CHAPTER 435: THE LESSON OF INSTINCT AND TRUST

The first rays of dawn crept over the jagged ridges of the demon world, painting the cliffs in hues of violet and crimson. The air was cool, sharp — every breath carried the metallic tang of the land’s mana. Down in the secluded clearing where they had trained the night before, embers from the campfire still glowed faintly, crackling in the quiet.

Luna stirred awake first. She blinked against the dim light, realizing she had fallen asleep beneath the stars again — her cloak half-draped over her, the grass cool beneath her skin. When she turned, Orpheus was already awake, sitting cross-legged by the fire, his sword laid across his lap, his gaze lost somewhere beyond the horizon.

He hadn’t slept. He rarely did.

"Morning..." Luna mumbled, stretching.

"You’ve been up long?"

"Long enough," he said without looking. His tone was calm, unreadable — though she had come to recognize the faint edge in his voice that meant training was coming.

She groaned. "Already? I was hoping for breakfast first."

He finally turned, his crimson eyes glinting in the early light. "You can eat when you’ve learned something new."

Luna gave him a half-lidded glare. "You’re cruel."

He rose smoothly, his black coat fluttering in the cold wind.

"Cruel? Maybe. Effective? Always." He motioned for her to stand. "Get ready."

She sighed but obeyed, brushing her golden hair back and tightening the straps of her combat attire. "Alright, Master Orpheus. What are you going to put me through this time? More sparring? Strength training? Or maybe another of your endless lectures about ’focus and discipline’?"

He tossed her something — a strip of black silk.

Luna caught it, blinking. "...What’s this?"

"A blindfold."

Her brows shot up. "You want me to fight blindfolded?"

"I want you to see differently." His tone was calm but final. "If you rely only on your eyes, you’ll never become stronger than you are now."

Luna frowned but tied the blindfold around her head anyway. "You know, sometimes I wonder if you just enjoy watching me struggle."

"I don’t enjoy it," he said, circling her slowly. "But I do find it necessary."

The wind stirred around them, carrying the faint hum of mana. Luna stood still, sword drawn, her world now wrapped in darkness. Every sense sharpened — the sound of crackling fire behind her, the faint shift of pebbles under Orpheus’s boots as he moved. The air itself seemed to vibrate differently.

"Listen," Orpheus’s voice came from somewhere behind her. "Don’t think about where I am. Feel where I will be. The aura, the pressure, the intent."

She turned toward the sound. "Easier said than—"

Steel flashed through the air. She barely ducked as his blade sliced the space above her head. Her instincts screamed before her mind even registered the attack.

"Good," Orpheus said, already gone.

Her breath quickened. "You could’ve cut me!"

"But I didn’t." Another swing — this one low. She twisted aside, the tip grazing her thigh, close enough to sting but not to draw blood.

"Your senses are too slow," he said. "You hesitate. You wait for danger instead of feeling it approach."

Luna gritted her teeth. "Then maybe stop moving like a ghost!"

Orpheus’s voice was everywhere — ahead, behind, beside. "The enemy won’t stand still for you, Luna. Neither will I."

Another attack came, faster — a vertical slash that forced her to raise her sword just in time to block. The clang of steel rang through the air, vibrating down her arm. The force sent her sliding back through the dirt.

"Better," he said softly.

She steadied her stance. The world around her was pitch black, but within that darkness, she began to feel small things — the disturbance of air, the faint sound of cloth moving, the pulse of his aura brushing against her own like ripples on water.

He’s close... to the left.

She swung — her blade cutting the air with precision. Sparks burst as metal met metal.

"There," Orpheus murmured approvingly.

"Now you’re starting to listen."

Their swords locked, pressure crackling between them. Luna pushed, feeling her muscles strain. "I’m still blindfolded, remember?"

"Exactly. That’s why you’re learning."

He broke contact and vanished again. His movements were silent, nearly impossible to track — but now Luna didn’t rely on sound. She felt him coming, like a change in the wind.

When the next strike came, she sidestepped cleanly and countered — her blade grazing his sleeve.

A small smile touched his lips. "Good."

She smirked. "You sound surprised."

"Don’t get cocky."

In the next instant, his aura exploded — the sheer pressure of it pushing the air outward like a shockwave. Luna staggered, her knees nearly buckling as the oppressive energy washed over her.

"Again!" he barked.

Her instincts screamed. She moved, parried, barely deflecting the next swing. Every blow came heavier, faster. Her arms ached. Sweat rolled down her temples beneath the blindfold.

"Your power is wild," he said between strikes. "You fight with emotion — anger, pride, instinct. But emotion without control leads to chaos."

"Maybe chaos works for me!" she yelled, pushing back.

He knocked her sword aside, disarmed her in a single flick. Before she could react, the cold edge of his blade hovered at her throat.

"Does it?" His voice was quiet, but the weight behind it silenced her.

Luna froze. Her breath came in quick bursts. The darkness beneath the blindfold felt heavier now — like a mirror reflecting her own doubt.

After a long silence, Orpheus withdrew his blade. "Pick it up."

She retrieved her sword, breathing hard.

"You could’ve ended that easily."

"I could’ve. But that’s not the point."

"Then what is the point?"

He looked at her, expression unreadable.

"That you need to trust. Not your eyes, not your fear — but your own instincts. And me."

Luna was quiet for a moment. "...Trust you, huh?"

"Yes."

She hesitated. The word "trust" lingered on her tongue like something fragile. But she nodded. "Then show me again."

The wind shifted, colder now. Orpheus closed his eyes, suppressing his aura until it vanished completely. He was gone — not in body, but in presence.

Luna stood still, her sword at the ready. The silence pressed in. There was no sound, no warmth, nothing to detect. It was as if the world itself held its breath.

Then—

A flicker. Not sight, not sound — feeling.

She moved before thinking. Steel met steel with a brilliant spark. Her blindfold fluttered slightly from the pressure of the clash.