A night had already passed since Cain woke up from his long sleep. He was still in his hospital bed. The boy was standing, looking at the window next to his room, half-naked.
On his bed was a tight outfit, the uniform he usually wore during training under the guidance of General Dosh. Initially, his other comrades refused to comply with his intent to start the train, especially Rika.
However, after deeper discussion and persuasion. Somehow, Cain received his training gear back.
Cain immediately donned the outfit and put on his shoes. And because today was his last day in this place, he folded his patient's gown and tidied up his bed.
'I think that's enough.'
He nodded and looked at the bed for the last time, making a vow not to fall asleep in the same place and for a long time to boot. The boy chuckled softly. He didn't know why his mind was scattered this early in the morning.
Unlike yesterday, his body felt full of energy as he clenched his fist several times. Cain didn't feel anything off and stepped out of the room. His footsteps were light and echoing in the long, warm hall, as the morning sun from the east cascaded through the window.
He strolled over to the elevator until he stood in front of it; it soon responded with a 'ting,' the door slid open, and showed the figure of Abel, who widened his eyes upon seeing Cain.
Cain wrinkled his eyebrows. He stared at the blonde boy. Abel scratched his cheek, acting bashful, and spoke.
"Actually, I was asked by Rika to come pick you up because you might still be unfamiliar with the surroundings."
"Is that so? Thanks."
Not wanting to keep the others waiting, Cain entered and made Abel shift his body to the side. He pressed the button on the monitor screen, which led him to the first floor.
"Oh right, Cain did you know?"
As usual, even though it was still early in the morning, Abel was full of energy. His mouth never stopped moving, talking about his experience staying at the military barracks.
It was visible from the blonde boy's expression. Abel's eyes sometimes changed from bright with twinkling stars when facing new experiences. Then his face dimmed when he experienced failures, dispersing the warm aura that radiated from his body.
Abel looked down, bringing back the suffocating silence due to his gloom.
"That must be hard."
Cain patted Abel's head, who was gazing down, showing his care like an older brother comforting his depressed younger brother. A golden glow returned to his eyes, and his flat expression beamed with joy.
"Um, that day was very bad. And recently Rika's condition is concerning."
When Abel accidentally brought up Rika's name from his mouth, it drew Cain's gaze to the side. The grey-haired boy wanted to open his mouth, but the 'ting' sound pulled back the sentence he had prepared.
"Are you saying something?"
Cain shook his head at Abel's question. He stepped out before being followed by Abel as he walked next to him.
They visited the receptionist first, informing her that Cain would be leaving starting today and expressing his thanks for taking care of him for a month.
"No, no, it's my job after all. Then, take care."
The beautiful receptionist waved her hand while smiling. Cain nodded, while Abel, next to him, gaped as he saw the charm of the adult woman for the first time. The boy froze, as if he had forgotten they had activities after this.
Cain chuckled and nudged the boy with his elbow, causing Abel to scowl.
"Ouch, not in the ribs, please."
"Let's go."
The two turned and left the spacious hall, leaving Abel, who occasionally glanced back. When stepping outside, a burst of cold wind hit their hot bodies. Abel crossed his arms over his chest, shivering.
Cain closed his eyes, allowing the wind to seep into his deepest pores, trying to accelerate his slow heartbeat. He took a deep breath, smelling the dry air mixed with the faint scent of dust entering his nose.
He exhaled all the air in his lungs and stared ahead, watching his other comrades walk closer. Peter waved. In front of him were Louise and Rika standing side by side.
"Good morning, leader."
Louise bowed her body and greeted politely. Rika, next to her, exhaled white mist from her mouth and spoke.
"Good morning, Cain. How is your body feeling?"
"I'm fine."
Cain lifted his foot to descend the stairs. He walked closer to Rika and jabbed his index finger into the girl's forehead, causing her neck to snap back.
"Ouch, what was that for?"
His eyebrows wrinkled when he heard a slight sharpness in Rika's tongue. He stared at the girl's face for a few seconds, making Rika tilt her head sideways in wonder.
'Haa, it didn't work, huh.'
"Nothing, you are worrying too much. I'm already fine."
"Is that so?"
The gray-haired boy originally intended to arouse Rika's anger and try to bring her former self to the surface. But the girl was relatively immune to the provocation.
If it were her usual self, a little prank from Cain could make her expression twist with blue veins twitching on her temple. Yet now it was very different. Rika was indeed angry, but that was it.
It was hilarious to think that Cain wanted to bring back the violent side of the girl before her. Cain accidentally saw the other three gathered a little far from the two of them.
They had stiff expressions as they clenched their fists; it looked like they were putting their hope in him. Turns out, it wasn't just him, but the other three were also worried about Rika's current state.
However, this thing could not be forced. Cain would try his best to restore her gentle nature to its former fierceness, which radiates a firm, vigilant, and calculating aura.
"Okay, let's start our training. Where should we go?"
"Alright."
The four others nodded, and Cain began to follow the footsteps that led them to the place where the four of them usually trained.
He was led to walk around the front yard of the barracks and then towards the back, where the place was still filled with towering trees, casting soft shadows beneath their thick canopies.
They traverse through the maze and arrive at an open space the size of a soccer field. A carpet of green stretched out, evoking a sense of natural beauty.
Cain swept his eyes through the field and nodded to himself. He turned to his side and gave clear instructions.
"You guys can run at your pace. I will start slow."
His comrade nodded simultaneously, carrying a unity that put a smile on Cain's face. The boy shifted his gaze ahead, regulating his breath in and out.
After dozens of seconds had passed, Cain kicked the ground. He pushed off, settling into a slow, steady jog along the edge of the field. His legs pounded the soft ground, causing the grass to rustle in tune with his rhythm.
As the world exhaled a soft breeze around the place, several shadows jolted from behind Cain. They run alongside him, forming a straight line as he leads them. The fact brought a helpless grin to his lips.
They ran in silence, only the rhythm of their steps and the thumping of their hearts echoed in their heads. Minutes turned into hours, and Cain, who was leading in front, gradually increased his pace.
Seeing that, the other four matched their pace while continuing to look straight, glaring at Cain's back. Even though they knew Cain had recovered, part of their hearts remained worried about his condition.
That was why they did not use the pace they used to and were determined to follow Cain.
Time continued to pass, and every drop of sweat that fell was proof of their resistance against the body's limits. The more their shadows changed angle, the faster Cain sped up his steps until the time came to finish his training.
"Let's sprint for three laps!"
The four behind him widened their eyes at the command. But seeing Cain, whose breath didn't even turn erratic. They nodded, erasing all doubt, and focused on what was ahead of them.
"Start!"
The word became the signal; their bodies blurred as they sped through the wind barrier, which had become a natural obstacle. However, none of that could stop the cadets from breaking their own limits.
With their current strength coupled with the field that was smaller than usual, three laps were completed in a single breath as Cain straightened his running posture and exhaled the breath he held.
His right foot stomped the ground, making his body stop. Cain wiped the sweat on his forehead and peered to the side. But as he expected, the blue panel did not appear even after running for hours.
It was proof that he was growing, yet losing that notification during training somehow brought a slight feeling of loneliness to his heart.
Cain shook his head and turned to his other comrades. The four of them did not look tired at all.
"Next is Simulation training, right?"
His comrade nodded. It caused him to turn toward the facilities ahead. A tiny black serpent crackled on his pupils, igniting the slumbering amber that lay dormant for a month. The time has come to try his newfound power.