Overwhelmed by emotions he could not fully understand, Arthur was driven into deep slumber.
Karen had been as clear as she could, but the impact of her words left the young boy devastated. Arthur's chest rose and fell as he slept, a forlorn expression on his face.
His caretaker silently wept as she sat behind him. She had no words to offer, no solace to give besides her presence, no idea how to ease his broken spirit.
She leaned in and placed a reassuring kiss on his forehead, "I may not be able to ease your suffering, but I will be here with you, Arthur… Always."
Karen stayed with the boy, lying beside him. With no pressing commitments besides Arthur, she had no reason to leave.
Arthur needed all the comfort he could get in the coming days… and for the years to come.
'Lord Orion's foresight to prepare a plan for your training will save us a lot of trouble.'
Karen thought back to the thousands of resources made available to young Arthur and to her. Knowledge and instruction manuals about almost everything the clan had created since its creation.
Secret techniques even she was not privy to were now all available to her. That level of trust meant a lot to her. It proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that she was a part of the Soren clan.
But most importantly, it was the entrusting of Arthur to her that proved the late Clan Head's trust. Anyone would have been shaken by what Arthur's existence represented, and she was no different.
She had, however, come to understand that the previous Dimensional Shifters had not been entirely at fault. Karen was motivated to learn as much as she could before Arthur's powers awakened.
'Soon…'
The days that followed her necessary deceit were to be expected. Arthur looked like his spirit had been ripped out of him.
He barely touched his food and would silently cry for his parents for most of the day. He began to space out more often than normal. His favourite shows no longer appealed to him.
On more occasions than Karen liked, she would find him sitting in the courtyard, embracing his knees while staring into the wilderness beyond.
The sight broke her heart, but Karen could only look on. Her reassurances barely got a reaction out of him; an observation that bothered her more than she thought possible.
She was uncertain. Afraid. Her words were not reaching him.
When the first week passed, Arthur stopped crying altogether. He no longer smiled, his innocence all but shattered. He had even lost a few pounds and looked nothing like the bright child he once was.
In Arthur's mind, however, his mother's final words continued to play. He had not understood it back then, and hadn't now.
But something stuck with him…
None of it was his fault.
He had promised his mother he would hold no one responsible. Arthur did not understand it. But what Karen said also echoed.
Someone wanted to destroy their home. That was why his parents could not be with him. Those people were keeping his parents from coming to see him.
Arthur did not like how that felt one bit. Something within him had changed when that link was established.
Someone was trying to destroy his home…
Another week passed in an atmosphere of gloom. But Arthur had begun eating a lot more than before, though he still kept silent most of the time.
He would spend most of the day in the open courtyard of the base, staring into the wilderness, somehow finding a kind of solace there.
Karen observed from inside the living space facing the courtyard. She was at a loss and had been for a while.
She wanted to get Arthur started on his education, to get his mind off things. But she didn't know how. Talking did not help.
Karen wanted something that would spark a fire within him, something that would ignite his passion for the legacy that was his. But nothing worked, and she did not want Arthur seeking vengeance… not now, at least.
Another week passed like the last, and Karen was getting anxious. Arthur's routine had become monotonous at this point. He walked around like a lost soul.
For a six-year-old child, that was extremely worrying.
He was like a zombie. He would clean himself, eat, stare into the wilds, and then sleep. He did not play. He did not watch TV. He did nothing.
'Maybe he needs more time…'
Karen came to this realisation one night as she stared at the ceiling of her room. But more than that, she needed to resume her own training and cultivation.
She was a long way from the peak of an integrator's power.
The next day after Arthur's bleak routine, Karen changed into her training gear and found a suitable spot in the courtyard, away from the sulking Arthur.
She started with the basics, performing slow but purposeful moves as a stretch. Her stances were sharp, aimed at maximum effectiveness in easing her muscles.
The Soren clan's arsenal of combat and weapons techniques was expansive. And like the late head, she practised the sword technique.
As she practised more and more, her awareness of her surroundings became a blur. She became lost in a state of high concentration.
At some point, Arthur had appeared close by, observing. He watched as his aunt performed strange movements. Her actions intrigued him in ways he could not describe. So for the last half an hour, he just watched.
When Karen snapped out of her concentration, she froze. Seeing Arthur sitting a few metres away and watching her was unexpected.
Their eyes met, and for several seconds, there was silence.
"What were you doing?" He asked.
Karen was stunned for a second before reacting. Her expression lit up as she smiled, a thought occurring to her.
How had something so obvious escaped her for weeks? Arthur was the heir of a powerful clan of warriors. It was in his nature to seek strength.
Why begin with books when she could have begun with training?
"Hehe, this is just warming up for my training, Art. Wanna join me?" She felt a lump in her throat as she threw the offer to him. "I promise you will like it."
"Mm." Arthur nodded.
And like this, Karen began the boy's training. She was eager, excited even. Arthur had a lot to learn, but she believed in his bloodline. The boy would become a force to be reckoned with.