"Alright, I think you're finally ready!" Kayne declared.
"Does that mean we'll finally be able to fight other Half-Spirits?" asked Seth, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.
"Exactly. The tournament starts tomorrow. I suggest you get a good night's rest—because once it begins, you won't get another chance."
"So... does that mean we have the rest of the day off?" asked Katia, already hopeful.
"Yes, but," Kayne added with a sly grin, "before that, you're going to do me a favor and clean up the mess you made while training."
Just by looking at everyone's faces, I could tell none of us were thrilled.
...
"FINALLY!" I shouted, stretching my arms.
"That was torture. He could've at least helped!" Juan muttered, visibly annoyed.
"We can't really complain. Thanks to him, we got to train with those puppets," Komi pointed out.
She was right, of course… but I still shared Juan's frustration. It had taken us almost two hours to clean everything. It was already past 9 PM.
"So... what now?" Juan asked.
"Wanna go for a walk?" I suggested.
They all shot me a dead-eyed look full of exhaustion and judgment.
"Okay... got the message," I mumbled with an awkward smile.
Just as we were about to relax, Kayne reappeared.
"Looks good. You did a decent job," he said with a smirk, arms crossed.
"If you'd helped, we'd already be sleeping!" Juan snapped.
"Calm down. No need to bark," Kayne replied, smirking arrogantly.
Juan looked like he was about to explode, but he was too tired to follow through. His furrowed brows mixed with half-closed eyes made him look... honestly kind of funny.
I couldn't help but let out a little snort.
"You think this is funny, Marvens?!" Juan shouted.
"Not at all," I said, lips pressed together in a grin.
"Anyway," Kayne went on, "I came back to tell you something."
"We're listening," Komi said, eyes still half-shut.
"Tomorrow, someone new will join your group," he announced with enthusiasm.
"AGAIN?!" we all yelled—except for Seth, who had only recently joined.
"Like I told you last time," Kayne said, "several students from our academy will take part in the tournament. We've divided them into three teams of six."
"Got it!" I replied.
Even if our last addition was... unusual, I was curious to see who the next person might be.
"Alright, go get some sleep!"
"Yes, sir," we all answered.
...
The next morning, Kayne met us at 7 a.m. for one final class.
Juan was already yawning as we entered the room, eyes begging for more sleep. Katia and I were the last to arrive. Kayne welcomed us with a smile and motioned for us to stand beside the others.
"Thanks for coming despite your fatigue. I won't take much of your time. I just wanted to wish you all the best in the upcoming tournament. It's been a pleasure training you... even if Juan's attitude made it a bit difficult," he said with a grin.
We all smirked—except Juan, who looked mildly offended.
"Did you really have to say that out loud?!" he groaned, half-asleep.
"Do you want to be annoying one last time?" Kayne teased him.
Juan stayed quiet after that.
"Like I was saying—working with you all was a great experience. Some of our first meetings weren't exactly joyful, but I hope this one will be," Kayne continued.
"What do you mean, 'the last one'?" I asked, confused.
"You're not coming with us to the tournament?" Komi asked, just as puzzled.
"Sadly, no. I wish I could. But that wasn't part of the Master's plan," he replied.
That hit me hard. Kayne deserved to see how far we'd come. He made us into what we are now.
"So... this is really the last time we'll see you?" Seth asked, lowering his head.
"Not forever. But the next time you'll see me... will be when you reach Class S," Kayne said firmly.
Seth's face twisted with anger and hurt. I didn't understand why he was reacting so strongly.
"After all you've taught us… all the moments we shared… all the discipline you gave us… you're just walking away like it means nothing?!" Seth shouted, trembling, his voice cracking with emotion.
It was the first time I saw Seth so vulnerable. I never thought he valued anyone like that.
"Dry those tears, Seth. I didn't train you to cry over something so trivial," Kayne said, walking toward him calmly.
"Stay back! I don't want to hear it. You made your choice. Don't try to apologize!" Seth shouted.
He trembled, clenched his fists, and gritted his teeth. We were all stunned.
Kayne stopped walking.
"Are you done acting like a baby?" Juan said, judging him.
"Mind your own damn business, idiot!" Seth snapped back.
"Take your anger out on me if you want—it won't change the facts. He can't come, not that he doesn't want to. He believes in us so much, he's letting us go forward on our own. That's what it means," Juan replied, calm and steady.
"Oh yeah? Then clearly, you're not attached to him at all. All you ever did was complain during training! What do you know about loyalty?!" Seth growled, glaring at Juan.
A tense silence followed. Juan's tired face shifted into something darker.
"YOU—"
"ENOUGH!" Katia's voice thundered.
A psychic wave rippled through us, silencing everything.
"Don't fight," Kayne said softly. "I didn't train you together so you could fall apart. I trained you to support each other, understand each other—and become friends. Juan, thank you for clarifying my intentions. But don't expect him to understand if you don't fully understand yourself."
Seth clenched his fists again, then managed to speak despite Katia's influence.
"So... you're abandoning me too?"
We all looked at one another, confused. Abandon?
"I'm not abandoning you, Seth. I'm letting you fly on your own," Kayne said, teleporting in front of him.
"Fine then... You better keep your promise. We will meet again," Seth whispered, drying his tears.
"That's on you. I'm already top-ranked, remember?" Kayne replied with a cocky grin.
Seth laughed and thanked him. It was strange—but touching—hearing that from someone like Seth.
"Alright, time to say goodbye. But before that—I have a gift for each of you."
We all lit up with excitement.
"Close your eyes. Open your hands."
Kayne placed something in each of our palms.
"You can open them now. I hope you'll like what I chose."
In my hands lay a book—Meditation for Advanced Psychic Control. I wasn't sure why he'd given it to me... but on the first page, a note read:"You'll understand after meeting someone special during the tournament 🙂"
Katia received a letter, turned red, and ripped it up. Komi got a book on lightning but seemed just as puzzled. Juan received a CD. Seth got a photo—he wouldn't show it to us.
"I know none of you understand your gifts now. But I gave them because I care about your future, your growth—and your destiny."
"Our destiny?" Komi asked.
"I can't say more without the Master's permission. But just know this: the next person joining your group is waiting outside. They'll ride the bus to the tournament with you."
"WHAT?! We have to travel with them too?" Katia groaned.
"Hurry now. And don't look back," Kayne said with a grin.
We all exchanged glances and ran toward the bus.
Outside, a girl stood with her back to us.
"Took you long enough," she said.
I hadn't recognized her at first...But when she turned around—
It was Sabrina.
Was she really going to join us in the tournament?