As the weekend drew to a close, Emily found herself alone in her academy room, surrounded by the comforting ambiance of her familiar space.
The weight of responsibilities bore down on her, evident in the furrowed lines on her forehead. She paced around the room, deep in thought, and began to mumble to herself.
“What do we need to do… how do we manage to get over this hurdle?” she whispered, the words escaping her lips in a soft murmur. Her eyes darted around the room as if seeking answers from the familiar surroundings.
“The members’ morale is getting lower and lower….I need to do something….”
She paused, leaning against a desk, lost in contemplation. She needed to make a possible plan, yet she couldn’t do it at all.
They were utterly crushed. All three teams under their guild, which were responsible for dungeon explorations, were somehow subjected to a unique dungeon phenomenon.
“And, there were even villains.”
The appearance of villains, the increased pressure from the surrounding guilds, and the lack of support from the association….They weren’t even allowed to touch get loans…It was like every door was closed for them, yet she couldn’t do anything.
‘Should I call for help again?’
She thought about contacting Ethan once again.
‘No. I shouldn’t do that. I can’t burden others every time, and he is basically a stranger.’
As the weight of responsibility bore down on her, Emily couldn’t shake the feeling of being trapped in a web of challenges with no clear way out. With a heavy sigh, she lowered her head, determined to find a solution but unsure of where to begin.
The room held her silent struggle, a battlefield of thoughts and emotions as she grappled with the daunting task of restoring the guild’s morale and forging a path forward.
********
The tension from the training room carried over to the dining area, where Julia, Lucas, and Ethan found themselves sharing a table. The usually lively trio now sat in a somewhat awkward silence, the recent confrontation lingering in the air.
Julia, unable to contain her curiosity and concern, looked at Lucas with a stern gaze. “Alright, spill it. What was your problem back there?”
Lucas, initially resistant, felt the weight of Julia’s gaze and sighed. He looked at both Julia and Ethan and after a moment, his angry expression softened a little.
“It’s nothing,” Lucas replied evasively, trying to downplay the situation.
Julia wasn’t buying it. “Clearly, it’s not nothing. You don’t just snap like that for no reason.”
Ethan, who had been silently observing the exchange, chimed in. “Lucas, you know we have known each other for almost our whole lives, right? If something’s bothering you, you can talk to us.”
Lucas hesitated, his gaze shifting between his twin and Ethan.
‘Yeah….I have known you for my whole life…..Or, did I really?’
Lucas thought to himself inwardly, hearing Ethan’s words. He wanted to chuckle right here, yet he was not that stupid.
‘Tch. I need to control myself better. Else, they will understand.’
Lucas was by no means stupid; one could even say he was a lot more talented in terms of social skills. Yet, the visions that constantly bugged him in his dreams had shaken his composure and made it a lot harder for him to even act like usual.
Lucas looked at Julia for a moment, and then a defeated chuckle escaped his lips. “You’re not making it easy for me, are you?”
“I’m precisely making it hard for you so that you can understand how it felt to just even try to talk to you,” Julia retorted, her expression unyielding.
Lucas sighed, realizing he had to open up. “Fine, fine,” he said, shaking his head. “You win.”
Julia smirked in triumph. “So, you’re finally going to spill the beans now? Took you long enough, you bastard.”
“You really are not making it easy for me,” Lucas replied, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. He looked at both Julia and Ethan before letting out another sigh. “Alright, alright. I had a reason to act like that.”
Ethan raised an eyebrow. “Well, we’re listening.”
Lucas hesitated for a moment, glancing between his twin and Ethan. “You both remember what happened in the Phantom’s Land, right?”
Julia and Ethan nodded in agreement.
“Well,” Lucas began, his tone serious, “when we lost consciousness, I… I saw visions. Visions of the future, filled with destruction.”
Julia’s expression shifted, her general playful demeanor replaced by concern and squinty. “Destruction? What do you mean?”
He thought inwardly as he remembered the memories that were transferred to him. At this point, Lucas was sure that all the things he had seen were the life that he was supposed to live in an alternate timeline.
He also remembered what Ethan had told him before when he was a child, the times when he talked about his dreams of a warrior facing an army of enemies.
He suspected that there was a meaning to his dreams now.
Lucas took a deep breath before continuing with his explanations, “I don’t know the details, but it felt real. The world crumbling, chaos, and something ominous lurking. I can’t shake off the feeling that whatever we saw there wasn’t just some random illusion.”
Ethan’s frown deepened as he listened to Lucas’s revelation. He glanced at Julia, and then his gaze returned to Lucas, a pondering expression on his face.
“Lucas,” Ethan began, choosing his words carefully, “do you think what you saw in those visions has a chance of becoming real? I mean, is it something that might actually happen in the future?”
Lucas met Ethan’s gaze, and after a moment’s ‘hesitation,’ he nodded. “Yeah. It’s been eating me up recently, thinking about the possibilities. It’s like a constant weight on my shoulders, and I find it hard to shake off.”
Julia leaned back in her chair, absorbing the seriousness of the situation. “So, you’ve been overworking yourself because of these visions?”
Lucas sighed. “Yeah. I can’t get them out of my head, and the more I think about them, the more it feels like they’re not just random dreams. It’s like I’ve glimpsed into a possible future, and it’s haunting me.”
Ethan also sighed, a sense of worry etched on his face. “Well, I kind of understand that. You guys remember the times when I talked about my dreams, right?”
“The dreams you mentioned when we were kids? I thought you no longer saw them.”
“Well, it is not that I no longer see them. It is just that I decided not to mention it since they seem rather childish. But, my dreams also make me feel anxious from time to time as well, so I can empathize with how Lucas feels.”
Julia looked at both Lucas and Ethan, a playful smile appearing on her face. “Well, well, how did I end up between two dreamy bastards?” she teased in a light tone, trying to ease the tension in the air.
‘I knew it; something was wrong with him since Phantom’s Land.’
Ethan chuckled, appreciating Julia’s attempt to lighten the mood. “Yeah, dreamy bastards unite.”
Lucas managed a small grin, making himself look like he was feeling a bit relieved that his friends were taking the situation in stride. This is how he ‘was supposed to act’ after all.
Julia, however, quickly shifted her gaze back to Lucas, her playful expression turning stern.
“Jokes aside, Lucas, whether it’s because of dreams or not, you better fix your attitude. You were never like the Lucas I knew at all.”
As her words escaped her mouth, Lucas’ eyes slightly widened, yet he managed to keep his expression.
‘Yeah, the Lucas you knew…..It is like, you know nothing.’
However, he didn’t show his thoughts on his face and simply nodded just as they were eating. “I will try my best.”
“You better.”
Just like that, the two continued to eat.
******
“You are doing well.”
The training ground was bathed in the soft hues of the morning sun, casting long shadows across the open space. Sylvie stood at the center, her posture markedly different from three weeks ago.
The once uncertain stance had transformed into a solid foundation, a testament to the progress she had made under Astron’s guidance.
‘I am doing well….He really praised me.’
She couldn’t help but be happy inwardly. After all, she knew this mentor of hers was quite strict with his praises as he rarely gave any insights to her.
Astron observed her with his usual demeanor, his sharp eyes scanning every movement with an approving nod. The subtle shifts in Sylvie’s muscle memory and the newfound confidence in her stance spoke volumes about the intensity of their training.
“You’ve come a long way, Sylvie,” Astron remarked, his voice measured but holding a rare note of satisfaction. “Your dedication to the training has yielded significant improvements.”
Sylvie, breathing slightly heavier but with a happy gleam in her eyes, acknowledged his words with a nod. The past three weeks had been a rigorous routine of physical conditioning, combat drills, and Astron’s meticulous guidance.
Her body had adapted, muscles growing stronger, and her reflexes becoming sharper. She had been pushing herself to the limits after everything that had happened in the Phantom’s Land.
Though she didn’t blame herself, she also experienced firsthand how hard it was to fight while protecting someone when she was carrying Jasmine to their bungalows. Thus, she now knew the importance of being able to trust the person that needed to be protected.
‘In the future, I should make my teammates be able to fight with ease without thinking about me.’
This was what she thought.
As the warmth of satisfaction settled, Astron’s gaze shifted subtly. “We can take this to the next stage,” he announced, his voice carrying an air of challenge.
Sylvie, intrigued by his words, questioned, “Next stage?”
Astron turned to face her directly, standing at a short distance. “Now that you have a solid foundation and a good grasp of the basics, it’s time to see how well you can adapt in actual combat scenarios.”
Sylvie’s eyes widened with a mix of excitement and apprehension. The notion of moving beyond the structured drills and applying her skills in dynamic situations intrigued her. She may have approached the physical training timidly at the start, but after the moment she took her first step, things changed rapidly, and she was enjoying every moment of this training.
“Combat scenarios?”
Astron nodded. “Yes. It’s time to test your adaptability and decision-making under pressure. This is an essential step in becoming a proficient combatant.”
He stepped backward, his eyes locking onto hers with a firm intensity. “Now, whenever you are ready, come at me.”
Sylvie hesitated for a moment, considering the implications of the next stage. “Is it okay?” she asked, concern creasing her brow. “You don’t have any defensive measures on you.”
Astron’s response was confident. “It’s fine. You won’t be able to land a hit.” He said it in a manner that he was nonchalant.
Even though it scratched Sylvie’s pride a little, she wasn’t delusional enough to think he could be able to injure an Awakened specialized in combat like this.
‘Then, I won’t hold back.’
Encouraged by his assurance, Sylvie squared her shoulders and took a deep breath, preparing herself for the challenge ahead.
The training ground, once a space for drills and conditioning, now transformed into an arena for a different kind of test.
“Come at me,” Astron gestured, his demeanor shifting into a stance of readiness.
“Un.” She nodded, taking the stance he taught her when she needed to attack.
–SWOOSH!
With a rapid speed enhanced by her mana, she lunged herself forward, attempting to strike him from his chest.
Yet, before her strike could even land, she saw him tilting his body slightly. New ᴏᴠʟ ᴄhapters are published on NovlFir(.)nt
–THUD!
And then, she felt the touch of his fingers on the right joint of her shoulder. Following that, her arm lost its strength.
–SWOOSH!
And then, she felt her legs no longer touching the ground and saw the world spinning.
–THUD!
“Tu, tu, tu….”
As she felt her back hitting the ground, the sensations of her body returned with the slight pain all around.
“It hurts….”
She mumbled as she turned to look at the source. He just stood there as if nothing happened and looked into her eyes.
“Get up.”
It was the start of her hell…..