Harry watched Vinícius in silence. His friend, sitting cross-legged under the shade of a tree, seemed more focused than ever.
"Alright," said Harry, scratching his head. "If you felt some connection with water, let's go down that path. I also have trouble with it, so I understand well."
Vinícius looked at him curiously.
"But you can use it, right?"
Harry smiled, a little embarrassed.
"I can, kind of. Want to see?"
He raised his hand, took a deep breath, and began to condense the Qi, shaping a sphere of water. The sphere formed... hesitantly, trembling, and then fell straight onto his foot.
"Here we go again," he said, looking at his wet foot. "See? You're not the only one who struggles to control this. Maybe the universe has a sense of humor: you can't use fire, I can't use water. Great team."
Vinícius laughed out loud.
"Relax. We'll find out who we are in this crazy world of magic."
Harry nodded and stepped back a bit, giving his friend space to try.
"Alright, try now. Focus the Qi in your Dantian, imagine it flowing like a river and accumulating in the palm of your hand. Don't force it. Water doesn't respond well to pressure. It flows."
Vinícius took a deep breath, closed his eyes. When he opened them, there was a seriousness in his gaze. He extended his hand and, to both their surprise, a clear sphere of water appeared with clarity. Stable. Shining.
"Whoa!" exclaimed Harry, eyes wide.
"AHA! I'm a genius!" shouted Vinícius, jumping with joy. "On the first try! Write this down, Master Harry: Vinícius, the water tamer!"
"Easy there, Poseidon," said Harry, laughing. "Just because you made a bubble doesn't mean you're advanced level. But... I admit it was better than mine."
"'Better than mine,' he says," repeated Vinícius sarcastically, imitating Harry's voice. "I'm the true lost talent of the water clan!"
In the following days, they met in that same remote clearing, protected by trees and without signs of people nearby. They trained until sunset.
On the second day, Vinícius could already shoot the water jet a few meters. On the third, his control had evolved so much that he not only increased the speed of the jet, but also created a cutting strike with the water, shaping the Qi into a water blade that passed close to a rock and left a mark.
Harry watched with his mouth open.
"You... did you see that? You just cut a rock. With water!"
"See? Genius! And it's not an exaggeration!" answered Vinícius, still excited.
Harry crossed his arms and thought aloud.
"This isn't normal. Either you have a very high affinity with the water element... or it's something rarer. Maybe even a connected spiritual lineage. We need to test more."
Vinícius nodded, still smiling, but with a serious gleam in his eyes. For the first time, he truly felt part of something greater.
...
When they finished training, the sun had already begun to set on the horizon.
"Hey, it's already past the 1st. I got the money," said Vinícius, checking his phone. "Shall we buy some defense gear?"
"Definitely. It'll be good to have some protection. And since we're nerds, we can pass it off as cosplay if anyone asks," said Harry, grabbing the laptop.
They went straight to online shopping sites. They bought lightweight vests that could be worn under clothing, durable gloves, reinforced shirts with cut and impact protection, and even tactical pants with hidden inner pockets.
"Don't forget the mask," Harry reminded. "If one day we get into something serious, better not let anyone see our faces. Simple black masks, ninja style. Nothing flashy."
"Good one. I'm seeing some here... these will work. And... a knife?" asked Vinícius.
"Yeah, but nothing big. A medium-sized military knife. The kind the army uses. Good for defense and cutting obstacles. Get two."
"Done! All in the cart. And delivery in three days. Only thing better would be teleportation."
Harry laughed, relieved.
"Now yes, we're starting to get ready to face whatever's lurking."
...
Two days passed, and Vinícius's money had practically evaporated.
"Dude, I'm broke," he said on the morning of the third day, holding his stomach. "Only enough left for food."
"Then better not waste too much energy. Today let's try the earth element. You never know when we'll need to defend ourselves," replied Harry.
They spent the day training, trying to manipulate the Qi to raise simple defenses. The result? A waist-high dirt wall for Harry, thin and brittle.
"This wouldn't stop even a kid on a bike," Vinícius commented, disheartened.
"Not even if the bike was made of paper," added Harry.
They looked at each other and sighed.
"It's decided," said Vinícius, trying to cheer up. "Water is the best element. Water is life, water is everything! Haven't you seen Avatar? Water heals, cuts, pushes, defends..." he struck a dramatic pose. "I am the new master of tides!"
"And I'm the master of sand piles," said Harry, laughing.
On the morning of the fourth day, the packages finally arrived. The tactical clothes, light vests, masks, and combat knives were in perfect condition. It felt strange to dress like that, but at the same time... exciting.
"Ready, now yes," said Vinícius, adjusting the mask on his face. "We're ready for the apocalypse."
Harry put on his and attached the knife to the side of the belt hidden under his shirt.
"Let's check the southern district of the city. We can't have more victims." Harry remembers his uncle, clenches his fists, and moves on with determination.
Vinícius nodded, his eyes serious behind the mask. It was time to act.