Chapter 31: Peace
The morning sun bled softly through the wooden blinds, casting streaks of golden light across the stone floor of the academy dorm. Lucas slowly opened his eyes, his body still humming with residual Qi from last night’s cultivation. His breathing was calm, his chest rising and falling slowly as he sat up on the edge of the bed. A quiet sigh escaped his lips.
He had spent the entire night refining the potent Yin energy he absorbed from Selene. It was potent—richer than he anticipated. It had surged through his meridians like a gentle storm, boosting his foundation significantly. But he had suppressed the breakthrough, locking it down and masking the change in his aura. Drawing too much attention to himself now would only complicate things.
He stood up quietly and walked to the window, pulling the curtain open just a little. Morning dew clung to the garden plants below, and in the distance, the soft murmurs of early cultivators filled the air. Some were already practicing forms, others running laps or meditating. The academy had come to life.
Behind him, the sound of snoring reached his ears.
He turned his head slightly, eyes landing on Garrett—curled into a ball with one leg hanging off the bed—and Cassian, mouth open, drooling on his pillow.
Lucas shook his head slightly, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.
"So much Qi in this world, and these two idiots are wasting it by sleeping and dreaming of girls."
He walked past their beds quietly, heading to the small table by the far wall where he had stacked a few basic alchemy tools and some scrolls. As he passed Cassian’s bed, the guy rolled over and muttered something about a girl named Melissa and peaches. Lucas scoffed under his breath.
"I swear... it’s a miracle these guys have any cultivation progress at all."
He lit a small incense stick for focus, inhaling its earthy scent. As the smoke curled upward, his thoughts drifted to his past life. The sterile white lights of the city’s skyline. The sharp hiss of the train. His sister’s laughter as she sat beside him that day—just before everything changed.
"Is she alive?"