Strongest Student

Imagine you find yourself in a world that prizes martial arts above all else, and that I am the descendant of an ancient clan who have honed their skill from generation to generation to rise to the ranks of the most powerful . . . Bet you're surprised, right? The thing is, most of my teachers say I'm a hopeless, talentless loser. No big deal, at first glance at least. I can survive just fine without talent. There's just one catch-I'm already dead. Or am I?

The road had been long and hard, but there was no guarantee that what I'd been through would be enough to turn me into the person my mentors saw me as. I had too many questions still ahead of me. But ahead of me today was another training session in the dojo, which meant I would get my answers later. If I survived, of course.

My learning is to continue. I have now passed all of my exams, leaving me free to devote more time to training in the dojo. What's still unknown is whether this change is about to be the biggest challenge for me in the months to come, or whether the masters are already dreaming up some new ordeal for me . . .