The next day…
Kichu and Roco were lying flat on the floor, completely drained. Exhaustion had already gone past its limits. They couldn't even lift their fingers.
"Get up! Falling in just twelve hours of training? Pathetic. I thought you were talented, but I was wrong," Fizz said, still sitting on the same chair he had occupied for the entire twelve hours.
"I… can't," Kichu forced the words out.
"You can't? Hah… Kid, I used to train twenty hours a day for a month straight. If I want, I can put you through the same," Fizz replied.
"Let us rest for a while…" Roco pleaded.
"Rest is not an option. Get up if you don't want my soul energy treatment." Fizz smirked.
At that, Kichu and Roco instantly stood up, moving mechanically. A shiver ran through both of them.
"We… don't want that," they said together, robotically.
"Good," Fizz said, satisfied.
"Why are you treating them like this?" Mira asked, appearing with a tray of food in her hands.
Kichu and Roco's eyes immediately locked on the food. The smell hit their noses like lightning, and their bodies moved on instinct.
"It's just training, no need to worry," Fizz assured her.
"You call this training? They haven't eaten for hours!" Mira scolded.
"Ah… it's for their own good," Fizz said, glancing at Kichu and Roco—who were already devouring the food.
It couldn't even be called eating; they were practically throwing it straight into their stomachs.
"Look at them. They're starving." Mira sighed and handed them water.
"Thanks," Kichu said, finally able to breathe after gulping down his food.
Mira smiled and served him another bowl of rice.
"Eat as much as you like."
"Isn't it tiring to cook in your condition?" Roco asked.
"No, it's completely fine. I can move well with this wheelchair now. To think—I've been feeling much better since I left that planet. I can't just sit all day, so…" she replied with a warm smile.
Kichu looked at her seriously. "I forgot to ask… when did your illness start?"
Mira went silent.
Realizing his mistake, Kichu put his food down. "I'm sorry… I didn't mean—"
"It's okay," Mira interrupted softly. "I'm just happy I have someone to talk to now."
Her voice trembled as she continued.
"It started almost ten years ago. I began coughing blood. My parents… they didn't care much about me back then. Can't blame them—they were just trying to survive, moving from place to place. Then Marley was born. I thought things would change, but it only got worse. They left him with me and gone. I worked in so many places to raise him. Then… when he turned four, my fate caught up with me. My legs stopped moving. My life became a bed. From that day, my brother Marley started suffering too." Tears welled up in her eyes.
"How old were you then?" Kichu asked gently.
"When Marley was five, I was seventeen."
"Huh… so you're twenty now?" Kichu asked, shocked.
"Yes," she nodded.
"I thought you were older."
She smiled faintly and gave him another cup of rice.
"It's enough, I'm almost full," Kichu said.
"It's okay. Eat. I can always make more for you," she replied, blushing slightly.
Roco and Fizz exchanged glances.
"Is that what I think it is?" Roco muttered.
"Yeah," Fizz whispered, shaking his head. "That kid has no idea."
"Where's Marley?" Kichu asked.
"He's still sleeping. I thought I should let him rest as much as he wants."
"I bet he'll freak out when he wakes," Kichu chuckled, finishing his meal.
Time passed, and they returned to training.
"Good. You're both showing progress," Fizz said.
"Yeah…" Kichu panted.
"Now go into activation mode," Fizz ordered.
Both Kichu and Roco closed their eyes and focused. A warm light began glowing around their bodies.
"Hold it," Fizz instructed, picking up a pen. "I'm going to throw this cup at one of you. You must dodge and catch it before it hits the floor. Fail, and there's no break for the next five hours."
"Now… who should I test first?" Fizz's eyes narrowed at Kichu. "The most curious one, of course."
"Cup? That's a pen!" Roco blurted out before Fizz even threw it.
Fizz froze, then laughed.
"Haha! That's it! That's what I was waiting for!"
He threw it at Kichu. Kichu dodged smoothly and caught it mid-air.
"It really is a pen. No wonder I only saw a blurred line."
"Saw?" Fizz tilted his head. "What do you mean, saw?"
"Umm… I saw a blurred line, like the pen's shape. I even saw you standing in front of me when I closed my eyes. Not clear, though," Kichu explained with a laugh.
"Man… you are… something else. What did you sense, Roco?"
"I just felt something small and long in your hand. That's why I guessed it was a pen. I didn't see anything."
Fizz looked at Kichu, smiling.
"This isn't normal, is it?" Kichu asked.
"No, boy… it's not. Like I said, I have no idea. Guess my curiosity will have to wait until we reach Hedaxipotomous."
Fizz sat back down. "Now quit goofing around and start again."
"Ah… fuck," Kichu and Roco groaned, closing their eyes.
"Whoa… it's so big!" a soft voice piped up behind them.
"Ah, we were wondering when you'd wake up," Kichu said, smiling.
"Is that a see-through window? Oh… a big control panel! Awesome… so cool!" Marley shouted, running around.
"Go easy, kid. Don't break anything," Roco warned.
"Who are you all?" Marley asked.
"Oh, right—you haven't met them yet. He's Roco, and this guy's Fizz. Just bear with them for two days," Kichu introduced.
"Hi," Marley said, waving.
Roco and Fizz waved back.
"They don't look like troublemakers," Marley commented.
"This kid knows how to read people," Roco said.
"Haha… let me tell you something, Marley. Don't judge people by appearances. Sometimes the sweetest-looking guy will be the shittiest person you'll ever meet," Kichu warned.
"Ha… happy now?" Roco asked.
"Kind of," Kichu grinned.
"What are you doing here anyway?" Marley asked.
"We're training," Kichu said.
"Training? Pfft… boring. I bet you're just punching and kicking each other," Marley said, unimpressed.
Kichu and Roco exchanged smiles.
"Let us show you," Kichu said, entering activation mode. Marley's eyes widened at the light glowing around him.
Roco raised his hand, and the water jug beside Marley started spilling.
"How…?" Marley gasped.
"I love that expression," Roco chuckled.
"Yeah? That's exactly how I felt when I first showed you this spaceship. Guess I like to flex," Kichu laughed.
"Okay, five minutes break. I need more coffee," Fizz said, leaving.
"Um… is he training you?" Marley asked.
"Yes. He's great at soul sensing," Kichu answered.
"Soul sensing? What's that?" Marley tilted his head.
"Oh, right. Forget it—you wouldn't understand even if I explained."
"Tell me. I'll try," Marley insisted.
"You sure?"
"Yeah."
Kichu sighed and began explaining what he knew about soul sensing. Marley listened with such curiosity that it amazed him.
"So you're saying there's another power like Sin—and everyone can have it?" Marley asked.
"I'm surprised you understood all that," Kichu admitted.
"How old are you, kid?" Roco asked.
"I'll be nine in three months," Marley said.
"Nine? Kid, I was still struggling with ABCD at that age," Roco exclaimed.
"I'm built different," Marley smirked.
"Sometimes I wonder how life shapes a person. You're only eight, yet you seem more mature than me," Kichu said, patting his head.
"Ready for the next round?" Fizz returned, holding his coffee.
"Yes, sir," Kichu and Roco said together.
"Till now, Roco can hold activation mode for twenty minutes, while Kichu can… well, basically forever. But since Kichu can't keep it while his eyes are open, this is going to be harder than I thought," Fizz explained.
"Since you both know the basics, we'll move to soul linking. It's one of the most important applications, so stay sharp."
Marley stared at Fizz in admiration.
The day passed with intense training. Marley often sat beside Kichu and Roco, listening intently, while Mira smiled warmly at them as she read her book. Kichu still couldn't figure out Mira's subtle glances—though he couldn't be blamed, he had gone through this before.
One day remained before they reached Hedaxipotomous. What would be waiting for them there?
Let's find out…
-To Be Continued....