Night had fallen on the academy, and a profound silence enveloped its vast corridors. Lucien opened the door hesitantly and entered quietly, finding Saruto lying on his bed, his face slightly pale, his eyes staring at the ceiling as if searching for an answer that didn't exist. "What happened to you, Saruto?" Lucien asked, approaching him. "Why did you leave the arena so suddenly?"
Saruto turned his head toward him, offering a faint smile, and replied in a hoarse voice, "Nothing important… I just felt a sudden bit tired, that's all."
Lucien studied him for a moment, seemingly unconvinced, then shook his head. "Well… don't overexert yourself. We have training tomorrow morning."
He took off his coat, threw himself onto the other bed, and quickly fell asleep. Saruto, however, remained awake, his eyes fixed on the ceiling, lost in thought. Ethan's words still echoed in his head like a jarring bell: "One of you doesn't want to merge..."
He whispered, as if trying to convince himself, "No… that's impossible… Void wouldn't refuse to merge… he wouldn't."
He remained like that, lost in a whirl of thoughts, until his eyelids began to grow heavy, and he finally succumbed to sleep. With the first rays of dawn, sunlight filtered into the room, reflecting on the sleeping faces of the two young men. Lucien reached out and shook his friend's shoulder. "Hey, idiot, how long are you going to sleep? Wake up! We have training today."
Slowly, Saruto opened his eyes. A few minutes later, the two were dressed in their training gear: black jackets with silver stitching and lightweight boots designed for rapid combat. They left the room with steady steps, heading towards the training hall.
There, Ryan and Kyle were waiting for them, standing in the middle of the large arena, also preparing for their training. Kyle grinned. "Finally, you two are here. I thought you weren't coming."
Lucien replied lightly, "We wanted to give you a chance to prepare before we taught you a lesson."
The four of them laughed together, then each took their positions. They decided to start by training without using energy, focusing solely on physical strength and speed. Saruto and Ryan took the lead, while Kyle stood in front of Lucien. The four advanced with steady steps until the first clash reverberated.
Saruto's movements were as swift as a storm, while Ryan's attacks were remarkably steady. The two exchanged punches and kicks, each strike carrying the weight of skill and experience.
Meanwhile, Kyle and Lucien exchanged blows with astonishing precision, their bodies moving in perfect harmony. Each tried to break down the other's defense without leaving any opening. After several long minutes, they stopped, panting, with satisfied smiles on their faces.
"You've gotten so much faster, Lucien," Kyle said, wiping the sweat from his brow.
"And you're stronger than before," Lucien smiled. "Looks like the solo training paid off."
But in the other corner, the struggle was even more intense. "I've been waiting for this moment, Saruto," Ryan said with an eager grin as he charged forward. "I've wanted to fight you for ages."
"Me too," Saruto countered with lightning speed. "Let's make this a fight to remember!"
The intensity of the fight increased, their feet kicking up dust on the hall floor, each clash of their fists creating a deafening clang.
Little by little, their energy began to seep out unconsciously, enveloping their bodies in glowing auras.
"You two idiots!" Kyle yelled, watching. "If you keep this up, you'll destroy the hall!"
"Let them be," Lucien chuckled. "They're just testing each other."
Sparks of power ignited between the two, until the final attack. Ryan raised his fist and charged forward with all his might. At the same moment, Saruto raised his hand to block the blow, but as he was about to deflect it, his attention was diverted, and he remembered Ethan's words: "One of you doesn't want to merge..."
He froze for a second, his focus faltering. In that critical moment, Ryan's punch pierced his defense and struck him directly in the chest. His body recoiled backward with a force that sent dust flying into the air.
"Saruto!" Lucien shouted and ran toward him, as did Kyle and Ryan, their faces filled with surprise. Lucien crouched beside him, shaking him gently. "Hey, can you hear me? Saruto!"
But there was no response. He was unconscious. The three of them quickly carried him to the academy's infirmary, where the academy doctors attended to him and treated him. An hour later, Saruto slowly opened his eyes to find his friends' faces all around him. He smiled faintly and said, "Don't worry, I'm fine… I just seem to have lost my focus."
They all breathed a sigh of relief, and then Kyle stood up and said, "Well, as long as you're okay, we'll leave you to rest."
He and Ryan left the room, leaving Lucien alone with him. Lucien sat silently for a moment, then said in a quiet but firm voice, "Saruto, there's something you're hiding from me, isn't there?"
Saruto looked up at him silently. Lucien continued, releasing his aura subtly, "I know you well… You can't fool me that easily. What's going on with you?"
Saruto remained silent for a moment, then took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
He knew that talking about the founders was strictly forbidden; it was one of the Lewin family secrets that must not be revealed to anyone. He opened his eyes again and said with a heartfelt sincerity, "Well… I'll tell you as much as I can. Me… and Void, we're not the same anymore. We… have broken up."
Lucien was shocked, his eyes widening. "You broke up?! How? And why?"
Sarotto shook his head slowly. "I can't explain the details… but what I can say is that we can't get back together. Every time we try, we fail… as if something is holding us back."
Lucien sat down next to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I understand… it's okay, I won't ask any more questions. Just remember, you're not alone. And whatever is holding you back, we'll find a way to overcome it together."
Sarotto smiled faintly, a sense of relief washing over him for the first time in days. "Thank you, Lucien… really," he said softly.
As silence fell over the room, his gaze drifted to the window, where the setting sun painted the sky a deep red.