On the eighteenth day, Enel went to the battle room at his usual time. Entered. Stopped. Kain was not there.
The room was empty. Cold blue light fell from the ceiling. No sound. No movement. Enel stood in the center, looking around. He waited. Minutes passed. Then a quarter of an hour. Then half an hour. He realized Kain would not come.
He left the room. Walked through the corridors. Searched the places where he usually found Kain. The small room with screens. The narrow corridor beside the great hall. The meeting room. Nothing.
Finally, he reached a closed door. He knew this room. Kain entered it sometimes. Enel had never entered it before. He stood before the door. Was about to knock when the door opened from inside.
A man came out. Not Kain. A young man, wearing a simple gray robe, his face ordinary with no distinctive expression. He was one of Kain's assistants in his laboratory.
"You are the lightning man," the young man said. It was not a question.
"Yes."
"Kain sent me. He says he is busy with his research. He will not fight you until he calls for you. This is his message."
Enel looked at the young man. Showed no emotion on his face. But something froze inside him. Cold frustration.
"I understand," he said. Then turned his back and walked away.
In the corridor, Enel walked slowly. He did not know where to go. For the first time since arriving on the moon, he had no specific goal.
He passed by a small square. The children were there. The blue-haired girl named Nera, the white-haired boy named Lin, and others. They were sitting on the ground, drawing with blue pigments.
They saw him. Stopped drawing.
"Lightning man!" Lin shouted. "We haven't seen you in a while."
"I was busy."
"Will you participate in the Battles of the First Era?" asked Nera.
"Yes."
Their eyes widened.
"We wish we could see you," said Lin. "But we are not allowed to watch. That frowning-faced man prevents us."
"Kain."
"Yes. Kain. He says we are too young. But we are not young. We train every day. We are strong."
Enel looked at the children. Said nothing.
"Good luck," said Nera. "We will cheer for you from afar."
Enel walked away.
He continued walking. Reached a narrow corridor. The corridor leading to the dark place. The unreachable place. The place where only Kain and Selene knew what was inside.
He stopped at the beginning of the corridor. Looked into the darkness. Different from the rest of the city. Deeper. Colder. As if it swallowed light. As if it was alive.
He took a step forward.
He felt something. Not fear. His heart beat irregularly. Faster. Heavier. As if something there was looking at him.
He took another step. Stopped. Could not continue. Not because of fear. Because he did not know what would happen. His power was sealed. His Haki was dead. In that darkness, he would be blind. Deaf. Helpless.
He stepped back. Turned his back. Walked quickly. Did not look back.
He went to the café. Sat in his corner. Ordered a cup of blue tea.
"And juice," he said to the vendor.
The vendor brought him an orange-colored juice. He paid with his card. Heard the beep.
He left the café. On his way to his room, he passed a small shopkeeper.
"Hello," the man said. "I am Darn. I didn't know your name yet."
Enel was silent. He did not want to talk. But he felt emptiness.
"Enel."
"Enel," Darn repeated. "Where did you come from? What is the place you came from like?"
Enel thought.
"Different," he said. "There is a sun. There is a sea. There is rain. The colors are different. Green for trees. Blue for water."
Darn's eyes widened. "It sounds beautiful."
"It is. But it is also harsh."
Darn was silent. "Here... we only have blue light. Sometimes, I forget there is another world."
"There is a world," Enel said. "A big world."
"Goodbye, Enel."
"Goodbye."
Enel walked away. He felt emptiness. On Earth, he knew everything. His Haki filled the entire island. Here, he was blind. Deaf. Trapped in his weak body.
He reached his room. Sat on the bed. Looked at the white walls.
"I will wait," he told himself.
And in the silence of the room, he heard something. A heartbeat. Not his own heartbeat. Another heartbeat. Faint. Distant. Coming from a place he did not know.
His heart stopped for a moment.
Then the heartbeat disappeared.
Leaving Enel wondering: who was it? And what did it want?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you're enjoying the story, don't forget to add it to your library !
What do you think will happen next?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------