The sea air was sharp and salty as Kael and I stepped out of the mine, the sunlight burning slightly in our eyes after the long, dark tunnels, and for a moment we just stood there, letting the wind wash over our exhausted bodies while the waves slapped against the rocks and sand at our feet. I looked at him and, without thinking too much, said, "Before anything else… I don't even know your name."
Kael blinked at me, his face tense, like he had expected a confrontation or maybe a trick, but he simply said, "Kael." His voice was quiet, almost a whisper, like saying it out loud made it real.
"I'm Nixxin," I said, extending my hand briefly, the way people do when they meet for the first time, though I knew it was unnecessary.
Kael studied me for a moment, then shook it, repeating his own name softly, almost as if saying it would make him feel safer, "Kael."
I let my eyes linger on the faint mark behind his palm, the glow catching briefly in the sunlight. *That's a Gate,* I thought, already knowing. "I can see it now," I said. "You survived the old man's punch not just because you're strong. You have a Gate."
He stiffened. His fingers curled slightly, as if guarding something, and he shook his head, denying it. "I… I don't know what you're talking about. I'm just… strong."
I raised an eyebrow and let a small, confident smile form on my lips. "Kael, I have two Gates. Datora lets me go to another world, lets me train, lets me see things no one else can, and people there see me as emperor and will always help me. The other… Diligio. I don't even know what it does, but it exists, just like yours."
He froze, the denial fading. His eyes widened slightly, and then he exhaled slowly. "You… you have Diligio?" he asked, astonishment in his voice.
I nodded once. "Yes, and you have it too. I can see it."
For a long moment, he didn't speak, only stared at me, as if finally realizing he wasn't alone in this, as if seeing another person like him made the world a little less heavy.
We walked the remaining distance back to the shore in silence, the wind carrying the smell of wet earth from the mine and the salt from the ocean. The small fire we had left from the night before burned low, and I could see the group of students waiting by the sand. Before we could even speak further, bright lights appeared on the horizon, and the sounds of engines reached us.
The school had come for the injured. Ships, sharp and fast, hovered above the water while instructors moved with precision among the students, guiding those who were hurt into the craft. Cries and groans echoed faintly across the sand as students were carried, supported, and loaded into the ships. Kael and I stayed back, watching the evacuation quietly, our eyes catching the glow of the Gate on his hand briefly as he clenched it in thought. Over thirty students remained on the island, those who had chosen to stay or who had not been injured, and we were among them.
Lira stood with the remaining students, her dark hair catching the light of the low sun as she turned occasionally to glance toward the shore. She had been with us in the mine, and I knew her face, her movements, her voice—but not her name. I walked over to her after Kael had caught his breath, the waves rolling softly beneath our feet. "Hey," I said, keeping my tone casual. "I've seen you around, but I don't know your name yet."
She blinked, surprised, and then said softly, "Lira."
I nodded, committing it to memory. "Lira," I repeated. "Good. We'll need to know who's who if we're going to survive this island for a while."
She gave a small nod, smiling faintly, though her expression carried curiosity, maybe even amusement, at my formality. I didn't tell her about the Gates yet; she had none, and it didn't matter.
We gathered around a small fire, the group sharing whatever food could be made from fish or gathered plants. The smell was strong, simple, but it filled the air with comfort. Kael sat across from me, his eyes distant for a moment before he spoke, "So, what now? We just… stay here?"
I shook my head and summoned the Blessed Key, holding it in my palm as it glowed softly. The air seemed to bend around it, and a faint outline of a door appeared in front of us—the entrance to Datora. "We train," I said simply. "Every night. For one week out here, it will be one month inside. You follow my lead, and we'll get stronger, faster, better prepared for whatever comes next."
Kael stared at the glowing gate, his hand hovering near the mark on his palm as if it responded instinctively. "And this… Datora," he said finally, his voice low. "It's safe?"
"It's controlled," I said. "But it tests us. You can only enter with a Gate, and only we can move as far as we push ourselves. That's why we need this. Trust me."
He nodded slowly, and together we stepped through the glowing doorway. The world shifted immediately. Colors became sharper, air thicker, gravity subtle and different. I sensed Ardent, the diligent general, already waiting, his posture strict, evaluating us.
"Training begins," he said, voice calm but firm. "You push yourselves fully, or you do not leave."
I nodded to him, and then to Kael, who already clenched his fists, feeling the pulse of his Gate awaken. The nights in Datora passed quickly. Every strike, every movement, every controlled breath stretched our limits, until sweat and exhaustion became familiar friends. We sparred, lifted weights of air, dodged attacks that would have killed us outside, and explored corners of the world that taught us balance, precision, and patience.
Outside, only a week passed. Inside Datora, it was a month. Every morning we returned, exhausted but whole, recovering fully as if the Gate itself nurtured us. The sand and the fire, the same shoreline, greeted us with familiarity, but we had changed.
After the seventh night, I stepped back through the gate first, Kael following, and we took a moment to feel ourselves, to test our reflexes, to sense our strength. He flexed his hands, tested the range of his strikes, and then gave a small laugh. "I… I can feel it. Everything's sharper."
I nodded. "One week here, one month in there. We are ready, Kael. Stronger than anyone would expect. Stronger than the old man, stronger than the miners. Nothing here will stop us."
We looked out at the island, the remaining students quietly moving near the shore, the faint glow of fire still drifting into the evening air. I could feel Datora's presence lingering, ready for the next night, ready for the next challenge.
Kael met my gaze."We're already ready, but I don't think that this is easy."