Echoes of Cain
Asir POV:
From time to time, Mei would come looking for me.
« Come on Cain, it's enough, you almost kill the poor boy » she laughed at my face every time he whipped me from my feet to meet the only friend that I could still count on to not make fun of me, the ground.
« He is the one that wanted to become stronger, i am only helping him » They both laughed at me, insinuating that I was the one to blame for all of that.
Kais and Roshan would occasionally help me by giving me some tips to defeat Cain.
"I have a trick only you can use!" Roshan exclaimed, a mischievous glint dancing in his eyes.
"I want to know," I said, leaning forward, eager—desperate, even. "If it means I can beat him at least once, I'll do anything."
Roshan stepped in close, his grin widening as he leaned toward my ear and whispered the so-called secret.
My eyes widened. A rush of heat flooded my face—I was turning redder than the sunset sky blazing before us.
"I… He… No… I can't…" was all I managed to stammer.
Roshan was already doubled over, crying with laughter, clutching Kais's arm to keep from collapsing. Even Kais—always the calm one—was smirking. Smirking.
They were both mocking me.
And I hated how much I still liked them for it.
"Traitors," I muttered, crossing my arms and turning away, though I couldn't hide the twitch of a smile pulling at the corner of my mouth.
"Oh come on," Roshan wheezed between fits of laughter. "The look on your face—priceless! We should've carved it into stone."
"I should've poisoned your tea when I had the chance," I shot back, but it only made him laugh harder.
Kais finally spoke, his voice calm as always, but that teasing glimmer still flickered in his eyes. "To be fair, it could work. He's never seen you that flustered before. Might be enough to confuse him."
"You're both awful," I said, trying and failing to sound truly mad.
Roshan wiped a tear from his cheek. "Awful? No. Inspired. You said you'd do anything. We just delivered."
I groaned and rubbed my face, still burning with embarrassment. "Fine. But if I do try it, and it backfires, I'm haunting both of you."
Roshan raised his hands in surrender. "Fair. But think about it—he'd never see it coming. The mighty Asir, champion of the blade... using that move." He doubled over again, laughing.
I shook my head, a reluctant smile now fully breaking across my face. Somehow, in their absurdity, they made everything feel lighter. Even the war. Even the fear.
The sun dipped lower, casting long golden rays through the trees as our laughter faded into the breeze. For a moment, just a moment, it felt like we were kids again. Before kingdoms fell. Before blood stained silver rivers.
But the silence that followed was softer now. Not heavy. Just… full.
The sun had long dipped behind the horizon by the time we reached the training grounds. Torches lined the perimeter, casting flickering shadows that danced across the worn earth. I stood in the center, hands clenched at my sides, heart pounding like a war drum in my chest.
Cain was already there. Waiting. Still as stone.
He looked more like a statue than a man—towering, sharp-eyed, every movement precise, measured. He hadn't said a word since we arrived. He never did before a challenge. He just watched. As if he could see straight through me.
I swallowed hard.
"This is just training," Kais said gently, adjusting the wrap on my wrist. "He's not your enemy."
Roshan snorted nearby. "Tell that to Cain's face. Pretty sure the last guy who blocked his strike by accident woke up two weeks later with no memory—and his name was Fern for some reason."
I glared at him.
"Hey, I'm just here for moral support," he said, grinning. "And maybe to whisper the trick again, just in case."
I ignored him and stepped forward.
Cain drew his blade—not for show, but for truth. That weapon wasn't ceremonial. It was the kind meant to teach through pain. Not death. Not quite.
"Begin," he said.
No flourish. No salute. Just one word.
I barely dodged the first strike. It came fast, faster than anything I'd faced before, a blur of steel and movement. I parried the second—barely—and felt the force tremble down to my bones. He was testing me. Measuring me. And I was already at my limit.
"Faster," Cain said. "Again."
I struck out, sloppy, desperate. He blocked it with ease and sent me stumbling back with a flick of his wrist.
I heard Roshan mutter, "I can't believe you're actually doing it." His voice was a mixture of amusement and nerves. "You really think that'll work?"
But I was out of options. My arms ached, my footing was a mess, and Cain hadn't even broken a sweat.
So I did it.
I blinked, took a shaky breath, and whispered, "You're too focused on the fight, Cain. Sometimes, you miss the moment."
Cain hesitated. Just for a heartbeat.
Without giving him time to react, I reached out. My hand brushed his cheek, just a whisper of contact, but it was enough to make him freeze. His eyes widened—confusion, something else flickering in them—and his grip on his weapon loosened for just a second.
That was all I needed.
With his gaze still locked on my hand, I let my sword fall to the ground. The clang of it hitting the earth echoed, but he didn't move. His eyes stayed fixed on where my blade had fallen, his mind racing to understand why I'd surrendered my weapon in the middle of the fight.
Seizing the moment, I took a step forward. My body moved with calculated precision, closing the gap between us in a fluid motion.
I grabbed his wrist—the one still holding his sword—and twisted it just enough to destabilize him. His posture faltered.
Before he could recover, I used his own momentum to pull him closer, stepping behind him in one swift motion. My arm wrapped around his neck, not in a choke but just enough to control his head and limit his movement. With one quick pull, I used my weight and my position to force him down.
He hit the ground with a muffled thud, his body momentarily stunned by the unexpected shift. I didn't give him time to react. My legs were already on either side of his hips, my body pressing him into the dirt beneath me. His gaze was still locked on mine, that mixture of confusion and something deeper in his eyes.
And there, with the weight of the battle between us, I leaned in just enough for my breath to brush his ear.
"Got you," I whispered, my voice low, but my heart pounding in my chest. Despite everything, I couldn't help the slight smile that tugged at the corner of my lips.
Cain didn't speak, didn't move—he just stared at me, his eyes still trying to make sense of it all. He had never expected this, and for the first time, I wasn't sure if he had won or if, for once, I had.
The silence stretched, thick and heavy. For a moment, I almost thought Cain might say something, but he simply held my gaze, unmoving. I could feel his presence more than ever now—solid, unyielding, like the earth beneath us.
Then, from behind me, a voice broke the stillness, casual but just loud enough to cut through the tension.
"You know," Mei murmured with a faint smile, "I always thought Cain was the kind of person who never let his guard slip."
Her words weren't harsh, but they had just the right touch of lightness to create a subtle shift in the atmosphere. Cain's jaw tightened slightly, but he remained silent.
Kais couldn't resist, though. His voice came next, quieter but no less pointed. "I'm starting to think maybe we've all underestimated you, Asir. Cain actually looks like he's wondering what just happened." His lips curved into a grin that he clearly couldn't contain.
I didn't move, still watching Cain as his expression remained unreadable. I could feel the heat of the moment hanging in the air.
Roshan, standing a little further off, let out a breathless laugh, and I could see his eyes glinting with a mix of amusement and surprise. "I can't believe it," he muttered under his breath, shaking his head. "I really didn't think that trick would work. But here we are." He clapped his hands together as if in mock applause. "Well done, Asir. You really managed to get under Cain's skin."
Cain's eyes flickered toward Roshan, and for the first time, I saw a flash of something like annoyance in his gaze. But Roshan was too caught up in his own surprise to notice, still grinning like a child who'd just witnessed a miracle.
Mei's laugh chimed in, light but full of amusement. "Cain, I think you just got caught up in your own confidence. Happens to the best of us."
I couldn't help but smirk at the subtle mockery that filled the air, the quiet humor threading through the tension. Cain, though still composed, seemed to hesitate for just a heartbeat longer, as if unsure of how to respond. His gaze flickered between me and the others, but for once, I could see the cracks in his usual composure—just a slight crack.
He exhaled sharply, not out of anger, but something else. Maybe recognition. He wasn't used to being thrown off balance, and it was clear that this moment had caught him in a way he hadn't expected.