All my life, all I've ever done is train… becoming strong. But these last few months made it look like I had been lying to myself and calling it training.
Immira and Meriosa helped me train.
They pushed me past every limit I thought I had. Rest became a forgotten word. Even in weakness, they taught me to find strength. I swung IKUA's arm until my hands felt like they would fall off. I stood perfectly still for hours while cold rain poured down, learning not to shiver, not to flinch. They trained me not to feel pain, not to get tired. I stretched in ways I didn't know the human body could bend, boosting my flexibility until my muscles screamed.
Immira went even further. She made me stand motionless while two helpers attacked me with their Flows — one with water so bone-freezing cold that my tears turned to ice on my cheeks, the other with fire at boiling point, controlled just enough not to kill me. The heat and cold battled across my skin at the same time. They hung me upside-down for hours to sharpen my thinking under pressure. Every session left me shaking, broken, and somehow improved.
I lied when I said they helped me train. No… they shattered me and forged something new. I can barely bring myself to remember everything they put me through — it still hurts my mind. But their intentions were pure, and they turned me into something I never thought I could be.
Strong.
We returned to the waterfall for Immira's test once more: mute every sound around me.
Barely a second passed before the world went silent. The roaring waterfall, the birds, the wind — all of it vanished. All I heard was pure, perfect silence.
No sound, no matter how loud, could break my focus anymore. My reflexes had sharpened to their peak.
In the Flow Star training hall, Meriosa and Koya faced each other.
Meriosa moved with blinding speed, almost invisible to the eye.
Koya relied only on listening and feeling. She predicted Meriosa's movements, keeping up step for step. She came close to landing a strike — but Meriosa was still Meriosa. With a clean, effortless motion, she knocked Koya to the ground.
Koya lay there, breathing calmly, staring up at the ceiling.
Meriosa walked close to her as Koya pushed herself upright.
"So glad I'm not Ra'an," Koya said, imitating his arrogant tone. "I must be the strongest."
Meriosa laughed softly and sat next to her.
"Koya, we've been so busy with your training that I forgot to ask," Meriosa said. "What do you want? Why do you want to become strong? It's obviously not just to be the best."
Koya smiled calmly, eyes looking straight ahead. "You're right. I don't care about being the strongest. I just want to be strong enough that people won't underestimate me anymore… and strong enough to protect my mom when she wakes up."
Meriosa stared at her for a long moment, then looked ahead as well. "About being strong… do you think you're strong enough to try your Flow again?"
Koya stared at her own hands, then closed her eyes and took a calm breath. She opened them again. "Yeah… let's try it out again."
Meriosa smiled.
"But somewhere far from the Flow Star," Koya added quickly. "Just in case."
Later that day, Immira, Koya, and Meriosa traveled to the mountains surrounding the waterfall. Koya sat alone on one peak, legs crossed, while Immira and Meriosa watched from the opposite mountain — far enough to stay safe if things went wrong.
Immira gave her a thumbs-up.
Koya placed IKUA's arm across her lap, hands resting on it. She closed her eyes and breathed calmly.
The calm breeze, the distant birds, the roar of the waterfall — all of it faded into silence.
In her mind, she stood in darkness. She moved forward and saw IKUA's arm levitating ahead, glowing with bright, warm light. As she approached, the real artifact on her lap grew warm.
She reached it. A pure, divine energy flowed into her body — calm, powerful, and comforting.
She touched the artifact.
Energy surged through her. She levitated, glowing brightly. Memories flooded in like a rushing river — old battles, unfamiliar faces, voices speaking words she couldn't quite catch, weapons forming from thin air. In the real world, she rose gently into the air, surrounded by a calm white aura.
Meriosa started to rush forward, but Immira held her back. "Wait a little longer."
In the mental world, Koya landed softly on her feet. The entire space turned pure white.
The dark shadowy figure from her dreams stood before her.
"You're ready," it said.
In the real world, Koya woke with a gasp and landed gently on the ground.
Immira formed a wind cloud and carried herself and Meriosa over to her.
Back at the Flow Star, Koya sat on her bed with her legs drawn to her chest. Immira and Meriosa sat with her in the quiet room.
"I've seen that figure — that shadow — multiple times," Koya said softly. "I always ran from it. I felt fear whenever it got close. I thought it wanted to harm me… not knowing it just wanted to talk to me. To teach me how to truly use IKUA's arm… to unlock its real powers."
"Weaponry," Meriosa said. "Does that mean you have a double Flow?"
"I don't know," Koya replied. "When I touched IKUA's arm in the mental world, I saw images… heard voices. I recognized some of the people — they were the other gods. I saw Ikua's memories. I don't even know if I actually have a Flow, let alone a double one. The best explanation is that his item is giving me his powers."
A calm breeze blew through the room, cooling the air.
"Understanding the gods is beyond any mortal," Immira said gently. "But in all of history, it has never been recorded that a mortal gained the ability of a god. Koya… if you're right, then you are the first."
"But why me?" Koya asked, voice calm but emotional. "How am I related to the gods? How am I related to Ikua? Does any of this have something to do with my mother's condition?"
Immira stood and sat beside her, gently pulling Koya's head onto her shoulder. She stroked her hair softly. "It's okay, my child."
Night time.
Koya tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. For months these questions had stayed quiet in her mind, but now they resurfaced, heavier than ever.
Eventually exhaustion won, and she fell into a deep sleep.
She felt herself falling from the sky, pulled into something — not sleeping, but summoned.
She landed on soft ground. Everywhere was pitch black. She stood and walked forward. The whole place suddenly lit up with a warm, bright light.
Koya felt a sense of warmth behind her. She turned.
The dark figure stood there. For the first time, she felt no fear.
It stared at her silently.
She met its gaze and finally spoke.
"Who are you?" she asked.
It remained silent.
"What do you want from me?"
"Soon everything will be clear as day," it replied in a shaky, eerie voice. "Battle is the key. Feel… control… and don't be controlled. You are who you are."
Koya stared at it calmly.
It reached out and touched her forehead.
Koya woke with a gasp.
Day had broken. The Flow Star had awakened and was preparing for the day ahead.
Immira walked into Koya's room and found her sitting on the bed.
"Koya, is everything okay?" Immira asked gently.
Koya looked at her calmly and nodded. Then she pulled Immira into a big, heartfelt hug.
Immira was stunned for a moment, then relaxed and hugged her back.
Koya pulled away. "Thank you for everything, Immira."
Immira stared at her, a little confused, then smiled warmly. "You're welcome, my child."
Later, classes had begun across the Flow Star, each room buzzing with energy and liveliness.
Koya walked alone to the room where her mother lay.
She sat on the chair beside the bed and gently took her mother's hand, holding it tightly.
TO BE CONTINUED...