Jaime gasped as he opened his eyes.

I… I am not dead?

“Yo,” a frivolous voice said. “Welcome back to the world of the living.”

“Tanael… Why did you save me?” Eyes still fixed to the night sky, unfocused, tired, empty.

“Oh? You said it like you wanted to die. Are you sure about that?”

Bonfire crackling, soup boiling, an appetizing aroma was in the air.

“...You did not answer my question,” Jaime said.

“Neither did you. And because I’m a nice guy, I’ll answer first. It’s because the living isn't done with you yet,” Tanael sneered.

“Kheh...” Jaime did not deign Tanael with an answer other than a scoff.

“...Wow. This is how you treat someone who just saved your life? Not even a thank you? Your kind is really something else. I wonder why you aren't all extinct already,” Tanael said in an amused tone.

“...What are you talking about?”

“Just my musing. I watched your fight with Daystar. Seems like there's a deep history behind you two. Mind telling me what’s that about?”

“Why should I tell you?”

“Think of it as a payment for saving your ass from the other trial takers that wanted to slit your throat and take your shards. I scared them away and took care of you, in case you didn't notice. Kaari, give our guest a drink.”

Because Jaime was still weak and unable to move much, Kaari carefully slipped the water into his mouth while he was lying down.

“Why do you care?”

“Because I love good stories,” Tanael lightly said.

Why else would I watch movies, play video games, and read novels by the thousands? Tanael left those unsaid.

Jaime didn't answer nor start talking so Tanael gave him another push.

“You once said to me that you’re staking everything in this Trial of Fire. Now let me put it this way. You can tell me your story or your path ends here. Without help, you won't be able to survive this stage, let alone pass to the next one. Is this what your ‘everything’ amounts to? You do realize I’m your only hope of making it out of this, right? Hell, If I leave you here you won't even survive the night.”

Arrogant he might be, Jaime wasn't blind to his own situation. The scowl on his face didn't go away though.

Tanael sat beside Jaime. Half of his face was shadowed by the orange campfire.

“Let’s start by your name, Backlasher. What should I call you?”

“...Jaime. Jaime Sigley”

“Nice to meet you, Jaime. I’m Tanael. That’s my real name,” Viers lied as easily as he breathed. “Pray tell, the circumstances that landed you here, especially your deal with Daystar.”

And Jaime began telling his tale. Tanael might have saved him but not out of the kindness in his heart. The killing intent he emitted made it clear to Jaime that it was either start talking or else.

Tanael, on the other hand, sighed inside his mind.

Finally! So much trouble to get him yapping.

Tanael already knew Jaime’s life story because of soul search. However, this is a necessary process if he didn't want to let others know he could soul search.

***

The gist of Jaime’s life was this:

Firstborn of the vaunted Sigley house. Kind of a Marquess-rank house in the ‘kingdom‘ of Regidana. Talented in dark affinity, gifted in fencing, entered the Second Amends School -cultivation sect- from a young age and successfully trained in a certain difficult-to-use Profound Codex. Being able to induce backlash on his opponent made Jaime a formidable foe.

His future was bright.

Jaime had a fiance, Piera. Their engagement was decided by their parents before the two had been born but Jaime ended up quite smitten with her. Since they were little, the two were close. However, as the two grew to adulthood, it was clear that Piera thought of Jaime like a brother and not as a lover.

It was a one-sided love from Jaime.

Piera had a friend, Aravin, a commoner. Despite being a noble, Piera didn't look down on his standing, even admired his effort and character. As the years passed by, the two became attracted to each other.

Jaime found out. Burned with jealousy, he crippled Aravin, who was doing his best as a ‘lowly outer disciple’ of the Second Amends School and humiliated him in public.

Aravan was just trying to support his parents and to prove he was worthy of Piera. He was a good kid and filial. Of course, Jaime didn't care about that.

But Aravin, a now cripple, was forced to leave the School in disgrace. After finding out Jaime was the cause, Piera was furious. A big crack was formed between each of the three’s relationships.

Two years later, Piera and Jaime were to be married. Piera didn't want to but she had a duty as a daughter of a noble house. On their wedding day, the previously unknown whereabouts Aravin appeared, challenging Jaime for Piera’s hand in marriage.

Some drama ensued and the two youths fought. Jaime, so sure he wouldn't lose, indeed lost that day.

Jaime’s parents erased Jaime’s name from the Sigley house’s family tree for the humiliation, naming Jaime's younger brother as heir.

Second Amends School exiled him. No longer wanted to be associated with him.

While he was drinking his sorrows in the pub, he heard what people were saying about him. The cuckolded young master from the Sigley house. Tortured with indignation, he hatched a plan to poison Aravin and kill him.

***

“...I cornered Aravin and his party in a restaurant they always visited. I was just a step away from killing him but we all got transported here. That’s it.”

It’s finally over, eh? Good job me for not falling asleep.

Veirs held back yawns a couple of times. He had seen Jaime’s story with soul search but he had to keep up appearances.

“So let me get this straight. Including today, Aravin survived twice because you gloated before killing him.”

“...That’s right. Lucky bastard.”

“Let’s put aside his luckiness for the moment and focus on yourself,” Tanael gestured with his hand. “Why, by all that is holy, did you think gloating before killing him is a good idea?”

Jaime paused for a moment, lost. As if he never thought about it before. “...I must give him a piece of my mind before killing him. Else there would be no point. Besides, it was only for a few seconds.”

“Heh,” Tanael’s disdain was as deep as a continental trench. “Lies. It was more than a few seconds. But even if it is, it is a very stupid thing to do. Do you know that after beating you today, Aravin got lovey-lovey with his wolf beastfolk companion? A very great contrast with your situation, no? That’s what you get for ‘giving him a piece of your mind’. Your defeat and a good life for Aravin.”

“Shut. Up.”

“Oh reflecting about why you lose must be the last thing on your mind right now. I can see it in your eyes, the smoldering hatred. There’s also the sickening lump you felt in your gut because you can't reach your goal yet again,” Tanael emphasized. “The question is, what are you going to do now? Challenge Aravin again? How many times does that make now? You said so yourself, Aravin grew stronger every time you saw him. Today you had to burn half of your life force to defeat him. What about the next?”

“What are you trying to say, Tanael?” Jaime hissed like a snake. Visibly irritated.

“I’ll be teaching you how to kill Aravin,” Tanael struck at the heart of the matter.

“...Why does this matter to you?” Jaime frowned.

“You and Aravin, you two represent something far greater than you could’ve ever imagined. Aravin and his ilk have always won. I want to prove that sometimes, you, and by extension, our side, can win also.”

Silence stretched between the two. Jaime tried to find falsehood in Tanael’s eyes.

He’d found none.

“I-”

“Ssst.” Tanael shushed. “Someone’s here.”

Tanael stood up, instructed Kaari to stay close to Jaime, and fixed his gaze into the thickets for some time.

“Ho, you noticed me? You’re quite good.”

A youth walked out from behind a tree. Looking smug and confident.

“Dark-blond hair, piercing green eyes, battle-hardened aura… You must be Tanael. We really met. Lucky~” the youth with sunken cheeks chuckled. “Folks have been saying Tanael this and Tanael that but that’s only because I allowed it.”

The youth murmured something and two wraiths came out from his body. Black-cloaked and heart-chilling. ”Your shards will be mine, Necromancer S-”

The necromancer was wide open. Because of the speech and in the middle of utilizing his Victa. Tanael struck just before the enemy’s Arte was complete.

In martial art’s terms, Tanael struck at the enemy’s lull. The gap that exists between stillness and movement or vice-versa.

No tricks, no words. Tanael kicked the earth, created a shining spectral red sword in his hand, and slashed with all his might.

Arte - Cut the Crap!

What happened next didn't need to be said. Shortly, near Tanael’s feet were the necromancer's four limbs.

“Mockery: Nice to meet you, Necromancer Meatbag.”

For someone so weak, he sure talked big. How did he survive all this time?

“Any last words?” Tanael said.

The fear inside the youth’s eyes was tasteable.

“I-”

Tanael planted his Desolate Dive Arte-laced foot to the guy’s face, caving it in. Dirtying his boots with brain matter.

“Apologies. I messed up the order of events. I’m supposed to ask you AFTER I’ve dealt a fatal blow. Let's try this again. Ehem, any last words? ...No? Excellent. Now I’m going to loot you while your body is still warm. I’m sure you don't mind, yes? You can't bring your money and items to where you’re going, after all, no sireé. Your soul is getting shoved to the Soul Prison though. No need to fuss. Think of it as an indefinite vacation before judgment day while the monsters and flies feast on your carcass. Adios, meatbag.”

Tanael was filled with the wonder of the overabundance of people like that in every xianxia world. Then he turned to Jaime who was watching.

“And that is the basics of killing someone like Aravin. Don't give them a chance to turn the table. No last words, no last favor, last cigarette, no ‘before I kill you, there’s something I need to know’. NO to everything!”

“This is the elementary stuff. The advanced stuff is along the lines of making the target die without him realizing it, while you’re having a beach party, drinking coconut milk, half a world away for an alibi. The first rule is very simple. No gloating, yes killing. understand?”

“If you must gloat, do it after your enemy is dead like I did. But make sure they’re really, really dead. You have no idea how many people got the rug pulled under their feet because they are too stupid or careless to check.”

Jaime opened his mouth after a pause but no words came out.

“You still have much to learn,” Tanael spoke, voice deep. A red, humming sword in his hand, fire-light flicking across his green eyes as he gazed down at Jamie. “Follow me and I’ll show you the true power of the Dark Side.”

A specific part of Darth Vader’s theme music was playing gloriously inside Tanael’s head.