Chapter 11: Old Friend

  Taki

  "Taki, are you still asleep? Wake up. You’re te."

  ‘Where am I?’ My vision was blurry as I looked around. ‘Am I home?’

  "Taki, wake up already!"

  That voice—it was my mother’s. I bolted upright, my heart rag. ‘It’s her. I’m home.’

  I rushed downstairs. There she was, bustling i, her back turned as she prepared breakfast. Without looking, she said, "Hurry up, you’re te."

  Overe with emotion, I ran to her and hugged her gently from behind. "I missed you," I whispered.

  She froze, startled. Then, pg her hands over mine, she said, "Taki, wake up."

  Her voice echoed, distant and surreal.

  "What?"

  "Stand up and show them my daughter is special."

  I jolted awake. Ray stood in front of me, his gaze sharp and expet. The others surrounded me, their eyes filled with a mixture of and anticipation.

  Waves of agony shot through my arm. My vision blurred again as pain radiated through my body. I forced myself to move, using my good hand to push off the ground. Blood soaked the grass beh me, but I knew what I had to do.

  ‘Stop the bleeding.’

  Summoning what little mana I had left, I formed a trembling water bubble to seal the wound. My curse made it nearly impossible—my water wavered, boiling untrolbly as my stability faltered. Still, I mao stabilize the bubble over my left arm.

  Dizziness cwed at me, but I wouldn’t give up. Memories of my past life fshed through my mind, fueling my resolve. Slowly, painfully, I rose to my feet.

  Ray stepped closer, a rare smile crossing his face. "You finally did it. gratutions."

  He reached for a bag he had brought earlier and dumped its tents before me. A mutited human body tumbled out, missing toes and fingers, except for the left hand—the one I was missing.

  "I found him on my st trip," Ray said. "Tried to get information out of him, but he was useless. Kill him and take your hand back. And don’t fet to get some food from Selia. Keep your mana up; we never know when we might get attacked."

  He walked away without another word.

  The act healed me physically, but my mind was left reeling. Selia and the others tried to e, even Akira and Maki. Their suppave me hope, a fragile belief that I could bee someohey could rely on.

  That night, we y on the grass uhe stars. Ray sat apart, meditating as always. Benjiro broke the silence. "I still don’t uand why Ray was so hard on you."

  "His reasons were clear to me," Akira replied calmly. "He pushed her to the brink to force her to uand her blessing and curse. When you’re close to death, you discover the true limits of your abilities. Look at Maki—she lost both arms in the fight against the Lion Cub attackers but kept fighting. If it had been Taki then, she wouldn’t have survived."

  Selia added, "Ray might seem harsh or even cruel, but he wouldn’t let you die, Taki. He’s not as heartless as he appears."

  Benjiro turo Maki. "What about you? What do you think of Ray?"

  Maki didn’t respond. Selia leaned over, smiling. "She’s already asleep."

  Selia

  After days of travel, we finally reached the Elthias capital. Its steel walls rose tall and proud, protected by a faintly shimmering aerial shield. The only visible entrance was the main gate, bustling with travelers uhe watchful gaze of armed guards.

  Disguised as merts, we entered, our cargo sisting of random pieces of furniture we’d gathered along the way. Though the city looked somewhat unremarkable at first g boasted paved streets and intricate stone buildings—a stark trast to the Lion Cub’s settlement.

  Ray eyed the surroundings with a thoughtful smile. “If they had teleported me here instead,” he mused, “it wouldn’t have been so easy to wipe out. Don’t let this sleepy atmosphere fool you. They’re way ahead in development.”

  We meahrough the districts, steering clear of anyone exuding a strong aura or wearing a soldier’s uniform. Suddenly, Ray slowed, and a man on the opposite side of the street did the same. They locked eyes for a moment.

  “Could you please follow me?” the man said softly. He turned on his heel, not waiting for an answer.

  Ray’s eyes sparked with something akin to joy. Without hesitation, he followed, and the rest of us exged uain gnces before trailing after him.

  The Arena

  We ended up at a rge, abandoned battle arena in a more desote quarter of the city. Crumbling walls and faded murals hi past glories. Maki halted he entranbsp;

  “Ray, why are we just... following him? This could be a trap.”

  The man paused and slowly faced us. His expression was guarded, but I reized him instantly. My stomach twisted at the memory.

  Ray stepped frinning with anticipation. “Show me what you’ve got.”

  With that, they unched into a furious exge of blows. Ray’s speed was blinding—his enhanced body blessing granting him almost inhuman reflexes. Punches cracked the air; kicks snapped like whips. Yet the mysterious man effortlessly deflected each strike. His defense seemed imperable, his body moving with mae-like precision.

  Then came a thunderous kick from the man’s side. It nded squarely in Ray’s midse, sending him crashing into the arena wall. Dust choked the air.

  Maki tensed, ready to leap in, but I put a hand out. “Don’t. He doesn’t need us yet.”

  She pushed past me anyway, only for Benjiro to gently catch her arm. “He’s fine,” he assured her. “Let’s figure out his blessing first.”

  Through the swirling debris, we heard Ray’s voice ring out, ced with excitement. “Impressive—strong defense, and I’m guessing an even more dangerous offense.”

  The man smirked. “I knew you’d appreciate it.”

  Ray gnced back at us, unscathed and beaming. “Taki, you’re up.”

  We all froze. Even Taki looked stunned. She took a slow, tentative step forward, her short, diagonally cut hair falling into her eyes.

  Ray cpped her on the shoulder as he walked past. “I want to see how far you’ve e.”

  Ray

  Taki squared her shoulders, summoning her water blessing with a sharp breath. Thin, flexible strands of water—like razor wires—materialized around her, slithering through the air. She moved with fluid grace, each step purposeful, remi of an octopus’s coiling limbs.

  Her oppoheodore—didn’t even bother dodging at first. He observed the shimmering threads, testing them by letting them slice at his jacket’s sleeves. The cloth tore, but his skin remained unscathed, as if some invisible force shielded him.

  “Taki,” I called, “don’t rely solely on sharpness. Think precision. Use the enviro.”

  She narrowed her eyes, recalling my earlier lesson. Drawing water from the air’s humidity and from a nearby puddle, she extended her reach, weaving multiple whips into a more plex pattern. With a flick of her wrist, she uhem in a crisscross ssh at Theodore’s blind spots.

  g!

  The sound was a dull eetal oal, though there was no visible bde. A faint distortion seemed to fsh around Theodore.

  His hand rose in a casual gesture, and a nearby boulder rattled, lifting into the air. Gravity. He hurled it at Taki.

  She inhaled, closing her eyes just long enough to focus. A trated jet of water bsted forward, shattering the roto a thousand shards. Without missing a beat, she eled the fragmented water around her into a globe, then thrust her arms outward.

  “Water Element: Detention!”

  A massive water bubble enveloped Theodore, swirling with enough force that the grouh them quaked. For a sed, I thought she had him pihe liquid barrier shimmering like a prison cell.

  But ihat bubble, Theodore’s expression remained calm. Slowly, as though pressing against the air itself, he lifted his palm. The bubble’s surface trembled. Then, in a sharp burst, it exploded outward, dreng the sah them.

  Theodore stepped out—he wasirely unharmed, though. His breath came faster, and I sensed he’d had to use more energy than expected to break free. A smirk tugged at the er of his mouth.

  “Not bad. I actually had to trate for that one.”

  Taki stood panting, beads of sweat mingling with stray droplets on her face. She raised her hands again, ready for another round. But I quickly moved in, pg a hand on her shoulder.

  “The fight’s over,” I decred firmly.

  She looked ready to protest, but I shook my head. “You did great. Your precision’s improved leaps and bounds.”

  Turning troup, I motioned for all eyes to shift toward Theodore. He straightened, rolling his shoulders as though easing out tension.

  “Everyohis is Theodore—someone Selia and I knew well before we died.”