Koya caught off guard and froze.
Meriosa stared at her furiously. Retracted her claws
"Well Koya you want to spa, skru that... We're having a real fight... No holding back" she said with a furious tone.
Koya stood nervously... Body shaken. She calmed and breath steadily..."Well Meriosa if you say so".
Meriosa walk backwards, eyes locked on Koya.
Koya took Ikua's arm off her back... Gribbed it with both hands... Stood in a battle stance.
Meriosa extended her claws.
"Are you ready"
Koya nod.
Meriosa dashed forward with terrifying speed, wind howling behind her. She swung her right claw in a wide arc. Koya barely dodged. Meriosa followed with a spinning back kick that caught Koya in the side and sent her stumbling. Before Koya could recover, Meriosa grabbed her by the waist and slammed her hard into the ground.
Pain exploded through Koya's body. Meriosa stayed on top of her, claws retracted, fists raining down. Koya could only block her face with both arms, unable to counter or escape.
Each punch carried something deeper than anger — raw, emotional weight. Meriosa wasn't fighting to hurt Koya. She was fighting to release years of pain.
Koya found a brief opening, caught Meriosa's fist, pulled her close, and head-butted her with everything she had.
Meriosa staggered back, dazed.
Koya stood up, grabbed Ikua's arm, and raised it.
Meriosa raised her fists, tears now streaming down her cheeks.
"Come at me… bring it on," she said, voice shaky.
Koya charged.
Meriosa moved at lightning speed, appearing beside her, fist flying.
Koya knew she couldn't react in time.
Then Meriosa's fist stopped — tapping the side of Koya's head lightly.
Meriosa dropped to her knees, crying.
Koya's body froze, heart still pounding from the fear that she was done. She breathed calmly for a few seconds, then knelt beside Meriosa and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.
"I'm sorry… Lasara told me everything. I felt like you needed to blow off some steam, so I did this."
"All those people died because of me… an entire village… hundreds of people…" Meriosa whispered as tears kept pouring.
"It's not your fault," Koya said softly. "If Ekekiri didn't exist, none of this would have happened. I can't pretend I know exactly how you're feeling… but blaming yourself won't change anything. Meriosa, you're strong. Use that strength to one day take down Ekekiri and free everyone."
Meriosa looked at her, wiped her tears, and stood up.
"I guess you're right," she exhaled calmly.
Later that day, Koya stood alone in the Flow Star hall, swinging Ikua's arm with all her might.
Immira walked in quietly.
"Training today? I thought it was your day of rest," she said.
Koya stopped and stared at the artifact.
"I went against Meriosa today and she made me realize that facing an actual opponent is harder than muting sound in a room."
She started swinging again.
"She wasn't even close to her best and I didn't stand a micro chance against her."
Immira wanted to speak but stopped. She saw that Koya hadn't fallen after defeat — she had risen and pushed even harder. It warmed her heart. She smiled and backed away silently, not wanting to distract her.
Koya kept swinging, spinning the arm, left and right, pushing herself for a long time.
Eventually she stopped, exhausted, and sat on the ground, breathing heavily and sweating.
Sarah walked in shyly, holding a jug and a cup.
"Umm… Koya… I brought water for you," she said in a low, excited tone.
Koya looked at her and smiled. "Thanks."
She poured a cup and drank.
Sarah stared at her silently, eyes lighting up with quiet admiration.
Koya noticed. "Why are you staring at me like that?" she asked with a calm laugh.
Sarah looked away, tapping her index fingers together. "Sorry… it's just that I'm really happy to be this close to my hero."
Koya's body grew cold. She lowered her head. "Kid, how am I your hero?"
"You never give up," Sarah said excitedly, voice lowering. "The odds were once against you but you defied them. You made it into the academy's top fifty and kept on pushing. You're flowless and you never let it stop you."
Koya stared at her calmly, then let out a small smile.
Sarah grew even more excited. "Mama once told me the story of the gods and my favorite was the god of war Ikua because he is just like you."
Koya grew stunned hearing Ikua's name.
"How am I similar to Ikua?" she asked, curious.
"Mama told me that Ikua had no Flow. He only gained powers after his brother Koruga, the god of iron, made a sacrifice to save us all and gave his item to Ikua. Ikua later became the god of war and took down multiple enemies."
Koya was left speechless. She picked up Ikua's arm and stared at it.
Sarah observed it and got excited again. "The Council said that's the real Ikua's arm… which means you'll become just as powerful as he was."
Koya was silent for a moment longer, then broke the silence.
"Sorry, kid… but look at it. It has no sharp ends or anything that makes it dangerous. I don't even know how to use it for anything… it's just a mere pestle in my arms."
Sarah giggled. "Mama works at the library and all she told were stories from books at the library… Maybe there's a book there that would help you."
Koya stared at her, stunned. Then, for the first time in a while, she burst out a huge smile and hugged Sarah tightly.
"You're a genius!" she yelled.
Sarah laughed happily.
Koya felt something she couldn't explain or understand — light — and prayed she would find something helpful in the library.
Night came.
Koya lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling all night. Sleep refused to come. Her mind kept racing with questions about what she might discover in the library.
Eventually exhaustion won and she got a few hours of shut-eye.
Day broke and an alarm bird cried out, "Wake up, sleepy head! Wake up!"
Koya was already awake. She took a scarf and covered her face, then left the Flow Star. She had already told Immira her plans the night before.
She reached the capital and walked nervously among the crowd, heart pounding at every glance, terrified of being recognized.
The library stood close to the Golden Tower — a grand building with towering shelves visible even from the street. She stepped inside and froze in awe. Rows upon rows of books stretched endlessly on shelves that reached high into the ceiling. The air smelled of old paper and polished wood. The environment was calm and hushed, a rare quiet in the bustling capital. She had never been in a library before, and the sheer scale left her speechless.
She wandered, trying not to draw attention, internally freaking out. Eventually she spotted a large map on the wall and studied it. The library had multiple sections. She needed the ancient history area. After memorizing the route, she moved deeper into the building.
She passed sections for children, specific genres, and specialized topics, feeling more overwhelmed with every step. Finally she reached the ancient history section.
The shelves were organized by title. She scanned until she found the one labeled "Gods." There were far more books than she expected. She felt lost, unsure which one she needed.
A gentle hand touched her shoulder.
Koya turned nervously.
A kind-looking lady smiled at her, waving politely. The name "Lana" was written on her badge.
"Hi," she said softly. "I've been noticing you. It seemed like you needed help finding a book…?"
Koya avoided eye contact and replied in a low tone. "Yes… I'm looking for a book about the gods, their stories and powers."
Lana paused, then smiled. "I think I know the one you're looking for. Follow me."
Koya followed her down an aisle.
Lana stretched, reached for a thick volume, and pulled it down.
"This is what you're looking for. Everything you need to know about the gods is written in here."
She handed the book to Koya.
Koya stared at it intensely. "Thank you," she whispered, eyes locked on the cover.
She turned and headed for the exit, still clutching the book, nervous and curious at the same time.
Just as she neared the door, she bumped into someone. The person lost balance and accidentally grabbed Koya's scarf, pulling it off as they fell.
Koya's face was exposed. Heads turned toward the commotion. Panic surged through her. She lowered her head and used the book to hide her face.
"Sorry," she mumbled, then hurried toward the exit.
She almost made it.
She bumped into someone else.
Seriously… again? She whispered.
She raised her head and froze.
It was Anna.
Anna's eyes widened in shock and joy. "Koya…?"
She opened her arms for a hug.
Koya stepped back instinctively.
"Okay… no hugs," Anna said, trying to keep her voice light. "How have you been—"
Koya walked past her mid-sentence, head down, saying nothing.
Anna froze, completely confused.
She turned and grabbed Koya's shoulder. Koya gently pushed her hand away and kept walking, never looking back.
Later that day in the Flow Star, Koya sat in her room with Meriosa.
"You left without saying a word to her… why?" Meriosa asked furiously.
Koya fell flat on her bed.
"I don't know… I got nervous. Felt guilty about everything."
She placed a pillow over her face and screamed into it.
"Koya, you're a whole lot of wow," Meriosa said. "The Council already made an excuse for your absence, which means you can be free in public and see your friends."
"Meriosa, you're making matters worse," Koya muttered angrily.
In the Emra house, Cal and Anna sat alone in a room.
"She seriously just walked away without saying a word," Cal said.
"It was the strangest thing ever… like she couldn't even see me or something," Anna replied.
"Are you sure the Flow Bound incident didn't give her amnesia or something?" Cal asked.
Anna laughed softly. "You seriously just said that about a girl you love."
Cal grew oddly silent.
Anna laughed again, but her eyes still carried worry.
Glad her mind is off the Koya situation… I hope everything is fine with her, Cal thought.
Back in the Flow Star, Koya sat alone in her room, the book from the library resting on the bed in front of her.
She stared at it silently, breathing calmly. Her reaction toward Anna was still bothering her.
But at last she made up her mind. She picked up the book.
"The Gods," she read the cover aloud. "Weird title… too straight to the point."
She opened the first page.
To be continued…