The rhythmic sound of the wind passing through the trees seemed to accompany Castian’s thoughts as he stood in the open field behind Master Xun’s cabin. The sky was overcast, reflecting the tension that hung between him and the old master. Xun’s words echoed in his mind since their conversation the previous night, but he was still unconvinced. Castian knew what he wanted—vengeance. Balance seemed a distant ideal, a distraction from what he believed to be his true mission.
Master Xun was sitting on a large rock, watching Castian with his deep, wise eyes. He kept his hands crossed over his knees, his calm expression contrasting with the agitation radiating from the young man before him. After a long silence, Xun finally spoke.
" So, you are decided. Vengeance is the path you have chosen?"
Castian crossed his arms and nodded, his expression firm.
" They destroyed everything I had. My village, my family, my life. I can’t just forget that."
Xun sighed deeply and stood up, walking toward Castian with deliberate steps.
" Do you believe that vengeance will restore what you lost?"
" No," Castian admitted, clenching his fists. " But they need to pay for what they did."
Xun remained silent for a moment, evaluating the determination in his young disciple. Finally, he nodded slowly.
" Very well. If this is the path you have chosen, I will not stop you. But before you walk it, you’ll need more than just anger. Vengeance without skill is suicide."
Castian raised an eyebrow, surprised by the unexpected response.
" Will you train me?"
Xun tilted his head, a small smile curving his lips.
" I will teach you the basics. But understand this, Castian: I do not train assassins. What I will give you are the tools to defend yourself and make your own decisions. What you do with this knowledge will be your responsibility."
The following days were marked by an exhausting routine. Master Xun began Castian’s training with simple yet challenging exercises. He didn’t hand him a sword immediately, something Castian found frustrating, but Xun explained it with patience.
" Before wielding a weapon, you must understand your own body. Raw strength is useless if you don’t know how to use it."
Thus, Castian spent the first few days running along the steep mountain trails, carrying stones to strengthen his arms, and balancing on logs to improve his stability. At first, he complained, feeling that the tasks were a waste of time.
" This has nothing to do with fighting!" he protested, after spending an entire morning carrying water buckets to the cabin.
Xun, who had been watching him from afar, only smiled and replied calmly.
" Patience, Castian. Every little effort is building the foundation for something greater."
Despite his doubts, Castian began to notice changes. His body, once weakened by the hardships he had endured, was starting to respond. He moved with greater speed and agility, and his endurance increased each day.
By the third week, Xun finally placed a sword in Castian’s hands. It was a simple blade, unadorned, but perfectly balanced. The young man held the weapon with reverence, feeling its weight in his hands.
" This sword is not your ultimate weapon," Xun explained. " It is merely an extension of you. If you don’t know how to use your body, your mind, and your spirit, the sword will be useless."
They began with basic movements: simple cuts, thrusts, and defenses. Xun insisted on precision and posture, constantly correcting Castian’s mistakes.
" Every movement must be made with intent," the master said, demonstrating a fluid strike. " Don’t waste energy. Don’t attack without purpose."
Castian tried to mimic Xun’s movements, but soon discovered that the old master’s grace concealed the complexity of the exercises. He frequently missed the angles or lost his balance, which left him frustrated.
" It’s harder than it looks," he admitted, panting, after a long training session.
Xun laughed softly.
" Of course it is. If it were easy, anyone could be a warrior."
Despite the difficulties, Castian persisted. He trained until his muscles burned, refusing to give up. The determination in his eyes did not go unnoticed by Xun, who began to see him not just as a young man thirsty for vengeance, but as someone with true potential.
One afternoon, while they rested after training, Xun decided to approach the topic of vengeance again. He sat next to Castian, who was lying in the grass, gazing at the sky.
" You’re making progress," the master said. " But I still see doubt in your eyes."
Castian furrowed his brow and turned to look at him.
" What kind of doubt?"
" You’re torn between your anger and something else," Xun replied. " Perhaps a part of you is starting to question whether vengeance is really what you want."
Castian fell silent, thinking about the master’s words.
" I don’t know..." he murmured. " When I think about those responsible for the destruction of my village, the anger comes back full force. But at the same time, there are moments when I wonder what will come after that. What happens when my vengeance is complete?"
Xun nodded slowly.
" That’s an important question. Many who seek vengeance find themselves lost when they achieve their goal. They realize that their anger was the only thing that kept them moving."
Castian looked at his hands, still holding the training sword.
" So, what should I do?"
Xun placed his hand on Castian’s shoulder, his gaze serious but full of compassion.
" Keep training. Keep strengthening yourself. But above all, keep questioning. Don’t be afraid to change paths, if necessary. Balance doesn’t mean abandoning your anger, but finding a greater purpose for it."
Castian nodded, feeling a strange comfort in the master’s words.
In the weeks that followed, the training became even more intense. Xun began teaching more advanced techniques, including how to anticipate an opponent’s movements and use the environment to his advantage. He also introduced lessons on strategy, explaining the importance of thinking before acting.
" A wise warrior wins the battle before even drawing his sword," he said, while Castian studied makeshift maps drawn on the ground.
Despite the focus on physical and mental training, Xun continued to challenge Castian to reflect on his motivations.
" Every strike you make should have a purpose," the master said. " Don’t attack just to attack. Ask yourself: what do you hope to achieve?"
As time passed, Castian began to notice that his anger, while still present, no longer controlled him as before. He became more calculating, more aware of his actions. And, somewhere deep inside, a seed of doubt about the path of vengeance began to sprout.
At the end of a long training session, as the sun set on the horizon, Xun handed Castian an ancient scroll.
" What is this?" the young man asked, examining the object.
" It’s a text on the art of war and balance," Xun explained. " Read it when you have time. It may help you understand that sometimes, the greatest enemy we face is ourselves."
Castian held the scroll carefully, feeling the symbolic weight of the gift.
" Thank you, Master."
Xun nodded, his gaze serious but warm.
" Don’t thank me yet. You’re only at the beginning of your journey, Castian. And, in the end, only you will decide where it will take you."
As Castian watched the master walk away, he felt something change within him. Vengeance still burned in his heart, but for the first time, he began to see other possibilities. The journey would be long and difficult, but with Xun as his guide, he knew he was prepared to face it.