Chapter 307: Where It All Began
The Titan Training studio looked exactly as Kaiden remembered it. The smell of iron, sweat, and disinfectant lingered in the air. To him, it was the smell of effort and results. This was where it all began, the place that whipped him into shape for his tutorial mission, the place where he stopped being pathetic, as the system’s tutorial mission said he was.
[Stop Being Pathetic] Those words lingered in Kaiden’s mind for a moment.
He had poured money into this gym, sparing no expense when he was near penniless. This was the best gym in the region, and he even hired a personal trainer while working night shifts to be able to afford it.
Liam, the man who had done more than just train him. Liam had given him the foundation to survive. To win.
Kaiden walked in with Aria’s hand in his, and the girl practically sparkled beside him. Her smile was radiant, brighter than the gym lights overhead, looking as if she were the sun itself. She hopped lightly with every step, bunny-like, unable to contain her giddy excitement.
Aria adored all of Kaiden’s lovers, but this was different. This was their date. Just her and her man, back at the place where they first met.
But now, they were here for a different reason. It was time to put an end to their old, ordinary lives once and for good. A final farewell to the "normal" world, A trip down memory lane, so to speak.
For Aria, who had spent a long time here as a trainer, it was even more personal. She wanted to say goodbye to her colleagues, to this place that shaped her into who she was. Kaiden thought it only right to walk beside her... and give one last nod to Liam. Without him, Kaiden might never have made it out of the tutorial mission, at which point the system likely would’ve left him, looking for a new host to inherit the Heavenly Demon’s Legacy.
Trailing close were Riven and Rae. Bodyguards in casual attire, though their eyes scanned everything with sharpness. Being in public was dangerous for someone like Kaiden, so the artificer twins had already contacted the Awakened Association. Backup was stationed discreetly outside, and extra protection covered the building’s perimeter. Even here, they weren’t alone.
When they stepped in, Kaiden was greeted by a familiar face. The same cute receptionist from his early days sat behind the counter, eyes glued to him as though she’d seen a ghost. She had been the one who gave him his first choice: Aria or Liam as his trainer. The memory stirred something warm inside him, and Aria’s grip on his hand tightened, nostalgia clear in her eyes.
But then the girl at the desk blinked, her mouth slowly falling open. Back then, they had been nothing more than locals with a spark of potential. Now? Their names carried weight. Their faces were known. And that recognition lit up her expression in shock.
Aria didn’t hesitate. With a burst of supernatural agility, she was suddenly across the counter, throwing her arms around the receptionist and pulling her into a crushing, affectionate hug. Her laugh was warm, her joy radiant, her presence overwhelming as always.