Having grown up together, Isadora and Guang Ai were very close as children.

  But when did that change...? Isadora wondered, crouched in front of a flower bed. Why, Ai..?

  She couldn't remember very well, only that it happened a little after her problem with cultivation started to manifest. Along with her growing slowness in advancing, the space between the two of them appeared as well.

  The flower swayed when a drop hit it.

  — Isadora? — Mirabel called her. — ...Are you all right? Where's Ai?

  She secretly wiped her eyes before getting up, and when she turned around, it was with a smile.

  — Yes, she went to carry out the punishment Grandpa gave her... Mom, Noah, he...

  — He's very rich... — Mirabel commented.

  — What...?

  — Can you believe he gave us ten blue crystals just to buy that oven?

  — What?! — her eyebrows arched. — But how? He had nothing, not even a spatial pouch.

  — Hmm, I wonder too... — Squatting, Mirabel moved closer to the flowers. Her fingers played with the petals while she thought for a few moments. — Ah, yes, he also asked for some techniques, so take some to him later.

  — Techniques...? But what kind?

  — I'm not sure... Choose whichever you think are best. If he doesn't like them, just swap them out later.

  — Right... But mom, you... — Mirabel looked at her, waiting for her to continue the sentence. — ...You're only acting like this for the money, aren't you?

  — Oh, you... — Isadora ran off laughing, leaving her behind. — Of course not... — Mirabel murmured, sighing. She reconsidered as she walked toward her room. — Or maybe... a little?

  Her previously hasty steps slowed down and the smiles faded with the sense of distance. Isadora sighed. She walked through the residence, greeting everyone she passed by, even if only with a small but gentle smile. The building where she stopped was large and had three floors in total, despite the lack of techniques to fill them. On the first floor were the basic techniques that anyone from the Radiance family could try to learn, and where most of the books were. The second floor contained what they considered "intermediate" arts, for which a minimum mastery of Qi was required for training. Isadora hadn't yet reached the cultivation level needed to enter that floor. There was a full shelf of techniques on that floor, two fewer than on the first, though there was space for dozens. Going up one more flight of stairs, one would reach the third floor, where only two books were kept. No one had been able to master them for ages, not even Undric. Lack of power was the most obvious assumption, as they believed that using such techniques required one to be at Foundation Establishment, something no one in that family had accomplished in ages.

  — What are you doing here, Isa? — Guang So asked. His steps had been so silent that Isadora hadn't noticed him approach at all. — I thought you were practicing the gentle fists technique... You know that—

  — You shouldn't train more than one martial art at once, you should master one before starting another. I know, Grandpa. — She finished his sentence smiling, something she had heard so many times she had memorized it. — These techniques aren't for me.

  — They're not? Then... for that boy?

  — Yes, Noah asked to use some... I think it's better to say he paid to use them.

  — He did something like that? — The old man clenched his fist, crumpling the book he held. — To think our family would come so low as to need to accept handouts in exchange for our techniques...

  — Handouts... — Isadora laughed.

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  Noticing the girl's smile, Guang So spoke:

  — If they're not handouts, what are they? After all, how much money could that boy possibly have if he doesn't even have a spatial pouch? — His voice had a hint of irritation, though not with Noah. The anger came as a consequence of his frustration with the family's situation.

  — That... I can't say, Grandpa. Don't insist. — Isadora turned her face and resumed her search.

  — What? You— How can you say something like that to your grandpa, girl?! You're being disrespectful, is that it? — He turned, playing with his long beard for a moment. — If that's the case... I'll tell your mother who it was who ended up killing one of her fish by taking it out of the water to play.

  Isadora jumped to her feet.

  — Grandpa! You wouldn't do that...! — she said, cheeks puffed out with air.

  — Humph! — Guang So turned his head, ignoring her.

  — Grandpa!!

  He showed no reaction, even when Isadora used the infallible puppy eyes technique, he only avoided looking in her direction.

  A side of the elder responsible for enforcing the laws unknown to many, one everyone saw as cold and distant, but respectable and trustworthy. An elder who, whenever someone in the family broke one of the rules, would impose an unyielding punishment. Isadora wondered how the others would react if they saw him like that.

  She sighed. She approached him, tiptoeing since he still tried to hold on to the remainder of his dignity, and whispered in his ear.

  His eyebrows rose.

  — What—?! — He cleared his throat upon seeing shadows pass in front of the hall door in the distance, straightened up, and returned to his neutral expression. — Anyway, as I was saying, besides these basic techniques, I think it's best if you also take one of intermediate level.

  — But...

  — Girl, just do as I say—! I mean... trust me... at least a movement technique.

  He left without much of a farewell, with light, calm steps. Isadora could have sworn she heard him humming sometimes, but even she refused to believe it. She left after grabbing the books, going back to the room where Noah waited.

  With the book in hands, he flipped through page after page. His reading speed was so fast that Isadora wondered if he was actually understanding anything written there. Sighing, he put the book aside, making her think it was because he had given up or didn’t understand the content. But no. He picked up the next one in sequence.

  — Er... That's not how you train martial arts, Noah. To train martial arts you—

  — It takes attention and focus, — he said, recalling the words of his former teacher. — I know that, and that's why I'm reading page by page.

  — You... are...?

  She couldn't believe it. But, really, watching his eyes, Isadora had the feeling that Noah was reading. But not the words, at most, just a bunch of drawings. Although she felt she couldn't keep up with him at times, it was as if even his eyes were too fast for her.

  Yes, that must be it... He's stronger than I am, so maybe it's easy for his eyes to read that fast. She concluded.

  And once again, Noah put the book down on the bed and reached for the last one, a thinner book than he expected.

  — You said this one is different from the other two, why? — he asked, flipping through it without actually reading. Depending on Isadora's answer, it might not be worth the effort.

  She sighed as she said:

  — This is a technique we consider intermediate and, unlike the other two, you need to use Qi to perform it.

  — I see...

  Noah set the last book aside.

  Isadora saw him struggle to get into a meditation position and, even confused, helped him. But she couldn't help asking:

  — What are you doing...? Weren't you going to train the techniques?

  — And I will, mentally. Isn't there that kind of training here?

  — What? N-No...? I don't think so... Does that even work?

  — Well, if your body is able to keep up with your mind, yes.

  — I see... — she stood up, ready to leave.

  — If your dad brings the oven, can you come back and throw a stone at me to wake me up?

  — A stone..? — Isadora raised an eyebrow.

  — Well, you saw what happened to that girl's arm... And if he doesn't bring it, just leave me here for a few days... I think four will be enough.

  — ...Without food?

  He nodded.

  Isadora walked to the door, but didn't leave.

  — ...I'll come back as soon as my dad arrives with the oven, — she said, and then hurried out.

  When her footsteps faded away, he sighed. Something in his chest settled and his mind cleared.

  Strange... he reconsidered. What was strange? He couldn't say. So he turned back to the books he'd just read.

  — These techniques aren't as interesting as I expected. They're as easy as modern martial arts. Will I only see something worthwhile when I leave this place?

  He closed his eyes, and was immersed in the mental darkness that slowly began to change. The appearance of low grass came with a gentle breeze, and so a vast field formed.

  I'll add a few steps to this, then keep trying to form my foundation... I hope I manage it this time.