When Zyon woke up the next morning, everything was quiet.
No alarms.
No danger.
Just the cool desert air slipping through his window.
Yet Zyon had barely slept.
First the figures.
Then the strange dream.
Every time he closed his eyes, he saw them standing beyond the barrier.
Watching.
Waiting.
Zyon sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes.
"What's wrong with me?" he muttered.
After the first rays of sunlight slipped through his window immediately warmth spread through his body.
The weakness from last night faded.
Energy returned.
His golden light flickered between his fingers, bright and alive.
Normal again.
At least for now.
Zyon got dressed and left. The village was still mostly asleep as he stepped outside.
Morning was the best time to train.
The air was cool, the village seemed empty, and his friends would already be waiting for him at the training grounds.
With that thought, he set off into the dawn.
Later that day, more rays of sunlight expanded and crept over the dunes, chasing away the last shadows of the night, painting the desert in shades of gold and orange while a cool breeze swept across the sand.
Just outside the village, four children sat cross-legged facing the rising sun.
Zyon.
Lorenzo.
Rommel.
Caroline.
Morning training had become a daily habit for all of them. While most of the village still slept, they were already awake, eyes closed and hands resting on their knees as they drew in the warmth of the new day.
For several minutes, the only sounds were the wind and the distant cries of desert birds. With the rising sun, the air was warming up rapidly.
Then Lorenzo ruined the peace and quiet.
One eye cracked open as he looked around dramatically.
"Twenty more minutes? At this rate I'm going to evolve into a roasted lizard."
Nobody reacted, and this made Lorenzo frown. Chasing jokes, he then went on. "Rommel, you're turning redder than a Level 2 Conga Ethereal's butt."
Rommel's eye twitched.
The fifteen-year-old was already built like a young ox. Broad shoulders stretched the fabric of his training clothes, and even while sitting down, he looked larger than most grown men in the village. Sweat rolled down his forehead as he wiped it away without opening his eyes.
"Shut it, shorty." Rommel growled.
"My growth spurt will come, you wait," Lorenzo defended his size and then asked, "Why so mad, bro?"
"Because you're talking." Rommel growled again. "Some of us have to focus."
Beside them, Caroline covered a smile but remained focused on her meditation. Light brown hair was neatly braided behind her head, and a scattering of freckles crossed her nose and cheeks. Though only thirteen, she carried herself with a quiet confidence and pride. Thin strands of light gathered around her fingertips before slowly fading away again.
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Unlike the boys, she hardly moved.
Lorenzo sighed. "Tough crowd."
Zyon ignored them all.
As the sunlight washed over him, he focused on the warmth gathering beneath his skin.
Power followed.
The difference was immediate.
His breathing became easier.
His Heka flowed more smoothly.
That strange weakness disappeared entirely.
The sun always seemed to feed him.
Around him, the others gradually ended their meditation, but he remained still a little longer before finally opening his eyes.
"Ready?" Rommel asked.
The answer came in the form of Lorenzo launching himself to his feet.
They all went into a fighting stance and, the next moment, they were sparring.
Sand kicked up beneath their feet as the four exchanged strikes and blocks. Rommel relied on power, throwing heavy punches that could easily knock someone off balance, while Caroline favored speed and technique, slipping in and out of range with quick kicks and precise footwork.
Lorenzo...
Lorenzo mostly relied on chaos. "Behold!" he shouted while charging forward. "The undefeated desert champion!"
Zyon sidestepped.
Lorenzo ran right past him.
A second later, Lorenzo was face-first in the sand. Lorenzo groaned from the sand, laughing. "Okay, okay! I surrender, future hunter king!"
The sparring continued for several more minutes. Zyon ducked beneath one of Rommel's swings, slipped around Caroline's guard, and tapped Lorenzo on the shoulder before he could react.
"What? That's not fair! You weren't paying attention and I was planning something big," Lorenzo muttered.
"You were just talking," Caroline shot back at him.
Lorenzo pointed accusingly. "Talking is a strategy."
Nobody agreed.
After a short break, they moved on to light-power manipulation.
A grin spread across Lorenzo's face as he clapped his hands together.
"-FLASH-BANG!"
A burst of white light exploded outward, followed by a sound resembling a loud firecracker, forcing everyone to shield their eyes and ears.
"Damn it, Lorenzo!" Rommel blinked repeatedly.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Lorenzo didn't realise that he was shouting, his hearing clearly affected by the shockwave of his own attack.
Ignoring the complaints, he stretched out a hand and released a steady beam of white light across the training grounds. Moments later, glowing afterimages danced between his fingers.
"One day I'll make a light clone and let it wave at Ethereals."
Rommel snorted. "One day you'll get eaten, Lorry."
Caroline stepped forward next to show her skills. Unlike Lorenzo, every movement was calm and controlled. Thin beams of light formed and vanished at her command while small flashes appeared exactly where she wanted them.
"I have also worked on my healing, guys," Caroline proclaimed with a proud voice. "Yesterday I healed a cut on my father's hand."
"That's really impressive, you should be proud of yourself," Rommel said.
"Yeah, Caro, I will always team up with you. Free healing. 'Free,' get that punchline?"
"Please don't use my family name like that."
Zyon was watching, bits of jealousy in his eyes. He then spoke up, "You guys are just amazing, the way you can manipulate the light. When will I reach that level?"
Lorenzo raised his hand, shaking his head, clearly disagreeing. "Don't sweat it, Sunnyboy, you shine in different ways."
Caroline also felt like she had to say something. "Zyon, you are ahead of us with solidifying your light into physical form and combining this with our Master's martial arts."
"Thanks, guys." Zyon said quietly.
A golden glow appeared around his hand. Immediately, it felt different.
"There it is," Lorenzo said, leaning forward.
The light shimmered with a richer golden color than the others'. It almost looked alive. As Zyon concentrated more Heka-energy into his light, the glow brightened and heat rippled through the air above his hand. He felt his Heka draining, but with it being day now, Zyon was energized and could use his powers to a certain extent.
Caroline raised an eyebrow.
Rommel instinctively took a step back.
The last time Zyon pushed his light too hard, a training dummy had caught fire.
This time he kept it under control.
The golden glow wrapped around his fists like a pair of gauntlets, and as he threw several punches, faint trails of light followed his movements through the air. Then a jumping knee followed with a light-infused double elbow strike downwards.
Lorenzo stared in awe. "His light always looks expensive."
"What do you mean?" Rommel asked.
"I don't know. Like it costs more Heka to generate."
Caroline rolled her eyes. It still surprises her when Lorenzo shows that mature side of his.
Before Zyon could show any more moves, the village bell rang in the distance. Morning lessons began in five minutes.
The four friends gathered their things and started walking back toward the village. Halfway there, however, Zyon slowed and glanced toward the desert once again, feeling a cold shiver go along his spine.
"Go ahead," Zyon said. "I'll catch up."
"Don't get lost," Lorenzo said while waving his friend goodbye.
The others continued toward the village while Zyon wandered a little closer to the barrier surrounding the settlement. The dome of white light shimmered softly where it met the desert, separating the village from the endless dunes beyond.
"Master Hound is really amazing. Creating this light-veil that has protected us for many years. How can people proclaim that light is weak?" Zyon wondered, thinking out loud.
Just as he started convincing himself yesterday had been his imagination...
Two dark figures appeared beyond the barrier.
Tall and motionless.
Wrapped from head to toe in black rags that fluttered gently in the morning wind.
For a brief moment, the world felt unusually quiet.
Then he blinked.
The figures were gone.
Only empty dunes remained.
Zyon rubbed his eyes and looked again, but there was nothing there except heat shimmering above the sand.
'Must've been a fata morgana...' Zyon somehow tried to cope with the situation, trying to make sense of what just happened.
But deeply he knew that he hadn't imagined anything.
And whoever they were...
They had come back.
After one last glance toward the desert, he turned and got his legs to move again.
He hurried after his friends without looking back.