The next morning, Alex woke up feeling hollow. The disappointment from the Selection Ceremony still weighed heavily on his heart, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't shake off the bitter feeling of rejection. The thought of going back to school, where all the students would be flaunting their new Tay, filled him with dread.
His grandmother noticed the way he moved sluggishly through the house, barely touching his breakfast. She quietly walked over and sat down across from him at the table.
"Alex," she said, her voice gentle but firm, "I know yesterday was hard. But you need to stop worrying about not being chosen. Your time will come, I'm sure of it."
He looked up at her, his eyes filled with doubt. "But what if it doesn't? Everyone else got their Tay… I'm the only one who didn't. I'll just be a target for them now."
His grandmother sighed and stood up, walking over to a nearby shelf. She pulled out an old, leather-bound book, its cover faded and worn from age. She placed it in front of Alex.
"That's why I want you to stop focusing on the Tay, at least for now," she said. "This book belonged to your father. It contains martial arts techniques, body strengthening exercises, speed enhancement routines, and body flexibility training. All things that he practiced before he ever bonded with the Shadow Orb."
Alex's eyes widened as he opened the book, flipping through the delicate pages. Diagrams of different stances, strikes, and training methods filled the book. Some techniques looked ancient, others mysterious, but all of them had a purpose.
"I know the other students will try to bully you," his grandmother continued. "They always pick on those who seem weaker. But strength isn't just about having a Tay. If you train your body and mind, if you master these techniques, they won't see you as weak anymore. They'll think twice before coming after you."
Alex stared at the book, feeling a spark of hope ignite within him. He had always admired his father's strength and skill, and now, maybe, he could follow in his footsteps in a different way. If he couldn't rely on a Tay, then he would rely on himself.
"I'll make sure you have time to train," his grandmother said with a determined nod. "You'll stay home for a while. I want you to focus on mastering the basics of everything in that book before you go back to school."
Alex blinked in surprise. "Stay home? But… won't I fall behind?"
"You won't fall behind," she reassured him. "You'll be catching up in a different way. And when you do go back, you'll be stronger, faster, and more prepared than ever. You won't need a Tay to protect you."
A new sense of determination began to fill Alex's chest. Maybe this was his path. Maybe, for now, he wasn't meant to have a Tay. But that didn't mean he couldn't grow stronger on his own.
"Alright," he said, nodding slowly as he ran his fingers over the old book. "I'll do it. I'll learn everything I can."
His grandmother smiled warmly, her eyes twinkling with pride. "Good. Now go outside and start with the body strengthening exercises. They're the foundation for everything else in that book. Don't rush through them—master them."
Alex nodded, standing up from the table. As he walked toward the door, his grandmother's voice called after him.
"And remember," she said, "you are more than just your ability to bond with a Tay. You have the heart and strength of your father. Never forget that."
With those words echoing in his mind, Alex stepped outside into the early morning air, clutching the old book tightly in his hands. He would master the techniques, strengthen his body, and prove that even without a Tay, he was far from weak.
This was his new path.
After a month of intense training, Alex finally returned to school. But he wasn't the same boy who had left after the failed Selection Ceremony. His body had transformed—his muscles were lean and defined, his posture strong and confident. His once unkempt hair was now neatly styled, and the purple leather jacket his grandmother had given him hung on his broad shoulders with a sense of purpose.
More than that, his attitude had changed. The shy, uncertain boy who had stood alone in the Purple Paradise Forest was gone. In his place was someone who moved with quiet confidence, someone who had learned to rely on his own strength.
As Alex walked through the school gates, he could feel the eyes on him. The whispers started almost immediately.
"Isn't that the guy who got rejected by a Tay?"
"Yeah, that's him. Poor guy."
"Why is he even back here? No Tay will ever choose him."
The mocking remarks echoed around him, but this time, they didn't bother him. He had spent the past month mastering his body and his mind. He no longer needed anyone's approval. The old Alex might have shrunk under the weight of their words, but not anymore.
Yet, despite the insults, there was something different in the way the other students looked at him. They didn't approach him with the same arrogance they had before. They kept their distance, whispering and watching from afar. It was as if they could sense the change in him, the strength he now carried.
Even Sarah, who had been one of the loudest voices laughing at him during the Selection Ceremony, gave him a cautious glance as he passed by. Her Magic Tay shimmered on her shoulder, but she didn't dare say anything.
Aristotle, standing at the head of his usual group of friends with his Morningstar Tay beside him, narrowed his eyes as Alex walked past. There was no mocking smile this time just a look of consideration, as if he was reevaluating the boy he had dismissed a month ago.
Alex noticed all of it, but said nothing. He didn't need to prove anything to them. His silence, his new strength, spoke volumes.
As he entered the classroom, he took his usual seat, his movements calm and controlled. He could feel the stares on his back, the hushed conversations continuing, but no one dared approach him. The boy who had once been an easy target now carried an air of mystery, and no one seemed willing to test just how far his transformation had gone.
Alex sat down and waited for the teacher to arrive, feeling a quiet sense of satisfaction. He might not have a Tay, but he had something far more valuable his own strength.