The river flowed steadily through the forest, and sunlight danced across the surface in shifting patterns of gold and silver.

A small clearing opened up beside the riverbank surrounded by trees.

*CLANK*

Noises echoed through the clearing as Rheanne swept her wooden sword in a precise horizontal arc toward Brandon’s midsection.

Brandon parried smoothly with his wooden sword, and their blades met with a sharp CRACK of wood on wood.

The impact vibrated up his arm, but he absorbed it easily, using the contact to pivot and counter with a quick thrust toward her shoulder.

Rheanne deflected the thrust with a graceful twist of her wrist, then stepped inside his guard.

She brought her sword up in a tight, rising cut aimed at his chin.

Brandon leaned back just enough for the blade to whistle past his face, then countered with a powerful downward chop.

CRACK- CRACK-

They circled each other on the grassy bank.

CRACK!

Their swords met again in a high bind. Brandon pushed forward, using his greater mass to drive her backward toward the riverbank.

Rheanne suddenly spun away, and her blade whipped around in a low sweep aimed at his legs.

Brandon jumped over the sweep, landing lightly and immediately closing the distance again.

He delivered a rapid series of three strikes forcing Rheanne to block and retreat.

But then she feinted left and struck right.

Brandon read the feint and blocked the real attack, then countered with a shoulder barge that knocked her off balance for a split second.

Before she could recover, he pressed the advantage that forced her to parry desperately.

CRACK- CRACK- CRACK!

They were almost chest to chest with their swords locked and clashing in one after another.

"You’re faster than last month," Rheanne muttered between strikes.

Brandon grinned, parrying a thrust and immediately riposting.

"And you’re still holding back your ether. Don’t."

Rheanne’s eyes flashed "As you wish."

She suddenly accelerated and her blade became a blur of motion.

The wooden sword struck with greater speed and precision, forcing Brandon to focus entirely on defense.

He planted his foot and exploded forward, trying to break her rhythm.

Their swords locked again in a high bind. Brandon pushed hard, forcing her arms upward, then suddenly dropped low and swept her legs with a powerful kick.

Rheanne leaped over the sweep at the last moment, twisting in mid-air and bringing her sword down in a powerful overhead strike.

Brandon raised his blade just in time.

CRACK!

Rheanne slipped strikes past his guard and tapped him lightly on the shoulder or side, scoring points in their unspoken training rules.

Finally, Brandon saw an opening. He feinted high, then dropped low and swept Rheanne’s legs with a powerful kick.

She leaped to avoid it, but Brandon had anticipated the jump.

He surged upward, tapping his sword against her side in a clean, decisive strike.

Rheanne landed lightly on the grass and lowered her blade.

"Point," she said with a soft smile on her face. "You got me."

Brandon lowered his own sword, "Close one. You almost had me at the end."

Rheanne walked over to him and reached out to lightly tap his chest with the flat of her wooden blade.

"You’re getting better, Kael. Two years ago, I would have beaten you in pure swordplay without breaking a sweat. Now... it’s a real fight."

Rheanne reached up and brushed a strand of black hair from Brandon’s face, "Shall we head back to camp? Or do you want another round?"

Brandon chuckled under his breath "One more round. I want to see if I can get two points this time."

Rheanne nodded her head "Try me."

---

Brandon stood in the middle of the river, scooping handfuls of water and rubbing them over his bare torso and arms.

The coolness was refreshing after the intense sparring session earlier.

He let out a long, slow breath, ’Haa... just two years have passed.’

And yet, the distance to his own time still felt impossibly vast.

’I need to wait 550 years more to reach the present... Awakeners can’t even live that long.’

In his era, normal humans typically lived up to around 100 years if they were fortunate.

Awakened individuals, with their enhanced bodies and ether-infused physiology, could usually push that to 200 years before old age finally kills them.

Ether could delay the inevitable, but it couldn’t stop it forever.

’The only way to live for 550 years is... to be a God.’

A soft sigh escaped his lips as he cupped more water and splashed it over his face.

’But only Rheanne ascended to godhood. Then what will happen to me after 200 years...’

’Am I going to die without even seeing my wives’ faces again?’

His gaze lowered, staring at the rippling water around his waist as his hands continued to move over his skin.

’No... I need to live that long somehow. I can’t die before that.’

As he continued bathing, scrubbing the last traces of dirt and sweat from his arms and chest, his thoughts drifted.

’My real mother, who experimented on me... is a genius.’

’What kind of body did she give birth to? I can adapt very quickly.’

At first, it was only his ability to absorb and copy ether skills through intimate contact.

And then, his body began adapting to the constant strain of battle and minimal ether usage.

Now, even without relying heavily on ether, his physical strength had reached monstrous levels.

’Haa... I left when she was in a coma; I wonder if she woke up.’

He shook his head, sending droplets of water flying from his black hair.

There was no point dwelling on the past he couldn’t change. He had to focus on the future he needed to reach.

Brandon submerged himself completely for a moment, letting the cool river water wash over his head and face.

When he resurfaced, he pushed his wet hair back and let out another long breath.

At that moment, his gaze drifted toward the riverbank a short distance away. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

Rheanne stood there, partially hidden by the overhanging branches of a willow tree.

She had bunched up the lower part of her dress, holding the fabric high against her hips as she stepped into the shallow water near the edge.

The move revealed the smooth, pale skin of her thighs and the elegant lines of her long legs.

She was washing them carefully, scooping handfuls of water and letting it cascade down her skin to rinse away the dust and sweat.

The sunlight caught her figure perfectly... the graceful curve of her thighs, the toned muscle beneath soft skin, and the way the water glistened as it ran down her legs.

Brandon was taken aback.

His eyes widened slightly, and he quickly turned his head away.

But after a few seconds, he slowly turned his head back.

Rheanne continued washing her legs, and the water sparkled as it ran down her thighs.

The bunched fabric of her clothes clung to her hips, accentuating the elegant dip of her waist and the gentle flare of her figure.

She was beautiful.

Brandon’s gaze lingered longer than he intended, tracing the line of her legs, the subtle play of muscle beneath her skin.

Rheanne finished washing her legs and lowered the hem of her clothes.

She straightened up, brushing a few droplets from her thighs, and turned her head slightly in his direction.

’Fuck!’ Brandon quickly turned around and continued washing his body.

Hm? Rheanne’s gaze condensed slightly as she noticed his abrupt reaction.

A small, fond smile appeared on her lips with a hint of amusement.

She took a slow step deeper into the shallow water, and the hem of her clothes got wet again as she moved closer to the center of the river where he stood.

"You don’t have to turn away," she said softly.

"After two years of fighting side by side... there’s little left to hide."

Brandon paused and let out a short, dry chuckle.

"Yeah... I know. Old habits, I guess. Didn’t want to make it awkward."

Rheanne’s smile widened a little. She continued walking until she was only a few feet away from him, the river lapping at her thighs.

Looking at the scar on his back, she uttered "You never told me how you got that scar on your back."

Huh? Brandon turned to look at her over his shoulder and smiled dryly "It’s from a dog bite when I was a child."

Rheanne’s gaze lowered slightly, looking at the old mark with quiet interest "Is that so..."

With a soft sigh, he stretched his arms "Let’s return. I need to write my letter for Amelia."

"Hmm."