"Why didn't you attack?" Astron's voice broke the silence, his eyes searching Sylvie's face for an answer.
Sylvie hesitated, her mind racing as she tried to find the words to explain her hesitation. She knew she had the opportunity to strike, to seize the advantage and turn the tide of the battle in her favor.
But something held her back; something deep within her psyche told her that.
"This will be our last training."
Those words somehow continued to echo in her head.
"I... I didn't think I could do it….."
She said that as an excuse. Yet, she forgot one important detail.
"That is not the reason." Astron cut her words, looking into her eyes. "You seem to forget that I was the one who taught you. You would have done it normally, but you didn't. Why?"
Astron was the one who taught her how to spar and fight from the start. Thus, with his meticulous observing skills, it wasn't that unusual for him to understand Sylvie.
Yet, at his words, Sylvie couldn't answer at all. She couldn't even think anything, let alone speak.
"T-that…."
Astron maintained his steady gaze, his eyes penetrating into Sylvie's as if searching for the truth buried within her. "That...?" he prompted, his voice insistent but somehow gentle(?).
After spending some time with him, she somehow figured out what his different flat tones meant.
But she still Sylvie struggled to form a coherent response, her thoughts tangled in a web of confusion and doubt. She couldn't pinpoint the exact reason for her hesitation, couldn't unravel the knot of emotions that held her back.
But before she could gather her thoughts, Astron spoke again, his tone soft but firm. "Even if the end wasn't satisfactory," he said, "the spar showed enough of how you've improved. You've grown stronger in certain aspects and overcome some of your weaknesses."
Sylvie blinked, taken aback by his words. She hadn't expected him to offer reassurance, to acknowledge her progress despite her perceived failure.
"You've learned to anticipate your opponent's movements, to react quickly and decisively," Astron continued, his voice carrying a note of acknowledgment. "You've become more adept at defending yourself, at utilizing your strengths in combat."
As he spoke, rather than feeling satisfactory, Sylvie felt something different. The words he spoke were signaling something, something that she already knew.
"With this," Astron's voice took on a serious tone, "you've finally grasped the basics and everything I taught you."
Sylvie's heart skipped a beat as the weight of his words settled over her. She knew this moment would come eventually, but she hadn't expected it to feel so... final.
"From this moment on," Astron continued, his gaze unwavering, "you'll be able to handle the training and everything else on your own. You've come a long way, Sylvie, and I have no doubt that you'll continue to grow stronger."
Then she understood the reason why she was feeling this uncomfortable—the reason why she didn't attack it at that time.
It was because she didn't want this time to end.
"….."
Sylvie nodded, her throat tight with emotion, her mouth closed with no words.
She knew she should feel proud and should feel grateful for all that Astron had taught her.
And yet, there was a sense of sadness lingering beneath the surface, a reluctance to let go of the mentor who had guided her every step of the way.
"This marks the end of our training together," Astron said, his voice echoing with finality. There was no space for an objection. He had already made his decision, and Sylvie, seeing his state, knew that very well.
"….."
Thus, she just shut her mouth and listened without saying anything.
What could she say anyway? Was there anything she could say, or she was supposed to?
There was a sense of unease gnawing at her, a feeling that she didn't have the right to ask for more.
After all, Astron had already given her so much—his time, his knowledge, his guidance. What more could she possibly ask for?
So, she stood there in silence, her mind a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. Part of her wanted to beg him to stay and continue their training together indefinitely. But another part knew that it would be unrealistic and entitled.
"Th…." Yet, she still forced herself to speak. Since it was about to end, she needed to at least show her gratitude.
Astron, seeing that, didn't move away either and stopped for a second, letting Sylvie form those words.
"Thank you."
As Sylvie spoke, the words felt heavy on her tongue, weighed down by the weight of everything that had transpired between them. She couldn't find the right words to express the depth of her gratitude, couldn't convey the mixture of emotions churning within her.
"No need for that, as for you have saved my life before."
But Astron's simple response was enough to ease some of the tension that had settled over her. Even though she didn't save him expecting something out of it at that time, she was reminded of the fact that at least she wasn't only on the receiving end.
'Then maybe….'
"I-if…." Sylvie hesitated, her voice faltering as she struggled to find the right words to express her request.
"If… if I ever need help in training in the future, or if I feel lost… can I come to you?" she finally managed to ask, her voice barely above a whisper.
Astron regarded her for a moment, his expression unreadable. Sylvie braced herself for rejection, for a refusal that would confirm her fears of overstepping boundaries.
"…I once said this to you, but I am not the right person to guide someone in their lives."
"That is fine."
"My ways wouldn't suit you, nor my advice."
"That is fine, too."
'I had already learned a lot from you, so why can't I learn more? With Mason at that time, you were already aware of his identity to some extent, even though I couldn't see it. It must have been the same with Danielle, too. There is still much to learn.'
370 Chapter 85.3 - Things sometimes end
"Why didn't you attack?" Astron's voice broke the silence, his eyes searching Sylvie's face for an answer.
Sylvie hesitated, her mind racing as she tried to find the words to explain her hesitation. She knew she had the opportunity to strike, to seize the advantage and turn the tide of the battle in her favor.
But something held her back; something deep within her psyche told her that.
"This will be our last training."
Those words somehow continued to echo in her head.
"I... I didn't think I could do it….."
She said that as an excuse. Yet, she forgot one important detail.
"That is not the reason." Astron cut her words, looking into her eyes. "You seem to forget that I was the one who taught you. You would have done it normally, but you didn't. Why?"
Astron was the one who taught her how to spar and fight from the start. Thus, with his meticulous observing skills, it wasn't that unusual for him to understand Sylvie.
Yet, at his words, Sylvie couldn't answer at all. She couldn't even think anything, let alone speak.
"T-that…."
Astron maintained his steady gaze, his eyes penetrating into Sylvie's as if searching for the truth buried within her. "That...?" he prompted, his voice insistent but somehow gentle(?).
After spending some time with him, she somehow figured out what his different flat tones meant.
But she still Sylvie struggled to form a coherent response, her thoughts tangled in a web of confusion and doubt. She couldn't pinpoint the exact reason for her hesitation, couldn't unravel the knot of emotions that held her back.
But before she could gather her thoughts, Astron spoke again, his tone soft but firm. "Even if the end wasn't satisfactory," he said, "the spar showed enough of how you've improved. You've grown stronger in certain aspects and overcome some of your weaknesses."
Sylvie blinked, taken aback by his words. She hadn't expected him to offer reassurance, to acknowledge her progress despite her perceived failure.
"You've learned to anticipate your opponent's movements, to react quickly and decisively," Astron continued, his voice carrying a note of acknowledgment. "You've become more adept at defending yourself, at utilizing your strengths in combat."
As he spoke, rather than feeling satisfactory, Sylvie felt something different. The words he spoke were signaling something, something that she already knew.
"With this," Astron's voice took on a serious tone, "you've finally grasped the basics and everything I taught you."
Sylvie's heart skipped a beat as the weight of his words settled over her. She knew this moment would come eventually, but she hadn't expected it to feel so... final.
"From this moment on," Astron continued, his gaze unwavering, "you'll be able to handle the training and everything else on your own. You've come a long way, Sylvie, and I have no doubt that you'll continue to grow stronger."
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