2025-01-12 10:50:08“Whit whee whoe whoe whoe whit whee,” Miko whistled as he washed in the shower.
“Hahh,” he exhaled softly as he washed his face, finally turning off the shower. He sat down on a bench, looking around at lockers before fixing his gaze on the large mirror before him. “After the encounter with the abyss,” he shivered. “Think I might have mirror-phobia,” he said as he giggled. ** Soon after, he stepped out of the school bathroom. “Well, now that I’ve officially got no place to return to, I guess the school is now home,” he said as he looked around. “Hiyahh!“ “Hiyuh!” “Wind spike!!!” “Fire ball!” “Looks like the school is busy today, not everyone went back home,” Miko wandered through the quiet halls of the training arena late at night. As he approached the large doors of the practice room, faint sounds of combat echoed from within—fire crackling, wind slicing, and bright light beaming. He hesitated before pushing the door open slightly, peering inside. Akiya stood in the center of the room, flames swirling around her like a living entity. She launched a series of fireballs at a moving target, each one hitting dead center. Her precision was flawless, and the fire burned with an intensity that seemed almost untamed. To her right, Liam moved with ease, a sharp gust of wind following every flick of his wrist. He used the wind to lift targets into the air, slamming them down with a force that made the ground shake. His normally lazy demeanor was gone, replaced with focus and control. In the corner, Anna was surrounded by floating orbs of water, each one shimmering like liquid light. She manipulated them with grace, sending them to heal invisible wounds on a training dummy. Her expression was calm but intense, and the water moved as if it understood her emotions. Miko’s breath caught in his throat. They were incredible. Watching them train, he realized just how far behind he was. He wasn’t just the weakest link—he was the reason they had never advanced in the clan games. “You gonna stand there all night or actually say something?” Akiya’s voice cut through his thoughts, startling him. She had stopped mid-move, the flames around her extinguishing as she turned toward him. “I—uh…” Miko stepped inside awkwardly, scratching the back of his head. “I didn’t mean to interrupt. I was just passing by.” Liam smirked, brushing his wind-blown hair from his face. “Sure, you were. Come to spy on us, huh?” “No!” Miko said quickly, shaking his head. “I just… couldn’t sleep.” “You sleep in school? Since when did we have dorms?” Akiya laughed. Anna approached quietly, her soft footsteps barely audible. “You can join us, you know,” she said gently, her tone lacking the mockery of the others. “We were about to wrap up anyway.” Before Miko could decline, Akiya clapped her hands together. “Perfect timing! We were just about to grab something to eat. You coming?” Miko hesitated. He didn’t feel like he belonged, not after seeing how skilled they were. “I don’t want to bother you guys…” “Oh, stop being dramatic,” Liam said, rolling his eyes. “We’re getting snacks, not planning a battle strategy. Let’s go.” Akiya grabbed Miko by the arm and started dragging him toward the cafeteria. “Come on. You can’t say no to late-night snacks.” The group settled at a corner table in the dimly lit cafeteria, the atmosphere much more relaxed now. Akiya had piled her tray high with food, while Liam leaned back in his chair, lazily sipping a drink. Anna sat quietly, her hands folded in her lap, a cup of tea in front of her. “So, Miko,” Liam started, a teasing grin on his face, “what did you think of our little training session?” Miko fidgeted with his drink, avoiding their eyes. “You’re all… amazing,” he admitted quietly. “Damn right we are,” Akiya said, grinning. “I mean, we have to be if we want to stand a chance in the clan games.” “You’ve all been carrying the team,” Miko said, his voice barely above a whisper. “I’m the reason we’ve never advanced, aren’t I?” The table fell silent for a moment. Even Liam’s usual smirk faded as he exchanged a glance with the others. Anna was the first to speak. “That’s not true, Miko,” she said softly. “Yes, it is,” Miko said, looking up at her. “I was chosen because of my connection to Elena, wasn’t I? That’s the only reason I’m here.” Akiya sighed, crossing her arms. “Look, I won’t sugarcoat it. Yeah, you were picked because of her. But that doesn’t mean you’re useless. You just… haven’t figured out your potential yet.” Liam nodded, surprising Miko. “She’s right. You’re not the first person to start at the bottom. You just need to work harder to catch up.” Miko’s shoulders slumped. “Easier said than done.” Anna’s quiet voice broke through the tension. “We’ve all struggled, Miko. You’re not alone in that.” He looked at her, curious. “You? But you’re amazing. I saw you out there. You’re perfect.” Anna shook her head, a distant look in her eyes. “Far from it.” She hesitated, her fingers tightening around her cup. “Do you know why I still choose to fight after getting a power such as healing?” Miko shook his head, the others leaning in slightly as if they hadn’t heard this story before either. Anna took a deep breath. “When I was a child, a portal to the Abyss opened in my neighborhood. It came out of nowhere, swallowing the entire street. Wraiths poured out, attacking everyone.” Her voice wavered, but she continued. “I was just a kid. I couldn’t do anything. I watched my friends, my neighbors… everyone I cared about die.” The table was silent, the weight of her words sinking in. “I survived because I hid,” Anna said, her voice trembling. “But hiding meant I couldn’t help them. I couldn’t save anyone. When the portal finally closed, I swore I would never let that happen again. I’d carry their hopes and dreams, and I’d destroy every last wraith I came across.” Miko stared at her, stunned. He had never imagined someone as calm and composed as Anna carrying such a heavy burden. “I’m sorry,” he said softly. She shook her head, offering a small, sad smile. “Don’t be. It’s why I’m here. Why I fight. We all have our reasons, Miko. You just need to find yours.” Akiya nodded, her usual fiery demeanor tempered by the serious tone. “She’s right. Everyone starts somewhere. The question is, are you gonna sit around feeling sorry for yourself, or are you gonna do something about it?” Liam smirked, leaning back in his chair. “I mean, the clan games are coming up. Perfect opportunity to prove yourself, don’t you think?” Miko looked around the table, their faces filled with encouragement. For the first time, he felt like maybe, just maybe, he could belong here. “I’ll try,” he said finally, his voice steady. “I’ll work harder.” Akiya grinned, clapping him on the back. “That’s the spirit!” Liam raised his drink in a mock toast. “Here’s to not embarrassing us this year.” Anna smiled softly. “We’ll help you, Miko. You’re not alone.” As the group laughed and joked, the weight on Miko’s shoulders felt a little lighter. He wasn’t there yet, but for the first time, he believed he could be.
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Miko didn't have time to scream as the ground collapsed beneath him. One moment he was standing in the fog-shrouded forest, the next he was plummeting through darkness, his stomach lurching from the sudden drop. His Ash element swirled around him instinctively, trying to slow his descent but finding nothing solid to grip.The fall lasted only seconds before he crashed through some kind of membrane—a sensation like breaking through thin ice—and then hit solid ground with bone-jarring force. He rolled automatically, distributing the impact as he'd been taught in Academy training."Ugh," he groaned, lying on his back and taking inventory of his body. Nothing seemed broken, though he'd definitely have bruises tomorrow. If there was a tomorrow.After a moment to catch his breath, Miko sat up and summoned his Ash element to provide illumination. The shadows gathered around his hand, creating a dim glow that pushed back the absolute darkness."What the hell...?" he muttered, looking around.
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"There it is again," Akiya whispered, her flame briefly flaring brighter. "Did you see it?"Liam and Lyra followed her gaze into the swirling fog, where a faint ripple of movement had disturbed the otherwise uniform mist."Probably just air currents," Lyra replied, though her tone lacked conviction. She'd been saying similar things for the past hour as they wandered through the endless fog, but even her professional skepticism was wearing thin."No," Akiya insisted, taking a step closer to the disturbance. "It's reacting to us. Watch."She extended her free hand toward the fog, not quite touching it. The mist immediately withdrew from her approach, creating a small pocket of clear air around her fingers."See? It's avoiding direct contact. That's not how normal fog behaves."Liam moved beside her, cautiously extending his own hand. The fog retreated from him as well, though less dramatically."She's right," he said, looking back at Lyra. "This isn't just some corruption manifestation.
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Shadows swirled around Miko's fingers as he navigated through the impenetrable fog. Without his Ash element, he would have been completely blind in the shifting mists that erased all sense of direction."Come on," he muttered to himself, extending his awareness through the shadows. "Give me something to work with."His Ash element responded, spreading outward like tendrils searching for solid references in the chaotic environment.Most of what the shadows found was just more fog, but occasionally they detected something solid—massive tree trunks, root structures, the occasional corrupted vegetation. Not enough to create a map, but sufficient to avoid walking into obstacles."Akiya!" he called out, more from habit than expectation. "Liam! Anna!"His voice seemed to travel only a few meters before the fog swallowed it completely. The neural link remained silent except for occasional bursts of static that made him wince.Miko closed his eyes, focusing on his connection to the void. If no
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"What is that?" Liam asked, pointing at the strange haze that had appeared on the horizon as they continued their journey through the massive forest.The fog wasn't like anything they'd seen before in the Abyss. it shimmered with an oily iridescence, neither solid nor gas, spreading across their path like a living curtain.Elena stepped forward, her expression grave as she studied the phenomenon. "It's an illusion barrier," she said. "A defense mechanism that typically appears near the core. The Church has documented these, but few who enter ever return to report what they experienced.""What exactly does it do?" Anna asked, moving closer to examine the strange fog from a safer distance."It distorts reality," Elena explained. "Makes you see things that aren't there, hide things that are. Some say it can even separate groups by making each person experience a different version of reality."Gregor snorted dismissively. "Church superstition. It's just another corruption manifestation."
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Twilight cast long shadows through the massive forest as Miko and Akiya sat on the edge of a giant leaf, dangling their legs over a drop that would have been fatal back in the normal world. The rest of their small group, Liam and the two remaining junior cadets—had fallen into an exhausted sleep after their narrow escape from the bee hive.Gregor's team hadn't yet caught up, leaving the younger members to recover while watching for signs of more corrupted creatures."You think they'll find a safer path forward?" Akiya asked, gesturing vaguely toward the direction Gregor and his team had disappeared an hour earlier."I think 'safer' is relative in the Abyss," Miko replied, rotating his shoulder to work out the stiffness from their earlier flight. "But maybe one with fewer giant insects."Akiya snorted, then grew quiet, her gaze fixed on the bizarre landscape stretching below them. Massive fruits glowed with bioluminescence as darkness gathered, creating constellation-like patterns thro
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They sprinted upward, Akiya taking point with her fire element creating a protective barrier ahead of them. As they neared the battle, Miko could see Gregor unleashing torrents of flame against the swarming insects while Damien created earth barriers to protect the less combat-oriented team members. Anna crouched behind one such barrier, her healing element active around Darin, who appeared to have taken a stinger hit to his shoulder."Incoming friendlies!" Miko shouted to prevent friendly fire as they approached. "Eastern ascent!"Gregor spared them a split-second glance before returning his attention to the swarm. "About time! We need to clear an exit path!"The combined teams formed a defensive circle, elements blazing as they fought to create an opening through the angry swarm. Liam's wind cut swathes through the air, disrupting the bees' flight patterns enough to make them vulnerable to Gregor and Akiya's coordinated fire attacks."The opening!" Elena pointed to a gap in the hive
