Amber was one of the Sect’s first members and one of the first Elders. He was known for inventing the energy scale and for his cultivation methods that drastically increased Ability. His ways, however, were considered abusive by some. They were certainly unconventional. And as more students joined him, Amber leaned increasingly on their naivety.

  In private, he was not lucky. He claimed betrayal by his best friend, Laurel. His first love ended in tragedy. The second time he fell in love, the outcome was even worse.

  It happened around 40 ACD, when Amber’s attention was drawn to a young student. The boy wasn’t popular. His recorded energy level was average, nothing that would impress the Sect. He was fifteen. Withdrawn, strong-willed, and covered in scars he refused to heal. That refusal made him an outsider, and he seemed to prefer it that way.

  What caught Amber’s interest was the boy’s habit of disappearing into the Deserts with no explanation other than wanting to be alone. When Amber decided to follow, he discovered the boy practicing energy techniques that were unfamiliar, unconventional, but undeniably effective. Curious, Amber attempted to read his true energy level and was refused.

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  It was the first time anyone had dared to reject Amber.

  A student showing such defiance toward a teacher, an Elder, and the board member was rare, if not unheard of. And yet, Amber wasn’t angry. He was fascinated.

  He decided to make the boy his student, regardless of the boy’s opinion. The board approved it. Amber informed the student, who resisted, again. That resistance only deepened Amber’s interest. He told himself it was just a game: how long until the walls broke?

  Eventually, he managed to measure the energy. What he found shocked him. It was nearly as high as his own, and the boy was still only fifteen. Amber understood then: the boy didn’t need a teacher like him. He never had.

  Amber’s position began to unravel. Rumors about his so-called “extraordinary” methods began to spread. Former students were speaking out.

  Still, Amber found some comfort in the boy. For a time, it felt like he was accepted, his teachings, his feelings. He imagined there might be a future.

  And then, the boy betrayed him.

  The board stripped Amber of his position and titles. But he wasn’t angry.

  He was even more curious. After escaping his trial and securing a safe place, Amber began to watch the boy from afar.

  There was plenty to watch. His little degenerate, as Amber called Song, was getting famous.

  Drawn in Procreate ? Not AI.