The fog still clung to the streets, ghostly and cold, but I didn't notice it as much anymore. My body ached, my lungs burned, but the worst part wasn't physical. It was the weight in my chest—the knowledge that I had been close to failure, and that next time, the danger could be even worse.
I sat on the curb, staring at my hands. They had moved metal, redirected attacks, and kept me alive. My skills worked. My judgment worked. But barely.
"Reflection is necessary," Notice reminded me. "Growth comes from understanding success and failure equally."
I exhaled slowly. I thought about the alley, the three figures, the brick, the stick, the railing. Each action had consequences. Every move counted. If I had hesitated, even for a second…
I shook my head. Not now. Not yet. Focus on what I did right. I had stayed calm, used the environment, acted decisively. My skills weren't just tools—they were extensions of me, my mind, my judgment.
"Points and upgrades are meaningless without strategic application," Notice added. "Remember this lesson."
I closed my eyes and replayed the encounter over and over, analyzing, measuring, imagining alternative outcomes. My heart rate slowed, my mind sharpened. The fear remained, but it was tempered now by experience.
Then I looked forward. This was only the beginning. The real threats would come, and they wouldn't be simple. They wouldn't be predictable. And my skills… my judgment… my courage… they would all be tested.
I flexed my fingers experimentally, feeling the pulse of Best Welder, the subtle hum of perception, the potential in every point I had earned. I wasn't helpless anymore. I was ready to push further, to learn faster, to prepare for whatever came next.
"Prepare for growth," Notice whispered. "The next challenge will require more than skill. It will require planning, courage, and resilience."
I nodded. My broken past, my chaotic home, the shadows that had haunted me—they were still there. But I was different now. I was Mizu. I was learning. I was growing.
And I was ready to face the storm waiting just beyond the fog.