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Catherine yawned as she stretched her arms as high as they could go. She rubbed her eyes and allowed them to focus. James was standing at the side of the bed, staring at the window next to the headboard. Catherine reached out to grab his hand.
James smiled warmly as he let her fingers play with his, confirming that he was real and alive. Neither of them said a word. Until James sat down beside her. She slid over to the left so that he would have more room.
“Deep in thought I see,” she said, placing her hand over his. “It’s strange to see you like this.”
“A lot of time has passed since we’ve seen each other,” he said, casting his eyes to the headboard. “I—”
Catherine placed a finger to his lips. “Don’t worry about how I feel right now. I know you would have come for me if you were able. I’m sure you have your hands full up here.”
“Still, twenty years is a long time to ‘stay busy.’”
“I could have come up here too, you know.”
“I know, but...I’m sure you had a good reason.”
“As long as we’re together,” she said, sitting up in bed.
“You’re not going anywhere?”
“I’m going to stay by your side for as long as I’m able. That I can promise.”
“Good,” he said, looking into her eyes. “Because now that you’re here, I’m certainly not letting you go. Still...I am curious. What brought you to Paragon after all of this time?”
“There is a wounded girl that’s with me,” Catherine said. “A Sage.”
“A Sage from Terra?” James asked in surprise. “Wait. She became a Sage after the Great Collision?”
“Yes,” Catherine confirmed. “But there’s more to her than that. She was created by these powerful beings known as the Seven Sorcerers. Have you heard of them?”
“They’re nothing but stories and rumors here. I don’t know anyone that’s seen them. I heard they want no part in the war between Paragon and Cimmerian, and to ensure that they weren’t bothered, they created weapons for both Paragon and Cimmerian. Unfortunately, Paragon’s weapons were destroyed in a recent attack.”
“No, they weren’t,” Catherine said, leaning forward. “The girl I brought with me—she’s one of the Sorcerer’s weapons. The real weapons. Those swords and staffs that you had holed up somewhere? They’re relatively useless. The actual weapons are people, roaming around the three worlds.”
“Does Cimmerian know about this?”
“Unfortunately they do. But they haven’t found anyone but Remi.”
“Remi. Is that her name?”
“Yep. And I’m sure you’ll want to meet her as soon as she’s conscious.”
“That means...” James stood to his feet and considered the possibilities. “That means if we can find the other weapons...we would have a real advantage in the upcoming war.”
“Precisely.”
“We’ve got a lot of work to do,” James said, bending down to give Catherine a peck on the lips. She laughed and reached out to grab his head. He allowed her and she pulled him in close, pressing her lips tenderly against his. James could barely contain his excitement as he continued speaking as soon as their lips parted. “That means the attack on Cirrus was a ruse. I wonder what the Cimmerians were really after while we were fighting Gideon.”
“You go on ahead and tell Arimus,” Catherine laughed. “I’m going to take a bath and enjoy the room a little more.”
“Take all the time you need,” he said, then he reached down and kissed the back of her hand. “Whatever my Princess desires.”
***
JAMES WALKED DOWN THE short flight of stairs quickly and leapt onto the floating brick platform once he hit the bottom. Though he was in good spirits, it was obvious that he was the only one. The twelve students standing before him were so nervous that they looked at him like he was from Cimmerian.
James threw up his hands in surrender.
“Hey, it’s just me,” he said to them, but no one looked relieved. The young adults before him glanced at each other for answers but none had them. James rubbed the back of his head as he studied each of them one by one.
They were all so young and inexperienced that it brought him back to his old training days, when he was still aspiring to be a Sage. It had been such a different life then.
But in reality, how much had truly changed?
Didn’t they face the same things? Didn’t they all have the same fears and aspirations?
Didn’t each of them want to be the greatest Sage they could be?
And how could that be achieved? It wasn’t through training. It wasn’t through obeying one’s command. No, that wasn’t how James ascended beyond mediocrity.
It was through the support he received, from his friends that soon after became his family.
He knew that he could walk alone if he had to, but Arimus deciding to stay by his side gave him a boost of confidence. Catherine reappearing renewed his strength and determination.
Even Gideon had become powerful—not because of rigorous training, but of the love and devotion he had for his Solons.
James looked down at the paper in his hand—a list of points he had thought of making to his brand new class. But now each point seemed irrelevant. He crumpled it up in his hand and stuffed it into his pocket.
“You know what terrifies me?” James said to them. “The fact that I could lose Catherine at any time. You know who she is?”
Some nodded. A few shook their heads.
“She’s my wife, and the only person that saw through the mess I was and gave me a chance to prove myself. She’s, um...she’s funny to be around. And she’s beautiful. And...kind of like Paragon, it seems like she’ll be with me forever. But...I forget sometimes that I’m living my second life right now. I actually died back on Terra, and if it can happen to me, it can happen to her.
“I’m not really afraid of death anymore because I’ve already done it once, and I don’t think too many people missed me. Maybe she did, but that’s probably it. But her...the world can’t lose her. I may be worthless, and I don’t think I can contribute that much, but she...she can truly turn this place into a Paradise, and if there’s anything I can do...it’s to protect her. I have to protect what matters most to me.”
James suddenly sat down and placed his face into his hands. He didn’t want to scare the students, but he knew that in order to reach them, and shape them into the Sages they needed to be, it began with him.
He had to let go, and come out of his comfort zone.
Because it was everyone else that helped him to become a Sage.
Kyran, Chloe, Arimus, Catherine, Scarlet, Achan and Dominic.
They each made him a Sage and a man. He only held onto his need to protect them.
That was the key to unlocking his students’ potential. For they each had someone they loved. They each had someone they wanted to protect.
James grit his teeth, and he let his emotions consume him, blocking out the students altogether. He thought of the years he had lost with Catherine, and the pain she had to endure without him by her side. He thought of who he may lose in the upcoming war and if anything he accomplished would matter. He wondered if he would be cast out of Paragon and if he could ever call a place home again. He hadn’t cried in a long time, but he knew that everyone needed to once in a while. It cleansed even the toughest of men, and the filthiest of souls.
James sobbed into his hands, weeping until the tears flowed freely.
At first, the students simply watched in horror, their anxiety only increasing by the second. But eventually, one of the girls walked over and placed a hand on his back. One of the boys strolled over and wrapped an arm around his shoulders, and another stooped down in front of him.
“I don’t want my Mom to die,” he said, fighting back tears of his own.
“My girlfriend is all I have,” the boy at his side muttered as another girl in front of him sat down diagonally to James’ left. One by one, they all took a seat, forming a circle around him.
At first, only a couple of sentences were exchanged. But the sentences soon became conversation. The conversation evolved into heartfelt confessions, and bonds began to form from the hardened cords wrapped around their will—cords intended to keep them safe from ridicule and regret. Caution was lost and feelings were laid bare. Tears laid waste to stained cheeks and the cords were soon melted and transformed, becoming loose and fragile—reaching out to each other and intertwining both hope and destiny with their softened hearts.
Friendships were forged, memories were born, and the need to protect—whether it was one’s ambition, belief, dream or loved one—became stronger.
And soon, James became lost in the ebb and flow of the conversation.
He no longer saw students, or Sages.
He saw himself.
And he spoke with his young self all through the day and well into the evening.
Not a single eidolon was unsheathed.
Not a single punch was thrown.
Not a single mention of sparring was made.
But class was still in session, and the lessons of the day were now etched into the recesses of their hearts and souls.
