Chương 62: Episode 7: "Over Here!"

"This is the heaviest I could ever lift," I said, holding an entire mountain with both hands—veins bulging as I tried to keep the mass upright. The peak towered a thousand times over us, casting a shadow that swallowed the rainforest. Strength's eyes rubbernecked at the sheer scale of what I was holding solo. Sweat dripped from my forehead down to my arms. I obviously couldn't hold this thing for long. He put a hand to his chin, his thick neck craning down.

"Amazing… To me, that feels more like a pencil."

"WELL! —" My body wobbled, making the landmass shake. The entire forest vibrated under the strain of me struggling to hold on for a few more seconds.

"CAN I PUT IT DOWN NOW?!"

"Sure!" shouted Strength from across the training grounds.

"Just do it softly—" BOOM! It slammed backward into the earth. The impact rattled the ground so hard that pterodactyls scattered from the canopy into the sky, screeching. I wiped my forehead and forearm.

"Damn… you really got me holding all of that?"

"Well, of course," Strength said, lowering his arms and walking over. He lifted his chin, tilting his head.

"If that's all you can manage… then obviously we have to train you." This man isn't shocked?! He isn't visibly surprised that I just moved ten thousand tons?! No shit, Olsen—that guy can lift an entire planet without breaking a sweat! Talk about unfair. He's a Zenith!

"So, how am I gonna get stronger then? It's not like there's anything heavier—" He was gone. I turned to Eddy, who was sitting on a nearby boulder, kicking his feet back and wearing random wooden sunglasses he'd salvaged from the jungle. He tipped his frames, glancing at me with his hands behind his head.

"He's really giving you the tough love, isn't he?" My eyes rolled, my groan sounding like a foghorn.

"Ughhhh, don't tell me he's about to make me do even more annoying stuff!"

"I AM!" boomed Strength from above. I looked up. There he was, standing atop two colossal space rocks he'd apparently just plucked from orbit. They were twice the size of the mountain I'd just dropped, and there were two of them. My jaw dropped, my eyes twitching.

"Now what makes you think I can handle those?!"

"See," Strength smirked down at me, "that's the neat thing. You can't." My brows knitted.

"What do you mean?" He leaped off the rocks and hit the dirt with a thunderous BOOM! Eddy tumbled right off his boulder, and I almost laughed.

"When it comes to strength training," Strength said, holding up a red finger, "you have to work with something far beyond your usual limit."

"And," I leaned forward, hands in my pockets, "how are you supposed to move something like that if it's, y'know… impossible?"

"That's literally the point," he replied.

"Muscle growth requires absolute maximum output. You do less reps—while trying your absolute hardest." He turned to the two massive bodies of space debris, pointing a finger at them before flashing me a confident smile.

"Now, instead of picking them up, you're going to drag them from here…" He slowly swept his arm toward the sprawling rainforest behind me, "…to there." My mind nearly detonated in sheer shock.

"YOU WANT ME TO DO WHAT?!" Meanwhile, Eddy was back on his perch, chuckling at my suffering.

"Do what the boss man says, sir! What's wrong with a little light haulage?" He promptly closed his eyes to nap. Oh, I hate that dinosaur. Strength closed his eyes and clapped his hands.

"Alright, chop-chop! See you on the other side." He walked over to Eddy and sat on an adjacent rock, elbows on his knees and fists pressed against his cheeks, grinning with total satisfaction. I turned back to the giant meteors. Their massive frames blocked out the sun, casting a deep gloom over the clearing.

"Uhhh… okay, I guess." I cast a glare back at Strength, raising an eyebrow.

"How exactly am I supposed to haul these across the terrain?"

"Easy," he said nonchalantly, pointing to a thick pile of ropes that had been sitting there the whole time. Just looking at them made my stomach turn. Dragging that much weight across the island sounded awful, but staying here staring at them wasn't going to get me any closer to the Lost Gem. A Zenith was personally training me. Power had trained both Don and me back during his trial, so if I pushed through this, the payoff would be even greater.

"Fine," I said, glaring up at the sky-high rocks.

"I'm doing it."

They were trapped in the heart of the dark forest, surrounded by towering plants and thick clusters of trees. Night draped over the canopy, silver moonlight washing the leaves. The dinosaurs were asleep, save for the tiny ones scurrying like shadows across the undergrowth. The Chosen Ones were tied together with thick ropes—some knocked out cold, others half-asleep. Prince snored loud enough to compete with the crickets. Only Archie was fully awake. His feet shifted into talons.

He sawed at the thick, unyielding cord with all his strength. Nothing. He glanced around desperately for anything to help. Shifting his weight, he nudged the others. Groans echoed through the clearing as eyes blinked open in confusion.

"WHO BROUGHT US HERE?!" Demaurion roared, sharp teeth gleaming in the moonlight. He bit down on his bond. Snap. Free. The group scrambled to their feet, scanning the darkness. Prince tilted his head, trying to get his bearings.

"Well, we're definitely nowhere near the main lobby. The bad kids—did they leave?" Archie eyed the discarded ropes.

"We must've been knocked out," he said, tense.

"Olsen's probably already off fulfilling the second part of the prophecy." Ella brushed off her cat ears, eyes drifting upward.

"It's… already night?" Demaurion's fists trembled, his voice low.

"If I find these fakes, I swear I will LITERALLY—""Literally what?" A voice cut through the clearing. They spun. Azure stood there, calm and unsettling. Light azure hair, piercing blue eyes, pale as bone. He wore baggy black cargo pants with grenades strapped to his hips, and a tattered blue shirt with stitched sleeves. Azure rings coiled his wrists, and massive blue phoenix wings spread from his back. He flashed a crooked grin, revealing sharp teeth and half-dead eyes.

"I couldn't even express myself more than I ever wanted to," he drawled.

"If it isn't… the Chosen Ones." Prince cracked his knuckles, grinning.

"Ya seriously thought dying your hair would give you extra scary points? I've seen worse phases." Demaurion stepped forward, trident ready.

"WHERE'S THE CELESTIANITE?! WHAT SECRETS ARE YOU HIDING?!" Azure laughed, his arms igniting in azure flames.

"I'm afraid that information… can't be given away." His gaze flicked past them.

"…Guys." From the shadows, the rest of the Illegals emerged: Darn: Crimson dreadlocks, blood-red hoodie, tentacles writhing from his back. Rusty: Long rust-colored hair, corroded metal trench coat, a gleaming scorpion tail. King: Half red, half sapphire blue, with mismatched wings, eyes, and ripped clothing. Ella rolled her eyes, sand swirling across her arms.

"Not this again…" Archie's grin spread, his flames roaring brighter.

"Don't worry—I love challenges!"

"PULL!" Strength's voice cracked across the valley like thunder.

"PULL LIKE YOU'RE TRYING TO RIP THE MOUNTAIN IN HALF!" The chains dug into my shoulders so hard they felt welded to my bones. Not ropes. Chains. Two massive iron chains were wrapped around my arms, attached to something behind me that weighed more than a castle. A line of collapsed temple pillars—dozens of them—stacked and bound together like some ancient battering ram. Each one probably weighed ten tons. I leaned forward and pulled. Nothing.

"DON'T YOU DARE TELL ME THAT'S ALL YOU GOT!" Strength roared. My shoes scraped against the stone. My muscles flexed, veins crawling across my arms like live wires. I pulled again. The ground cracked beneath my feet. Still nothing. Eddy sat cross-legged on top of the pillar pile, sipping from a wooden cup like he was front row at a sports game.

"Oh wow," he said lazily.

"He moved it like…half a pebble."

"SHUT UP AND WATCH!" Strength barked. I gritted my teeth and roared, dragging the chains with everything I had. For a moment— nothing. Then suddenly— SKRRRRRRAAAAAAAAPE The entire stack of pillars slid forward a few inches, grinding against the stone like an avalanche waking up.

"YES!" Strength bellowed.

"AGAIN!" My arms felt like they were tearing off.

"AGAIN!" I pulled.

"AGAIN!" My vision started blurring.

"AGAIN!" The pillars finally lurched forward another foot.

"THAT'S TIME!" Strength shouted. The chains fell away. I collapsed face-first into the dirt, lungs fighting for air while every muscle in my body screamed like it had been stabbed.

"Good," Strength said casually. I looked up, barely alive.

"Good?" I croaked. He grinned.

"Now we start the real training." My soul left my body.

"Combat training," Strength said, pacing beneath the night sky with his hands clasped behind his back.

"It's the fundamental discipline most Elemental users neglect when starting out as a Hero, or…" His head snapped toward me, eyes narrowing.

"…as a Chosen One." I nodded, perched on a boulder with Eddy lounging nearby.

"As a Zenith," Strength continued, "you're going to face frequent battles during your trial, often against brutal, high-level threats. You need to make sure you're built to withstand that punishment—otherwise, your enemies will tear you apart." Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

"What's step one, sir?" I asked. He threw me a cold glance.

"Show me your fists." With a quick snap of his fingers, trails of radiant light withered into existence, encircling Eddy and me. Five figures materialized, glowing with searing white brilliance. They were surprisingly thin—and insanely short.

"These are Shadow Patriots," Strength announced.

"They're your training dummies for the night. Clear the field in under…" He glanced down at his watch.

"…thirty seconds."

"I CAN'T DO THIRTY! —""Three, two, one… go!" I cracked my knuckles. The first figure darted side-to-side before leaping straight at me. BAM! My backhand struck its face hard enough to send a shockwave erupting into the sky. I dropped into a low stance, eyeing the remaining Shadow Patriots as they crept forward. I grinned.

"This guy loves watching me suffer." One sprinted across the terrain, arms pumping with every stride. I spun with a reeled-back fist, grunting as I drove it straight into the creature's jaw, launching it skyward. I pivoted—BAM! —another dropped. Another twist, firing two rapid blows until a third collapsed. Swinging my leg in a high arc, I caught the fourth across the skull, smashing it into the dirt. I skidded across the ground as the rest swarmed. I flashed a grin.

They lunged simultaneously, but my body shot upward. I became a blur of motion, firing bullet-fast strikes from every direction, driving fists into faces and guts to drop them in a synchronized beat. I smashed a forehand against one dummy's face, using the momentum to spin and hurl it across the training grounds, sending it flying into the dense forest. Clenching my fists, I commanded the earth beneath their feet to grip them tight.

A single sweep of my leg prompted the ground to launch the remaining targets into the air like upside-down rain. I twisted, aiming my hand up at the airborne dummies, and flicked my fingers in rapid succession. I shot a barrage of rock pellets into the sky like automatic gunfire. Each shot connected with a rapid-fire crack. Once the dust settled, I lowered my hand. They rained back down, their lifeless forms crashing into the dirt one by one. Strength stared at me, processing the display: So that's how he fights?

Abusing rapid punches and relying on brute force. But the way he shot those rock pellets into the air… that's not typical for an Earthnite. He can shift between offense and defense effortlessly. He's balanced—something most Earthnites aren't. This kid is clearly something else.

"Well, kid," Strength finally spoke after a long pause, "I think you're ready now…" Excitement washed over me, and I threw my fists into the air.

"YA SERIOUS?!"

"Well, yeah," he smirked, glancing down at the defeated Shadow Patriots.

"You passed." He slowly stood atop his pillar, heavy muscular arms crossed as he looked down at me.

"But that doesn't mean your training is over…" I faceplanted into my hands and groaned loudly.

"What else could there possibly be?! I dragged two massive asteroids for you and obliterated your dummies—they were way too easy!" That was the whole point, kid, Strength's grin widened. It's supposed to feel easy at first, but the real test is next. He turned toward a much larger arena—a vast, circular battlefield covered entirely in deep sand. Strength looked back at me.

"Come on. You're about to fight something you might actually enjoy…"

"Woah…" I stepped onto the battlefield. Honestly, I didn't even know why I was saying "woah"—the whole thing was literally just a giant, empty sandpit. The sharp scent of dry dirt hit my nose. Blue-tinted mountains sprawled across the distant horizon, and the dark silhouettes of pterodactyls cut through the clouds above. Strength stood beside me, hands resting on his hips. Eddy sat close, chewing nervously on his own paw while staring out at the arena.

"Red muscle dude," I started, "we're not gonna—""Don't worry, we're not doing any cataclysmic chaos stuff," Strength interrupted, staring confidently out at the dirt.

"We got you." He turned to me.

"Olsen, this is where you learn to handle massive opponents. You've already shown me your speed—if your fists are that fast, I assume your legs can match them?" I let out a completely fake laugh.

"Uh, I really don't think my entire body can move that—""GOOD THEN!" He grabbed my shoulders and shoved me forward into the sand.

"DON'T WORRY! HE'S NOT A TOUGH OPPONENT!" I spun back toward him.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT?!" BROOOOOOOOOOOOSH! The far end of the arena split open. The earth shook violently as something massive clawed its way out from beneath the surface. Jagged claws dug into the terrain, carving deep trenches as the full frame hauled itself into the light. Slabs of stone and showers of dirt cascaded off its body like a localized landslide. It rose higher and higher—a literal titan of rock and earth. When the ground finally stopped trembling, the titan towered over the arena.

It was constructed entirely of stone. Its chest was a massive, rectangular block covered in jagged fractures. One shoulder bulged like an oversized boulder, completely asymmetrical to the other. Its biceps and forearms were thick slabs of cracked rock, and its tree-trunk legs ended in heavy stone feet built to flatten anything in their path. The giant slowly tilted its head down. Horns jutted from its head as its eyes flared to life—small, glowing green, but menacing enough to confirm my worst fears.

I turned around. Strength and Eddy were gone. Great. I'm on my own. I looked back up at the colossal figure. Its shadow completely swallowed me. I felt like a desk lamp standing next to a skyscraper. What even is that thing? I thought. Does Strength seriously expect me to take this down? He mentioned my speed… am I supposed to outrun it? Because I'm definitely going to need every bit of it. Then again, I control the earth—maybe I can just sink him into the ground. The titan shifted its stance.

Air suddenly vacuums around its feet, swirling in a violent vortex until— BWEISH! It vanished, instantly reappearing right above me. I froze, staring directly into its glowing green eyes. I barely started to turn when—BAM! A massive fist slammed straight into my spine. My eyes nearly popped out of my head as a white-hot wave of pain snapped through my bones. BOOM! The impact launched me through the air like a cannonball. I skipped across the dirt, tumbling endlessly and sending rocks and dust flying everywhere.

My head scraped against the earth until I finally ground to a halt, carving a deep trench through the arena floor. I pushed myself up, throwing my hands out in frustration as blood dripped from my forehead. DAMN IT! How did he move that fast for his size?! A brown and blue blur flickered across the battlefield, carving fresh trenches in every direction. I couldn't track him. He was way too fast. He flickered right beside me again. BAM! A heavy blow caught me clean across the cheekbone.

The pressure launched me back across the sand. I bounced off the ground, flipped mid-air, and was about to land when I felt heavy stone fingers clamp around my leg. SHIT! BOOOOOOM! He slammed me into the arena floor so hard the air pressure exploded outward, firing slabs of earth straight into the sky. Blood spurted from my nose. He vanished again, reappearing a few paces away. He stood with his hands on his hips, pointing a jagged finger at me and laughing hysterically.

His whole body shook as he slapped his knee, taking total joy in humiliating me. My blood boiled. That's it. I planted my hands on the dirt, body shaking, and forced myself up. I stomped my foot into the ground. BOOM! The arena quaked. The creature paused, looking down in confusion as the ground tried to trap his feet—but right before the earth could bind him, he leaped skyward. He rocketed toward me from above, driving a fist down at high speed. I crossed my arms to block. WHAMMMM!

The shockwave folded inward before violently blasting outward, vibrating the land and ripping fresh stone from the ground. The titan flickered away again, instantly reappearing right in front of me to wind up for another beatdown. I clenched my fists, dug my toes into the dirt, and tightened every muscle in my body.

"OKAY SKIN-WALKER! LET ME ROUGHEN UP A BIT!"

"WAIT!" Strength's voice boomed. I blinked. Strength was suddenly standing right beside me. The titan lunged forward, sprinting toward him with a fist reared back for a devastating strike. Strength casually caught the strike with one hand. The resulting shockwave blew the dust back in a giant circle. Energy surged into Strength's free fist. BAM! He drove an upper-cut straight into the titan, launching the massive creature skyward just as the ground beneath us settled. Smoke drifted off Strength's knuckles.

"Now," Strength said, turning to me, "what you're actually supposed to do in a situation like this is channel your elemental energy." I stared at him, wiped blood from my lip, and frowned.

"Channel 'elemental energy'? What is that? Isn't energy something you charge up?"

"Yeah, that's the part most people don't realize," Strength explained.

"Every element has a physical form, but even though you manipulate the environment, elemental energy is something you channel inside yourself for far more powerful strikes. All you have to do…" He turned toward the airborne creature, and I followed his gaze.

"…is let yourself loose."

The Thunderous Summit was one of the worst places to live in the Thunderstark Kingdom—a ridge of jagged blue peaks whose tips spiraled upward into the storm clouds. What made the summit unbearable was the relentless lightning that battered the rock face every weekend. The Gammanite hiding near the peak was fortunate, however, that the weekend was still a day away. His name was Airies, a specialized doctor from another universe entirely.

Ten years ago, a lab experiment went wrong, warping him across realities into this world. He went into hiding the moment he realized that anyone originating from outside the planet—or the universe—was classified as an illegal entity. Returning home required rebuilding the multiversal generator from scratch, a task that proved impossible on an isolated mountain peak. Inside the mouth of a shallow cavern, Airies knelt on the cold stone and carved another tally mark into the wall. Ten years.

Three thousand six hundred and fifty days spent avoiding the local Avangardians. His original lab coat and trousers had rotted away after five years on the mountain. With no way to acquire clothes without risking capture, he relied entirely on his green owl wings, wrapping them tightly around his torso whenever the mountain winds turned bitter. Rebuilding his machine was a cruel joke. He looked down at the materials he had managed to scavenge over a decade: four plain, useless river stones lined up in the dirt.

Frustration boiled over. He slammed his fist against the rock floor, immediately wincing as sharp pain shot through his knuckles. He pulled his green wings around his shoulders, curling up on the bare stone to sleep. Sometime after midnight, the wind died down. Airies drifted off, only for a heavy thud to rattle the cavern floor, shaking loose dust from the ceiling. His eyes snapped open. He scrambled to his feet and rushed to the mouth of the cave, scanning the drop below. Outside, the night sky was clear.

Twin moons spilled silver light across the mountain range, casting long shadows over the rocks. Seeing nothing, Airies grunted in annoyance and turned back toward his corner. A second impact struck the ledge right behind him. The ground shuddered. Airies froze, slowly turning around as he pulled his wings tight against his back. A tall figure towered at the edge of the cliff. Massive wings flared out behind his back, casting a long shadow into the cave.

His face was set in a rigid expression as he stepped over the threshold, his dark eyes analyzing the Gammanite.

"Airies of the Gammanites, don't fret," Harbinger said, his voice flat and steady.

"I am not here to harm you." Airies raised an eyebrow, turned his back on him, and walked deeper into the cave. Harbinger didn't force his way in; he simply watched him leave.

"You don't want a way back?" Harbinger asked. Airies stopped, turning his head to lock eyes with the intruder.

"Lunaranite, I'm not interested. You don't know the first thing about multiversal technology." Harbinger stepped into the gloom, stopping to examine the walls covered in thousands of carved tally marks. He gave a single, slow nod.

"Your intellect will be needed," Harbinger said quietly.

"And I find it interesting that you recognize my faction on sight." He closed his fists at his sides.

"If you refuse to hear me out, my king will have my head. Give me a moment to explain why I tracked you to this rock."

"Go on," Airies said, dropping into a cross-legged sit on the dirt.

"Explain yourself, and I'll decide if it's worth my time."

"You've spent ten years rotting in a cave," Harbinger said, looking down at him.

"This is your chance to leave."

"You mean leaving this universe?" Airies interrupted. Harbinger stared down at him blankly.

"No. I mean leaving this mountain. The Lunaranites have known your location and studied your background for a long time." Airies stood up, his jaw dropping.

"You've known where I was this whole time? How did you track me?" A faint smirk touched Harbinger's lips.

"Some of us operate in the shadows." Harbinger turned back toward the ledge, bending his knees as energy gathered around his boots.

"The king wants an audience," Harbinger added over his shoulder.

"He believes you could be a valuable asset to the Lunaranite Military. He is well aware that illegals exist on this planet, and he intends to utilize your skills before you disappear like the others." Before Airies could respond, Harbinger launched himself off the cliff face. A heavy shockwave rattled the cavern walls as he rocketed into the night sky. Airies groaned, stomping his foot against the stone floor.

"Fine! At least I'll get a real bed for the night!" He sprinted to the ledge and dove straight into the abyss. Mid-fall, he folded his green wings, rolled through the slipstream, and flared them wide, shooting upward into the atmosphere behind Harbinger's rising trail.

Let yourself loose. That's what he said. I've spent so long fighting this monster that I lost myself in the moment. I'm trying too hard to beat him, and he's not even winded, unlike me. He stood at the far edge of the circle, grinning before slamming both claws into the ground. If I'd known sooner, I would've fought this guy differently. I could've easily unlocked earth energy manipulation right then, but I didn't. Strength, why didn't you tell me sooner.

The creature looked like it was already charging another high-speed attack, so my best move was to dodge and follow with a strike. Ugh, if only I could command the earth right now. Too bad that's not a thing. Air blasted the moment he charged, roaring like I was a meal he hadn't even bitten into yet. Crazy part is, he's not even trying to eat me. He's just doing what he does best. I swiftly moved aside, quick enough for him to miss and blitz past me.

A foot struck the ground, and I twisted the moment he launched at me full speed. I grunted, throwing up a wall of earth in front of me. The creature slammed into it, roaring in pain. My palms shifted into knife hands, and I rolled them in slow circles. Stone caught both of the creature's legs. KRAKK! And twisted them.

"YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWW!!!" The creature hit the floor before I even got to it. I hadn't even unlocked earth energy, and I still somehow took down this massive stone titan.

"What a pain in the ass," I muttered. Strength walked up behind me, watching as the creature sank slowly into the ground. He turned to go, his glowstick body burning brighter red.

"Letting yourself loose can't be that hard, kid." I watched him walk away.

"You don't get it, Strength." I shot up two boulders from the ground, one for him, one for me. We sat facing each other, and he leaned forward, arms on his knees, head tilted.

"That monster was giving you a heart attack, wasn't it."

"It didn't give me a heart attack," I said.

"It was more like, I just felt…"

"Reactive?"

"Yeah," I replied.

"That." He leaned back and chuckled.

"I get why you're reactive to that opponent. He's fast, you'll never catch him in a blink." He leaned forward, finger raised.

"That's what makes it harder. He's not just a foe, he's quicker and more agile than you." He rubbed his chin.

"I'm mildly impressed you caught onto his speed pattern and moved off it. Good reaction. But the whole point was to let loose. Calm down." Calm down? How am I supposed to calm down, sir? You're talking to a kid who got beaten up by a 900-pound sixteen-year-old before any of this even started. I rubbed the back of my neck.

"Why am I like this? I know I'm strong, but whenever I put it to the test, I just… don't." He crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow.

"That's not how you become an Earthnite Warrior, kid. Honestly, I don't think you even need to be a warrior at all." Hell, what do you mean I don't need to be a warrior? It's my lifelong dream. He sighed, hands on his knees.

"Olsen, I'm not gonna soften you up, but I'm not gonna train you to be a jerk either. Power's told me what you've done, the sacrifices you've made that most people wouldn't." He stood, pointing at me.

"You protected the first Chosen One, Lens Don the Celestianite. That deserves a reward. But don't act like life's gonna give you lemons." He walked off, signaling Eddy that we were moving on. Then he paused.

"Lemons are gonna give you life. Now come on." Eddy waddled after him and shouted, "AMATEUR!" Real bold for someone with no powers of his own. Typical. I stared at my hands, turning over what Strength had said. Don't act like life's gonna give you lemons, lemons are gonna give you life. No idea what that even means. Guy's not great at metaphors. But fine, all I had to do was let loose and calm down. My arms dropped to my sides.

I took a breath and let every thought fizzle away, not gone, just filed somewhere I could dig them back up later. Only one thing left in my head: that spark of green light. If I ever had earth energy, I'd already know how to control it. Just let loose, and think of the green. FSHHHH! Heat rushed through my hands, but it didn't burn. I looked down, my forearms were glowing emerald.

"Woah…" I turned my arms over, wrapped in green flame.

"Earth energy. I actually unlocked it."

"Hey, kid!" Strength called, walking back.

"You coming or…" He stopped, gawked, then snapped his jaw shut and clapped hard.

"Guess lemons gave you life after all."

"You're gonna have to explain that one," I teased. The green cracked and flared once more across my arms before fading. I closed my eyes and let it go. I looked at Strength, arms crossed.

"Beginning the adventure's my final test. Let's start."