Zay sat cross-legged near the edge of the lake, his violet eyes scanning the serene surroundings. He took in the gentle rustling of the trees around, the soft and small ripples on the water, and the distant peaks that lined the horizon. Slowly, a thin layer of aura began to form around his body, shimmering faintly with a violet hue.
Renzo and Lily sat down next to him, their own auras materializing around their bodies, though they glowed a dark red for Renzo and a softer light blue for Lily. Together, the three of them fell into meditation, the quiet hum of their aura filling the air like an invisible current.
An hour passed by quickly, though to Lily, it felt like much longer. Sweat beaded along her brow, a sign to the strain she was feeling. With a frustrated sigh, she finally broke her concentration. Her aura faded and laid back against the soft grass beneath her.
'These guys are insane,' she thought, glancing over at Zay and Renzo, who seemed unfazed by the prolonged meditation.
'How the hell can they keep going like this?'
Her eyes stayed locked on them, transfixed by their calm, unbothered expressions. Not a drop of sweat was on either of them.
Lily let out a long exhale, rolling her eyes to the sky, bewildered.
'I couldn't even last an hour this time and they're still going like it's nothing…'
The wind picked up, its gusts growing stronger. Zay slowly opened his eyes, the faint glow of his violet aura dimming as he stood up gracefully, his gaze shifting to one of the distant mountains. A slight smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"Let's go, thing's are going a bit quicker than I thought." he said, his voice smooth and calm.
Renzo exhaled deeply, his crimson aura fading as he stood, stretching his arms and loosening his stiff muscles. "Finally," he muttered under his breath, rubbing his shoulders as if the weight of their training had begun to catch up with him.
With a silent nod, Renzo followed Zay, and the two of them began to walk toward the west, the silhouette of the jagged, cone-like mountain growing slightly larger in the distance. The ground beneath their feet was uneven, jagged rocks and a steady stream of wind.
Lily followed behind them, her thoughts a bit too tangled for comfort. The midday sun beat down on them as they moved, the wind picking up in gusts, causing dead leaves to swirl around them like whispers. She found herself wondering how they'd gotten here, how they had come so far so quickly.
Renzo, walking ahead of her now, slowed his pace just enough to glance over his shoulder. His hazel eyes met hers for a brief second, and a soft chuckle escaped him.
"What's so funny?" Lily asked, arching an eyebrow at him.
Renzo just shook his head, a grin spreading across his face. "It's just… weird, you know? All of us being together like this, out here and not at home. And we've only been training for not even a whole year. Can't believe how far we've come. Aura training, combat, and all that. I mean, look at us."
He raised his hand, and for a brief moment, dark red aura flickered around his fingers, shimmering as it expanded. It dissipated as quickly as it had appeared, leaving him to clench his fist with a smile.
"Honestly, it's all because of Zay. I never thought I would be this strong within... even three years of training. Growing stronger, training together, like we've been doing. It's pretty surreal, in a way." Renzo shrugged nonchalantly. "But it's also kind of awesome. Just hard to believe it's all happened so fast."
Lily watched the two of them ahead of her as they continued walking. Their pace was steady, but her thoughts seemed to be running at a thousand miles per hour.
Questions gnawed at her, deeper than ever. Was this really all just some grand coincidence like she thought? Was Zay just being… Zay, trying to help them grow stronger? Or, was there a deeper meaning.
'Maybe Renzo's right about everything… and maybe I'm just simply overthinking all of this,' Lily thought, her gaze lifting to the sky where the sun hung high, painting everything in warm golds and reds. The wind stirred the trees wildly.
Suddenly, Zay turned his head slightly, catching her gaze. The violet aura around his eyes flared for just a moment, a spark of energy, before he turned back toward the mountain ahead.
Lily froze, her breath catching in her throat.
'What was that?'
she wondered, but she quickly shook it off. It was nothing. Probably just her imagination.
She shrugged the thoughts off and continued walking. Everything was silent, except for the sounds of their footsteps and the occasional rustling of the wind. Lily sighed, she placed her hands behind her head and continued to follow them.
After several hours of trekking through dense forests and edges of mountain cliffs, the three finally arrived at the base of the jagged, and towering mountain that Zay had set his eyes on earlier. The journey had been extremely challenging and exhausting, but avoiding everyone had been worth the detours. Now, beneath the looming shadow of the mountain, the night stretched endlessly above them, the sky littered with stars.
Lily exhaled, placing a hand on her hip as she eyed the mountain's imposing height. The jagged rock face looked unforgiving, and the thought of climbing it after their grueling hike made her stomach twist.
"Are we… really climbing this thing now?" she asked, suppressing a yawn. "It's already night out."
Zay turned to her, tilting his head slightly as if puzzled by the question. Then, with an easy smile, he shook his head.
"Oh no, not tonight," he said, stretching his arms above his head. "We're here so we can start climbing first thing in the morning. Best find a comfortable spot to sleep."
He turned toward a cluster of sturdy trees, flexed his aura around his legs, and leaped onto a low-hanging branch. From there, he moved effortlessly, bounding from one branch to another before settling on one thick enough to hold his weight, he swung his legs over and reclined, arms folded behind his head.
"See? Comfy." He closed his eyes.
Renzo let out an exaggerated sigh before flopping onto the grass with his arms spread wide.
"I'm so damn tired I swear, if a wild animal tries to eat me in my sleep, I'll probably just let it," he groaned, his voice muffled as he buried his face into his arms. Within seconds, his steady breathing signaled that exhaustion had won him over.
Lily glanced between them both before glancing back at the looming trees. With a quiet grumble, she gathered her aura and leaped into the same tree as Zay, finding a solid branch for herself. She sat with her back against the trunk, one leg dangling as she let out a slow breath.
"…Is it too late to go back to the bar?" she muttered, rubbing her arms. "The beds were awful, but at least they had walls."
Zay smirked without opening his eyes.
"Not a damn chance," he replied.
The night deepened, and a chilled wind rolled up towards the mountain slopes, sweeping through the trees with a soft, ghostly whistle. The leaves rustled and twirled, caught in the upward draft, drifting toward the peak like tiny messengers carried by the night.
Zay's eyes snapped open.
His gaze followed the floating leaves as they twisted higher and higher into the sky. A smirk played on his lips.
He closed his eyes again, letting the mountain's whispering winds carry him into sleep.
The first light of dawn filtered through the canopy of trees, casting long, shadowy beams onto the forest floor. The crisp morning air bit at Lily's skin as the quiet rustling of leaves gently stirred the stillness. She awoke first, the chill of the morning creeping into her bones despite the warmth of her cramped position in the tree.
'Three hours of sleep. That's all I managed in this damn tree. I should've just kept my mouth shut and stayed at home.'
The thought was heavy in her mind as she dropped down from the branches with a fluid motion, landing softly on the forest floor. The sound of her feet hitting the dirt barely made a noise as she steadied herself, groaning slightly at the soreness in her limbs.
She reached up, running her fingers through her tousled hair to move it out of her face, eyes squinting against the faint sunlight that pierced the tree line. Stretching her arms above her head, she twisted her torso from side to side, trying to shake off the stiffness of an uncomfortable night's sleep.
A few moments passed before the distinct rustling of leaves told her Zay was awake. His presence was felt in the air before he even landed beside her, the aura of his violet energy flaring for a brief moment as his feet hit the ground. The force of his landing kicked up a cloud of dust that swirled toward Renzo, who shot upright instantly, his eyes flashing with panic as his aura flared instinctively.
A sharp gasp escaped Renzo's lips before he snapped into a fighting stance, his muscles coiling with tension as he prepared to defend himself. His aura blazed like a wildfire, the dark red energy surrounding him in a protective cocoon.
"O-oh..." he muttered, the sharp edge of his fear quickly fading as he saw it was just his siblings. With a relieved sigh, the fiery intensity around him faded, leaving only the faintest trace of aura lingering in the air.
"You scared the hell out of me," he grumbled, stretching out his limbs, clearly annoyed at his own overreaction.
"That was the idea to wake you up," Zay said with a smirk, his eyes narrowing in the early light. "And it worked."
Renzo shot a half-hearted glare at Zay but couldn't suppress the smirk tugging at his lips. "Amazing idea," he replied sarcastically.
Zay turned to face the mountain looming ahead of them, its towering peak still shrouded in mist. With a fluid motion, violet aura surged around his limbs as he began to walk toward the base of the cliff, his steps purposeful and steady. His energy pulsed with determination, the air around him shimmering as he moved.
Lily watched him for a moment, her eyes narrowing. 'I forgot about this part,' she thought with a tinge of frustration. She sighed softly before turning toward the cliff herself, the light blue aura around her flickering into life. Her aura rippled through the air like a gentle breeze, a stark contrast to Zay's focused intensity. With a swift motion, she followed after him, her feet barely making a sound as she climbed, her movements graceful and precise.
Renzo followed, catching up to her with ease after finishing his stretching. His dark red aura flickered as he found his footing on the rocky surface of the cliff. He glanced at Lily, his eyes narrowing with a mix of concentration and anticipation.
They climbed for over an hour and a half, their bodies pushing through the strain of the ascent. The wind howled around them, carrying the distant cries of birds and the rustling of unseen creatures in the mountain's depths. The jagged rock beneath their fingers was cold to the touch, slick in some places where moisture clung to the stone.
Zay was the first to hoist himself onto a small plateau—a natural platform carved into the mountainside. He exhaled sharply, rolling his shoulders before turning to offer a hand to Lily as she climbed up beside him. She took it without a second of hesitation, her arms aching from the relentless climb. Renzo was the last to pull himself up, landing on his back with a loud sigh.
"That was hell," he muttered, rubbing his hands together, feeling the rawness of his palms. "Who even thought this was a good idea?"
"You agreed to come," Zay reminded him, stretching his legs out in front of him as he leaned back against the rock wall.
Lily sat beside him, tying her hair back. "I regret it."
Lily leaned against the rocky cliff and started heavy breathing from tiredness.
"I'm so damn tired."
The wind suddenly picked up, sweeping loose dust and pebbles off the ledge. As they caught their breath, a rhythmic sound echoed from below—hooves against stone.
The three turned their heads, watching as a lone horse galloped across the narrow path far beneath them. Its black coat gleamed in the early morning light, its mane whipping wildly as it vanished behind a bend in the cliffside. There was no rider. No sign of where it had come from or where it was heading.
Silence settled between them.
"…That was weird," Renzo finally said, sitting up.
Lily nodded, staring after where the horse had disappeared. "You think it was running from something?"
"Or toward something," Zay added, his gaze lingering on the empty path below before pushing himself up. "Either way, we rest for twenty minutes, then we keep moving."
Lily groaned, resting her forehead against her knees.
"Of course we do."
Renzo just simply sighed.
After twenty minutes, just as they were about to start climbing again, the wind howled even stronger, roaring down the mountainside. Loose pebbles from above fell onto them and flew across the stone, and the cold air bit against their skin.
Zay exhaled sharply before dropping back onto the plateau, resting his arms behind his head as he stared up at the sky.
"We'll wait until the wind dies down. Until then, we rest here."
Lily nearly wept with relief, but instead, she simply sprawled across the stone, stretching her limbs as if she had been granted the greatest mercy in the world. The warmth of the sun against the rock seeped into her aching muscles, and she closed her eyes with a contented sigh.
Renzo flopped down, his chest rising and falling as he stared up at the sky. Clouds drifted lazily above, oblivious to the exhaustion weighing down their bodies.
For a while, none of them spoke. The wind whistled around them, the mountain standing silent and unyielding, while the three of them simply let themselves breathe.