"But the Elder just said..," I say, my resolve weakening with every word.

This is what I was afraid of - that I'd grow to rely on him. I have no one, and he's made that very clear.

Ronan leads me past the residences and man-made streams, joining the corridor we had arrived from. "I agreed to take up a teaching position. I never agreed to babysit," he says, sealing my fate.  

I follow the dark haired man silently, trusting him for what is probably the last time.

We come across a wide bridge, sturdy enough to hold a whole army. We cross the arching bridge, leaving the mountain the empire calls home and reaching another fierce looking mountain. A flight of stairs carved into the rocky mountain awaits us on the other side. The stairs wind around the mountain, seemingly never ending.

I steady my breathing as we hike up the mountain, making sure I don't lose consciousness like I almost did previously. I have no value anymore, so if I do fall, there's no guarantee Ronan will bother catching me.

As I pace my breathing with the steps I take, I begin to feel my face grow hot, along with my annoyance.

So what if I don't have him to protect me anymore? I don't need him. I can make it through this on my own.

My fatigue might be impairing my judgement, but it doesn't matter anymore. "I don't think what you said earlier was a very nice thing to say."

I watch the back of his head warily until I hear him respond, "Being nice is for the weak."

I shake my head, knowing he can't see me. Being nice is a fundamental part of being human, but I suppose that doesn't apply to demons. It's not like I was expecting an apology from him, but I don't want to part with only memories of him bossing me around.

"Fine," I say, "I was getting a little tired of seeing your face anyway."

I'm satisfied with my snide comment, even giving myself a congratulatory pat on the back, until I see that Ronan has stopped. I lose control of my balance for a moment and quickly grip a bright green plant growing alongside the mountain for support.

"Tired of my face, you say?" A feeling of dread overcomes me and I grip the plant tighter. "We'll see how you fare without me around. Careful with your words, little pup."

I breathe a sigh of relief when he continues climbing the steps. I'm constantly walking on eggshells around him, unable to express myself.

The mountain we're treading has a harsher terrain compared to the previous mountain which was decorated with lush vegetation, streams, and beautiful palaces. The current gloomy atmosphere only enhances the sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach.

"It's been awhile," Ronan says as we reach a level area of the mountain. The stairs continue further ahead, but hopefully I'll never find out where it ends.

He stops, takes in the sight before him and breathes out a sigh. "Just when I thought I was done with this place, now I'm back where I started."

I tilt my neck to take in all of the dormitory - a set of four stone buildings connected by thick walls, forming a square shape. Mist shrouds the bottom of the dormitory, adding to the ominous atmosphere.

Ronan snaps me out of my trance. "What are you waiting for? Get in there," he says, annoyance plastered on his face.

Gripping the sides of my arms, I take small steps towards my doom. Each step feels like a test of bravery. I'm so used to following other people's footsteps I've forgotten what it feels like to take my own. 

I glance back at Ronan for one final time only to find he's vanished.

"What were you expecting?" I ask myself in almost a chuckle.

The walls of the dormitory have arches in them, making it possible for me to easily pass underneath.

The first thing I hear is the shouts.

"I can take any of you on!" A man with a bulky build stands on a stone platform elevated from the floor, making bold statements. The four buildings cast shadows on the platform, lying in the center of the inner courtyard. 

A large crowd has formed around the platform, people wearing similar robes, some with fancier armor than the others. They look on with uncertainty and a select few eye him with disgust.

I tread across the courtyard, taking measures to blend into the crowd. Thankfully nobody notices me, although I'm sure that I stick out like a sore thumb.

The brute man stands confidently in the middle of the platform, dressed in bulky armor. He sends a glance to a young woman standing off to the side of the platform. "I, Gideon of the great Crimson Sword Clan, will battle whoever and win the love of the elegant Vivian!"

The woman, Vivian, merely gives him a dull look and dismisses him with her eyes. Jet black hair cascades down her back, complimenting her ivory skin and haughty, upturned eyes.

Next to me, a man leans into his friend, "Someone ought to teach this guy a lesson. He's way too arrogant for his own good."

"If only he weren't a member of one of the empire's noble clans," his friend replies, "then he would have been put in his place by now."

Gideon's eyes are wild with passion, so sure of his own strength, as he surveys he crowd. "No challengers?" After a moment of silence, he takes a step towards Vivian in excitement. "See how no one dares to interfere with our love? I'll have each of our clan leaders set up a marriage meeting. It will all work out perfectly."

Gideon doesn't seem to notice the young man who has stepped onto the platform. Wearing faded and worn out robes, he wields nothing but his own fists, a determined expression on his face.

"Sorry to break the news to you, but your love was not meant to me," the young man says. He has tan skin kissed by the sun with soft brown curls bound by the headband tied around his forehead.

I hear murmuring amongst the crowd. "Is this guy crazy?" The man next to me says, eyebrows furrowing, "That challenger must not know what kind of clan Gideon has backing him up."

Gideon sneers at the poorly dressed challenger. "You?" He spits the words like venom. "You're not worthy to challenge our love."

The young man grins and says, "Then I'll just have to prove it to you." He brings his fists to his side and the area around his knuckles distorts. A single, small sized rock, as if responding to a call, is pulled towards him.

Gideon holds his stomach as he laughs. "Are you planning on fighting me with a pebble?"

The challenger's eyes are closed in concentration, a thin line forming along his forehead. "Rock formation," he says calmly, barely audible to my ears.

Several dozen rocks emerge from the ground around us and are pulled towards the young man. The rocks come together to encase his fists and the entirety of his arm. Without hesitation the man begins taking long strides towards Gideon, turning into a full on sprint. His fist is already raised in preparation as he draws closer.

Someone in the crowd gasps and says, voice shaking, "We've only just begun training and there's already a man who's gained enlightenment over an element." I can't take my eyes off from the scene to ask this person what they mean.

Gideon braces himself for the attack, two gold swords materializing in his hands, the metal gleaming brightly. Although he's no longer laughing, the confidence is evident in his smug grin.

"Enough," a woman's voice says. The one word is enough to quiet the two men on the platform. They cease their actions, attention focusing on their desired woman.

"Vivian," the young man with the faded robe says. His face softens at the sight of her.

Her gaze is icy as she speaks, "I'm here for the announcement, not to listen to children bickering."

I hear whispers all throughout the crowd. I lean in to one conversation, trying not to come off as an eaves dropper. "Vivian is as elegant as the rumors say," one says, "Too bad she's stuck in that class of misfits."

Class of misfits? I can't help but bring the Elder's words to mind.

A single voice silences all whispering, "What's this commotion?" I look to my left and right, unsure of the owner. The voice seemed to come from far away, but was still loud enough to reach all of us.

I'm still looking over my shoulder when I notice that everyone is bowing in the same direction, torso parallel to the ground. I quickly copy their movements before I raise any suspicions.

While still bowing, I glance up at the owner of the voice. Several figures stand on an upturned roof of the dormitory.

"The children are quarreling," one figure says, his voice commanding as it fills the courtyard.

"Greetings, instructors," the crowd says in unison, straightening themselves out from their bow.

My eyes begin adjusting to the figures. A man with a round, friendly face and drooping eyes laughs. "We have a lively bunch this year," he says, eyeing us with amusement.

"I suppose so," the commanding voice from before says. It belongs to an abnormally tall man with long lengs and beady eyes that resemble a hawk.

I take in the faces and stifle a gasp when I recognize the face of the last figure. He stares off at nothing in particular, his eyes narrowed, probably recounting how unfortunate he is.

Ronan. Even though it can't be more than a couple of minutes since I've last seen him, he already seems so far away.

The droopy-eyed man holds out a small velvet pouch. "I will now distribute the new batch of enhancement pills, given out once a month," he says, untying the pouch and turning it over so that its contents spill out.

Dozens of rounded marbles gently glide to our level, each one finding an owner. A smooth, jade marble floats into my hand, glowing ever so slightly.

It could be the way that the others are gawking at the marbles, but something tells me that they're incredibly precious.

The tall man speaks, "That will be all," before turning around and vanishing. The other figures disappear along with him.

Silence follows until a single voice slices through it, yelling, "It's a low grade enhancement pill!" The crowd breaks into a commotion, gazing at the marbles with veneration. Although everyone is filled with excitement, the tension is painfully clear as each holds their enhancement pill and eye each other with weariness.

The crowd becomes smaller as people swiftly sneak away to the safety of their own rooms. If I don't leave soon, I can faintly picture myself getting mugged.

I look up at the four buildings that encase the inner courtyard, all resembling towers rather than living quarters.

I glance down at the note that I had tucked in my garments after my visit to the Elder's residence. Elder Song had provided me with vague directions to my room, only stopping to scribble it down at the last possible moment.

As I attempt to make out what the messy scribbles on the note mean, a bloodcurdling noise fills the courtyard - a scream.

Greed. It's an unpleasant emotion that plagues society. I thought it only applied to humans, but I'm now realizing how wrong I was. When greed strikes, humans and demons alike show their true colors.

A/N- Thanks for reading and please vote if you liked the chapter! Things will be speeding up now that Amira is settling down in the empire, which means more action and more mysteries to be revealed. Stay tuned!

Thank you to @fmurphy5 for the pretty banner!

This chapter is dedicated to SomethingsHere for the lovely comments and for keeping up with "Deathless."