The forest was alive with the smell of wet earth and the sharp sweetness of fruit. Lira moved among the trees with ease, her basket already full, the Xerberries piled high, glowing faintly in the sunlight. Kael and I struggled, our hands clumsy against the tough, resilient skin of the fruit. The cover was difficult to break, and even after a month of training in Datora, controlling our power to gently open the fruit was harder than I expected. More often than not, I destroyed the fruit before I could take it, and Kael, in his usual cocky way, seemed convinced brute force was the solution.
"I got it!" Kael said, gripping a Xerberry with both hands, bracing his feet. In an instant, the fruit cracked—not delicately, but explosively. The contents splattered everywhere, the juice spraying across our clothes and the surrounding leaves.
Lira froze, her eyes wide with anger. "You destroyed four of them!" she shouted, pointing at the remains on the ground. "You two can't just smash them! I've been picking carefully!"
Kael shrugged, smirking. "It's faster this way. Efficiency."
"You're going to pay for this," she said sharply before stomping off toward the shore, leaving Kael and me standing there, the scent of crushed fruit filling the air.
I shook my head, sighing. "Come on, we're not done yet. Let's go."
Kael grinned, and we headed toward the mine. I could already feel his arrogance bubbling up. The month in Datora had given him a new confidence, and he thought he was stronger than ever. I knew I had to remind him that strength without control was nothing. The mine was the same place I had fought the old man, and as I entered the familiar tunnels, the air thick with dust and echoes of our footsteps, I could feel the tension between us.
"Ready to get taught a lesson?" I asked lightly, circling him.
He laughed, a cocky, confident sound. "You won't hit me like before. I'm faster, stronger, and I heal now. Try your best."
I narrowed my eyes. The power he had gained made his body regenerate in the middle of the fight. It was perfect for him in theory, but in practice, it meant I couldn't rely on hitting him the same way I had before.
The fight began with a clash of fists and kicks. His body took blows that would have shattered bones before, but he hardly flinched. I felt my strikes landing, but they had little effect. My legs ached from blocking his sudden movements, my arms from parrying, yet I could see him pushing himself harder, each hit making him stronger, each dodge perfect. Minutes of constant pounding left my body screaming, but when the ache faded, it was replaced by the sting of frustration: nothing I did seemed to hurt him.
I feinted left, then kicked him in the head. His eyes went white for a split second, and I thought I had knocked him out, but he came back instantly, faster than I expected. He swung at my leg, striking hard enough to throw me off balance. His punches weren't as strong as the old man, but his durability made every hit count. I could dodge, block, parry, even counter, but my attacks felt useless. He didn't bleed. He didn't falter.
He punched me in the jaw, and it landed solidly. I countered immediately, aiming for the same spot on him, but he stared at me blankly, unfazed. I almost fell to my knees from exhaustion and frustration, but I forced myself to jump, striking his face with a kick strong enough to make him stagger. Two craters now marked the wall from my strikes, smaller than the cylinder I had once fought through with the old man. Kael couldn't react fast enough.
I rushed him, punching his chest. He bled slightly, then kicked me away with force. He tried to tackle me, but I leapt over him, kicking his neck with both feet. He hit the ground hard but rose again immediately. He grabbed my foot, swinging me into the wall and then crushing my head to the stone. Pain shot through me, but I didn't falter. I grabbed his clothes and threw him into the dark cylinder area of the mine. It was pitch black, the walls looming and silent, and there I unleashed everything, striking relentlessly until I felt him collapse.
When I dragged him outside, he was knocked out completely, lying in the dirt with the dust settling around us. By the time Lira returned, slicing and frying the Xerberries she had picked, Kael regained consciousness. The smell of cooked fruit filled the air, mingling with the salty scent of the shore. We ate together quietly at first, then began fishing. Kael's patience wore thin as I caught fish after fish while he managed only a few small ones.
"This isn't fair," he grumbled, slamming his rod lightly. "You always catch them!"
I shrugged, handing him the smallest fish I had just taken. "Practice," I said. "It helps if you pay attention instead of trying to force it."
Lira cooked the fish over the fire, and by nightfall, the stars reflected off the calm water, giving everything a soft, silver glow. Walking along the shore with her for a moment, I asked casually, "So, what do you do at school?"
She smiled. "I'm a class representative. I always play contests, though I didn't join the chess contest last month."
"Why not?" I asked, curious.
"I was in the medicine school at the time," she replied. "I can't do everything." She looked at me carefully. "And you? What about you?"
"I just… exist there," I said honestly. "Nothing special, unless you count being good at some things or having high grades."
She laughed softly, a light, musical sound that echoed slightly in the night air.
We returned to the shore, where the rest of the students had gathered. All thirty of them were present, talking animatedly about building a place to sleep, cutting wood from trees, planning something that would at least give them shelter while on the island. Lira agreed with their ideas, helping guide the discussion, but I knew, in my mind, that the building would eventually be useless. It was a temporary solution, a small comfort, nothing more.
The night settled in, the fire casting long shadows on the sand and the trees. Kael muttered angrily about the fish he hadn't caught, Lira organized the baskets, and I sat quietly.