Chapter 2: The First One

As a cultivator with body fitness level at the sixth gate of the Seven Stages Of Bodily Refinement, as long as he did not exercise and exhaust himself, Zax could stay awake and energetic for days and weeks.

Early morning, when the Nightly Cover formation gradually deactivated and the cold air of the night condensed to refreshing dew, Zax stood in front the apartment building were Serah and her parents lived.

At some point during the night Zetsa returned to help their parents since she was not tired and for the time being could also stay at home.

Zax, who felt fine outside, remembered that Troel, Serah's father, leaves to work at an early hour. If Serah's parents learned of his return from his mom or dad, he might as well see one of them first as a warm up.

A tell figure was coming out from the building's entrance. On one shoulder the man carried a backpack and his hands he stuffed in the pockets of the coat he wore.

"Good morning, uncle". Zax waited in a visible place from the building lobby, so as not to startle Troel when he came down.

Troel did see Zax when he came down the last stairs, but the young man outside was not the boy he remembered or imagine that he will meet as he goes to work, so his attention was elsewhere before the young man turned to him.

"Good morning, son, do I know..." It took him but a moment of concentration to recognize the familiar facial feature that matured a lot since last he saw him. "Zax?!"

"Yes, uncle, it's me". Zax smiled softly and raised his hand.

TRUNK!

The backpack slid from Troel's shoulder to the ground. Troel slapped Zax's hand and hugged him. "Brat, you were gone for a few years and suddenly became so formal?" He laughed and released him. Holding his shoulders, he took a good look at the boy that used to spend many weekends at his home, playing with his daughter.

"Walk with me to the bus stop". Troel picked up his backpack and gestured to the direction he was going.

"Sure, uncle". Zax said.

"My, Zax, I congratulated your mother and father yesterday for the new baby. They told me that you returned, but it did not occur to me to, at the time, to congratulate them for you, too. Moreover, you also deserve congratulation for being a big brother!" If when he left home Troel still was slightly tired, now he completely woke up and stared at Zax with wide opened eyes.

"Thanks, uncle. You don't need to go that far. I came back for a few days, to see mom, dad and Liz, my new baby sister".

"'Liz', so they kept the 'Z' but put it at the end ... You know, after you left and your parents began to explain your situation, people..." Troel looked at Zax with a hint of pity. He tilted his head to the road, to not sullen the mood. "Never mind". He said and changed to subject. "How well your soul training has been?"

"Pretty decent, uncle, better than what most would think, so no need to feel bad for me". Zax said resolutely.

Since his return, Troel was not the first one to show sympathy for his circumstance. At the hospital, too, there were a few, which despite the cheerfulness, revealed a sorry expression on their faces.

The two arrived to the bus stop. Other than them were two other people that waited on a bench, an old couple.

"Decent is what all of us should aspire to achieve". Troel said.

Like those at the hospital and any other person in Kingdom Earth, only mist cultivation could move him. That being said, he and no one else were looking down on Zax. At the end of the day, the sort of cultivation that meant anything was only a wishful dream to the common people, and dreams were not something substantial to build one's life around.

Only those of the high class with either experts in their roots or a lot of money, could afford or had the means to turn dreams to reality.

"You came to see Serah?" Troel asked, though the answer was obvious.

"Yes". Zax replied. He could find out the answer on his own with his Soul Sense, but refrained from doing so. He rather preferred to see her when both of them stand face to face.

The bus made a turn at the corner of the street and the old couple stood up.

"I'm sorry, Zax. Serah can come home from the dorms only during the weekends".

This was a possibility within Zax's expectations. If Serah was accepted to a Martial school, naturally there will be restriction on her free time. And whether it was Serah, Dane, Anet or anyone else from their Earth's Core searching group, with their beneficial finds, it was clear to Zax that none of them may be at home.

"Did you come just for her, or to see all of the others from your group at the Great Earth's Core Pursuit?" Troel suddenly asked.

"No, I came to see everyone". Zax said.

The bus doors stayed opened and Troel was with one leg in, delaying the driver who showed patience.

" ... I don't know for sure about all of you kids, but Serah told me..." He seemed as if a touchy subject was at the tip of his tongue. "Go to Anet, that girl should be home..."

His other leg climbed the step to the bus and the doors closed before he had the chance to say goodbye.

"Of everyone Anet is the one at home..." The one who was accepted to the most prestigious Martial school in El-Eden, one of the three greatest Martial schools in Kingdom Earth, Eden Formation?

Even if back then all she received was a two years scholarship, with the Earth's Core she possessed and her diligence, acquiring an extension for further years should have been a small matter.

Zax was not impervious to the frown on Troel's face or the concern in his voice and so he wanted to ask Troel if there was a special reason for Anet to be at home. However, the bus's doors closed and stopping it was not the same as forcefully stopping a big savage beast.

...

Of all those who were with him in the same group in the Great Earth's Core Pursuit, Zax knew where every one of his former friends lived.

He did not hurry to Anet home and took his time walking there. In case Anet was still sleeping, Zax decided to wait for the atmosphere to get livelier before going over to see her.

The apartment building she lived in was not far from their pre Core School which helped Zax to be precise on the current time. The first ring of the school bell was at eight o'clock in the morning; the second was at nine, the third at nine forty five at the fourth at ten.

Zax waited in the park near the school. He could gather his resolve better when he was alone, that was why he did not go home.

Till the fourth ring of the school bell Zax ran in his head all the scenarios that could happen when he will meet Anet. He started them over and over with different opening words each time, facing a surprised Anet, an angry Anet, a thrilled Anet, an impassive Anet and the door to her house...

It was somewhat hard to drag the scenarios farther than the initial encounter, since Zax could not predict how much Anet changed and in what way in the past three years. The Anet in his head was the ten years old girl that first was just another girl in his class and then became his friend through Serah and lastly a friend close to his heart.

The bells finished to ring and the kids in the school's playground made their way back to class as Zax joined them and left, too, to Anet's home.

...

"Yes? Who are you?" A middle age feminine voice asked from the other side of the door.

"It's Zax Zel, Anet's friend". Zax said.

After a bit of quiet the door opened and a woman that looked like a housewife in her late forties stood at the entrance.

"You are Laylen's son?" The woman asked.

Zax never had been to Anet's house before. He saw her mother couple of times in the past and she did not change much. He, in contrast, had grown and transformed. Even if she remembered how he looked in the past, she did not recognize him now.

"Yes, Mrs. Lensi". Zax answered. He did not know Anet's mother's name and was not familiar with her enough, like with Serah's parents, to call her "Aunty".

Mrs. Lensi gauged the young man in front of her and stepped back. "Come in, Zax". Opposite from Zax, she, was acquainted with his mother and knew his name.

"Thank you, Mrs. Lensi".

"My daughter's friends do not call me 'Mrs. Lensi'. Call me 'Aunt Beka' or 'Aunty'". Anet's mother, Beak, said.