Chapter 167: A Moment of Respite
The heavy, reinforced door of the underground training hall hissed shut behind Ruby, its solid thud echoing her own inner exhaustion. She didn't even bother to clean up, her footsteps leaving faint, sooty marks on the pristine floors of as she made a beeline for the one place she could truly unwind.
She pushed open the door to Minji's room without knocking, a privilege of their deep bond. Stumbling inside, she let out a long, dramatic groan and collapsed onto the plush carpet in the center of the room.
"Gosh, I am so tired," she mumbled, her face half-buried in the soft fibers. She rolled onto her back, staring up at the ceiling. "How in the world was I able to use that form back when I was a kid? It doesn't make any sense."
Minji, who had been reading on a floating holographic screen in her cozy seating nook, looked over. She watched her friend for a few seconds, taking in the smudges of ash on her cheeks and the genuine fatigue in her posture. Her voice was calm and reassuring.
"Well, if that accident had never happened, you'd probably still be using it effortlessly right now," she said gently. "But don't dwell on that. At least now you understand a little more about how it works, right? That's progress."
Ruby sat up, crossing her legs. "I guess," she conceded, running a hand through her messy black hair. "I just never thought I'd be able to awaken that Primordial form again. Ever. But now that I have... it's completely different from when I was a child." A shadow crossed her face as she recalled the searing pain. "It's not a simple, automatic thing anymore. I have to force it, control it manually. And it's... it's definitely not painless like it used to be. It literally hurts like hell."
Minji offered a soft, encouraging smile. "Hey, that just means you're rebuilding the connection on your own terms. It's bound to be harder. Don't worry, you'll get it with practice. I know you will."
Just then, a blur of golden-yellow fur shot out from under Minji's bed. It was Leo, Ruby's bonding beast—a lion cub with a coat the color of sunshine and playful, intelligent eyes. With a happy, rumbling little growl, he pounced directly onto Ruby's lap, nuzzling his head against her stomach.
The tension in Ruby's shoulders instantly melted away. A genuine, effortless smile broke through her exhaustion. "Hey there, little guy!" she cooed, her voice softening as she scratched behind his ears. He purred loudly, batting playfully at the loose strands of her hair.
Seeing the joyful scene, Minji's smile widened. She bookmarked her holographic novel and gracefully slid off her seat, joining them on the floor. "Looks like someone missed you," she said, reaching out to stroke Leo's back.
The cub, thrilled to have both of his favorite people's attention, rolled onto his back, demanding belly rubs. Ruby laughed, a light, carefree sound that had become rare lately, and obliged. Minji joined in, tickling his paws.
For a while, the three of them stayed like that on the soft carpet all their worries about primordial flames, complexity of world lost in a simple, happy moment of play and companionship.
To be continued…