[Rin's POV.]
the next 2 days felt like weeks, but it finally arrived. the day me and kael would be training under meika, the same person who wouldn't even allow us to look at a sword, now training us. it felt like a dream.
We both got ready and left the Dormitory, we arrived back at the woods where meika told us to meet at to train. We arrived.
Kael glanced at me, then around the trees. "You think she's late?"
I was about to answer when I heard a rush of wind.
Without warning, Meika was behind us, her foot swept out low. I barely jumped back in time, Kael tripped and hit the dirt.
"Lesson one," she said, stepping forward as I moved between her and Kael. "Never think you're safe just because it's 'training'."
I pushed Nyth through my body, the cold of ice gathering around my arms. She charged.
She didn't draw her weapon. Just her fists, fast as lightning. I ducked one punch, slid under her next, and threw out a wall of ice between us. It shattered in a second. she blasted through it with one sharp palm.
I backed up, panting. My legs burned, but my mind stayed sharp. I threw a thin blade of ice toward her shoulder, hoping to slow her. She caught it mid-air, melted it with fire, and flicked her wrist, launching a shock of wind that sent me flying into a tree.
I dropped down, coughing, and forced myself to stand.
"Still got fight in you?" Meika asked, her tone unreadable.
I ran at her this time, coating my fists in sharp ice, striking fast. She blocked with the flat of her palm, her eyes focused but not tense. She was holding back, ofcourse she was, but that didn't stop me from pushing everything I had into it.
For a moment, I managed to match her pace. She backed off a step, and that alone felt like a win.
Suddenly her speed increased dramatically, i could see, not react. as she hit me on my chest with her palm, breathing felt tiring, as i fell to the ground. i saw meika standing there.
"You pass." Meika said, coldly as always.
Kael was already on his feet by the time I hit the ground. He didn't waste time checking on me, he knew it was his turn.
He ran at her with no words, flames flickering at his fists, but not flaring out. He kept them close, focused, like Kaito taught him. He went for a feint, then tried to swing low with a kick. Meika caught his leg and spun him, but he landed on his feet, sliding back
"Not bad." she said.
Kael didn't answer. He kept coming, faster now, pushing Nyth into his arms, legs, every part of him. He didn't try to overwhelm her—he aimed to outlast her. His footwork had improved, his speed was up, and every punch came sharper than the last.
But ultimately she stepped in. One strike to the gut, and Kael folded. He stayed on his knees, breathing hard, head low.
Then he looked up at her, fire still flickering in his eyes.
"Passed, Rin did better, Kael, you have to improve your nyth control, its extremely unbalanced. Rin, focus on making strikes stronger and more lethal. Nonetheless, you both did good." Meika said again.
We both lay in the dirt, staring at the clouds through the trees. My lungs ached. My arms were jelly. Kael groaned beside me. Though i felt proud, finally i got meika to notice me, i didnt know about kael, but he had to feel that way too. i was too tired to stand, kael was probably too, but he had some energy in him. he sat up, barely.
"when's... our first mission?" Kael said, through pants. as i wished i could just hit him, but i was too exhausted to bother.
Meika raised an eyebrow, she looked done with kael. couldn't blame her.
"Seriously? both of you, go home. ill decide if your ready or not." Meika said, as she walked off without saying anything else
"Help me get up..." i said, as kael sighed at meika's response, and me probably. as an hour later, we arrived at our shared room. it was barely 2 p.m and i felt sleepy as hell. kael slopped on his bed, not before me ofcourse. i managed to sleep. i don't know about kael, i woke up a few hours later, my body still ached but it felt much better t hen before. it was like 5 p.m right now, there goes my sleep schedule... kael was doing some burpees.
His.. stamina always impressed me, he was a meathead. anywho, i got up, and ofcourse freshened up. took a shower and everything, i got out, drying. someone knocked on the door, me and kael exchanged glances. as i quickly wore my shirt, and opened the door, kael just sat on his bed, looking towards the door, it was a woman wearing the ADC uniform, it had a emblem above the chest. i didnt recognize her.
"Yes?" i ask her. door half open.
"Hello, rin? i assume?" the woman said. as i nodded. before i could open my mouth, she spoke.
"I was sent by Miss Meika, she told me to inform you and your brother, kael. that she has officially approved a mission for you two, it will take place 2 days from now, she said if you have any questions regarding it, then come to her office on the day the mission is. not earlier or later." the woman said, i glanced at kaels bed, he wasn't there, just behind me, listening, either way we exchanged curious glances, as i nodded. looking back at the woman.
"uh, okay, alright, thanks." i said, closing the door in her face, as i look to kael, realizing that was kinda rude, i quickly open the door to apologize, but she's already gone. okay...
"So... our first mission." Kael said, as i closed the door.
"yeah. im surprised meika decided already... don't you think its unusual?" i said to kael, it was odd, it was unlike meika, the training and now the mission.
"yeah, but either way, its our win right? we get to go on a mission without having to keep it secret! so stop being so gloomy!" kael said, grinning, as i nodded, he was right, it was our win.
Two days, they went by in a flash. me and kael were absolutely ready, we had gotten some basic iron swords, from totally legal means. as we were in our gear. we went to meika's office, opening the door, we saw Meika sitting at her chair, sae and kaito leaning on the wall on the sides, and two swords, and some armor.
"So, whats our mission?" Kael said, he was excited, i also was, but something just felt off, i looked right at meika, her usual cold stare, it was there, but it was less cold, with more... intent. Like i was a bar of gold in a pile of trash, it was the best way i could describe it. it wasn't something i was familiar with. it caught me off guard, but i tried not to focus on it.
"The sword and armor is yours, you brought your own for no reason." Meika said, kael sighed. grabbing the swords and tossing one to me, these were actual swords, for killing, demon killing.
"Frostshard?" i ask, admiring the sword i got, i knew Kael's sword was helliron.
"bullseye." Sae said with a smirk. as kael swung his helliron sword a little.
"Lets go now, cant wait anymore." Kael said with a grin. as i nodded, Meika looked at us with approval, something neither of us had, i still thought something was off. Either way, just as we were about to leave. Kaito said something.
"dont get yourselves killed, especially you Kael." Kaito said, i could see he was concerned. as kael nodded, i smirked a little. we left. finally, our first mission, finally. we could leave Velmaris, finally, we could see the outside world. we stepped out the gates, it was, well sunny.
"its not like i imagined, no destruction, no rainy clouds. dang, underwhelming." Kael said.
"bro are you- nevermind. you ARE stupid, the weather isnt gonna change just cause we went a few meters from Velmaris, you retard." I said to kael, how stupid was he?
"I mean... you are right and all, but DO NOT call me a retard" kael said, pouting, as we continued walking.
i sighed. "Yeah, alright, just don't say some stupid shit like that please" i said to kael. as kael didnt say anything, we continued walking to the location we were supposed to get too.
an hour or so later, the weather didnt change alot, but we could see some ruins, not alot, but we still saw them occasionally, we arrived, it was a forest... this was eerie.
[Kael's POV.]
Dang, this forest was scary as hell, anyways, i glanced at rin, he didnt seem scared, maybe a little nervous, dude was always like that.
"Lets go in, we should stop wasting time." Rin said to me. as i nodded, we went in, it was silent, no birds. not even the crickets. i couldn't even hear the leaves. then suddenly, Leaves crunching, rin and i both pull our swords out immediately, we see a shadow in the tree, rin charges at it. i wasn't expecting that, but i followed, as we both kept chasing after it, then it stopped at a mountain, finally we could see it, a real demon... it was like 8 feet, slightly too long arms, eyes like a black cat, a weird ass cat. hands with cracks in them, mouths too wide, horns protruding out its head, holy.. that's terrifying.
"Two prey... Fresh too. how exciting." the demon said, Shit. this demon can talk, only Wraithborne or Archfiends could speak, we are so fucked... i glanced at rin, he was scared, i could feel it. but he was less scared then me, and calm aswell, i start breathing heavily, more steps, or more like someone landing from height. the hell... what now? i glance around, more demons, just like the demon that spoke. oh come on... i felt something at my foot, i glance down, it was rin's foot, i look at him, he mouths. "Run." as i nod, we both start running, a hand at my foot, i get pulled back, rin was gone, not ahead of me, just behind me, he got pulled back before i did, as i turn and try cutting the demons hand, nothing. absolutely nothing, i just get thrown back, crashing into the mountain which was like 200 meters away from me. fuck, that hurt. i look at rin, hes fighting, or trying to. using his ice, he's trying to get to me, i take a deep breath, running towards him, as a demon gets in my way. i make a huge cloud of fire, i know it wont hurt the demon even a little, but maybe, just maybe i could trick it, i grab a rock below me, throwing it to t he demons left, as i quietly but quickly dash to the right, towards rin. i could see, the other few demons were just looking, like this was a game, it pissed me off. but i was pissing my pants, i couldn't do shit, and i knew it.
"Rin!" i yell out, unleashing a huge blast of fire with all my strength as rin covers himself in ice, quickly i feel him grab my hand as i throw him out, while he pulls me with him, we somehow manage to land. as we start SPRINTING, I'm sure we were the fastest in the verse that time, probably mentally though, as i saw rins foot being grabbed, i grabbed his arm pulling him towards me, i knew this demon was playing with us, cause i was still holding onto rin. i saw it, rin was scared. no, he was terrified. i didnt want him to die, but i didnt want myself to die either. i'd choose myself over him. it was him, or me. or both of us, I'd rather it be him. i let go, reluctantly, i start running, i hear a cry, and laugh. laugh from the demon, and a cry from rin. it hurts, i didnt want him to die, but i wanted myself to live, as i run, and run, seconds felt like hours. after 15 minutes or something, i stop, i was tired. I'm almost there, i fall infront of the gate, letting out a a burst of fire on the gate, as it opens. i see the guards that recognized me. i lose my vision.
I wake up, in a hospital bed, i was in a high class hospital room, in a hospital gown, my body ached, my leg felt like shit, my head even more. for a second i forgot what had happened. i thought where was rin? i remembered, oh. i left him to die, my fists clenched... why, why did i do it... i felt anger, at myself, i couldn't just be a decent brother? i left him, to die alone... my eyes closed, i wish it would've been me.
No, sulking over it isn't gonna do shit, ill train, ill kill every demon, ill get revenge for my brother.
Not right now though i felt like shit, physically and mentally. i had to calm down, i take a deep breath, taking in my surroundings, i was alone, windows to the sides i couldn't see out of, and a door right infront of the bed. i was hungry as hell, but too tired to call out to anyone, such shitty service...
around 15 minutes passed, i was just thinking and thinking, i had zoned out, but the door opened, i looked, it was a hospital nurse, she looked surprised to see me then called out to some doctor.
"hello-" i said, or tried to say before she cut me off.
"don't speak Sir Kael, your condition is horrible, first let me check you for any further injuries!" She said, i nodded, slightly surprised at the Sir kael thing, as she started blinding me with a flashlight into my soul, and other weird things doctors do, as someone else also arrived, an old looking man, as they both started examining me. a few minutes later, they finished.
"Done, your... able to speak, but dont try moving, Miss Meika should be arriving here, your arrival in this state is also a secret alright?" the woman said. as the man nodded.
"wait so who are you two?" i said, genuinely confused.
"I'm Aya Lirien!" the woman said, or aya said. as i nodded, looking at the old man.
"I'm Jim Lirien, Aya's father" the man said with a smile on his face, so they were father-daughter doctor duo. okay, wasn't expecting that, before i could say something, the door busted open, i saw meika, and sae behind her.
"you two, can he speak?" Sae asked the two doctors. as Aya nodded
"alright, thanks but please leave for now, we'll call you back when needed." sae said. as they nodded and left, meika sat down on my right, sae besides her.
"Rin is missing. your injured. what the hell happened?" Sae said, Meika was quiet. just staring at me. i looked away, to my left, silent.
"kael. we need you to answer." Sae said, i knew that... but i didnt want to take the blame...
"we... encountered a wraithborne or something.. it could speak... we tried running.. i managed get away, Rin... he... a demon grabbed him and pulled him... i.. i escaped." i said, not telling the part where i had let go. i was too ashamed to say it.
Meika's eyes widened. sae looked equally surprised. but more calm. They didnt say anything. as meika clenched her fists. leaving the room, i couldn't see her expression. sae stayed back. sitting on the chair, arms on head.
"Rest up. don't sulk over it, it happened. ill come back later." Sae said, leaving the room without waiting for a response, as i sat there, quietly.