I'm Back

The grass is lush and green, trees stand tall with their leaves whispering in the gentle breeze, and a nearby river babbles softly, enhancing the serene beauty of the landscape. This is an area Ayla owns, a picturesque place she once trained in during her younger years.

"Your control has gotten better, and your magic doesn't stutter as much as it used to," Kael remarks, bending down to pick up a piece of paper from the ground. 'Hmm, they're already advertising the festival three months in advance... Just what the hell are they up to?' he thinks, glaring at the flyer.

"Hmhmhm, I'm the best, aren't I?" Lysandra says with a smirk, stepping closer. She raises her arm, and from the center of her palm, a small ice sphere materializes. The sphere's surface is dotted with tiny points that constantly change density and size. With a cheeky smirk, she stands in front of Kael. The ice rapidly expands, forming a long spear nearly twice her size. The spear gleams and freezes the air around it, the tip cold and sharp. She swings it down with ease, stopping an inch from Kael's neck. Cold air swirls around him, freezing the grass beneath his feet.

"You're going to teach me a technique, right?" she demands rather than asks, her tone imperious.

"Huh?" Kael raises an eyebrow, eyeing her critically. 'Look at this little bitch, heh, at least she's flashy,' he thinks, rubbing his eyes. "Why a spear out of all things?" he asks with a heavy exhale.

"Hmhmhmhm," Lysandra laughs, clearly pleased with herself. "Because it's cool," she nods, satisfied with her own reasoning.

"It's cool? That's it?" Kael groans inwardly. 'Why does she keep disappointing me? For one month, I've been focusing on assisting her with her growth. She can create any weapon, and she chooses a spear?' He looks back at her, steeling himself. "Fine, this is your first lesson," he declares.

In a flash, his arm grabs onto hers. "Only a master spearman can fight in this range," he states. With a swift shift in his balance, he flicks her arms sideways, twisting her body mid-air and slamming her face into the earth, shattering the ground.

"Ughhh..." Lysandra groans, her face buried in the dirt. "You dick..." she mutters, her voice muffled by the soil.

Kael sighs, reaching down to help Lysandra up. "Stop being an idiot. With your abilities, you're not limited to a single fighting style. It would be stupid to teach you any advanced technique since you're—"

"That's not true," Ilka yawns, floating upside down and interrupting Kael mid-sentence.

"Wait, what?" Kael says, grabbing her with his fingers.

"Huh? What?" Lysandra echoes, scratching her head. 'He's crazy, right? He always does this. Is it normal for humans to talk to themselves?' she wonders, confusion etched on her face.

"Didn't you say that it would hinder her growth?" Kael mumbles under his breath.

"Tsk, stop it!" Ilka groans, struggling as she escapes Kael's hand. "You misunderstood me, idiot. She's a dragon. Teaching her martial arts or anything that requires mana or aura hinders her growth."

Kael taps his chin thoughtfully. "So that means weapon mastery won't affect her..." He mumbles, now tapping her chin.

Lysandra raises an eyebrow. "Hey, crazy? What the hell are you saying?" she asks, scratching her head.

"That's right. In fact, since she's one of those who can make weapons, teaching her multiple techniques would be best. You do know dragons don't have attributes, right?" Ilka explains, sitting on Kael's head.

"Yeah, obviously. They're dragons. Instead of attributes, they have something like authority manifestation, right?" Kael responds, ignoring Lysandra while continuing to tap his chin. "Are you thinking what I think you're thinking?" He leans on a tree, his curiosity piqued.

Raising her eyebrow, Ilka rolls her eyes. "Hahahahahaha, you're too stupid to think like me." She floats up, a mischievous glint in her eye. "But right now, we might be thinking the same thing. I've fought dragons before. Authority manifestation is way more complicated than attributes, but they have similar aspects. Helping and training her in multiple weapon techniques might affect manifestation and give her a warfare one. Trust me, as someone who's fought multiple dragons, some dragons with a warfare-related authority manifestation," she exhales, rolling in the air, "those are the most goddamn frustrating ones to deal with."

"Huh? You, 'the greatest of all time,' had a frustrating time dealing with them?" Kael says with a smirk.

"Hey hey hey. When I fought them, I was way younger than you. I was a stupid kid. If I had a physical body right now, no matter how weak it is, even if it were crippled, I guarantee you, no one—nobody, not even a dragon—could injure me," Ilka retorts with a scoff.

"Uh-huh, sure sure~" Kael mumbles, turning to Lysandra.

"What? Are you done talking to yourself like a crazy fucker?" she asks, raising an eyebrow.

"You're used to it, why are you complaining?" Kael exhales, walking to an open space. "Okay, forget the ice one. Make a fire one."

Lysandra follows him, smirking. "Oh? You're going to teach me something?" she says, as her ice spear shatters into a flurry of snowflakes. From the palm of her hand, another sphere appears, this time fiery, with a vibrant, hot orange glow. In an instant, the flames burst outward, consuming the space around her.

The transformation is breathtaking. The air shimmers with heat waves, and the intense light paints the surroundings in flickering shades of red and gold. 'Um... why is she so flashy?' Kael scratches his head. The flames settle into a spear, identical in shape to the ice one, but now made of pure, dancing flames.

"Alright, now toss it here," Kael sighs, extending his hand.

"Huh? Wait, what? You can't hold it... I'm controlling the flames through my hand. Only I can use this," she mumbles, confused. "You know this already," she continues.

"Stop thinking and toss it here, stupid," Kael insists, walking closer.

"What the hell are you doing?" Ilka asks, sitting cross-legged on his head, leaning her head on her arm.

"I want to test something," Kael says, extending his arm and yanking the spear from Lysandra.

"H-hey, what are—" She stops mid-sentence, her eyes widening as, instead of the spear disappearing, its vibrant red flames slowly shift in color. The fire darkens to a deep red, almost black, as Kael's fire gradually takes over.

'Ugh... this is the worst,' Kael thinks, shivering slightly as he sees his fire. "I guess it worked... controlling this isn't that hard," he mumbles, swinging the new spear experimentally.

"No fucking way!" Lysandra grins, her eyes twinkling with excitement as she takes the spear back from him.

"This is awesome! Your fire just absorbs mine! As long as I keep feeding it, it won't disappear," Lysandra says with a grin, her excitement palpable.

"Tsk, what's the point? My fire can't hurt a fly," Kael exhales. 'Ugh... why did I test this out? My fire is useless. I might need to get some points and change my affinity,' he thinks, leaning on a tree, frustration evident in his posture.

"What the hell are you talking about? Your fire is literally one of the best ones I've ever seen," Lysandra says confidently, holding up the spear and walking to a huge rock. "How can you say you know your fire when you never use it? I thought you were smart," she scoffs. The dark flames glow in her hand before stabilizing. With an exhale, she grins and makes eye contact with Kael. "See, it's easy," she says, slowly slicing the rock like butter.

"What the fuck? How did you do that?" Kael runs up to her and glares at the spear, scratching his head in confusion.

"Why are you confused? You had the fire at the lowest possible heat, I just increased the heat. It's not hard," she says as if it were the most common sense ever.

"What? What are you on about? You can increase the firepower?" He asks, baffled. 'Is it a dragon thing? I know damn well even Lilith can't do that,' he thinks, taking the spear from her.

"Of course I can, isn't it a common thing? I mean, it's not possible with every fire type. My fire is a high-ranked fire type, but your fire is higher ranked than mine, that's why it absorbs my flames," she says, stretching out.

"No, we can't do what you can... we can increase our firepower by increasing the flames or condensing fire together, but we can't change the temperature of fire. What the hell is fire ranking and how does someone as stupid as you know about it?" Kael asks, rubbing his temples, clearly frustrated and confused.

"Oh, that's because my mom taught me when I was a kid. She took me to a weird cave where she showed me lots of fires. They all tasted good...." she stops herself, scratching her head. "I'm still confused though, Mom said she collected all fire types but I never saw your fire in the cave, which is weird. Your fire does feel similar to one of hers but it's also completely different..." she mumbles, trying to piece things together.

"My fire is similar to one of your mother's?" he exhales, his mind racing. 'What the hell is your origin, Brey? I thought your fire was just weird...' Kael asks, looking at his hands, the dark flames flickering in his palms.

"Ugh... whatever, I don't have time for this right now. We'll talk about it later. Okay, now tell me what you promised me," Kael says seriously as his fire vanishes.

"Ugh... I know, I know. I won't make a scene. I don't get why you don't just take me along," Lysandra responds, annoyed, rolling her eyes.

"I told you why already. It's not like you'll be staying here. You'll stay with Eira so you can play around with your zombie friends. Ayla is currently getting the excuses ready. I'm only going to be gone for two months. Have fun," he says with a smile.

"Huh? Aren't you leaving tomorrow—" before she can finish her sentence, a rift appears behind her, and Kael pushes her in.

"Bye~" he waves at her.

"You son of—" The rift closes before she can finish her sentence. Kael turns around and sits down.

"You can come out now," he mumbles.

"W-when did you notice?" A voice says, slowly revealing themselves as they jump down from a tree.

"Sera's sleeping?" Kael ignores her question.

"Yeah... just like you said... I'm in control right now," she says, looking at the ground, avoiding eye contact.

Kael stands up and walks over to her. She looks up to see him but trembles and closes her eyes as he brings his hand down. Instead of hitting her like she expected, Kael pats her shoulder once.

"Come on, follow me," he says quietly, walking on the grassy field. It's peaceful around, with birds chirping and critters running through the grass. After some time, a building comes into sight. It's not big, simply a stone structure open from all sides with a couch and a painting. Kael sits down, and she follows, her mind racing. 'What did he call me for... Is he finally going to kill me?' she panics internally.

"The painting," Kael mumbles, and she trembles for a second before looking up.

★ ★ ★

-HER POV

"The painting," Kael mumbles, breaking the silence.

I look up at it. It's not just a painting; it's alive. The scene within shows a village with people and children, nature in its rawest form. Children play, villagers struggle to survive. Animals fight, kill, give birth, feed their young, and watch them get eaten by others. The cycle of life and death is laid bare in this moving masterpiece. I stare at it, my thoughts spiraling deeper.

'It's nature… so sad. Nothing but fighting, killing, and eating. A relentless cycle of pain and survival. The villagers toil and suffer, the animals live in constant fear. The children laugh, but for how long? How long before they, too, are pulled into this endless struggle? There's no peace, only brief moments of respite between the agony. It's a harsh, unforgiving reality.'

"What do you think of it?" Kael asks, his voice calm and steady.

I hesitate, the words caught in my throat. "It's... it's painful," I say, my voice trembling. "The struggle to survive, the constant fight... it's sad. The villagers, the animals, they all suffer so much. They kill and are killed. It's difficult and heartbreaking."

Kael watches me, his expression unreadable. Silence stretches between us, heavy and palpable.

"It's scary, isn't it? To be constantly questioning your own existence..." he finally says, still staring at the painting.

"When Sera saw this painting, she saw something else. She saw the beauty in life—the children laughing, the animals living in harmony, the resilience of nature. She saw joy and hope amidst the struggle."

I feel a lump in my throat. "But... I have her memories, her feelings. I am Sera," I insist, though my voice wavers.

Kael shakes his head gently. "You have her memories because you were part of her. You share her body, her brain. But you are not her. You are your own person now. This painting, your reaction to it, proves that."

I stare at the painting blankly. "I see it, the beauty," I respond weakly, trying to convince myself as much as him.

"No, you don't," Kael replies softly. Another silence follows, and then he exhales, gently forcing my head up to look at the painting. "It's okay. You're not Sera. You don't have to keep lying to yourself. You see the pain and suffering in this painting. You see the inevitable truth of nature, there's nothing wrong with that. That's your first impression. That's what makes you different from Sera. She smiled when she saw this; you frown. She saw the happiness the village has despite the constant struggle. You see the pain the people go through each day."

"No," I whisper, the word escaping before I can stop it. "I'm Sera."

"No," I say again, louder this time. "I am Sera."

"You see the truth in the suffering," Kael insists, his voice gentle but firm. "You understand the harshness of life in a way Sera does not."

"No! I'm Sera!" I shout, my voice breaking. Internally, the mantra repeats: 'I'm Sera, I'm Sera, I'm Sera.'

Kael exhales, turning his gaze back to the painting. "There are multiple reasons why you and Sera have different views. One of them is that you have her memories. You can feel the emotions she had in those memories, the constant struggles she went through growing up, taking care of her brother. But you weren't there in person, you didn't experience it firsthand, you simply saw it. Sera is a kind-hearted soul who went out of her way to create a path for herself and her brother. You're confused, right? You saw her childhood, and you think she could have become a criminal. A small crime to feed her brother would have been fine in your eyes, but to her, it was not."

I blink, tears starting to blur my vision as his words hit home. 'He's right. I saw her memories, felt her emotions, but I wasn't there. I didn't live it like she did. She was so strong, so determined. I just... watched.'

"Sera isn't afraid of me," Kael continues, his voice steady. "She's faced me in battle without hesitation. You're different. You hesitate because you're copying her techniques instead of creating your own. Sera's strength comes from her own experiences and her own choices. You need to find your own path, your own way."

"No," I whisper, shaking my head. "I'm Sera."

"You're not," Kael says firmly. "And that's okay."

Tears stream down my face before I even realize it. "I'm Sera!" I insist, my voice cracking.

Kael's eyes remain fixed on the painting. "Look at yourself," he says softly. "You're crying."

I touch my cheeks, feeling the wetness of my tears, confused. 'Why am I crying? If he's wrong, why am I crying?'

My head lowers, eyes squeezed shut. Inside, confusion swirls. 'Am I even human? How can Kael or anyone make me human? What am I, really? I have Sera's memories, her feelings, but I'm not her. It's all so confusing, so cold and unsure.'

Kael's calm voice breaks through my thoughts. "I don't hate you like you think I do. It's okay to be scared and confused. You're allowed to feel lost. But you have to accept that you're not Sera."

I open my eyes, staring at the ground, my tears falling onto the lush grass. "I... I don't know who I am," I whisper, my voice barely audible.

Kael turns to me and gives a small smile. "Okay, let's change that Nova"

"Nova?" I repeat, the name sounding foreign and strange on my tongue.

He nods. "You're not Sera, it's only right you have your own name," Kael mumbles.

I feel a wave of confusion, unsure of what to think or say. 'Why is he doing this? Why is he giving me a new name? What does he mean I'm not Sera? I'm scared...' I know he's right, but it terrifies me to admit it. But why do I hesitate? Why am I so scared? 

"W-why... why are you doing this?" I ask, my voice barely above a whisper.

Kael looks back at the painting, his expression thoughtful. "I didn't expect someone like you to exist... but you do. You have the potential to be strong. You are not Sera, and you don't see your fighting potential because you've been so focused on copying her techniques."

He stands up and extends his hand. "I'm going to be gone for a while, and I need you to train properly. I need someone strong. The future is rough, so why would I hesitate to make a new friend?"

His words send a whirlwind of emotions through me. 'Friend? He wants me to be his friend? A friend... not as Sera but as Nova... Why does this make me feel... weird? Why does it feel so strange and warm inside?' My thoughts are jumbled, a chaotic mess of fear, confusion, and a strange new feeling I can't quite place.

I repeat the name internally, over and over. 'Nova. Nova. Nova. I think... I like it... Nova.'