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The salty breeze carried across the deck of the Elysian, the sun's light turning the sails into sheets of gold. For once, the ship wasn't racing across the sea or battling the current; it drifted gently, anchored off a quiet, uninhabited isle Rael had chosen for training.
Vivi, Kaya, and Robin stood at the center of the deck, determination etched across their faces. They had asked for this, and Rael had agreed—but not without a small smirk that told them he knew the road wouldn't be easy.
"Alright," Rael said, arms crossed as he leaned against the mast. "You want to fight? Then you'll fight. But strength isn't just swinging harder or faster. It's control, precision, knowing when to strike and when to step back. That's what separates survivors from corpses."
Vivi adjusted the blue sash at her waist, gripping the twin chakrams she'd been practicing with. "I don't want to slow you down anymore. If I'm going to follow this path, I need to hold my own."
Kaya bit her lip but nodded. The small dagger Rael had given her glinted in her hand. "I don't like hurting people… but if I keep hiding behind you, Rael, then I'll always be a burden. I want to protect myself—and you."
Robin, calm as always, crossed her arms. "I've fought before. But this time… it's different. I want to stand as your crewmate, not just someone tagging along. My hands aren't for books alone." A dozen phantom hands sprouted behind her as she spoke, fingers curling like a quiet storm waiting to break.
Rael studied them, his gaze unreadable for a long moment. Then he chuckled. "Not bad. At least you're not trembling anymore."
Vivi flushed. "We weren't trembling—"
"Yes, you were," Rael cut in, stepping forward. His presence was overwhelming, enough that all three stiffened instinctively. "Good. Fear keeps you sharp. But if you let it control you, you'll never be anything more than prey."
With that, he drew a line across the deck with his sword and planted the blade into the wood. "Show me what you've learned."
The training began brutally. Rael didn't hold back—not in strength, but in pressure. He moved like a shadow, striking at them one after another, forcing Vivi to defend with her chakrams, Kaya to anticipate attacks she could barely see, and Robin to use her powers creatively rather than relying on brute force.
Vivi's movements grew sharper, her strikes fueled by stubborn determination. Kaya stumbled, nearly dropping her dagger more than once, but each time she forced herself upright, her eyes harder than before. Robin's hands appeared in unorthodox angles, grabbing Rael's wrist one moment, pulling Vivi out of harm's way the next.
Finally, after what felt like hours, the three stood panting, sweat dripping down their brows, their clothes sticking to their skin. Rael hadn't even broken a sweat.
"Better," he said simply. "But you're still hesitating. You can't wait for me to tell you when to act. Trust yourselves. Trust each other."
Vivi wiped her forehead. "You… you could've ended this a hundred times."
"Of course," Rael replied. "But the point isn't for me to win. The point is for you to stop seeing me as your shield. I won't always be there to block the blade."
Kaya's hands trembled as she tightened her grip on the dagger. "Then… let's go again."
Rael's smirk returned. "That's the spirit."
They trained until the sky blazed crimson with sunset. When exhaustion finally forced them to collapse onto the deck, Rael sat with them, tossing each a flask of water.
"You're not weak," he said after a long silence, his voice softer now. "You just don't believe you're strong yet. But I've seen it—your resolve. That's worth more than brute power. Hold on to that, and you'll grow."
Robin glanced at him sideways, a small smile tugging her lips. "For someone who pretends to be indifferent, you're quite the teacher."
Rael chuckled low. "Don't tell anyone. I've got a reputation to keep."
The crew laughed lightly, the tension breaking. Even Kaya managed a tired smile, resting her head against the mast. For a moment, the world felt still—just the four of them, the sea, and the bond slowly hardening into something unshakable.
But peace never lasted long.
That night, as Rael leaned against the railing, staring at the moonlit horizon, his senses sharpened. A presence brushed against the edges of his awareness—a cold, calculating intent hiding just beyond sight. He smirked faintly, eyes narrowing.
"They never learn," he muttered under his breath. Cipher Pol, still trailing, still watching. Rob Lucci was patient, but Rael knew patience only meant they were planning something larger.
His hand tightened around the railing. "If they keep this up, I'll stop warning them."
Behind him, the girls were laughing softly in the cabin, their voices warm against the night. Rael let the sound wash over him for a moment before closing his eyes. A storm was coming, one way or another. But this time, his crew wouldn't stand helpless. They would fight.
And he would make sure the world remembered the name of the Elysian.
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