Koya stood under a cluster of tall spirit trees near the Flow Star, blindfolded, gripping Ikua's arm tightly. A calm wind moved around her.
"Are you ready?" Immira called from a short distance away.
Koya nodded.
Immira raised her hand. Wind swirled around her palm. She exhaled, eyes focused, then thrust her fist forward.
A razor-sharp blade of wind shot toward Koya like an invisible arrow.
Koya exhaled, listened, and swung Ikua's arm in a clean upward arc. The wind blade sliced apart mid-air with a sharp whoosh.
Immira smirked.
She sent more — dozens of wind blades flying from every angle, fast and lethal.
Koya felt the pressure building. One blade came low from the left; she rolled and slashed it apart. Another came straight at her face; she twisted and cut it down. A third grazed her shoulder as she barely dodged, drawing a thin line of blood. The fourth she met head-on, shattering it with a powerful downward swing.
She moved with precision — not just speed, but instinct. Each swing was calculated, each step deliberate. She was reading the wind itself.
Immira's eyes widened in stunned approval.
But the second wave came faster.
Koya cut through the first three, but the fourth slipped past her guard and slashed across her arm. The fifth caught her leg. The sixth grazed her neck, drawing a hot sting. She stumbled, lost her balance, and fell hard onto the grass.
She lay flat on her back, chest heaving.
Immira walked over with a calm, proud smile.
Koya pulled off the blindfold and sat up, panting. "Are you sure you're not a fighter? Those attacks were intense."
Immira chuckled softly. "I'm not a fighter… but we carers are trained in combat. We have to be ready to protect the children if anything ever happens."
Koya fell back onto the grass. "That makes sense," she said, exhaustion heavy in her voice.
Immira looked down at her with quiet pride.
....
They had been training together for two full weeks now, and Koya's progress had amazed her. Rain or shine, hot or cold — nothing stopped the girl. She swung Ikua's arm every single day, pushing her senses, her speed, and her strength. She meditated in the harshest storms, forcing her mind to find silence amid chaos.
...
After the session, a sudden storm burst across the Flow Star.
Koya sat in her room, staring out the window at the pouring rain. She had always seen rain as a blessing — a fresh beginning that washed away the troubles of the past. Thunder cracked and lightning flashed violently outside.
It felt perfect.
She sat on the floor, legs crossed, eyes closed, Ikua's arm resting in her lap. She breathed in the scent of rain, wet earth, and the faint ozone of lightning. Slowly, the roar of the storm faded… faded… until it became nothing but a distant whisper. Then even that disappeared.
Total silence.
Total darkness.
Yet she could feel everything around her more clearly than ever.
She sat motionless for nearly thirty minutes.
The door opened softly. Immira walked into her room.
She felt the vibration on the ground, been studying immira's walking pathern for a while now and recognized it anything... That aside she recognized her scent.
Immira is that you" She asked.
"Yes Koya it's me" Immira replied, voice calm and happy.
Koya opened her eyes and stood up.
Immira holding a flask... She dropped it on the table and hugged Koya.
Pulled back.
"How did you know it was me" Immira asked, smiling joyously.
"Focusing more on my other senses made things a lot louder than before, the way you walk, your scent, all became... Obvious"
Immira smiled.
"She has learned so much in just the span of two weeks" Immira thought.
A calm proud moment of silence.
Then Immira spoke.
"Well done child... Well I brought you some tea" Immira said voice calm and happy opened the flask
"This storm isn't taking a break anytime soon" She said with a calm smile.
Koya looked at her and noded calmly.
Later that night, when the storm was still raging, Koya lay on her bed, unable to sleep. She rolled over, mind unsettled.
She sat upright, stared into the darkness for a few seconds, then got off the bed.
The rain poured heavily. She stepped outside into a secluded corner of the Flow Star where there were no windows or doors — no one could see her.
She stood in the downpour for a couple of minutes, holding Ikua's arm, letting the rain wash over her face. For the first time in a long while she felt relieved… calm… better.
Everywhere was dark. The glowing orbs of the Flow Star didn't reach this spot.
It was perfect.
Blind to her surroundings, with only the loud roar of rain as sound, she raised Ikua's arm.
She paused for a second, then swung with everything she had — left, right, upward, downward — moving over and over again, fast and powerful. Barefoot, she felt the wet earth under her feet with every step, every stomp splashing water upward. The intense wind howled around her, giving her body a strange, calm energy.
She kept moving in the storm, swinging the artifact, eyes closed the entire time. Her environment and the weather resonated with her perfectly. The training felt more intense than ever.
She trained for hours, boosting her sense of touch and hearing, until the storm finally began to lighten and the first hints of dawn appeared.
When the rain became only a light drizzle, Koya fell to her knees. Breathing heavily, heart pounding, body trembling from exhaustion.
Day broke and the Flow Star woke up, lively as always. Laughter of children flooded the entire place.
Immira went to Koya's room to check on her and found her still sleeping, way past her usual time.
At first she felt worried, then she understood — Koya must have spent all night training.
She walked in silently and sat beside her, gently rubbing her head.
"I'm so proud of you" she whispered.
Hours later, classes were over and children were playing everywhere.
Immira was moving through the Flow Star, checking on everything, when she saw Koya dragging herself down one of the hallways, looking utterly exhausted.
"You've woken up," Immira said. "Can't lie, I got a little scared when you slept that long."
Koya wanted to speak, but her brain was too tired to form words.
"Come, child. Let's get you something to eat." Immira grabbed her hand and walked away. Koya followed calmly.
Koya ate by a window, looking outside as she did. The lively atmosphere of the Flow Star was a view she always loved to see.
She took a spoonful, looked outside again… and saw Meriosa walking toward the Flow Star.
Meriosa…?
To be continued…