WHEN I REACHED THE BOTTOM, I NOTICED EVERYONE WAS LOOKING AT ME. THEIR EYES WERE HEAVY WITH AN ACCUSATORY GAZE, AS THOUGH I HAD WRONGED THEM SOMEHOW. AS I ARRIVED, THEY TURNED AWAY, CONTINUING WITH THEIR TRAINING AND PASSING TIME. TODAY, WE DIDN’T HAVE CLASSES; WE HAD THE FREEDOM TO CHOOSE. I DECIDED TO SIT IN A CORNER AND WATCH THE OTHERS. WATCHING THEIR TRAINING FELT LIKE OBSERVING THE DANCE OF A BEE—MEANINGLESS TO ANYONE BUT THEMSELVES AND ALMOST RIDICULOUS. AS ALWAYS, SAI DEFEATED EVERYONE WITHOUT EVEN BREAKING A SWEAT. IT WAS SAI’S TURN TO FIGHT THAT GIRL. SUDDENLY, I FOUND MYSELF INTERESTED IN THEIR PRACTICE. AN ODD SENSATION TOLD ME I HAD TO KEEP AN EYE ON IT. WHEN THEIR FIGHT BEGAN, IT WAS INTENSE. THE SPEED AND AGILITY OF THE GIRL, COMBINED WITH SAI’S STRENGTH AND ABILITY, WERE BOTH IMPRESSIVE. IT WAS LIKE WITNESSING THE BIRTH OF A NEW ORDER. I’D NEVER SEEN ANYONE LAST THIS LONG AGAINST SAI. THE GIRL WAS REMARKABLY SKILLED WITH THE STAFF AND KNEW EXACTLY HOW TO USE HER WEAPON. EACH STRIKE SAI MADE, SHE’D REMEMBER AND RESPOND WITH THE PERFECT COUNTER. HER METHOD FASCINATED ME. UNLIKE SAI… SHE USED HER MIND TO COMPENSATE FOR HER PHYSICAL WEAKNESSES. BOTH WERE ULTIMATELY WORTHY OPPONENTS, BUT STILL, SAI DEFEATED HER. IN ONE FINAL, BRUTAL MOVE, SAI ATTACKED FEROCIOUSLY, BREAKING HER STAFF, WHICH, ACCORDING TO THE RULES, MEANT SAI HAD WON. BUT HE DIDN’T STOP THERE. IN A RUTHLESS ACT, HE STRUCK HER WITH HER OWN WEAPON, KNOCKING HER TO THE GROUND. THEN, STANDING ABOVE HER, HE LINGERED, FLAUNTING HIS DOMINANCE AND HUMILIATING HER… MY MIND COULDN’T ACCEPT WHAT HE HAD DONE. I THINK NOW IT WAS MY TURN TO MAKE A STAND. AS HE FLASHED HIS VICTORIOUS SMILE TO EVERYONE, I STOOD UP AND CALLED OUT TO HIM… "I THINK THERE’S STILL SOMEONE LEFT FOR YOU TO FIGHT." HE TURNED AND LOOKED AT ME, HIS GAZE FULL OF MOCKERY, AS IF TO SAY, YOU’RE NO MATCH FOR ME. I TOOK ADVANTAGE OF HIS PRIDE AND ASKED, ARE YOU SCARED? AFTER ALL THOSE CONSECUTIVE WINS, HE COULDN’T STAND TO HEAR THAT. IN FACT, HE WASN’T VERY TACTFUL, AND ANYONE COULD EASILY PROVOKE HIM BY PLAYING ON HIS EMOTIONS AND HIS SENSE OF POWER. THE GIRL GOT UP FROM HER SEAT AND LOOKED AT ME… HER EYES WERE FULL OF HOPE AND DESIRE, TELLING ME SHE NEEDED TO MAKE SAI PAY FOR WHAT HE’D DONE… HOW COULD I SAY NO TO THAT GAZE? SAI THREW THE STAFF TOWARD ME, BUT I DROPPED IT TO THE GROUND. "I’LL FIGHT WITHOUT A STAFF," I SAID. "YOU CAN KEEP YOURS." SAI SHOWED ME HIS SMUG, RIDICULOUS GRIN, THINKING THIS WAS A SIGN OF VICTORY FOR HIM. "HOWEVER YOU LIKE, YOU’LL LOSE." THE OTHERS GATHERED AROUND US, THEIR EYES FULL OF CURIOSITY. I SIGNALED TO SAI THAT I WAS READY AND HE COULD START. AS ALWAYS, HE MADE THE FIRST MOVE… A MOVE THAT, IN A REAL BATTLE, WOULD COST YOUR LIFE IF YOU LACKED BOTH POWER AND INTELLIGENCE. I DIDN’T DEFEND MYSELF AT FIRST; I SIMPLY DODGED HIS STRIKE. HE TWIRLED THE STAFF IN THE AIR AND ATTACKED ME. I AVOIDED THE FLURRY OF BLOWS, WATCHING HIM WITH THE GAZE OF A MASTER TEACHING HUMILITY TO HIS PUPIL. WHEN HE SAW HIS USUAL MOVES WEREN’T WORKING, HIS FRUSTRATION GREW. THIS MADE HIM RECKLESS, PAYING LESS ATTENTION TO THE CONSEQUENCES OF HIS ACTIONS, BUT HIS SPEED AND POWER GREW AS WELL. LIKE A TRAINED MONKEY, HE TRIED TO MATCH MY RHYTHM. EVENTUALLY, HE BEGAN USING NEW TACTICS, INCORPORATING HIS BODY INTO THE FIGHT, THROWING HIMSELF TOWARD ME TO INCREASE THE FORCE OF HIS ATTACK. I PLACED MY RIGHT HAND BEHIND MY BACK, BLOCKING HIS STRIKES WITH MY LEFT. BETWEEN HIS ATTACKS, I GLANCED AT THE GIRL. HER EYES WERE FULL OF HOPE, SILENTLY URGING ME TO STAY SAFE AND WIN. NOW, I HAD A REASON TO BE SERIOUS… BUT IT WAS STILL TOO SOON. SO, I CONTINUED TO DEFEND MYSELF, TIRING SAI OUT AND WAITING FOR THE GIRL TO RUN OUT OF PATIENCE. WHEN SHE YELLED AT ME TO FINISH IT, I MADE MY MOVE. I GRABBED THE STAFF, PUSHED SAI BACK, THEN LANDED A BLOW TO HIS CHEST, KNOCKING THE STAFF FROM HIS HANDS. I THEN STRUCK BENEATH HIS ANKLE, AND IN AN INSTANT, HE COLLAPSED TO THE GROUND… AS HE FELL, HE MUTTERED, "THIS ISN’T A CLASS WHERE YOU CAN JUST BUILD CASTLES IN THE AIR…" WHEN HE HIT THE GROUND, HE QUICKLY ROSE AGAIN, UNWILLING TO LET THE FIGHT END THIS WAY. NOW, IT WAS TIME TO DISARM HIM FOR GOOD. HE CHARGED AT ME AGAIN, AND THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME EVERYONE HAD SEEN HIM SO EXHAUSTED, GASPING FOR AIR. AS HE ATTACKED, I PUSHED HIM AWAY WITH A STRIKE OF MY STAFF, THEN LOCKED HIS HANDS TO THE STAFF. THE FIGHT WAS OVER, AND I THREW THE STAFF OUTSIDE THE RING. SAI, UNABLE TO BEAR HIS DEFEAT, STORMED OFF, WHILE THE OTHERS CHEERED FOR ME. THEY THEN FOLLOWED HIM OUT. THE SUN WAS BEGINNING TO SET… IT WAS TIME FOR THE NIGHT PATROL WITHIN THE WALLS OF THE CAMP. THIS TIME, IT WAS THE GIRL’S TURN TO GO, AND SHE WAS PREPARING HERSELF. SHE STOOD UP, WALKED TOWARD ME, AND GAVE ME A SMILE OF SATISFACTION, SAYING, "YOU DID WELL... LOOKS LIKE SOMEONE’S FINALLY DECIDED TO SHOW WHAT THEY’RE MADE OF." LOST IN MY OWN THOUGHTS, IN THE MYSTERY OF HER PRESENCE, I COULD ONLY THINK OF ONE THING… PLEASE, DROWN WITH ME IN THIS BEAUTIFUL VISION OF LIGHT… SHE THANKED ME FOR HELPING HER WHEN SHE WAS AT HER LOWEST AND FOR LOOKING OUT FOR HER. IN MY MIND, I WHISPERED, THIS STORY OF OURS HAD NO BEGINNING, BUT I WROTE IT ALL FOR YOU, FROM THE LAST DAY TO THE FIRST... I WOULD TELL HER THAT NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENED, I WOULD ALWAYS BE THERE FOR HER. I DIDN’T WANT TO BE SOMEONE WHO, WHEN YOU SOUGHT REFUGE IN PAIN AND COLLAPSED TO YOUR KNEES, COULDN’T HELP YOU BECAUSE I WAS TOO CAUGHT UP IN MY OWN STRUGGLES. AS SHE WAS HEADING TOWARD HER POST FOR THE PATROL, SHE GAVE ME A PUNCH ON THE SHOULDER IN THANKS. I COULD ONLY SAY ONE THING, FINALLY BREAKING THE SILENCE: "TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF… RONYA."