She picked up her bag and walked toward the door like her part in our lives was officially over for today.
Cien, of course, couldn't digest silence.
"So... where are you going?" he asked, wiping crumbs from his fingers like this was a casual hangout and not a last-minute exam rescue mission.
Elara didn't even turn fully.
"Gym."
I swear my brain short-circuited.
"...Gym?" I repeated, my eyebrows knitting together.
She paused, finally facing us. Her expression didn't change-still serious, still calm.
"Yes."
Cien stared at her from head to toe. "You? Gym? You just solved half my academic life in one hour and now you're casually saying gym?"
She tilted her head slightly. "Do you want to come?"
There it was. The sentence that shouldn't have been said.
I looked at Cien.
Cien looked at me.
His eyes sparkled. That meant danger.
"YES," he said immediately.
"WAIT-" I said at the same time.
Elara raised one brow. Just one.
"One and a half hour," she said clearly. "No drama."
I sighed. "I already smell drama."
She walked out.
And somehow... we followed.
At the Gym
The moment we entered, I stopped walking.
This wasn't a normal gym.
This was... intense.
Heavy equipment. Massive space. Professional trainers. People lifting weights like gravity personally offended them.
Cien whispered, "I feel judged by the walls."
Elara didn't react. She went straight to the counter, checked in like she'd done this a thousand times, and moved toward the training area.
She tied her hair tighter, stretched her arms, rolled her shoulders-efficient, practiced movements.
No hesitation.
A coach noticed us standing awkwardly.
"First time?" he asked.
We nodded together like obedient school kids.
He smiled knowingly. "Alright. Basics only. No heroics."
"Thank God," I muttered.
Cien grinned. "Sir, I am already a hero for coming here."
The coach ignored him.
Workout Chaos
While Elara moved into her routine-weights, controlled breathing, focused eyes-we were introduced to basic training.
Simple stuff.
Or so they said.
Five minutes in, my muscles started protesting.
Ten minutes in, my legs whispered threats.
At twenty minutes, I was mentally writing my will.
Cien leaned toward me. "Why does this feel like punishment for past sins?"
I gasped, "If this is karma, I must've been a villain in my past life."
Elara passed by us, adjusting her gloves.
She glanced at me. "Breathe properly."
That's it. That's all she said.
And somehow, it helped.
At the forty-five minute mark, she walked toward us again.
"Let's go."
Cien frowned. "What? Already?"
I nearly cried in relief. "YES. ALREADY."
She looked at him flatly. "This is enough."
He wanted to argue. Then saw her expression.
"...Okay," he said meekly.
The Other Room
We followed her again.
And stopped.
Because this room-
Had guns.
I swallowed. "Elara... what is this place?"
"Shooting range," she said casually.
Casually.
As if this was normal after ramen and cookies.
She stepped in, put on protective gear, and picked up a gun like it was an extension of her hand.
The moment she aimed-
She changed.
Her shoulders squared. Her eyes sharpened. Everything else disappeared.
Bang.
Bullseye.
Cien's mouth fell open. "Okay, that was hot."
Bang.
Another perfect shot.
She switched guns.
Different weight. Different recoil.
Same accuracy.
I whispered, "Is she human?"
She said something quietly to the coach.
He nodded and came toward us.
"Basic handling," he said. "Grip, posture, trigger control."
Cien stepped up first.
Annoyingly-he did great.
The coach nodded. "Good reflexes."
Cien smirked. "Talent recognizes talent."
Then it was my turn.
I held the gun like it might explode.
"Relax," the coach said gently.
"I am relaxed," I lied.
I fired.
Missed.
By a lot.
Cien coughed. "The target is there, Jay."
"I KNOW."
Elara watched silently.
No teasing. No comments.
Just... presence.
I tried again.
Still bad.
But better.
The coach nodded. "Progress."
I exhaled. "I'll take that."
My shot missed the target again.
Not even close this time.
I lowered the gun slowly, heat crawling up my face. I didn't need to look around to know Cien was probably holding back a comment for once in his life.
Before I could step away, Elara came closer.
She didn't laugh.
Didn't sigh.
Didn't say you're doing it wrong.
She simply stood beside me, close enough that I could sense her calm.
"Your grip is too tight," she said quietly, like this was just between us. "You're fighting the gun instead of guiding it."
She reached out-not touching me yet-then paused. "May I?"
I nodded.
She adjusted my hands, her fingers firm but gentle. "Loosen here. Elbows relaxed. And don't rush the trigger. Let your breath decide."
I inhaled, exhaled, followed exactly what she said.
Bang.
The bullet hit much closer to the center.
Not perfect.
But real progress.
I turned toward her without thinking. "That actually-"
Before I could finish, her phone buzzed.
Once.
Twice.
She looked at the screen, and something shifted in her eyes-not panic, not fear, just... urgency.
"Okay," she said into the phone. "I'm coming."
She ended the call, slipped the phone into her pocket, and turned to us.
"Go home safely," she said. "I need to go somewhere."
Cien blinked. "Already? You promised one and a half hour."
"I know." She picked up her bag. "This can't wait."
He nodded, then suddenly frowned. "By the way... what's the gym fee?"
I froze too.
Because suddenly, the thought hit me.
Her house didn't look rich.
It looked... normal.
Comfortable, but not luxurious.
The kind of place where every thing had a reason to be there.
Elara looked at him blankly.
"No fees."
Both of us spoke at the same time.
"Means?"
She sighed-soft, almost amused. "For you, it's your first week. No fees. For me..." she hesitated a second, then said, "My uncle owns this place. He lets me train here."
Cien whistled. "That's cool."
Then she added, her tone firm now, no room for jokes, "Don't tell anyone about this."
I nodded immediately. Cien followed a second later.
And I didn't know why, but the way she said it made it feel final.
Not don't tell.
More like trust me.
She gave a small nod, turned, and walked away-calm, steady, disappearing like she always did.
A few seconds passed.
Then my phone buzzed.
Keifer.
"Where are you?" he asked the moment I picked up.
"Just... with Cien," I said. "Reviewing."
There was a pause on the other end. "With Cien? Reviewing?"
"Yes," I said, a little defensive.
He sounded genuinely shocked. "You survived that?"
"Barely," I muttered.
I almost told him about the gym.
About the guns.
About Elara.
But her words echoed in my head.
Don't tell anyone.
And I didn't even know why, but it felt wrong to break that.
"So," Keifer continued, "come to my place. We'll review properly."
I smiled despite myself. "Okay."
Cien leaned closer, trying to listen. I covered the phone, but it was useless.
"I'll come too," he announced.
Keifer heard him anyway. "Why is he still there?"
"Because destiny hates me," I said sweetly.
Cien grinned. "See you, brother-in-law."
Keifer sighed on the other end.