Zosia with her ear pods plugged in with music blasting in her ear drums, threw various punches at the combat robot.
The music as loud as always, spurred her on.
Her body moved with precision, her muscles flexing and stretching under the strain of her training.
She sparred with a sleek, advanced robotic device designed while suppressing her power.
To anyone watching the fight, the robot's movents were swift and unpredictable under the weight of artificial gravity. The environnt was set to 10 tis the norm, yet Zosia's movents were fluid and graceful.
The combat robot was designed by Kamal.
She had allowed Kamal to be trained in his expertise and now, he could build such a device.
Its polished, tallic surface glead under the gym's overhead lights. It had no human features—no face, arms, or legs—but moved on a sophisticated system of gyroscopic wheels and articulated extensions.
The device adapted to her every move, anticipating her attacks and forcing her to think three steps ahead. Its cylindrical body could twist and rotate, projecting energy shields or launching foam-tipped strikes that packed enough force to test her reflexes.
Zosia struck with lightning speed, landing a calculated kick to the robot's sensor core.
The device spun back before shutting down with a low hum, signaling the end of the session.
Breathing lightly despite the fight she had just gone through, she pulled out her ear pods.
She grabbed a towel and wiped the sweat from her forehead, her lips curling into a satisfied smile.
The aroma of sothing delicious wafted through the air as she stepped out of the gym. Her stomach growled in response, reminding her she hadn't eaten since last night.
Following the scent, she walked into the kitchen, her towel draped over one shoulder.
Kamal stood at the stove, a bright grin on his face as he turned to greet her. "Big sis, food will be ready in a few minutes. By the ti you're done with your shower, it'll all be set," he said, his voice full of enthusiasm.
Zosia nodded, her smile softening as she looked at him. "Alright, I'll be out soon. Take it easy," she said, her tone warm but firm.
She had taken Kamal under her wing three years ago.
She rembered how he looked like the first ti they t. He had been a scrappy, cunning boy who had tried to steal from Layla.
Instead of punishing him, Zosia had seen herself in his bold yet desperate actions—a mirror of the younger, lost version of herself.
Seeing him, reminded her of how she had been living in her first life.
If her master hadn't taken her in and taught her so of the skills she could use today, maybe she wouldn't even have survived.
Adopting him hadn't been a decision she made lightly, but his loyalty and eagerness to learn had cented her choice.
Kamal had co a long way since then, and now, he was not just her adopted brother but also an ally that she was grooming.
He had a brilliant mind, especially when it ca to technology, and Zosia had already started grooming him to take on more responsibilities. Having soone she could rely on was a rare and valuable gift.
But, she still wasn't sure, if she could take him with her back to her space.
Sotis, she wondered, if he would be willing to part with the materialistic things here and follow her.
As Zosia made her way to her room, she paused when she heard Kamal's voice rise above the clatter of pots and pans. "Sister, don't forget—you have your last match today!"
Indeed! Today was her last match and work.
Nicholas had accepted her deal and allowed her to deal with Marco. A scene she wasn't sure he could ever forget.
The fight had been so clean, swift, quick and decisive, leaving both Nicholas and his arch enemy astounded. Even the people at the scene were left flabbergasted.
It even caused Nicholas to stop looking at her as the weak girl he saw her as. To him, Auriel was soone, who was always under his brother umbrella.
To him, she seed so weak that she could barely trust a chicken.
As she stripped off her gym clothes and stepped into the shower, the hot water washed away the sweat and tension from her body.
Her thoughts drifted to the notification she just received not long ago.
Using the effect of the stimulation, she had it stimulate all knowledge that her space would require, including the resources and how to get them.
Then using a code, she had designed, she always put it on a run, thereby gathering information and knowledge that she needed without doing much.
Today, the information she had, has just finished undergoing it's upgrade.
By the ti she erged from the bathroom, dressed in casual clothes and with her damp hair tied back, the table was set, and Kamal was waiting for her. His eyes sparkled with excitent as he gestured for her to sit.
"Big sis, you're going to crush it today," he said with unwavering confidence.
Zosia chuckled softly, ruffling his hair as she sat down. "Let's just enjoy the al first. One step at a ti."
Just as they were eating, Zosia noticed that Kamal was behaving a bit sluggish.
"Tell ... What's wrong?" Zosia asked, placing her cutleries in the right order.
"Um... I just seen to have this feeling, that you are leaving. Which is why you want to stop working for Uncle Nicholas..... Are you leaving?" Kamal asked tentatively, his big eyes looking at Zosia.
Zosia smiled and paused in her al."You are very perspective. Indeed, I am leaving. You don't need to worry about your schooling and other issues. They will all be settled without issue."
Zosia hadn't asked him if he was willing to go with her. She didn't want to make choices that she will have to regret tomorrow.
Kamal lowered his head, tear drops sliding from his eyes.
After a mont, he raised his head, his fist clenched, "Sister, I want to follow you. Allow to follow you everywhere, even if, it's to be your shadow and also protect you." Kamal declared.
Zosia looked at the young boy who seed like all the words he said had drawn away all the strength he had left in his body.
"Why do you want to follow ?" Zosia asked in return, rather than accepting the young boy's declaration, "Besides, you have seen how strong I am. What you see is but a pinch of salt."
Kamal's hands trembled slightly as he clenched his fists tighter, determination flashing in his teary eyes. "Big sis, it's not just about protecting you," he began, his voice thick with emotion. "I owe you my life. You gave a ho, a purpose, and a future when no one else would even look my way. You believed in when I didn't even believe in myself."
He paused, struggling to steady his breathing. "I don't care how strong you are. You've always fought alone, always carried so much on your own. I want to stand by your side, even if I can only be a shadow. Let be there, to learn, to grow, and to repay everything you've done for ."
Zosia sat quietly, her piercing gaze locked onto Kamal. The boy was no longer the scrappy, street-smart thief she had t three years ago. He had grown into soone who valued loyalty above all else, soone who was willing to follow her into the unknown without hesitation.
"So after repaynt, what next?" Zosia asked, her voice calm.
"I will still follow you." Kamal declared.
"Kamal," she said, her tone softer now, yet tinged with the weight of her wisdom. "The life I live isn't easy. It's filled with dangers far beyond anything you've seen here. Following ans giving up comfort, stability, and even the chance to live a normal life. Are you sure this is what you want?"
"Yes," Kamal answered without hesitation. "I've never had a normal life, and I don't want one if it ans being without you. I don't need comfort or stability—I need purpose, and my purpose is with you."
For a mont, Zosia felt a flicker of sothing deep within her—a mix of pride and guilt.
She admired Kamal's resolve, but she couldn't ignore the risks.
"You're still young, Kamal," she said finally. "You have so much potential to create your own path. Following might an sacrificing all of that."
Kamal shook his head fiercely. "You've already shown my path. It's with you. Please, big sis, let prove myself."
The room fell into a heavy silence, the only sound the faint clink of dishes on the table. Zosia leaned back in her chair, her sharp eyes studying the boy she had co to think of as her own.
"Very well," she said at last, her voice carrying a finality that made Kamal sit up straight. "But this won't be easy. If you co with , you'll need to be stronger—ntally, physically, and emotionally. I won't hold your hand every step of the way."
"I understand," Kamal said, his voice steady now. "I'll do whatever it takes."
Zosia's lips curved into a faint smile. "We'll see about that. Finish your al. We have a long day ahead."
The conversation ended there, but a new chapter in their lives had begun. Kamal's heart swelled with a mix of relief and excitent, while Zosia's mind turned to the challenges ahead.
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