Erik woke up early, feeling restless from the previous day's events. His mind raced as he tried to recall every detail of that day.
He had followed the plan perfectly and was sure no one had seen him. But the photo that Hais had shown him had shaken him to the core. He made a mistake, and if someone saw the mask, it would be easy to link him to the murders if someone happened to see him with it.
Then, Erik thought back to the letter he had written to Logan. He realized now that it was a foolish mistake. He had been angry at Logan and wanted to push him to follow him, and he had written the letter in a fit of rage. It would be possible that the investigator found out he was the killer through it.
The problem was that he didn't know where the letter was. Logan could have thrown it away or kept it stored somewhere. However, it was clear that if he had done the latter, the police would have already found it.
The young man then took a long shower, hoping to clear his head, but the memory of the interrogation still lingered. As he got dressed, he made a decision: he wouldn't let it get to him.
He had to focus on his training and his investigation of Achim, who was the only one who knew that Nathaniel wanted to kill him, and that could link him to the murder. Everything else would have to wait.
He walked to the cafeteria and grabbed a tray, scanning the options for breakfast. He decided on a bagel with cream cheese and a cup of coffee.
As he looked around the room, he noticed that it was almost empty. It was still early, and most students hadn't arrived yet.
Erik sat down at a table by himself and took a bite of his bagel. The cream cheese was thick and tangy, and the warm bread was satisfying. He sipped his coffee, which was hot and bitter.
As he ate, he thought about the day on which he killed the trio.
That was a complicated day, and from there, the thought quickly went to the farm and Mister Fox. It was hard physical labor, but seeing the plants grow made him feel at peace—something that made him forget about everything else. He wondered if he would be able to work the land again in the future and finally live a peaceful life.
Erik finished his breakfast, stood up, ready to face the day, and quickly headed to the Yellow Palace, where his training would start soon.
When Erik eventually got there, Master Rook, the bulky man who had examined him when he first arrived at the Red Palace, welcomed him as he stepped into the training room.
As Erik's eyes fell upon the towering figure, he couldn't help but be intimidated by the man's sheer size, despite seeing him every day for training.
The man stood at least 2 meters tall, making him the tallest person Erik had ever seen. His massive body seemed almost otherworldly, with very broad shoulders, arms that were insanely thick, and legs that looked like tree trunks; the man could be defined as a half-human, half-giant being.
The man's black hair was streaked with gray near his temples, a testament to the passage of time. His deep brown eyes had wrinkles all around them, which were signs of aging and years of experience. Everything about the man shouted for primitiveness, and his rude attitude only strengthened this belief. Besides, Master Rook was known for his rigorous training methods, and Erik felt a twinge of nervousness as he approached him.
The room was large, with mats covering the floor and various training equipment scattered about.
"You are the first to arrive today," Master Rook said in his deep voice, a hint of displeasure playing on his lips.
"Let's wait for the others…" Master Rook's displeasure was evident; it was clear that Erik wasn't his favorite student. It was true that he improved a lot in such a short amount of time, but he still found him unsuited to be a member of the Red Palace.
Erik nodded with a determined look on his face. He had been training for months now, pushing himself to his limits, determined to become the best fighter he could be. He knew that if he was going to survive in this dangerous world, he needed to be able to defend himself better than he could now.
Soon after, the other students started coming in and greeting their teacher. He watched them as they placed themselves in multiple rows before him.
Master Rook stepped onto the mat, his muscular arms bulging as he flexed. "Welcome, everybody. Today, I will teach you some moves," he said, taking a stance.
"Now, pay attention," Master Rook barked, "this move will knock your opponent off balance and give you the upper hand." He demonstrated a swift kick to the side and decided to practice on Erik, the first to arrive.
"Romano, step onto the mat."
"Yes, sir." Erik did as instructed and went into stance, but Rook immediately sprang to action. He hit Erik's left leg, causing him to stumble and leaving him without the possibility of defending himself.
"This is the first move; now, onto the second," he continued. "This will allow you to disarm your opponent and take control. Erik, take that wooden weapon there."
Erik did as instructed, and soon he went into stance. Rook demonstrated a quick twist of the arm, causing Erik to drop his training weapon again without the possibility of defending himself.
"Now I want you to start practicing…"
The other students began to pair up and practice the moves, with Master Rook walking around and giving advice and corrections where needed. "Make sure to focus on your form and technique, and don't be afraid to ask for help if you're struggling. Remember, practice makes perfect!" Rook said.
Erik found a partner and began to practice the moves he had just learned. He found it difficult at first, but with some help from Amber, who quickly understood the move, he soon began to get the hang of it.
As the training session came to a close, Master Rook approached Erik. "That's not right!" Master Rook said gruffly, "Come here; I guess there are some people that will only learn if you take them by their hands." Rook sighed.
"Let's have a simple spar. I want you to try to make the moves on me. I will do so that you will be facilitated in doing this. I think you will get the hang of the moves this way…" Erik placed himself on the mat in front of his master once again. He mirrored his position; his fists were clenched tightly.
The two men circled each other warily, with Erik looking for an opening. Suddenly, Master Rook lunged forward, aiming a punch at Erik's face.
Erik dodged to the side, performing the same move Master Rook tried to teach them. But master Rook easily blocked the move, but Erik followed up with a roundhouse kick that caught the man off guard.
The burly man stumbled back, a look of surprise on his face. "Not bad," he grunted, nodding his approval. "It looks like you are finally starting to understand how it is done…However, there is still room for improvement. Keep practicing, and you'll get even better."
Erik grinned, feeling a rush of excitement as he continued to spar with Master Rook. For the next ten minutes, the two men exchanged blows, with Erik trying to perform the new moves that Master Rook was trying to teach them.
Doing so, he was also showing the moves to the other students, who started catching up and performing them on their partners.
Finally, Master Rook called a halt to the training session. "Well done," he said. After a while, the lesson ended, and the students continued with their routine. Erik felt tired but also proud of himself for mastering the new techniques. He couldn't wait to practice them more and improve his skills even further.
***
Later, Erik stumbled into his room, sweat dripping down his forehead and his muscles aching from the brutal training session he had just endured. He fell onto his bed, groaning in pain and exhaustion. However, he still had a lot to do, so he quickly opened the biological supercomputer's interface and connected to Achim's security system through the internet.
Erik had already hacked into Achim's house security system, which gave him access to almost everything inside the house. He could see the security cameras and the alarms, and he could even hear the conversations that took place inside the house.
pαndα`noνɐ1~сoМ He knew that guy was the key to Nathaniel's death and the only person who could link him to the murder. Erik needed to find out everything he could about Achim to stay one step ahead of him.
For this reason, he tried to keep an eye on him to find out something useful he could use against him or to get a chance to get rid of him.
The young man hacked the security system and connected to the cameras; there, he found Achim talking to a girl and being very affectionate.
The two were kissing and caressing each other. It was clear what the two were going to do as things progressed.
Seeing the two kissing started arousing the 15-year-old kid, who had never been with a woman, and his hormones behaved erratically. The situation was going to turn out more interesting than he had expected.
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