400, 500, 600, 700… The sound of someone exerting himself echoed through the quiet space, deep breaths following each count as effort built upon effort. The floor beneath him carried the faint rhythm of his movements, each repetition sending a dull vibration through the empty room as his breathing steadied into a controlled pattern.
Orion had been at it for quite some time, trying different variations of exercises, all to see the true extent of what he could do.
"That should be enough for now," it was Orion, wiping the thin line of sweat that had gathered between his brows. I have been trying to push my stamina to its limit, doing all kinds of strenuous workouts. I have been at it for two hours now. With no classes and no activities to attend, I had all the time in the world.
What I noticed was strange. No matter which difficult exercise I performed, I never truly ran out of breath. I never had to stop and take a break or rest even a little. The only thing my body produced was a small drop of sweat, nothing more.
Looking over at my belongings, neatly packed and arranged in preparation for me leaving soon, my thoughts drifted again. Everything was ready. Clothes folded, items organized, everything placed carefully in advance.
All I could think about was the fact that I would be leaving here very soon.
"I need to take a shower and prepare to meet her. I hope she will be there," said Orion, though calming the anxious rhythm of his heart was not easy after the revelation she made last night.
He had always suspected that she knew more than she let on. Looking back now, remembering what she said when I first met her, this "CONVERGENCE" or whatever it was supposed to mean, she had always been surrounded by mystery.
"Hopefully I finally get answers," I said quietly as I walked into the bathroom to freshen up.
Ten minutes later
"Whew… that was relaxing. Nothing beats a cold shower in the morning."
Stretching my arms above my head as the last of the cool sensation lingered on my skin, I walked toward my dresser. As I passed the mirror opposite it, I stopped.
Staring at my reflection, I began to notice changes.
"I've gotten taller," I muttered to myself.
Subtle, but noticeable. My frame looked slightly different, more defined than before. But that wasn't the only change. Looking closer, I observed something even stranger.
My eyes.
They had a faint glowing look to them. Not bright, but deep. For a moment I wondered if the person staring back at me was still the same person who had watched the meteor shower that night. Almost like an abyss that swallowed light instead of reflecting it. The longer you stared into them, the harder it became to look away, almost as if there were answers hidden somewhere deep within them.
All of this happened because of the meteor shower, the crystal, the fragment. Everything that happened that night had somehow culminated into the person I had become now. Deciding that staring at the mirror any longer wouldn't answer the questions I had been searching for, I turned away.
It was time.
I dressed quickly, choosing something light that wouldn't restrict my movement. Looking at the clothes in front of me, the choice was obvious. My favorite combination.
All black.
Not like I ever changed it anyway.
Once dressed, I walked toward the door, fully aware that the encounter waiting for me today would reveal secrets capable of destabilizing the life I currently knew.
Taking a deep breath, I opened the door and stepped outside. The campus was noticeably emptier than before.
The usual hustle and bustle had faded. The rush of students trying to make it to their classes on time was gone. Even the drones that usually flew overhead had reduced in number. The movement of hoverboards and similar devices had almost disappeared completely. With the noise drastically reduced, the beauty of the place became easier to appreciate.
Sky high buildings towered above, structures that were nothing short of technological marvels. Clean pathways stretched across the grounds, everything designed with precision and purpose.
It was almost perfect.
I continued walking toward my destination, quietly appreciating everything around me.
As I got closer, I slowed my pace, trying to steady myself and calm the nervous tension that had begun to settle in my chest.
When the less visited training hall finally came into view, something stirred inside me. It felt almost like a voice inside my head, whispering that the moment was close.
A pulsating sensation spread from my chest outward. Like the crystal was trying to communicate with me.
I could feel it even more clearly as I stepped inside the training hall.
Each step I took felt slightly heavier than before. The quiet of the hall made every step echo faintly, the sound stretching across the open space as if the building itself was waiting to see what would happen next.
My movements became slower, more careful, as if my body itself was preparing for something.
I approached the center of the hall.
Taking a moment to steady myself, I finally stepped forward.
She was there.
Standing in the same spot like always, a faint smile resting calmly on her face. Her clothing had not changed either, the same style she always wore. Yet the way she stood made it seem different every time.
Her posture radiated elegance, authority and order.
She turned her head and looked at me.
Her eyes lingered on mine for several seconds, observing carefully with a smile on her face. Then I noticed something.
The smile on her face grew wider.
Almost like she was amused by what she saw.
"I expected you to get here earlier. What took you so long?" she asked, her expression filled with that same knowing look, almost as if she was intentionally trying to annoy me.
"We never agreed on a time to meet," I replied, trying my best not to give her the reaction she seemed to want.
She took a moment before answering, the smile still present.
"Just because we never agreed on when to meet doesn't mean you are allowed to be late."
I stared at her longer than I should have, wondering once again why she insisted on doing this every time.
She was never funny.
And her attempts at being funny were terrible at best. Almost immediately, the smile on her face disappeared.
Like fog fading under sunlight.
"It seems you've gotten more confident," she said calmly. "Maybe it's time to increase the difficulty of your training."
At that moment I realized something.
I had made a mistake.
Any attempt to explain that I meant no ridicule would probably only make things worse.
She continued without hesitation.
"Make your way over here and prepare yourself to feel a world of pain."
Trying to salvage the situation and perhaps steer the conversation somewhere safer, I spoke as I walked toward her.
"I thought I came here to hear the truth and understand what's happening, you know."
Internally I prayed she would listen.
And not try to kill me.
But knowing her, this probably wouldn't change her mind at all, it might even make things worse, a quiet chuckle escaped her lips.
It sounded almost devilish.
"You will get your answers," she said slowly. "Just not now." She looked directly at me.
"Instead, I need to prepare you first. To make you ready."
Her smile returned.
"To soften you up."
The last words sounded less like a statement and more like a declaration of the horrors that were about to begin.
By the time I reached her position, my last hope was that she might reconsider, maybe let it slide this once.
She didn't.
"What are you waiting for? Get up here."
I swallowed nervously.
Why did I always manage to annoy her?
Taking a deep breath, I stepped into the ring and looked directly at her.
"I am ready."
Her response was immediate. My
"I don't think you are."
The next thing I felt was a sudden rush of wind, and a fist flying directly toward my face. For a split second, my mind registered only one thought. She wasn't holding back