Chapter 21: The First Taste of Power

With early light seeping into the room through the window and Kai eyes opened up as he blinked. A bit of pain remained within him, but something within seemed different: a vital buzz coursing through, the first energy raw to feel within himself. First was Lia; he should see if she's fine. Slowly rising up from the bed, he left and came out of the bed-room for Lia.

Lia lay open-eyed, though still very pale, smiling with a very tiny, very soft smile on her lips, as he stepped inside. A few quiet words passed between them about that battle with the iron snake, the near-miss that almost took them both, and the strange, powerful feeling they'd unlocked in themselves. Though totally exhausted both physically and in mind, in their hearts was this unexpressed excitement.

Kai walked off along the road to home after leaving Lia. None of this ever happened in his life before. Slowly, everything began hitting him vibrantly, smallest detail started to surface more clearly, sharper and stronger. He could distinctly hear the sound of people talking in village; the chirping of the birds; even the silent rustling of leaves which would happen if a squirrel jumped from one branch of a tree to another.

He halted, struck by the acuteness of his senses. He could see the rustling of soft ants over the ground near him, the crunch of dry grass under his feet, and the smell of damp earthy soil. The sunlight passing through the trees was so close that he could touch its warmth. His mind was racing with amazement and excitement as he continued towards home, absorbing every little detail as if he were seeing his world anew.

He hardly could hold himself as he reached his house. He opened the door with a great burst and found Mira in the kitchen, her back to him as she prepared breakfast.

"Mom!" he called out with a bright grin on his face. "I finally did it. I formed the Willforce Seed!"

Mira turned and gave him a small, soft smile. But excitement he had expected wasn't there; instead, it had quiet sadness in it, and her eyes were sparkling with a hint of worry. That made his heart sink, dampening his enthusiasm.

"Mom… what's wrong?" he asked, his voice softening.

She shook her head, reaching up to place a gentle hand on his head. "Nothing, Kai. It's just." She took a deep breath, gathering herself. "I'm so proud of you. You've taken your first steps on a powerful, yet dangerous path. Just… don't scare me like that again."

Kai nodded, feeling a hint of guilt mixed with his pride. "I won't, Mom. I promise."

She smiled and tapped him on the shoulder, even so, he could see a gap within her left to say something.

The following morning, Kai met Lia, and the two walked together to the usual training session. Both of them were glad things returned to normal, but neither of them could forget Garrick's words two days prior. The words hung over their heads like a dark cloud; it was as if he warned them of what would befall them, because they had transgressed in breaking the rule that was never to be broken.

He stood on the training field, his arms folded over his chest, a grim look firmly set in his face. "Great, you both finally made an appearance, I'm glad," he said with an even voice but an undertone that was almost sharp steel.

No word was necessary for him to begin their schedule of punishment. It was as pitiless as they had feared. He started by having them run laps on the training field-over and over again, until every step seemed to send sparks through tired legs. The sun was hot enough by then that it drenched them with sweat, with sharp labored gasps coming between their breaths.

And that wasn't enough.

"Pick up those weights," he barked, nodding at the heavy iron rods that rested against the ground. "Across your shoulders. Hold them level, move forward."

Kai and Lia exchanged a glance and reached out to lift the weights over their shoulders. It felt like mountain climbing under the weight of the strain that caused limbs to shake. Garrick kept by their side, his eyes on their every move, yet no expression on his face.

After the completion of the laps, Garrick led them to the sparring grounds. "Now, let's see if you can still remember the basics after breaking the rules." He threw Kai a wooden spear and handed Lia a training sword. "Fight. No holding back. And this time, keep your Willforce steady."

Still aching from the earlier exercises, they steeled themselves and nodded at each other, ready to begin their sparring. Each blow came measured, each defense fine-tipped, but Garrick looked for that crack in armor, that slip up in their step, before the moment someone flared it was corrected by his crisp word or the sharp strike he showed them.

Hours passed in this relentless manner—running, lifting, sparring—an endless cycle of physical strain and mental endurance. They felt their Willforce flicker, a new reservoir of strength they were only beginning to understand, but one that demanded every ounce of their concentration to maintain.

At the end of the day, when they could barely stand and their limbs throbbed with exhaustion, Garrick finally called an end to their punishment.

"You two did fine today," he said with a slight nod of his head. "But never forget: strength alone isn't going to keep you both safe. Discipline and respect will."

As they limped home, Kai and Lia smiled to each other wearily; for the first time ever, they thought they would emerge a little tougher and a little wiser out of this brutal punishment. The road ahead seemed unbearable, but for the very first time, they had an inkling of getting ready to face it as one.