Finn stood across from Kaeline, his breathing slow and steady. His eyes locked intently onto hers. Neither of them moved, seemingly assessing the other in complete silence.
Kaeline suddenly reached behind her and pulled out a kunai. With a flick of her wrist, she tossed it over and it landed right in front of him, directly in the center of his shadow.
For a moment, he looked down at it as an uneasy feeling settled over him. He hesitated before finally reaching down cautiously to grab it. His fingers stretched toward the grip, but suddenly… everything around him slowed.
His eyes widened as images of faint, shadowy black tendrils seeped out from the kunai ominously. Instinct took over and he immediately leapt back just as a clone of Kaeline emerged halfway from his shadow, grabbing at the air mere inches away from him before melting back into nothingness.
Finn landed several meters away, his breathing quick yet steadying not long after. Kaeline didn't move an inch… instead her analytical gaze intensified.
"He anticipated and evaded my strike. But it wasn't pure speed that allowed it. It was as if he knew what was going to happen before it did…"
Before she could dissect the situation any further, Finn dashed forward. His movements were unusually sharp. Once he was near the kunai, he stomped its hilt with his heel, flipping it into the air before swiftly grasping and throwing it back toward her.
Her eyes quickly traced the kunai's trajectory and easily predicted the end point.
"Interesting. He's aiming for my lower leg instead of vital points. He has no intention of harming me seriously… Let's see your follow-up, then."
With little to no effort seeming to be giving, she jumped in the air and evaded the kunai. While in the air, she watched as Finn's green essence flared around his feet. Before gravity could even pull her back down, he closed in behind her by running a half-circle around the room, then launched himself upward for a powerful punch.
Yet as he swung, her body bent backward in an unnatural motion, her hands lightly pushing off his forearm for balance. In the next moment, she twisted and delivered a nasty kick straight to his temple, launching him across the room into the array of weapons lining the wall. His body crashed loudly into the rack, sending blades scattering around him.
Kaeline landed with a look of slight confusion on her face.
"He didn't dodge that? But that should've been easy for him if he was able to dodge the attack earlier. Was it merely luck? Or is there more to it…?"
Finn groaned and shook his head as he tried to sit up. As he did, his hand landed on a double-edged straight sword among the fallen weapons. He looked at it for a moment then gripped its hilt and stood up, before shifting clumsily into an amateurish fighting stance. His lack of formal training was clear as day, yet his green essence flowed intensely into the sword, a burning determination now in his eyes as he dashed straight at her again.
Kaeline raised an eyebrow slightly, watching with a hint of confusion as he charged in head first at her.
"A straightforward attack? Is this his desperation, or has he given up already?"
He raised the sword high above his head and swung downward fiercely. Once again, time seemed to slow as Kaeline effortlessly began stepping backward—but just as she moved, Finn's essence shifted away from the sword entirely and focused solely on his arms.
In that instant, he swung the blade down as hard as he could, intentionally missing her and crashing into the ground. Using the sword as leverage, he propelled himself into a forward flip, carrying the momentum into a swift overhead lunge in the air. The sudden shift in attack caught her slightly off guard mid-air.
"He adjusted his trajectory mid-strike?!" She said, her eyes widened with genuine surprise and respect.
The blade was inches from her face before her hand blurred into motion in front of her. She swiftly formed one-handed signs and inhaled.
"Roaring Gale Jutsu!"
A powerful gust of wind exploded from her mouth, slamming directly into him and blasting him violently backward. His body slammed against the distant wall, knocking numerous equipment off of it and damaging it badly, before his body dropped limply to the ground.
She paused for a second as a flicker of sympathy momentarily crossed her usual stoic face as she watched him struggle to rise to his feet. His arms trembled and his breathing was erratic. He looked up to get a glimpse of her, but like a faulty camera, his eyes wouldn't focus. Her fists slowly clenched tighter as she silently willed him from within.
"Get up…"
He lifted himself halfway before collapsing face-first onto the floor again. His body shook uncontrollably, fingers scraping weakly against the metal floor, fighting desperately to lift his body weight mere inches off the floor.
As Kaeline watched him, something within her began to crack. Her stoic facade crumbled away slowly, being replaced by a look of overwhelming sadness and guilt. Her clenched fist trembled, spreading through her arm… then slightly rippling across her entire body. Memories played in her mind from a past… ones she had buried long ago. A fragile young girl with tears flowing down her face… battered, broken, yet stubbornly struggling to rise.
Finn's body blurred into her own younger self. Tears welled up at the corners of her eyes and her heart felt like it was sinking.
She spoke aloud, but only loud enough for it to be heard by her.
"Get up… please…"
Her voice was shaky and filled with genuine desperation. For some reason… she felt powerless… powerless watching Finn's struggle mirrored her own darkest memories.
"Show me… show yourself… that we're stronger than our past…please…"
On the other side, Finn was trapped in an entirely different battle within himself. When he forced his gaze upward, his blurred vision no longer showed Kaeline's conflicted expression. Instead, he saw Nara standing there, looking down at him with that same condescending look. Her eyes were filled with disgust… the same one he had seen too many times before. A look that mirrored exactly how his own mother stared at him when she cast him out from his home.
Weak…
Useless…
Unwanted…
Those feelings surged violently within him, igniting a flame that devoured his fear and hesitation all at that moment. His knuckles whitened as he tightened his grip around the sword's hilt, trembling violently from the sheer rage bubbling within him. This wasn't the innocent and shy boy anymore… something snapped inside him.
"DON'T YOU DARE LOOK DOWN ON ME!" He roared.
An eruption of green essence poured from him in an explosive wave, flooding the entire room with an emerald glow. The air seemed to vibrate intensely.
Kaeline's eyes widened slightly and her CPI scanner instantly activated within her vision as it tracked his surging essence levels.
35,000.
70,000.
105,000…
"This sudden rise in essence… Could it be—?"
She never got the chance to finish her thought, because next thing she knew… he was gone.
Her senses instantly sharpened as she desperately scanned her surroundings.
"He vanished? No… this speed—"
Suddenly, reality seemed to fracture around her and time itself decelerated dramatically. From the edge of her vision, Finn reappeared, directly behind her, sword already drawn back preparing a strike. As she slowly turned to meet his gaze, their eyes locked for a single small moment.
But his eyes were no longer the innocent brown eyes she remembered… Now they were a vivid green and his pupils morphed into a strange, golden shape.
"His eyes, they–"
Yet, before she could analyze it any further, his sword came hurtling toward her…
Moments later, the training room door hissed open as Kaito and Elysia entered. They both froze as soon as they stepped in, both of their expressions shifting to immediate worry and confusion.
Kaeline stood silently in the center of the room, gently cradling an unconscious Finn in her arms. Her silvery-white hair hung down, hiding her eyes and masking her expression completely.
Kaito felt his heart drop to his feet and rushed forward, his eyes wide and voice trembling.
"Kaeline-sensei! Is—is Finn okay? What happened?"
"He's fine… he just needs rest." Kaeline said calmly.
She stepped forward, carrying Finn's body with a tenderness that seemed out of place for someone as herself… as if she was a mother nurturing her kid. She passed Elysia and stopped for a moment to speak.
"Please come by the medical bay later and check up on him."
Elysia nodded gently.
"Yes, Miss Kaeline. Of course."
Kaito watched her quietly as she walked past the both of them. His eyes lingered on Finn's limp body. He could sense something significant had transpired, but couldn't quite put his finger on it.
As Kaeline walked through the doorway, the training room door hissed shut behind them, leaving the two of them standing in a thoughtful silence as they watched the door close.
Later on that day.
A purple glow softly illuminated Kaito's determined face. He sat perfectly still, eyes shut tight in deep concentration. A single lantern hovered in front him, floating several inches off the ground.
Elysia watched intently next to him.
Eight seconds…
Nine seconds…
Ten seconds!!
Kaito let his breath out then opened his eyes just as the lantern gently descended back to the floor. Before he could even realize what he'd accomplished, Elysia was already crashing into him, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck.
"You did it, Kaito dear! Ten full seconds!" She squealed, nearly choking the life out of him.
"E-Elysia! Air… please!" He gasped, dramatically tapping her arm.
She released him and began to giggle as he caught his breath.
"You've improved so much, Kaito dear!" She said warmly.
He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.
"It's really all thanks to you. Honestly, I'd still be blowing lanterns up left and right if you weren't here."
Her bright eyes sparkled mischievously as she tilted her head slightly.
"Oh, I know."
Kaito's smile dropped instantly.
"Well damn, you didn't have to put it like that, you know."
Elysia bursted into gentle laughter once again after hearing this and he watched her go quietly, a smile slowly forming on his lips and a warmth in his chest grew as he saw her joyful expression. After she settled down a bit, he finally spoke.
"Does this mean I'm ready for the next step?"
Elysia gradually calmed her laughter, wiping a joyful tear from the corner of her eye.
"Yes, Kaito dear. You're ready to move onto the next stage. Now you'll learn how to willingly trigger adrenaline bursts within your body."
Kaito perked up instantly, eyes filled with excitement and curiosity. Yet, a nagging thought picked at the back of his mind.
"Hey, Elysia… I've been meaning to ask. Your sensei… how exactly did they know so much about humans? I mean, adrenaline and our biology should be classified by the Accord, right? Did human data leak onto the black market or something?"
Elysia's smile faded instantly, replaced by a hesitant expression. Her cheerful demeanor evaporated, and she began shifting her eyes nervously around the training room.
"Elysia?" Kaito ask as his eyebrows scrunched up, slightly worried by her sudden change in behavior.
"Well, you see, Kaito dear, it's because… umm…" She hesitated, biting her lower lip.
"Come on, Elysia. Just spit it out."
She paused and took a deep breath as if she was bracing herself for the worst.
"Promise me one thing, Kaito dear. Everything I'm about to tell you stays strictly between you, me, and Miss Kaeline. No one else can know."
Kaito leaned forward, realizing the seriousness in her voice and gave her a firm nod.
"I promise. This stays between us."
She nodded slowly, gathering her thoughts.
"Have you… ever heard of the Twelve Ancient Cosmic Artifacts? Or as some in the universe call them, The Twelve Great Treasures of the Universe?"
He shook his head slowly, genuinely confused.
"No, I've never heard of those."
"I'm not surprised… They're exceedingly rare, so rare most beings consider them mere myths or legends. But you do know one already."
His eyes widened in surprise.
"I do? Which one?"
"The cosmic heart." She whispered.
Kaito's jaw fell open slightly hearing this, but quickly gathered himself as something terrifying crossed his mind immediately.
"Wait… so you're saying there are eleven other artifacts as powerful as the cosmic heart out there!?"
"Well, yes and no. You see, the cosmic heart is the most powerful and sought-after artifact due to its limitless potential. But the others are incredibly powerful in their own unique ways."
She took a deep breath, then continued.
"There's the Blade of Eternity, a weapon forged of celestial essence and condensed Aetherium capable of slicing through dimensions, illusions, even time itself. The Elixir of Life grants functional immortality, capable of healing any wound or disease. The Astral Compass guides its user to hidden worlds, dormant relics, and cosmic wells. The Mirror of Aeons, able to peer into infinite possibilities, futures, and alternate timelines. The Graviton Crown bestows dominion over gravitational forces. The Codex of Lost Stars translates all cosmic languages, secrets, and powers. The Halo of Null suppresses essence, rendering cosmic abilities useless around its wearer. The Soulbound Lantern connects you to the deceased, summoning and controlling the dead at will. The Scale of Equinox, capable of measuring the purity or corruption within one's soul."
She finally stopped to breathe after rambling all that out with zero breaks. Once she finally gathered herself, she told him the final one.
"And finally, the Ember Seed, an ember from an unborn star, which holds the raw power of creation itself, able to birth new worlds or reignite dead stars."
A heavy silence smothered the entire room as Kaito's mind struggled to process all he'd just learned, questions flooding his mind one after another.
"But how… how do you know all this, Elysia? Wait… That was only ten, what about the eleventh." He finally asked softly, still in awe.
She smiled gently and revealed a secret she kept near her soul.
"That's because the eleventh is the Grand Universal Library, the greatest repository of knowledge in all of the universe and is located on my homeworld, Lunara. It's how my sensei and I discovered so much about humans, your world, Aqua, and everything else. There are secrets there that even the Accord does not fully comprehend."
Kaito leaned back, exhaling slowly, absorbing every word she had spoken.
"I had no idea…" He murmured, his voice barely audible as he slowly processed everything.
"Wait… Elysia. These twelve treasures… where did they come from? And if they're so incredibly rare, how could someone even hope to find them?"
Elysia's soft gaze turned thoughtful, as if she was recalling memories.
"According to the legends my sensei told me, these treasures aren't mere relics. They're gifts…no, remnants—left behind by Lyra, the goddess of the universe herself. They're hidden away within cosmic wells, but only S-ranked wells possess treasures of such magnitude."
"Lyra…" Kaito repeated softly, eyes narrowing as something nagged at the edge of his memory.
"Lyra… Lyra… where have I heard that name before?"
Elysia watched him carefully, her gentle expression shifting subtly into one of intrigue and something else…
"Kaito dear… you've heard of Lyra before…?"
"Yeah, I think so." He murmured, his eyebrows scrunching up together.
"It's strange, but I had dreams… no, more like visions. There was a figure with this weird voice… it said it had 'found me.' And another time, the same voice urged me to find Lyra."
Elysia's entire body went stiff at those words, her soft eyes widening with shock as her hand suddenly shot out and gripped his arm with surprising force.
He winced and tried to pull back instinctively.
"Ow—Elysia, that hurts. What's gotten into—"
"Are you making some kind of joke, Kaito dear?" Elysia's voice came out eerily calm, yet beneath the tranquility was an intensity Kaito had never heard from her before.
"No—of course not. Why would I joke about something like that? Did…did I say something wrong? If I offended you, I—"
Before he could stammer another word, Elysia's arms wrapped around him, pulling him tightly into her, nearly suffocating him against her chest. Her voice exploded into excitement, abandoning all traces of her earlier tension.
"I knew it! I knew it, Kaito dear! It really was you all along! The stories sensei told us weren't mere legends—they were true!" She yelled out , squeezing him even tighter.
Kaito struggled to breathe, gently pushing against her arms, more confused than ever.
"E-Elysia, slow down! What do you mean—what stories?"
Elysia abruptly stiffened mid-sentence, her eyes locking onto the training room door as it hissed open. Kaito followed her eyes and his heart stuttered slightly at the person standing in the doorway.
It was Talon.