My Soul card is a Reaper-Chapter 965: The Dream of the Past (Part-3)

"I don’t have to explain my reasoning to you, Rael," Aurelius replied, his tone unyielding. "Just follow my orders. You will be trained by Selene, and that’s final."

Rael, determined to gain some control over his situation, spoke again, this time with a firm tone and a look of stubbornness. "I don’t want to be separated from Eon. If you don’t want to train me, that’s fine. I don’t need a master. I’ll train on my own. If all you want is to keep an eye on me, Val is there anyway..."

Selene watched him for a moment, and then Aurelius spoke again, already with a solution, as he expected the same reaction from his son. "You want to stay with Eon? Fine. How about we make a deal? There’s a tournament coming up in about six months. It’s for rookies—those above eight years old but below twelve. If you reach the top 3, I will never try to separate you two, no matter how much of a mess you both cause, in the future."

"Do you mean it?" Rael’s eyes sparked with determination. "Done." He didn’t hesitate a second in accepting the deal.

As Aurelius smiled that everything went along with his plan, Rael turned to Selene, acknowledging her with a respectful nod. "I will greet you as my teacher, for now. But until you can prove yourself, you will not be my master. I cannot acknowledge anyone based on their stories alone, even if they are a demigod."

Selene raised an eyebrow, her lips turning into a faint smile. "Is that so?" she said, amused. "A bold claim from someone so young."

Aurelius couldn’t help but sigh, rubbing his temple as he watched his son.

Selene shifted her gaze to the Duke. "Your youngest is truly a troublemaker," She commented. "But that’s good, isn’t it? He’ll be strong and responsible if he survives the lessons by the end of this three-month-long training."

"Three months?" Rael spoke out loud, gaining their attention. "You probably won’t have the chance to teach me much," he said to Selene, his tone matter-of-fact. His eyes once again glowed for a brief moment and three of his fingers were raised. "Three days at most."

Aurelius’ patience snapped at once, by his son’s comment. He raised his hand, preparing to slap his son for his insolence, but then seemed to catch himself, exhaling sharply. He lowered his hand. "Apologize," he ordered. "You will apologize to Grandmaster Selene for speaking that way."

Rael sighed dramatically, looking back at Selene. "I’ll apologize, but it won’t be heartfelt because that is the truth. Do you still want it?"

Selene looked at him, her expression unreadable. "After living for thousands of years, I don’t hold grudges against an ignorant child. Do as you wish."

Rael, satisfied with her answer, didn’t push the matter further. Instead, he followed her as she turned to leave the room, heading toward the northernmost part of Freyles—the frozen lakes of the north pole.

The journey to the frozen lake took several hours, but Rael hardly complained. The cold, biting air of the north felt strangely invigorating, especially as they approached the edge of the lake, where the frozen surface stretched as far as the eye could see.

Selene turned to face Rael. "This is where your true training will begin," she said. "Are you ready?"

Rael looked out across the ice, his breath coming out in visible puffs. "I’ve been ready for as long as I can remember," he answered calmly.

Without another word, Selene gestured to the ice. A beam of energy erupted out of her index finger, creating a small hole in the frozen surface.

Rael looked at the scene in wonder. "What was she doing? Does she want me to fish or something?"

Then, without warning, her hand struck his back and Rael flew toward the lake, screaming involuntarily.

In a matter of a couple of seconds, Rael flew into the hole and was submerged in the freezing lake, his body instantly chilled to the bone. His heart raced as the shock of the coldness hit him like a blow.

Selene flew and landed nearby with her hands crossed to the back. "Try to get out," Selene called out, her voice stayed calm. "You’ll freeze if you don’t move fast enough," She added.

The hole froze over almost immediately, trapping him. Rael struggled against the ice.

The cold temperature made his arms almost numb. Rael gathered whatever strength he could and punched the sheet of ice. It cracked at once, bringing joy to him.

Just as he was about to give another blow to break free, something caught his attention. His ears perked up, a shift in the water’s current sending a slight tremor through his body.

Rael turned his head quickly as he instinctively pushed out the soul energy from his body, forming a layer over him. He narrowed his eyes, staring in the direction of the source. There, in the eerie stillness of the frozen lake, a shadow glided through the water—something large, sleek, and menacing: A tri-horned Shark.

Rael’s heart pounded. Instinctively, he gathered the remaining of his soul energy and focused it into his right fist, layering his punch with his entire reserves of energy, hoping to strike the beast down before it could get any closer. He swung at the shark when it neared, but his punch missed as the creature changed its direction at the last second.

Going past him, it made a U-turn, and as Rael turned his head, their eyes locked onto each other.

His soul energy reserves hit the bottom and soon would lose the protective layer.

Rael, realizing that he couldn’t win, made a split-second decision. He swam, trying to put distance between himself and the shark. His body was cold, his limbs heavy, but he pushed forward, trying to escape its relentless pursuit.

The shark was relentless, following him with terrifying precision. Rael kicked hard, but the creature was always one step behind, nipping at his heels. And then, just as he thought he might break free, the shark caught up with him and bit him this time, its teeth sinking into his leg.

But something was off. It didn’t sink its teeth in with full force. The shark’s bite was gentle, almost teasing, allowing Rael to struggle, and giving him enough space to escape for a moment. It was as if it was playing with him.

Rael gritted his teeth, still trying to fight back. He punched at the shark, but it wasn’t enough as he didn’t use soul energy this time. It was probably why the shark let him hit it too. His limbs were growing weaker by the second. The cold, the exhaustion, and the injuries were beginning to take their toll. But then after getting itself punched, the shark’s tail whipped around, slamming into Rael’s body and sending him spiraling downward into the abyss.

Rael didn’t have time to react. His vision blurred as the water closed in around him. The freezing cold pressed against his chest, and his body went limp. He felt his breath slow, his heart falter, and then the darkness overtook him.

Rael’s body was in pain, but his mind swam in darkness even colder than the frozen lake he had just been submerged in. His vision blurred, then cleared, only to find himself not in the freezing depths of the lake, but lying on his bed. His legs were wrapped in cloth, and the warmth of the room contrasted sharply with the chill he had just experienced.

Eon was beside him, her arms tightly wrapped around him as she held him close, her small frame trembling. Her soft sobs echoed in his ears, pulling him from his dazed state. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

"Rael... Rael, you’re finally awake!" Her voice broke, full of worry. "I thought... I thought you weren’t coming back." She sniffled, wiping her tear-streaked face.

Rael blinked slowly, his mind still foggy. "What happened?"

"You were unconscious for more than sixteen hours!" Eon exclaimed. "The old woman is so cruel. And Dad’s punishment... You didn’t deserve this. I’ll complain to Grandpa! I’m going to tell him everything—this is too much!"

Rael, now fully conscious, gently placed a hand on her head, trying to soothe her. "It’s okay, Eon. Don’t go complaining. I had a deal with Dad. It’s a challenge, something I agreed to. You’ll see. Everything will be fine. Just... give me a few months."

Eon looked up at him with concern, her eyes widened. "Months? But... that’s too long!"

Rael smiled softly. "It’s the only way, Eon. I’m doing this for us."

Eon bit her lip, clearly still uneasy, but she nodded anyway. The siblings shared a brief silence, both knowing that no matter how much they wished to defy the expectations and rules around them, they weren’t just strong enough.

After a moment, Rael offered his hand to her. "Let’s meditate. You know what to do."

Eon, ever so loyal to her brother, immediately complied. They sat facing each other, legs crossed, hands joined.