After the training session, Kealin had returned home, his mind still reeling from everything he'd learned and experienced in Neo-Eden.
'MJ must be worried sick,' Kealin thought as he walked through the crowded sidewalks, the familiar sights of the surface world feeling almost foreign after his time underground.
"I've achieved quite a lot from Alex's training... with this, I should be able to protect Max and Lena..." The teenage boy said to himself, his confidence growing with each step as he recalled the techniques Alex had taught him.
"MJ, I'm home..." Kealin called out, but his voice trailed off as he saw the two figures in his living room, causing his blood to run cold.
"Oh, Kealin, you're back... good," April said with a sinister smile plastered on her face that made Kealin's skin crawl.
"Kea, is that you?" MJ rushed out of the kitchen with an apron covered in flour stains and embraced the teenager warmly. "You've got a lot of explaining to do, young man."
"Starting with... where have you been for the past 22 hours?" MJ asked in a serious tone, her maternal instincts immediately picking up on the tension in the room.
"22 hours... Chronos, how long was I in the maze?" Kealin whispered mentally.
"Approximately 22 hours, 39 minutes, 12 seconds, and 0.06 centiseconds," Chronos replied with mechanical precision.
Kealin didn't know what to do at this point and just put up an awkward grin, hoping to defuse the situation. That was until a certain someone answered in his stead.
"MJ, recently Lena and Max got arrested at school and were taken to the station. Ever since that happened, Kealin has been searching for clues that would prove their innocence," April said smoothly, her voice carrying just the right amount of concern to sound believable.
This caused MJ to calm down considerably, though she still fixed Kealin with a stern look.
"The next time you plan to do something like that, inform me so I don't have to worry and call the cops every time I don't see you..." she scolded gently.
"Wait, you called the cops...?" Kealin asked, his eye twitching at the thought.
"Geez," MJ sighed as she returned to the kitchen, muttering about irresponsible teenagers under her breath.
"She's a kind person. It'd be a shame if she got hurt, don't you think?" April said with that same sinister smile, causing Kealin's anger to skyrocket like a rocket.
"Was that a threat?" Kealin asked, his voice low and dangerous.
"I don't know, you tell me," April replied coyly, clearly enjoying the tension she was creating.
"You know, at first I thought maybe you had a good reason for abducting the girls, so maybe we could talk and I could hear you out. But now I really don't care about what you have to say... I only have one question..."
"Where are the victims?" Kealin stared into April's eyes intently as he said these words, his mana unconsciously flaring around him.
April's lips curled up into a smile as she said, "What if I told you I don't know?"
Kealin clenched his fist so tightly that his veins became clearly visible, his knuckles turning white from the pressure.
"In that case, I'll just make sure you both taste hell," Kealin said through gritted teeth. Surprisingly, rather than April, Rudy now had a large grin plastered on his face.
"You know, back then... I held back. I was being used like some kind of toy, following the script like an actor... but now I don't need to act.. now I'm free," the teenage boy said, and suddenly the temperature in the room increased dramatically, the air becoming thick and oppressive.
"I'm gonna fucking kill you," he declared as his hands started glowing bright red with intense heat.
"Whoa, what's going on? Are we experiencing a heat wave or something?" MJ said as he came out of the kitchen and took off the flour-covered apron, completely oblivious to the supernatural tension filling the room.
"MJ, Mrs. Lee from next door just called. Her husband slipped and fell in the bathroom and she needs your nursing help.. ASAP! He's bleeding pretty badly and she's freaking out. Can you go help her right away?" Kealin lied smoothly, his desperation making his voice sound more convincing than he expected.
"Oh, poor Mrs. Lee! I'll go help," MJ said immediately, her nurse instincts kicking in as she rushed out of the door, leaving Kealin alone to face April and Rudy.
Rudy took a step forward, clearly amused by the situation. "Clever excuse, but now you're mine."
Suddenly, flames lit up on Rudy's arm, running down his shoulder to his forearms and finally engulfing his fist in a blazing aura. The flames danced around his limbs like living serpents, casting eerie shadows on the walls.
The flames formed on Rudy's arm, and April had spread her shadow across the room like a dark carpet, cutting off escape routes and creating an ominous atmosphere.
[New Quest: When Titans Clash]
[A powerful Dream Weaver and a fierce Elemental Warrior have emerged, both surpassing your current strength]
[You have two options:]
[Retreat to Safety: Run and hide to avoid confrontation]
[Brave the Challenge: Face your formidable foes and earn your reward]
[Reward: Instant Level Up]
[What will you do?]
"Well, would you look at that. I guess you two can be useful," Kealin said, his competitive spirit overriding his fear as he activated his mana zone.
[Mana Zone Activated]
[Name: April Mea]
[Class: Mage]
[Profession: Dream Weaver]
[Name: Rudy James]
[Class: Warrior]
[Profession: Elemental Warrior]
Kealin and Rudy rushed forward at the same time and threw out their fists. The two collided with such force that the impact shook the whole house, pictures fell from the walls, and the windows rattled ominously.
"Shit... I'm going to have a lot of explaining to do," Kealin thought as he felt the aftershocks of their clash ripple through the room.
Rudy sent out a combo of flame attacks towards Kealin—fireballs, flame waves, and blazing punches that lit up the room like a furnace. But Kealin countered with attacks of his own, his enhanced speed and agility allowing him to weave between the flames while striking back with precise blows.
Kealin delivered a quick jab to Rudy's face, the impact sending sparks flying, and before the young warrior could regain his composure, Kealin sent him flying with a devastating crescent kick that sent him crashing into the wall.
"What's this poor response I'm getting?" Kealin thought, wiping sweat from his brow. He was sure that Rudy was in front of him, but it felt as if he had hit nothing substantial—like punching through smoke.
Suddenly, Rudy's body was shrouded in shadows, and in the blink of an eye, he was gone—completely vanished as if he had never been there at all.
"You didn't forget about me, now did you?" a familiar female voice said from behind Kealin, carrying a dangerous edge that made his blood run cold.
But turning around, he was met with a flaming fist. The attack was too fast for Kealin to react properly as the blazing fist crashed into the side of his head, flinging him backwards across the room like a ragdoll.
'If I hadn't activated my mana zone, I would have lost just from that attack,' Kealin thought as he rolled to his feet, feeling the sting of the burn on his cheek.
'These two... They certainly are a troublesome duo,' he realized, his respect for his opponents growing even as he prepared for the next exchange.
The room was now filled with swirling shadows and dancing flames, creating a hellish battlefield that would have been impossible just days ago. Kealin stood in the center of it all, his heart pounding but his resolve unwavering.
"Alright then," he said, cracking his knuckles as mana began to swirl around him. "Let's see what you're really made of!"