, Aramith looked dead in Lynnor's eyes.

"I remembered everything long ago, so drop the act."

Lynnor's lips curved in a half smile. So he really remembers. But-

"How much do you remember?" She tested.

"I remember everything," he said with calm. "I remember my childhood as well."

Lynnor's expression changed slightly before she masked it with forced calm. But Aramith had seen it. She couldn't hide the shock that surfaced in that split second.

"So you recognized Kesha. What do you want to do? You can't approach her."

She stood up and went to lean against the railings of the arena, looking down on where the upcoming battles would be held.

"Your reputation is bad as it is. Unless you want to tarnish hers, I suggest you keep your distance from her."

She glanced at Aramith. "And I don't think Lia is here as well. I doubt your father will let her come out like that."

Aramith's expression didn't change, though his heart burned.

They were both pretending to be as calm as possible. Lynnor's mind was in a much deeper mess than Aramith's.

It just didn't add up.

How did he regain his memories? And if he truly remembers everything, then that would be a lot of trouble.

She clenched her fist. "Tch! I hate this."

"Did the Rector know I would meet her here?"

"mm? Ilthane?" She raised an eyebrow.

"You weren't surprised Kesha was here. And you only showed a little change when I showed you Elira. Almost as if you knew they were here."

Lynnor sighed. "Out of pity for you, I'll answer your questions. Ilthane has no interest in your past. He only wants results in his academy."

"What about you? You knew they would be here."

"You're mistaken, Aramith. If you're saying that because I wasn't caught off guard, then no. It's because I thought your memories weren't back. How did you gain your memories, though?"

"I don't need to tell you that until you tell me everything."

Lynnor was tapping a finger against the railings. This wasn't part of the plan. He wasn't supposed to remember anything for at least three years.

Aramith still had his misgivings about Ilthane, but he needed to confirm something more important. "On the night I lost control and was banished, what was the true reason why you came there?"

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Lynnor laughed, and it felt empty of any mirth.

Her eyes didn't match the laughter. Something in them was cold. Tired, even.This was the sarcastic laughter of someone who'd given up in life.

"I wanted to die."

Aramith noticed the change in her tone. "But you chose that time to come here. All the years you were banished."

"And? What are you implying?"

"I know your curse is real, but why are you trying to help me and Mozrael? You have no reason to."

"You should be grateful to me for taking you in. If not—"

"You would be in trouble."

Lynnor's carefree smile wavered. She looked at Aramith, and he looked back without any expression on his face. Only a quiet intensity burned behind his eyes.

"You're working for Henndar," he declared.

Lynnor frowned. "Is this some joke? Who's telling you that?

"I figured it out on my own."

"Oh, really? And if that's true, what do you plan on doing?"

"I could just leave with Mozrae, and we'll look for a way to survive."

"You'll die," she stated flatly. "Do you know how many people want you for your power?"

"And Henndar knows that, but he set me loose."

"You're being disrespectful calling him like that," Lynnor pointed out. She didn't like the way he called Henndar without any respect.

Aramith's brows creased. "He doesn't deserve any respect from me."

Lynnor let out a frustrated sigh. No need to keep pretending.

"So now that you know this about your father, what do you want to do? You're just a child, and you're weak. He has you in his hands."

Aramith looked at the sky. "I'll grow stronger, then I'll force him to—"

"Pfft! Hahahaha! You're kidding! Haha!" Lynnor laughed so hard she couldn't breathe.

"Do you have any idea how powerful your father is?"

It was true. He didn't know.

"Well, let me tell you the sad reality of your life. He has the power to easily take his kingdom to be the number one, but he doesn't do that. It's not in his interest. I have no choice but to serve him. I'm just a weakling who can't do anything to him, so he controls me."

Lynnor's mask finally dropped, and her change was so abrupt that Aramith's eyes widened

"Space users are very rare, and your father just happens to be the most powerful one to ever exist. You can hardly find anyone else who's stronger than him." She paused, her expression turning dead serious as her voice lowered.

"He could easily snap his finger, and the whole Vermillion Kingdom would be swallowed by space."

Impossible

That was truly frightening.

"So yes, I'm working for him. He made me take you in so you can be trained here, then get stronger. I'll die if I don't do as he says. And the same goes for you. If he finds out you know all this, you're dead. Maybe he'll just wipe your memories," she shrugged

Aramith swallowed. If this were true, then that meant everything that had happened in his whole life was allowed by Henndar.

All the attacks in their childhood, Lia getting kidnapped, all the moments he lost control.

But what's his end goal?

Lynnor smirked. "You're understanding just how far ahead he is, huh? And if you're trying to guess what he wants to achieve, stop it. You can't. The truly powerful think differently from the rest of us."

So if I want to get answers from him, I'll need to be stronger than him.

To be the most powerful.

He would have felt hopeless in the past. Not now, though.

I've been struggling my whole life to cultivate. But—

"You are not built for steps, Aramith. You are a law that teaches the world itself how to bend. That is why they feared you. You can ascend to be greater than the greatest."

An echo of what she once told him in his realm. The words struck hard in his mind.

Thank you, Mai.

"I'll grow stronger than him. I just need time." I don't want him to control my life.

Lynnor raised an eyebrow. "Not happening. You can't do it."

Your attribute may be special, but to be stronger than Henndar? That's beyond impossible.

"I know my power now. And I know just how powerful I can become. I can be stronger than him."

He looked too calm, Lynnor's fingers stopping mid–motion. "I could say you're bluffing, but you don't think you're bluffing."

"I'm not bluffing. And I know you hate him. Help me. You promised to train me back then. I've grown stronger even without your help. "

Lynnor had heard that Aramith was much stronger, but he couldn't have grown that much stronger.

"I'm not making any deal with you. I made one with a god and devil already. And if you want to get stronger than that god, prove it to me first during the competition."

Aramith nodded. He'd made up his mind, and his decisiveness shook Lynnor a bit. She was starting to notice just how different Aramith was now.

"Do you also know what he plans on doing with Lia?" Aramith asked.

"No," she replied simply.

"And Mozrael. Who are her parents?"

"Only Henndar knows," she replied, though with a frown. "Hey, how did you regain your memories? Was it Ilthane?"

This made Aramith smile a little. "I used my own power," he answered with confidence. Confidence that suddenly stilled Lynnor.

She couldn't believe it.

His power was able to overwrite Henndar's memory wipe? How? Henndar took those memories out, and I destroyed them. They were not hidden, so how did he retrieve them?

"How did you do it?"

"I can't tell you for now," he said.

I'm not letting her know about my realm and Mai.

"Well, we all have our secrets." She laughed, then looked down again.

"Quick question. Do you really plan on staying away from Kesha? I heard everything that happened between you two."

"I don't need to meet her yet."

"She could recognize you. What will you do about that?"

He looked very serious as he said, "Henndar tampered with my memories. I can't remember her."

Lynnor smirked. "I like how you think. Were you always this smart?"

Aramith didn't reply.

To be the strongest cultivator. That was a difficult goal, and he was a long way from reaching it.

But first, he needed to prove to Lynnor that he had what it took to reach that level.

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