Chapter-19 Return to Terra

Three Days Later, Lennox woke up, excited about the lessons the elder man in his dream had taught him. He couldn't wait to try out his newfound ultimate skill, but he knew he had to wait for the right moment. Using the techniques required extreme focus, he didn't know the side effects of it and he needed to save it for a situation where he truly needed it Besides in the vision, it showed it would drain his energy, making it difficult for him to move.

Lennox started his day with some stretches, preparing for his daily exercise routine. As he did push-ups, he counted aloud, trying to focus on his workout, calculated breathing for the most efficient growth.

"87

"88

"89

"Tap!, Tap!"

Suddenly, in the middle of counting, he heard a knock at the door. Surprised, he glanced at his wooden dorm door, wondering who could be there. No one ever knocked on his door before, not even Nadia, Theo or Kira he always had to go to find any of them.

Outside Lennox's dorm room, Theo crouched, a mischievous grin on his face, holding a small device in his hand. This device was an illusion projector, one of his favorite tools for pranks.

Carefully, Theo set up the projector to create a lifelike image of a snake right in front of Lennox's door. The snake looked incredibly realistic, complete with scales and a flickering tongue.

With everything in place, Theo pressed a hidden button on the device, and the illusion sprang to life. The snake seemed to slither and coil, blocking Lennox's way to the door.

Inside the room, Lennox approached the door, only to stop in his tracks when they saw the lifelike snake. Lennox wasn't afraid, having grown used to various creatures during his time in Mash City mainly the forest he ate snake for breakfast and lunch.

Lennox couldn't shake off the feeling that something was off about the snake's movements. It appeared unnaturally precise and intentional.

Driven by curiosity, Lennox extended his hand carefully and attempted to touch the snake. Much to his surprise, his hand went right through it! It turned out to be nothing more than an illusion.

Meanwhile, from his hiding place, Theo couldn't hold back his laughter any longer. He erupted into giggles, thoroughly amused by Lennox's reaction. As the realization of the prank set in, he couldn't help but chuckle too, appreciating the cleverness of the illusion, as sometimes he's too serious and with Theo around he started relaxing talking more and showing emotions.

Theo stood up, revealing himself with his mischievous grin still intact. "Gotcha, Nox!" he exclaimed. "Even though it didn't work, I thought you might need a little excitement to start your day."

Lennox shook their head, unable to suppress a smile. "You certainly know how to make an entrance, Theo."

The two shared a hearty laugh, and Lennox couldn't help but admire Theo's ability to bring fun and spontaneity into their life, even without expecting anything in return.

Theo's laughter subsided. "Well, Mentor Nadia is calling us to a meeting room," he said, wiping a small tear of joy from the corner of his eye.

Lennox nodded and walked with Theo towards the meeting room. Upon entering, Lennox noticed Kira in the corner, gazing out the window. A sense of importance hung in the air, making Lennox feel that something significant was about to transpire.

Curious, Lennox turned to Kira. "So, you didn't have time to visit me?" he asked, his concern evident.

Kira slowly turned back from the window, her expression enigmatic. "Well, I had important things happening," she replied, keeping her response brief.

"Was it something bad?" Lennox inquired, his worry deepening as he recalled past situations.

"No," Kira replied, her tone reassuring.

Although Kira wanted to share her experiences with Lennox, she felt it wasn't the right time. She cherished her friendship with him, as he was the only person she felt comfortable talking to. Similarly, Lennox struggled with expressing himself, so he became anxious, fearing he might have done something wrong.

"Hmm, alright," Lennox said, choosing to trust her.

When Kira continued to be absent, Lennox went to the second part of the academy, searching for her. He discovered that she had left the academy to deal with family matters, leaving him with a mix of understanding and concern for his friend.

"Wait, you two know each other?" Theo exclaimed, pointing at Lennox and Kira in surprise.

Lennox nodded, and Theo walked over, placing a hand on Lennox's shoulder.

Theo chuckled. "Well, the two quiet and solitary Nexacr in the academy are friends. This is really surprising," he said, his tone filled with amusement.

Theo had never realized that Lennox and Kira were friends, as he was usually with Lennox when Kira wasn't around, and vice versa.

As they continued talking, the meeting room door opened once more. They all turned to see Nadia entering, her expression hurried. Curiosity filled the room as everyone looked at her.

Nadia walked behind her desk. "You all are gathering today for something very serious that can have both good and bad consequences for you," she announced.

"Okay, what can be so serious?" Kira asked, her curiosity piqued.

Nadia met their gazes sternly. "You all will be going on a practice mission," she replied.

"What!" Lennox said and Theo said"Whizzlefritz" they both exclaimed in disbelief.

"A mission? What mission, and why?" Lennox quickly inquired.

Lennox had never been outside the academy since their arrival, and the concept of missions was unfamiliar to them. However, Kira, having been at the academy longer, understood what Nadia meant, her expression becoming serious.

"Well, on Earth, there has been a Nexus breach," Nadia explained. "Malevolent creatures entered Earth through the breach, attacking citizens and destroying cities."

Upon hearing Nadia's explanation, the urgency of the mission became evident, and a tense atmosphere settled in the room. Everyone understood the gravity of a Nexus breach a rupture or disturbance in the barrier separating realms, allowing malevolent entities and energies to cross over.

Panic etched across Lennox's face as they voiced their concern. "What are we supposed to do? We've never fought any malevolent creatures before," they said, fear of their own inadequacy growing inside them.

Nadia, her voice tinged with regret, spoke up. "I'm sorry, but this practice is necessary."

Nadia, well-versed in following rules from the Nexarch and engaging in battles due to her upbringing, understood the complexities of the situation. "I understand your concerns, but there's no time to prepare. You have to leave immediately," she said. "But don't worry... I've prepared some equipment for you and have weapons for your mission."

Curiosity piqued, everyone watched as Nadia reached for the chest on the side of her desk, pulling out various items.

"These are the Zephyr blades," Nadia explained, handing a pair of metal gauntlets to Theo. The gauntlets were a deep metallic blue, resembling polished sapphire. Each one had sharp, curved blades attached to the forearm, resembling a blend of daggers and throwing knives.

"And this is the ShadowStrider," Maya continued, handing Kira a bow. Its sleek design combined a reinforced core of darkened wood with ornate silver inlays. The bowstring, woven from strands of silvery moonshadow silk, was as strong as it was supple, promising a powerful shot. 

"My very first weapon, the Flamewood Enigma Staff," Maya said, handing Lennox a wooden staff. The staff was about five feet in length, adorned with intricate carvings and runic symbols along its length. The wood had a deep, fiery red hue with golden accents. At its tip, a multifaceted crystal, resembling a blazing ember, was securely embedded.

Nadia then produced another item. "I have been meaning to give you this for a while, as a reward for your growing strength," she said, handing Lennox a pair of metal and leather gloves with Nexus veins running through them.

"What are these gloves?" Lennox asked, feeling their lightness and power.

"Those are Aetherblades. They allow Nexarcs to channel their bloodline abilities more effectively, especially those who can deal damage to themselves," Nadia explained. "They come with many functions, including Bloodline Channeling, customizable gemstones, defensive capabilities, and more. You'll learn how to use them better when you safely return."

Nadia then turned her attention to Kira and Theo. "Those are from your mentors," she said.

Gratefully, Lennox, Theo, and Kira thanked Nadia for the weapons.

"Now, let's go quickly," Nadia said, walking toward the door. "It's time to open the Nexus portal."

Nadia exited the door, and Lennox, Theo, and Kira quickly followed her outside, arriving at the courtyard where no one was around. As they walked, a crystalline archway door appeared, semi-transparent and engraved with different runes on the surface.

"This is the Nexus portal, not the academy's real portal. It's just for Nexarcs students," Nadia explained.

The Nexus portal served as a vital tool connecting all realms, and Nadia demonstrated its usage by tapping a pocket-sized crystal-clear satchel on her hip. She revealed a palm-sized gemstone, iridescent with hues of blue, purple, and green, intricately engraved. Nadia approached the archway, holding the gemstone, and Nexus energy appeared, causing the academy's sigil to flash brightly and emit an unidentified, loud hum.

"Come," Nadia called, rousing Lennox and the others from their awe. They followed her, stepping cautiously towards the portal.

"While inside, don't step off the path, or you'll be stuck forever in what we call the Infinite," Nadia warned, her tone grave.

Lennox, Kira, and Theo nodded in fear. Lennox gathered his courage and asked, "Is there anything else we need to know?"

Nadia added a final piece of advice. "Try not to be influenced by what you see. Voidspawns are pure creations. Good luck!"

Before Lennox and the others could respond, the portal closed, and they found themselves back in the world they had seen before coming to the academy, on the Pathway of Thousands of A Realms.

After a few minutes of moving through the portal, they arrived on Earth. Suddenly, they heard the sound of dragging branches and twigs hitting against each other, followed by a menacing roar behind them. Tension filled the air as they turned to face the unknown threat, bracing themselves for what lay ahead.