When morning came, the temple was filled with a dim light. The sun had just begun to rise from behind the mountains, and thin rays of light fell to the ground between the stone pillars. The temple smelled of old stone and coal.
When Tara opened his eyes, Zuzit was standing by the door. The old man leaned on his staff and watched him.
"Are you awake?" he asked calmly.
Tara sat up. His body still carried the exhaustion of the previous day, but the determination inside him was stronger.
"Yes."
Zuzit nodded slightly.
"Come with me."
Tara stood up without asking anything and followed Zuzit. They walked through the temple's long stone corridors. Ancient writings covered the walls, and broken statues lay scattered around. This place had once been part of a great kingdom, but now it was forgotten.
After a while they began walking down a staircase. As they descended, the air changed. The temperature rose and the smell of iron grew stronger.
At the bottom stood a massive iron door. Zuzit pushed it open. The door creaked loudly.
It was an old blacksmith's chamber.
Large anvils, heavy hammers, and old molds were lined along the walls. In the center burned a massive furnace, its coal glowing crimson.
Zuzit turned to Tara.
"We're going to make something here."
He took a long sword from the wall and handed it to him.
"Take this."
Tara took the sword.
Zuzit pointed to a mold shaped like a long blade.
"Cut your wrist."
"Pour your blood into that mold."
Tara didn't hesitate for a second.
He drew his dagger and cut his left wrist. Dark red blood slowly began to flow and drip into the mold. The stone mold gradually filled with blood.
Zuzit watched carefully.
After a moment he raised his hand.
"That's enough."
He handed Tara a cloth.
"Wrap your wrist."
Tara wrapped the wound.
Then Zuzit turned his head and called out loudly.
"Blacksmith!"
From the shadows at the back of the chamber a large man stepped forward. His shoulders were broad and his beard was dark with coal dust.
"You called, Zuzit?"
"Lapi," Zuzit said, pointing at the mold. "Forge this sword."
The blacksmith took the mold and nodded.
"Understood."
Then Zuzit turned back to Tara.
On the ground stood a huge iron bucket.
"Now the second part."
"Pour your blood into that bucket."
Tara stared at it.
The bucket was enormous.
He frowned.
"That bucket is huge. If I pour my blood into it, I'll die."
Zuzit looked at him seriously.
"If you don't, we can't make your armor."
Tara looked at the bucket for a moment.
Then he lifted his dagger again.
This time he cut both of his wrists.
Blood began flowing rapidly.
The bucket slowly began filling.
Tara's face started to pale and his breathing grew heavy.
Zuzit spoke calmly.
"Our first lesson… is healing."
"A Blood Synchronization user can heal their own body."
"You must learn it now."
Tara gritted his teeth.
"How?"
Zuzit struck his staff against the ground.
"Feel your blood."
"Feel the power inside your body."
"Control it."
Tara closed his eyes.
His blood kept flowing into the bucket, but he focused his mind on his body. He listened to the rhythm of his heart. He felt the warmth flowing through his veins.
Then he reached for that warmth.
He tried to synchronize with his blood.
After a while the warmth around his wounds began to grow stronger. The flow of blood slowed slightly, but he had already lost a lot.
Finally the bucket was full.
Tara fell to his knees.
Darkness began to creep into his vision.
Zuzit spoke calmly.
"Hold on…"
But Tara couldn't anymore.
He collapsed and lost consciousness.
Zuzit looked at the bucket.
Then he turned to the blacksmith.
"Lapi."
The blacksmith looked up.
"Yes?"
"Forge the armor too."
Lapi glanced at the bucket.
"That much blood…"
Zuzit nodded.
"Yes."
"This armor will not be ordinary."
Hours later…
Tara slowly opened his eyes again.
He was back in his bed.
Zuzit was sitting beside him.
Tara slowly sat up and held his head.
"I didn't think it would be this hard."
Zuzit smiled slightly.
"A normal human would have died already."
"You survived because of Blood Synchronization."
"That means you passed the first lesson."
Tara took a deep breath.
"What happens now?"
Zuzit stood up.
"Now comes the second lesson."
"Come with me."
Tara stood again and followed him through the temple.
They entered another part of the building.
It was a large stone chamber. The center was wide and open, surrounded by broken pillars. It looked like an arena.
Zuzit stopped in the middle.
"We will improve your combat skills here."
Tara raised an eyebrow.
"I already know how to fight. Assassins trained me."
Zuzit nodded.
"Yes."
"But we won't train your fighting."
"We will train your essence."
"You will learn to synchronize with your blood."
Then he turned around.
"Work."
A figure stepped out of the shadows.
He was tall with white hair and wore a simple mask. He walked silently into the arena.
Zuzit looked at Tara.
"Fight him."
Tara smiled slightly.
"Fine by me."
He suddenly rushed forward.
He was fast.
He attacked Work directly.
But Work moved.
He easily dodged Tara's punch.
Then he countered instantly.
BOOM.
Work's fist struck Tara's chest.
Tara was thrown several meters back.
He crashed into the wall and fell to the ground.
The air was knocked from his lungs.
Work silently stepped back.
Zuzit shook his head.
"See?"
"You still need to grow."
Then he struck his staff against the ground.
"That's enough."
Work turned and walked back into the shadows.
Zuzit looked at Tara.
"Go rest."
"You'll fight again tomorrow morning."
Tara slowly stood up, holding his chest.
He left the arena.
Zuzit walked behind him.
Tara asked,
"Who is he?"
Zuzit replied,
"He is also an essence user."
Tara looked surprised.
"A human?"
"Yes."
"He has been training here for a long time."
Tara nodded.
"I'm going to my room."
Zuzit nodded slightly.
"Rest."
Tara returned to his room and closed the door.
He lay down on the bed and stared at the ceiling.
For a long time he said nothing.
Then he began thinking to himself.
"Edrar…"
"A god."
"I couldn't defeat him."
"I wasn't strong enough."
He clenched his fists.
"If Blood Synchronization is real…"
"I can become stronger."
"I must kill the gods."
"There is no other way."
Tara stood up from the bed.
He sat on the floor and closed his eyes.
He began to meditate.
He tried to feel the flow of his blood.
He listened to the rhythm of his heart.
All night he did not move.
He simply breathed.
And thought.
About the gods.
About Edrar.
And about what he would one day become.
Tarataryos.
The God Killer.