The shore was quiet, but it was not peaceful.
Some students were sitting together while eating, but their voices were low. A few had fresh bandages. One boy's hand would not stop shaking even while he held his food. A girl tried to speak normally, but her voice kept breaking. What happened last night was still heavy in their minds.
Nixxin walked toward them after resting. His body felt fine now. No stiffness. No pain. His breathing was calm.
The girl he saved from the cave noticed him first. "You're back."
He nodded and sat down near them.
For a moment, no one spoke. They looked at him carefully, like they were still deciding who he was.
"You're not from our group, right?" one boy asked.
"No."
"But you helped her."
"Yes."
The girl looked at him. "Thank you. I didn't even get to say it properly."
"You're fine. That's enough."
Another student hesitated before asking, "Were those men inside the cave part of the mining group?"
"Yes."
The word mining made everyone tense again.
"That old man…" one of them muttered. "What was that attack? He didn't even touch him."
They were talking about the strong boy.
"I saw it," the girl said quietly. "He just moved his arm, and something hit him."
Nixxin remembered it clearly. The strong boy had rushed forward with confidence. He was fast. His steps were solid. But the old man stepped in, moved his hand, and the air in front of him tightened like something invisible turned solid.
The impact hit the boy's chest.
His body lifted off the ground and flew toward the rocks.
Nixxin moved on instinct. He ran and caught him midair before his back smashed into stone.
The strong boy was breathing, but barely.
"I need to talk to him," Nixxin said.
"He's down the shore," someone replied. "His friend's helping him walk."
---
Nixxin found them not far from the water.
The strong boy was leaning on his friend's shoulder, but he was still standing straight. His face showed pain, but his eyes were steady.
When he saw Nixxin, he stopped walking.
"You," he said.
"You're awake," Nixxin replied.
The boy gave a faint smile. "Because you caught me."
"You were still breathing."
"That's not the point," he said. "If I hit the rocks like that, I wouldn't be walking."
His friend nodded. "You saved him."
The strong boy looked directly at Nixxin. "Thank you."
Nixxin gave a small nod. "You're strong. You'll recover."
The boy's expression shifted slightly. "Strong isn't enough."
Silence stayed between them for a moment.
"You fought him after I went down," the strong boy said.
"Yes."
"Alone?"
"Yes."
The boy frowned slightly. "That doesn't make sense."
"Come see."
---
They entered the mine.
At the first split, Nixxin turned right.
Then left.
Then right.
Then through the curved path.
Left.
Left again.
The strong boy noticed how certain he was but did not comment.
They reached the underground lake and crossed along the edge. At the four paths, Nixxin chose the second left.
When they stepped into the open area, the smell hit them.
Blood.
The strong boy stopped.
Dark stains covered the ground. The dirt was cracked. The stone walls were broken in several places.
"This is where you fought?" he asked.
"Yes."
He stepped forward slowly.
"They already knew I wasn't one of them," Nixxin began calmly. "I was wearing mining gear. I thought I could move closer before they noticed."
"They noticed," the strong boy said.
"Yes."
Nixxin looked at the wall to the side.
"The old man kicked me first."
The strong boy's eyes shifted to the damaged stone behind them.
"The impact shook the mine," Nixxin continued. "The wall behind me broke when I hit it."
There was a large crater where stone had exploded outward.
"They were surprised I stood up," Nixxin said. "So was I."
The strong boy listened without interrupting.
"I attacked back without knowing how strong he really was. I thought he was just another leader hiding behind others."
He gave a short breath.
"I was wrong."
He looked toward the deeper part of the wall.
"He pushed me again. This time harder."
They walked closer.
There was a massive cylinder carved into the stone. About seven feet wide. It stretched deep inside.
"There was still light when it was this long," Nixxin said quietly. "I could see the entrance."
The strong boy stared at it.
"He kept hitting me," Nixxin continued. "Over and over. I couldn't block everything. My body stopped responding the way I wanted."
They walked further along the tunnel carved into the wall.
"The cylinder became longer," Nixxin said. "Twenty five meters."
It was completely dark at the far end.
"No light reached that deep," he added.
The strong boy swallowed slightly.
"I couldn't stand after the last hits," Nixxin said honestly. "My vision was fading. I thought that was it."
He paused.
"One of the miners entered to check if I was dead."
The strong boy listened closely.
"I grabbed him and threw him back toward the entrance."
They walked back out to the open area.
"The old man caught him," Nixxin said. "He was focused on the miner."
The strong boy's eyes sharpened.
"I was right behind."
Nixxin stepped toward the center.
"I closed the distance. He didn't expect that."
He pointed at the ground.
"I struck him here."
The crater in the center of the area was deep and wide. Cracks spread outward.
"He lost consciousness."
The strong boy stared at it for a long time.
"And the others?" he asked.
"I knocked them out," Nixxin replied. "No one died."
Silence filled the mine.
The strong boy finally spoke.
"I rushed him," he said. "I thought power against power would be enough."
He looked at the long cylinder carved into the wall.
"He didn't even give you space to breathe."
"No."
"And you still found a way."
"Yes."
The strong boy lowered himself onto a rock carefully.
"I needed to see this," he said quietly. "If I didn't, I would keep thinking I just made a simple mistake."
He looked around one more time.
"This is the truth."
There was no bitterness in his voice.
Only understanding.
He looked at Nixxin directly.
"You didn't win because you were untouched. You won because you adapted."
Nixxin did not smile.
"He made mistakes too," Nixxin said. "Everyone does."
The strong boy gave a small nod.
"Next time," he said, "I'll look for that."
They stood there in silence, both clear about what happened.
Now there was no doubt.
Only truth.