Day Two

Theon couldn't take his eyes off the approaching pair. Did one of them just randomly rotate around? The boy beside the green-haired girl seemed physically off. There was so much wrong about the bandages, the cap, the coat, the jawline, and the chest.

He would have stopped the boy for questioning if they were in Lanceworth. But right now, it was neither the place nor he had any time to lose. He already asked about Arnacia in the market and knew that the girl was last seen two days ago. The priority was to contact the two Knights stationed in the village.

Arnacia held her breath even after they left Theon far in the distance. Her head stiffly looked straight, and she walked normally without the technique. There must be someone else. Is it Yale or is it Aciano? Maybe someone even more powerful was lurking around.

The hidden danger is the most choking. Arnacia reached the ground in nervousness. She had planned to walk in harmony with her breaths to impress the instructor, but all the plans failed. Additionally, Naomi was still by her side.

"You fail," the old man under the Sycamore tree said.

"No-no, wait. Gimme a chance teacher." Arnacia thought she said the first few words in a girlish voice. She looked at the old man, who was sitting like a tree. "I was nervous, but I can even run in harmony with my breaths."

The old man didn't answer. So she started running around the tree. The old man kept quiet after the first round. She was sure there was no mistake in her movements and breathing, but still she kept running.

She ran 10 rounds, but the old man sat there like a lifeless statue. Her arms were beginning to hurt because of the 52 push-ups from yesterday. Was this really the end?

"Open your eyes old man. She is doing whatever you are taught." Naomi said.

Arnacia only shook her head. She didn't finish her 11th round around the tree. Instead diverted her path to run around the entire ground, which was more or less like a soccer field. She had never been to a soccer field in her last life, but knew players ran back and forth for 90 minutes.

"Look what you made her do." Naomi worryingly looked at Arnacia. She was aware of the arm pain. This training was not worth it. What's the point of doing 52 push-ups if your arms are going to hurt the next day?

The pain in Arnacia's arms increased. But she was worried more about failing the crash course. The elastic strap wrapped around her chest felt exceptionally useful while running.

It was an awful time for Theon to show up in her village. This made her believe the Alucards won't let her live. Running away was less of an option now. A fire burnt in her eyes as she controlled her breath.

The time seemed to flow like a turtle in the sand for Naomi. She gritted her teeth, stomped her feet, kicked away dirt, swung her hands around and cheered for Arnacia. A few kids playing on the ground stopped to see the cool big brother who ran like the wind.

"Tell her to stop."

Naomi heard the old man say. She almost jumped in happiness. She ran up to Arnacia, who was about to finish another round.

"Take this cube and sit down." The old man casually threw a cube at Arnacia, who caught it with both hands.

Arnacia felt her heart throb like a twinkling star on a windy night. She examined the cube without rotating it. A small green diamond mark was drawn on one face, while the other faces were blank.

"Keep it inside your mouth as you practice the technique."

This cube was extremely suspicious. It was like candy from a stranger. She wouldn't have taken it under other circumstances, but Theon had already followed her to the village. The Alucards were bent on hunting her to the end of the world.

Additionally, this place was relatively safe with Naomi and the kids around. She has seen a few boys who looked around 16 while running around the ground. This was a gamble she was forced to face, and yet she willingly took it.

She placed the cube below her tongue. It was a little bigger than the size of a candy. In a few seconds, she felt air leaking out of the cube. Her cheeks puffed.

Stubbornly, she began practicing the 'Breath Harmony' technique. It was more complicated than she imagined. What's there to harmonize about if she was only breathing without moving? The key is to absorb the mysterious air, she thought.

Naomi carefully watched by the sidelines. She was ready to cry out for help. Her heart cried in anxiety whenever Arnacia's breathing paused. But luckily everything was alive and well until evening.

Arnacia suddenly opened her eyes. She saw orange clouds in the distance. The old man under the orange tree with orange leaves falling around his mysteriously wrapped body looked like a deity.

"Thank you, teacher." Arnacia got and bowed respectfully.

The old shook his head. A smile formed on his face as the two girls departed. He put his hand forward, and a leaf landed on his palm. Slowly, half of the leaf turned to dust. The reminder looked like a square yin-yang with a zigzag separating the two parts.