"You're leaving tomorrow?!"
Master Zhao nodded. "With the attention the battle at Windsong's monastery has drawn, it won't be long before the Academy sends new mages, stronger than the previous ones."
"But can't we hide?" Arran asked. "After we fled Fulai City, we didn't see any signs of the Academy for half a year. Why can't we do the same again?"
"Because I killed over a dozen Academy mages," Master Zhao said plainly. "Before, they were just looking for an initiate with a forbidden Realm. Now, they're looking for someone who attacked the Academy."
Arran frowned. "So there's no way for us to hide?"
"By myself, I can hide quite easily," Master Zhao said. "And even if they find me, I will have little difficulty escaping. But with you along, it will be far more difficult."
"If they find us, can't you just fight them?" Arran asked. The battle at the monastery was still fresh in his mind, and from what he had seen there, Master Zhao had little reason to fear the Academy.
"Probably," Master Zhao said. "But if I defeat the ones who are searching for us now, more will take their place, even stronger than the last. Any victory would merely draw even more attention."
"What happens to me after you leave? Without your help, I don't stand a chance of escaping them." The thought was enough to make Arran feel desperate. If Master Zhao couldn't guide them to safety, what chance did Arran have by himself?
"You have two choices," Master Zhao said.
Arran listened intently, understanding that what Master Zhao was about to tell him might well determine whether he would live or die.
"The first is to hide away by yourself," Master Zhao continued. "The Academy will be looking for me, and you should be able to escape their notice at least for a while. Using that time, you could travel to a remote location in the mountains, where the Academy will have little chance of finding you."
"And then what do I do?"
Master Zhao shrugged. "Spend a century or two training, and you will probably be able to become a Master, or even a Grandmaster. By then, you should have some hope of staying alive without my help."
After a moment's thought, Arran shook his head. Even spending years alone in the mountains by himself was a dreadful prospect. Spending centuries training by himself? Even if he survived, he would probably lose his mind.
"What's the other choice?" he asked, hoping that it would be something more appealing.
"The other option is to join the Shadowflame Society," Master Zhao said.
"The Shadowflame Society?" Arran had heard the name before, but he did not know what it was.
"There are four Great Societies in the Empire," Master Zhao said. "Each of them is tasked with protecting one of the Empire's borders. The Shadowflame Society is one of these Great Societies."
"Won't the Academy be able to find me there?" Arran asked.
"Even if they found you, there would be little they could do," Master Zhao replied. "The Great Societies are powerful enough that even the Academy would not dare offend them lightly. Certainly, they would not start a conflict with the Shadowflame Society over a single initiate, forbidden Realm or not."
"What's the catch?" Arran asked with a frown. If this Shadowflame Society was as powerful as Master Zhao said, surely the man would have suggested it earlier — unless there were some major downsides.
"The catch, as you put it, is that it will be dangerous."
"Dangerous?" Arran asked. "But I thought you said I would be safe from the Academy?"
"The danger would not come from the Academy," Master Zhao explained. "To join the Shadowflame Society, you will have to serve across the border for a year, hunting monsters, bandits, and rogue mages. Most of those who join do not survive their first year of service."
Hearing this, Arran swallowed hard.
"After that, you will be allowed to start training," Master Zhao continued. "But training at the Societies is difficult and dangerous, even at the initiate level. And during your training, the Shadowflame Society will regularly send you across the border, to face even greater dangers."
Arran gave it some thought. From what Master Zhao told him, it sounded like joining the Shadowflame Society would be far more dangerous than simply going into hiding.
"Which option will make me stronger?" Arran finally asked.
Master Zhao smiled approvingly. "Joining the Shadowflame Society, of course. You will face many dangers, but if you survive, you will have enough training and experience to protect yourself."
The decision wasn't an easy one, and Arran spent some time considering his options.
Going into hiding would be the safer choice, but he would have to spend years living like a hermit and training by himself. And although his magical abilities would grow stronger, he would lack the combat experience he needed to survive if he found himself in a fight he could not avoid.
Joining the Shadowflame Society, on the other hand, sounded like it would be near-suicide. He would have to fight bandits and monsters, and cross the border into the lands beyond the Empire. Yet he would gain the experience he needed to survive. And more importantly, he would not be alone.
With that last thought, Arran made up his mind. "I'll travel to the Shadowflame Society," he said.
"Good," Master Zhao replied. "It's a dangerous path, but I believe that it's your best chance at surviving."
"But what of her?" Arran looked at Jiang Fei, who seemed to have slipped into unconsciousness, although her body still occasionally spasmed.
"I will give her the choice to either accompany you or leave," Master Zhao said. "But I will discuss that with her when she awakes. Right now, we have some preparations to make."
"What preparations?" Arran asked with a nervous look at Master Zhao. He could already sense that something unpleasant was about to happen.
"First, I need to seal off your Realms."
"Seal off my Realms?!" Arran paled at the words. Without his Realms, he would be unable to draw Essence. And without Essence, he would be defenseless.
"The Academy is still looking for an Initiate with a forbidden Realm," Master Zhao said. "And someone at the monastery will likely have told them about the strength of your Fire and Wind Realms. Maybe you won't encounter them, but if you do, you need these seals to remain hidden."
Arran nodded reluctantly. He could not fault the man's logic, but by now, he dreaded the thought of being without magic.
"I will leave your Shadow Realm unsealed," Master Zhao added. "Using Shadow, you can unravel the seals on your Fire and Wind Realms. Once you are able to do so, you should be able to recreate them yourself, allowing you to hide your magic at will."
"How long will it take?" Arran asked. The prospect of learning to hide his magic when needed brightened his mood, if only slightly.
"A month or two should be sufficient."
"And what about my forbidden Realm?"
"For that, I will use a stronger seal. Unraveling it might take you some years, but once you do, you will understand Shadow seals well enough to hide it from all but the strongest mages."
"Alright." Arran reluctantly agreed, understanding that he had little choice in the matter.
He leaned forward, and Master Zhao put the fingers of his right hand against Arran's temple. Almost immediately, Arran could feel his connection with his Realms weaken. Only moments later, the connection was gone entirely.
"Now use up the Essence that remains inside you," Master Zhao said.
Arran did as the man asked, launching several blasts of Fire and Wind until he felt the last of the Essence leave his body. He shuddered at the feeling of emptiness that followed.
"Now what?" he asked.
"Now," Master Zhao said, "we wait for the girl to wake up."