Departure

Early in the morning, before dawn could even break, Tom began his preparations. He took a refreshing shower, fully enjoying the moment, knowing that once he entered the Trial world, such comforts might not be readily available.

The training with Vista had indeed improved his physique, and while he hadn't become incredibly muscular in just a few days, his physical condition had significantly improved. He felt more experienced in combat, hoping that this newfound knowledge would help him survive the trials that awaited him today.

After finishing his shower, Tom wrapped himself in a clean towel and was about to change when someone knocked on his door. At first, he thought it might be Leon, as only he could be so insistent, but the continuous knocking became forceful enough that Tom had to call out, "Come in."

The door opened, and to Tom's surprise, it wasn't Leon who walked in, but Sarah. She glanced around the room for a moment before redirecting her attention to Tom, who was standing there with just a towel wrapped around his body. Seeing him like that, Sarah blushed, caught off guard by the unexpected sight. She tried to divert her gaze, but her eyes refused to leave Tom's body. His new muscles had added to his charm, and even though Tom had always been in good shape, the added muscle enhanced his appeal.

Tom couldn't help but notice Sarah's prolonged stare, and with a mischievous grin, he said, "You like what you see?" Suddenly, Sarah snapped out of her reverie, realizing she had been staring for a few seconds. She blushed even more, feeling embarrassed by her unintentional scrutiny. 'She's so adorable,' Tom couldn't help but find Sarah beautiful, and though he had some feelings for her, he never acted upon them. After a few seconds, Sarah composed herself and said, "Laila sent me to wish you good luck for the Trial of Power. She wanted to be here, but she couldn't make it."

Tom's emotions were conflicted upon hearing this. On one hand, he was glad that Laila still thought about him, but on the other hand, he couldn't forget the past incident and still felt a sense of resentment. 'If I survive the Trial of Power, I'll try to meet her and resolve this matter,' he decided, pushing that thought to the back of his mind, not wanting to think about their dispute on the day he was to face the Trial.

To change the subject, Tom looked at Sarah and used the same teasing smile as before, saying, "Oh, that's a shame. I thought you came here to stop me from changing my mind and not participating in the Trial of Power." He said it in a playful manner, but to his surprise, Sarah looked hesitant, which caught him off guard. "You don't mean you actually came to stop me?" Tom exclaimed in surprise.

Sarah paused, fixing her gaze on his eyes, a little timidly, and responded, "You know, the Trial of Power can be very dangerous. You could lose your life—" She didn't get to finish her sentence before Tom burst into laughter, saying, "Says the one who aced the trial with an S-level score!"

Sarah retorted, "My trial wasn't that difficult. Yours might be more—"

Before she could finish her sentence, Tom moved closer to her, gently holding her chin and raising her face to meet his eyes. With a smile, he said, "Don't worry about me. I'll likely survive."

In that moment, Sarah blushed even more, and Tom, realizing the intimate gesture he had made, also blushed but continued to hold Sarah's gaze. She was becoming more beautiful by the second, and unintentionally, his gaze shifted to her lips, and he thought, 'God, I'd love to kiss her.' Sarah was looking at him with a similar expression, and as he leaned in, about to kiss her, the bedroom door swung open wide, and Leon walked in, saying, "Hey, Tom, are you done—"

Seeing the scene before him, Leon quickly added, "Oh! I didn't know that... I'll give you two some time," and he hurriedly left the room, leaving Tom feeling irritated at his friend's timing, while Sarah blushed even more than before. Her usual composure disappeared, and before Tom could say anything, she quickly left his room.

***

After the incident in his room, Tom continued with his preparations. He put on his training attire, a comfortable, black outfit that suited him well with his black hair and eyes. The outfit had stylish red accents and was technologically advanced, offering protection against various natural elements such as cold and heat. It was the same kind of training gear worn by power users in Vista's guild, a testament to its durability. Vista had given it to Tom to ensure his defense in the Trial world.

Once dressed, Tom headed downstairs to the usual training room, where he found Leon waiting for him. The dawn had just broken, and the room was peaceful. Leon greeted Tom with a smile and teasingly said, "So, you and Sarah, huh?" Tom responded with a smirk and just said, "No comment," which made Leon burst into laughter.

They spent some time chatting, with Leon attempting to lighten Tom's mood and take his mind off the upcoming Trial. Tom appreciated his friend's efforts and felt grateful for having someone like Leon by his side.

After about an hour of conversation, He closed his eyes, taking deep breaths, and began to meditate, focusing on his desire to participate in the Trial of Power.

As he delved into the depths of his consciousness, he could sense the etherium resonating around him, he sensed a fluctuations in the surrounding energy, but he remained calm and continued his focus.

Leon, sitting nearby, also sensed the fluctuations and heard Vista's voice behind him. Vista asked, "Has it already begun?" Leon turned to his father and replied, "Yes, it's been an hour."

Both father and son stayed silent, not wanting to disturb Tom during his meditation.

The fluctuations in the space around Tom grew stronger, and a luminescent magical portal began to take shape. The phenomenon drew the attention of others who had arrived in the training room - Tom's sisters, Marie and Samantha, as well as his friends, Sarah, Abigail, and Kam.

The portal continued forming, and after a few minutes, it was complete. Tom rose from his meditation, turned to his loved ones, and approached them to bid farewell.

He first walked over to his sisters and embraced them, holding Marie to his right and Samantha to his left. Despite encouraging him to take the Trial, his sisters couldn't help but have tears in their eyes.

As he hugged them tightly, he smiled and said, "Don't worry, I'll come back." Samantha, still tearful, replied, "You better." Marie added, "Take care, big brother." Tom smiled, patting their heads, and said, "You both take care too."

He then turned to his friends, Abigail, Kam, and Leon. Seeing him approach, Leon said, "No need for sentimental farewells between us. Just come back alive."

He held out his fist towards Tom. Tom smiled, did the same gesture, and they bumped their fists together. Kam chimed in, "As he said, boss." Kam, too, made the same gesture, and together, Tom and Kam fist-bumped as well.

Tom then turned to Abigail, who blushed under his gaze but managed to say, "Come back alive, Tom."

To which Tom replied, "I promise."

Then, he faced Vista, who said, "Remember this, Tom: To protect something, you must be willing to fight for it. To realize your beliefs, you need strength. In a struggle, it's only right to take a life."

After giving his advice, Vista placed his hand on Tom's shoulder and said, "Take care, kid." Tom replied, "Thanks for everything, uncle Vista, and take care of my sisters for me."

Vista reassured him, "Don't worry, they're in good hands. Just do what you have to do."

Tom smiled at Vista and lastly turned to face Sarah, whose cheeks immediately flushed red when their eyes met.

Seeing her reaction, Tom thought, 'cute.'

He moved closer to Sarah and said, "Hey." Sarah stammered in response, "H-Hey, good luck with your t-trial."

"Thanks, and take care," Tom replied.

After this brief exchange, Sarah expected him to turn around and walk through the portal, but to her surprise, and everyone else's, Tom moved even closer to her and kissed her before she could protest.

As quickly as he had kissed her, Tom turned back toward the portal, laughed, and ran toward it. Just before disappearing into the portal, he turned to Sarah with a smile and said, "I really wanted to do that... hahaha."

Amidst laughter, Tom jumped into the portal before anyone could react. Everyone was left in astonishment at Tom's antics, but Leon, was the first to react, he burst into laughter, saying, "That's the Tom I know, haha!"

The room fell silent for a moment as they processed what had just happened. Abigail chuckled, breaking the silence, "Well, that's Tom for you. Always full of surprises."

Kam nodded in agreement, "Yeah, he never fails to keep things interesting."

Marie and Samantha exchanged amused glances, used to their brother's unpredictable nature.

As for Sarah, she remained there, stunned, and thought, 'Did he just steal my first kiss?'

When the realization hit her, she exclaimed:

"YOU BASTARD!"

Unfortunately for her by then, Tom had already vanished.