A FEW DAYS LATER
Seated cross-legged, Tony was no longer lost in thought. Like the others, he had felt the clash that had taken place. Not knowing its outco, he tried to push those thoughts aside, but the sudden surge of ether on Earth forced him to recall it.
For now, though, there was no room for such reflections. In a few weeks, their main mission would begin. With this truth in mind, the seven mbers of the group had started training, each on their own, since their departure.
On the deck, Asti struck relentlessly at imaginary opponents. At first, this had irritated Simone, who thought he was fooling around. But after observing his movents, his precision, and his skill, she was forced to acknowledge Asti’s astonishing progress.
“So, what do you think, Simone?” Asti asked, collapsing to the ground, exhausted.
“You’ve improved… But where we’re going, you’ll need to get even stronger. It’ll be them or us… no in-between,” Simone declared, her tone serious.
Glancing at the sky for a brief mont, Asti said, “Hey, how long are you going to keep playing the tough leader?”
Surprised, Simone locked eyes with him.
“Since we left, you’ve been hiding behind this serious leader persona. I think we’ve all changed, each in our own way. But don’t forget who you are, Simone. I’m not saying you should always laugh or take nothing seriously—in tis like these, that’s forbidden. But be careful. One day, all this might end, and maybe we’ll be there to see it… or maybe too dead to witness the end.”
Asti fell silent, watching Simone for a mont before standing and walking away, leaving her to ponder his words.
On the other side of the ship, Darlius had discovered how to diversify his elent thanks to books found on board. One book, dedicated to water, explained how to manipulate its uses. A particular passage caught his interest: it described how to create gas from water and solidify it on command. Fascinated, Darlius had been practicing for days, but so far, without success.
Each mber trained on their own, preparing for the perilous situation they were in.
A FEW DAYS LATER
Lying on the ground, Asti had just reached rank five. But this achievent brought him neither happiness nor joy. After spending two hours assimilating his newfound strength, he resud training.
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In a dark corner of the ship, Dina erged from the shadows where she had been training for days. Asti instinctively turned his attention toward her and was struck with shock. He pointed his sword at her, a reaction that seed excessive. But from his perspective, it was justified: Dina, standing before him, had no face. Instead, a writhing mass of darkness swirled around her head.
“Dina… I swear, if you don’t answer quickly, I’m going to attack!”
As if in response, she lunged at him. Asti, still adjusting to his new power, launched himself at her in return. He attempted a thrust to her right flank, but Dina parried effortlessly. Fighting bare-handed, she followed with a sudden straight punch, delivered with the sa arm she’d used to block.
Thanks to his training in perception, Asti, despite Dina’s speed, managed to track her movents with his eyes. He moved his arm to parry, but was stunned when Dina’s fist transford into shadows. The shadow passed through his arm without resistance before reforming into a human arm cloaked in scattered darkness.
It all happened too fast. A second later, Asti felt an imnse pressure crush his face, sending him flying backward. On the ground, the tallic taste of blood filled his mouth. His entire body trembled. A single blow had reduced him to this state.
Spitting blood, Asti glared at Dina, who had frozen after her attack. The darkness concealing her body began to dissipate, revealing her face. She looked at Asti with a hint of frustration.
“Tell , do you really think you can survive when we get there? If a single one of my punches leaves you this weak, how will you make it?” she asked, staring straight into his eyes.
Sighing, Asti replied, “You think I don’t know that? You think I’m training for what, huh? I’ll tell you: to survive, at the very least. You think I’m blind?”
His words left Dina speechless. Faced with this truth, she realized Asti hadn’t rested for a single mont since their departure. Training dictated his days.
Despite his trembling body, Asti stood up. Blood dripped from his mouth, and wounds marked his face. But what shocked Dina most was seeing Asti assu a fighting stance again.
“Let … at least land one hit,” he declared.
With a swift, unpredictable step, his sword slashed diagonally. Dina, aware of the attack, raised her arm, shielded by darkness, to block it. But she was caught off guard: the trajectory shifted. The sword, initially aid low, was now just above her head. Each ti she tried to parry, Asti altered his movent, making the attack slow but unpredictable.
His movents would be a problem if he were one rank higher, Dina thought. But unfortunately for him, I’m faster.
With a quick, decisive step, she threw a direct punch, certain it would end their skirmish. But she was captivated by Asti’s gaze, which, strangely, showed no surprise.
Suddenly, she felt a blade slice into her left flank. Her face contorted with pain and confusion, she turned to Asti. He had closed his eyes, a victorious smile on his lips, whispering, “I… got… you.”
Felled by Dina’s punch, Asti collapsed to the ground, his face perhaps bloodied but still bearing that smile. Clutching her left flank, Dina wondered how Asti had managed to hit her. She had closed the distance perfectly, and by the ti he could bring his arm back, she should have finished him. So how?
Lost in thought, Dina vanished back into the shadows, leaving Asti unconscious.
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