"Kael, please sit on the wheelchair."

"No, Dean. I perfectly fine. I don't need to be pushed around in one of those things again." Kael stated as he crossed his arms.

"Kael," Dean said with a firmness in his voice, "this is not the time to be playing around. You were in a coma for five days. After what happened to you inside the formation you should try to recuperate."

"That's exactly my point. I've been resting around for five days! What I need right now is to move around. My body feels stiff." Kael said walking out of the room. Besides, Elder Robin said I was physically fine. He just didn't know why I was asleep for so long."

Kael suddenly felt an immense pressure surround him and before he knew it he was sitting on the wheelchair. What just happened? Kael asked himself before seeing Dean with a smile on his face. He is doing this!

He tried to stand, but the pressure still excerpted a force over him. "Kael, you will listen to me at least until Robin says you are free to go. He hasn't dismissed the possibility of a relapse." Dean lowered his voice. "I've also heard stories of men waking up from mortal wounds as if they were fine only to drop dead a couple of days later."

Kael gave a defeated sigh. "Fine, I'll do as you say…let's just go already."

The medicine hall was still the same as before—bland white walls and a weird medicinal smell in the air—only with one change. There were many people bustling around. Disciples walking around with clipboards and others pushing gliding cards carrying medicine. Kael even saw a few of the Inner disciples strutting about—a rare sight as they tended to stay within the inner sect to train.

"Dean, why are there so many people around?" Kael couldn't keep himself from asking.

"There were many wounded during the incident. Even most of the elders…" Dean paused slightly as if thinking something then continued. "They were wounded trying to help me stop the formation. Most of them were heavily depleted of their qi, making them unable to sustain their bodies without outside help. Though they are safe now and only require rest."

So that's why the inner disciples are here, Kael nodded. They came to visit their teachers.

Sudden yells came from the end of the hallway then a man was sent flying out the door of a room. "You are not taking me away from my son! I will stay until I see that he is awake."

Kael stared in shock as he saw, the fighter drop unconscious to the floor. Just who would dare do that here?

"Restrain him!" a powerful voice ordered. The clanking of armor rang before another man crashed into the wall.

"Stop this at once!" Dean said, his voice causing the hall to tremble, as he immediately appeared by the doorway leaving Kael behind.

Without waiting, Kael left his wheelchair and rushed to the room to see what the whole commotion was. It was Sal. He was on the ground with two fighters of the fourth fracture restraining him. Another man stood proudly at the back of the room. He wore a black armor lined with silver engravings, his plate marked with six slashes—a man of the sixth fracture.

From the armor, Kael knew that the man was Warren--the vice leader of the discipline hall.

"Dean, this doesn't concern you. Sal has been given too much time away from his punishment, I'm here to bring him back to his confinement."

"No," Sal said as he tried to struggle free pushing off another man. "I won't let you take me away from my son."

"For heaven's sake, how can you guys struggle to restrain him even when he is wearing his confinement robes and has no access to his qi!"

Instantly, Dean appeared next to the men and with a wave of his hand, he pushed them away from Sal. Then, he extended his hand, helping Sal stand, and turned to face Warren. "You will do no such thing."

Kael could only stare in amazement as Dean teleported and pushed the men away with such ease. Just how did he do that? Did he grow stronger?

"Dean, you dare defy the discipline hall?" Warren screamed angrily. "We have to maintain the Council's verdict and enforce the rules—"

"All I see is a man worrying about his son and some 'bandits' trying to disrupt him. If you want to remove him from this place you will have to go through me first."

"You are only making things worse. You have broken the rules and the council will stand by my side. I will see that you are punished severely for getting in our way."

"I'd like to see them try. They have no right to do anything. This was all caused by their own ignorance and refusal to believe something was wrong. So Sal will stay here until he can speak with his son and make sure he is healthy. Now, get out before I embarrass you in front of your underlings."

Warren fumed. He took deep breaths trying to calm himself before heading out of the room. "This won't end here, Dean."

Dean gave a sigh, before turning to Sal. " Sal, I'll make sure they don't come bother you again. I hope Brin wakes soon and that there is nothing wrong with him."

Sal nodded then he sat next to Brin—putting his hand over Brin. Kael could see the immense worry in his eyes and for the first time, he viewed Elder Sal with respect. He is just Dean…he thought. He cares about Brin like Dean cares for me.

"Let’s go, Kael." Dean said softly before guiding Kael out of the room. Before the door closed, a small whisper filled the silent room. "Thank you, Dean. I owe you one."

Dean smiled and shook his head and finally closed the door.

Fear assaulted Kael once more.

As soon as he had laid eyes upon Eztli his whole body trembled and lost its strength. He didn't know why, but his body reacted instinctively. An acute pain filled his head as a memory tried to resurface, yet it was fragmented and blurry. After a second, it went away.

Thankfully, Dean had made him get on the wheelchair, if not, he feared that Dean would have noticed and taken him back for more examinations. Kael breathed deeply and inched toward Eztli—fear still lingering inside him, growing stronger as he neared the sleeping rabbit. Why am I afraid? He wondered. What happened within the formation?

Kael shook his head and grabbed Eztli. They told him he could carry him back to his room and he planned to do so. As he held him he suddenly remembered that he still had to get the things he promised Eztli for his help. Something told him that if he didn't have the items prepared…

"Dean, can you take me back to my room? Also, can you prepare the rewards from the aptitude test? I was a black level talent, even if the formation did malfunction, right?"

Dean was startled a hint of worry in his eyes. "Kael, why do you want the rewards? You just woke up…you can—"

"Dean, I need them!" Kael said firmly, his fear growing stronger but that only urged him to lie. He couldn't tell Dean the true reason he wanted them. "I need to start training, I wasted five days already and since you don't let me walk on my own I need to train my qi. I need the qi stone I won. I need this to make my father proud.

"To live up to his legacy."

Dean stood in silence for a long time before nodding. "All right. I'll see that they are delivered by morning."

##

What I'm I doing? Dean asked himself. Why do I keep getting these thoughts of preventing Kael from getting stronger… Ever since he found out the truth about Ian's death he had these strange thoughts. When Kael had asked him for the rewards he had gotten the sudden urge to do anything that would stop him from cultivating. He even thought of crippling his dantian, but he knew that was wrong. That it was his fear talking. The fear that Kael will end up like Ian. That he would follow the same path of self-destruction in his search for power.

In the end, however, he couldn't refuse Kael's request. He only knew that he had to find a way that would steer him away from facing the same fate as his father.

Isaac's study was a mess. It looked like a torrent of wind had passed by—papers, pens, and other items riddled the floor. A worn out Isaac sat huddled, reading a letter.

"Isaac, you all right?" Dean asked.

Surprise showed in Isaac's eyes as if he had just realized that he wasn't alone. Then he shook his head. "I'm not, Dean. Everything is going horribly. The incident with the tower's formation, the elder's being wounded and now the other sects sending letters of threats. They somehow heard of what happened and now are giving us an ultimatum: we either surrender or face elimination. There is nothing we can do. Even with such geniuses as Kael and Brin…there is just not enough time to groom them for the genius gathering. I'll be surprised if we can last another week…"

"That's impossible. I thought that we had a deal to not face any more threats until the gathering. We gave them so much already…they still want more?"

"Dean, it's over. I've been trying to figure out how to tell the council so that they listen, but I doubt they will let us surrender. They will do everything to protect the phoenix…even if it costs the lives of all of us. I even want to keep silent about it in hopes that when they arrive, we can surrender and not face annihilation."

"You know we can't do that. If we wait, they will still slaughter us." Dean fell silent as he thought about something. "Isaac, we need to attack first. Strike them while they think we are at our weakest. That way—"

"We are at our weakest!” Isaac waves his arms around. “Dean, don't be delusional. Our strongest fighters won't be there to help. Sal is confined, and I think that if he found out that the sect is under attack, he will escape with Brin…you know that the boy is the only reason Sal lives for…Theo, on the other hand, might still have his outstanding strength but he is crippled. He won't be much help in the battlefield. There's only you and I and I doubt that is enough to face an attack from the sects…We—"

"I might be able to get Sal to help us." Dean said, interrupting Isaac then made up his mind. "More importantly…I have two things I need to show you, but you must keep them secret from others. I also have a condition. If we manage to stop the sects…you must make it so that the resource grooming is given to Brin and not Kael. One genius should be enough for Gathering."

"Why would you…"

Dean raised his hand. "I don't want Kael to end up like Ian, but I also don't want him to hate me for stopping his growth. So if we do it this way, he would only have to accept that it was meant to be. So please accept these condition."

Isaac still looked confused but nodded. "I promise."

Taking a deep breath, Dean released his aura and new power. "With my current strength, I can take on all the sects. I will go as an envoy to the other sects to showcase our strength. Not only will this serve as a threat to them, but it will give us a chance to gather more resources. That's where the second part of my plan comes into play." Dean pushed himself to continue. "Then, I will use Ian's findings to raise the strength of our elders; especially Brin’s. I am confident that I can help him achieve his First mending by the time of the gathering…Only as long as Kael is held back.”

Dean knew what he was doing was wrong, but he didn't care anymore. It was selfish and cruel to punish Kael this way, but he had to keep his promise to Ian. He had to stop him from the fate of death.

Even if that meant putting himself in danger by using power—and formations—that he himself didn't understand.