Ren was woken up in the morning by a smiling Ai, while lying in the softest bed he had ever felt. He felt well rested and ready to take on anything the world could throw at him.

While Ren was filled with youthful excitement for the coming day, and finally learning the methods of the sect, already seeing himself as a shining hero who travels through the lands, Ai was more worried than excited on his behalf. She knew, that it made sense for him to directly practice a cultivation art focused around blades, but still had wanted to instil a modicum of caution into him.

Because they still had time before Adept Ji would take Ren to the old Master, Ai decided that they should have a small breakfast. While eating, she asked him about his hometown, what it was called, to which he replied that it didn't really have a name, how many people lived in it, and other generic questions. Ren answered them all enthusiastically, as he devoured the different delicacies presented to him. While Ai said, that it would only be a small breakfast, she had still taken out all manner of food, from different types of bread, some Ren had never laid eyes upon, or even heard of, over eggs, meat, a variety of fruit and crystal clear water to wash it all down.

"You don't have to cram it all in like this, Ren." Ai told him exasperatedly, though she was smiling, and not really annoyed with him.

Ren looking at her, about to put a pastry into his mouth, and put it back down sheepishly. "I can't help it, all of it is just so good." Putting a smile on his face, he continued. "And I have to strengthen myself for the day, after all I will learn my cultivation art today."

"I suppose you will." Ai said, trailing off.

Thereafter, their conversations petered out, as Ren kept thinking about what kind of impressive art he would master, while Ai thought about her own progress with her arts. Sitting in companionable silence, the two of them waited for Adept Ji to arrive.

Only shortly after, a low, concise knock broke the silence, and the both of them walked to the door, expecting Adept Ji to stand before them.

And stand before them he did. Today he was clad in a flowing black robe, that concealed his hands, it even had a cowl.

Once again expressionless, Ai greeted the man. "Good morning, Brother Ji, have you come to escort Brother Ren to Master?" Ji also didn't show any emotion. "Indeed, but not only disciple Ren, but also you, junior Sister Xiao, are to accompany us to meet the Master."

Even though, Ren thought, Ai did not expect to accompany them, he did not see her lips twitch even once. "Let us not let Master Darkhaven wait, then." Ai said, in a clipped tone.

Their journey up the stairs to the Master's chambers was relatively short, but they still encountered multiple other disciples passing them on the way, greeting Adept Ji and Xiao Ai, while looking at him curiously , but never once asking why he was accompanying them.

When the three of them stepped into Darkhaven's library like office, the Master was already sitting behind his massive desk, lounging nonchalantly. After they saluted him, he directed them to stand before his desk, whereupon already a cultivation manual lay. It was a simple, brown, leather-bound, book that might be seen in any mortal library, were it not for its title and the feeling of its spirit. It felt like a lone sword raised against the heavens, making Ren clench his right hand in anticipation.

Darkhaven started going straight to business. "This is the manual,

Heart Of The Lonely Sword. Of all the spirit arts in our reserve, I found this one to be the most focused on solely the sword."

Ren was a little confounded with both the fact, that only one manual lay on the desk, and Darkhaven saying, that this was the spirit art most focused on the sword, how was that even possible, shouldn't all sword arts be focused on the sword? He asked the Master exactly this.

The Master looked at him like he was asking him the most stupid question he could have ever thought of. With a great sigh, the master stood up and began pacing around a bit, while muttering to himself. "He is a new disciple after all, not an Adept, I can't expect him to know all this." Then louder, and with clearly put upon gravitas and stroking his chin, he said. "Cultivation arts are normally not actually focused only on the weapon, as the concepts of Intents are mostly a little more obscure, aspects of different elements, like young miss Xiao's Intent."

Here he gestured at her, as if it was unclear who was being addressed. "Her Intent is severance with a focus on wind. There are even Intents, that combine two different elements. Disciples who gain such an Intent usually join the harmonic division. The point is, that it is unusual to have an Intent that does not lean to any element at all, and as such there are very few arts without."

Darkhaven didn't wait to ask if he had understood it, and the two Adepts looked like they would not speak unless they were spoken to.

"Now, we will proceed like an Adept would. Open the first page of the manual and immerse yourself in it. After, you will know if you are compatible." Ai and Adept Ji wanted to interject, as Ren was not yet even taught how to sense the spirit in the manual and immerse himself in it.

But he had already opened it completely, narrowed down all his attention on the first paragraph and the feeling of the manual's spirit, an absent look on his face.

Ren was already immersed.

Ren was standing in a vast expanse of white mist, wet grass beneath his feet. He was confused, not knowing what even happened, but he was still completely calm, as if this event was perfectly normal. Looking around, he did not see anything but mist and grass, and so picked a direction and began to walk.

He walked for minutes, then hours. Loneliness was setting in, as he wandered through this bleak landscape of mist, alone. But he kept walking. Though the surroundings didn't seem to change, Ren constantly had the feeling, that he would regret if he gave up on his wandering. And so he continued, feeling neither hunger nor thirst, just continuing on in this endless steppe of mist. Hours turned into days, days into weeks, and weeks into months, yet he still continued walking on mindlessly. He began to forget small things first, the smile on Lin's face, the sound of wind blowing through the treetops, the face of the jolly baker, trying to hold on to anything did not work at all, so he just let it go, and soon nothing remained, not even his own name. In his thoughts was only his blade, and nothing but the blade. Loneliness was but a distant echo of the past, as why would he feel lonely if everything he needed was with him at all times? Though he felt no longing and wanted for nothing, something was still missing. The reason for this journey.

And for the first time, something changed. Through the thick mist, patterns began to emerge, forming the shape of a boy, with misty veins running through him. The mist boy sat down, and gestured for him to follow his example. As soon as he sat down, the mists began to roil, and small streams of it, entered the boy of mist, running through him in beautiful shapes, making the mist feel less and less like mist, and instead more and more like a lone sword, ready to pierce the heart.

Seeing this, he tried to mimic what he felt. Without any resistance, the mists began to enter him, basking him. Looping the streams of mist through his body, imprinting the pattern, and leading them out again. Over and over and over, until he himself felt more like a sword.

After an indeterminable amount of time he opened his eyes, as if woken from a trance, to the sight of the boy of mist smiling at him, and then dissipating, as if he was never there in the first place.

A disembodied voice echoed across in an almost proud tone.

"The path of cultivation is solitary.

Wield the sword, and thrive in this boundless loneliness."

When Ren's gaze focused again, and his senses returned to the real world, he immediately saw Sister Ai arguing with Master Darkhaven about something, while Adept Ji was nowhere to be found.

"He shouldn't be immersed for such a long time, it has been almost two hours now. We should do something, Master!" Ai said in a voice bordering on pleading.

The Master replied in a pressed voice. "You are right, he should have awakened by now, but there is no need for us to panic. He could yet still become conscious. The experiences of all who immerse themselves in an advanced manual such as this vary greatly, with some not being able to delve into it at all. The fact, that he is inside it for so long must mean that it is indeed a very good fit." He ended in a confident tone, meant to persuade Ai. When she just set up to begin another argument, Darhaven noticed Ren looking at them. "Look, all is well. He emerged without any problem."

As soon as the Master said this, Ai rushed to his side in a flash. She knelt in front of him, and put her hands on his shoulders like she wanted to embrace him, but stopped herself. "I am so glad that you are alright, Ren." It looked like she didn't know what to say, and was almost tearing up. All of this confused Ren immensely, wasn't he supposed to immerse himself, like the Master told him?

He remembered the endless wandering in the realm of mists, and smiled at the concerned Ai. "I did it, Ai. I learned the cultivation art." He told her.

Before Ai could respond with anything, Darkhaven interjected. "Beautiful. It seems we will not have to test any other manual then. Ai, as your senior disciple Ji has left to complete a sect mission, I want you to get him settled into the inner sect, and mentor him. I might personally look into his progress every few months as well."

Ai was a little perplexed, but almost immediately recovered. "Of course, Master. I shall handle the matter of his stay in the weapon division." She replied deferentially, while still kneeling beside Ren. The Master sat back down, and made a motion with his hand, that Ren interpreted as a dismissal.

"We will take our leave then, Master. Follow me, Ren, and don't forget to take the manual with you. There is more written in it, than just the pattern of the cultivation art." Ai said, while standing up and dusting herself down.

While leaving the office, holding the manual in his hands tightly, Ren had a feeling, that his life in the sect was only about to begin.

As after the first step, must also always follow another, wandering ever onward.