Kaivan nodded. "There's something I want to try."
Without another word, Felicia prepared herself. Feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, arms raised. Her eyes sharpened, filled with control. Kaivan mirrored her stance, stiff but determined. He listened closely, to the wind's whisper, Felicia's breathing, his own heartbeat.
For a few silent seconds, time stood still.
Then Felicia struck. Her hand shot toward Kaivan's shoulder. He tried to dodge but failed, her strike landing and forcing him back. Pain flared. Frustration.
"Focus," he whispered. Taking a deep breath, he recalled the Tome's words: accelerate your mind.
Felicia attacked again. Blows and kicks rained down. Kaivan tried to evade, failed. A kick nearly struck his ribs. But in that instant, the world slowed.
He saw it all: the angle of her punch, the rhythm of her breath, the flicker of her eyes. The world dragged into slow motion. Kaivan moved. Sideways. Dodging. Then countering, his hand flashing toward Felicia's shoulder.
Felicia retreated, surprised. But then she smiled. "Good, Kaivan. But don't get satisfied so soon," she said, returning to her stance.
Kaivan stood firm, his body trembling, but his heart steady with newfound conviction. He had just touched a new threshold within himself. And this… was only the beginning.
The acceleration faded almost instantly. Kaivan tried to attack again, but his body was weak, breath heavy against his chest. Felicia rushed forward, her strike landed squarely on his shoulder, knocking him down.
She stood above him, her own breathing uneven, yet her smile was genuine. "You're faster," she said, offering a hand. "You even managed to strike back before I took you down. And I was serious."
Kaivan took her hand and rose slowly. His body trembled, but his eyes burned with resolve. Felicia's words dug deep, igniting a spark he hadn't realized he needed.
The sun was sinking, painting the sky with a soft violet glow. Felicia drew a breath before speaking again. "I'll head home first."
From the wall, Thivi, who had been lounging casually, called out, "That's unusual! Normally you wait for Kaivan."
Felicia only gave a faint smile. "My younger siblings must miss me. I haven't been home for days."
Thivi narrowed her eyes playfully but said nothing more. Kaivan watched Felicia walk away, his chest hollow, though he didn't know why.
When she was gone, Kaivan opened the Omnicent Tome. Its pages stirred slowly, words forming across the surface:
"Felicia returns home to prepare her uniform. Starting tomorrow, she will attend your high school."
Kaivan read quietly, lips curving faintly. "Poor thing, trying to surprise me but already caught," he murmured.
The twilight dimmed further. Kaivan readied to leave, with Thivi hopping on the back of his motorcycle.
The bike moved at an easy pace, streets bathed in golden orange that melted into deep purple. The wind brushed their hair, and only rustling leaves accompanied their silence. Yet Kaivan's heart remained restless. Something had shifted. Ordinary days were over.
Breaking the silence, Kaivan asked flatly, "You're not going to class on Monday? Don't you have to go home?"
Behind him, Thivi smiled softly, her blue eyes glowing under the twilight. "I want to meet your mother. My father wants to speak with her."
Kaivan furrowed his brow, mind freezing for a moment. "Your father? About what?" he muttered, but didn't press further.
Thivi remained quiet. Her silence lingered like a riddle, and Kaivan could only keep riding, chased by shadowy possibilities.
When they arrived home, Thivi went straight to Kaivan's mother, who was watching television. Calmly, she handed over her phone. "Ma'am, this is from my father. He wants to talk."
Kaivan's mother accepted it with a worried look. She glanced at the screen before answering. Her voice was steady, yet brimming with unspoken questions. Kaivan stood at the doorway, listening silently.
The conversation was brief. When it ended, an uneasy quiet filled the room. Her eyes shifted between Thivi and Kaivan, before she finally spoke clearly, though softly. "Thivi will be staying here for a week. She's on school break."
Kaivan simply nodded. He couldn't tell if he should feel happy or uncertain. Warmth bloomed, but unease lingered. Thivi always arrived wrapped in mystery.
Night soon embraced the house. Exhaustion weighed Kaivan down, after dismantling hundreds of phones and training hard with Felicia, all he wanted was a shower and bed.
Without a word, he stepped into the bathroom. Just as he reached for the faucet, hurried footsteps approached from outside. Something was about to happen.
The door swung open suddenly, revealing Thivi with a bright, eager smile. "You're not happy, are you, Kaivan? That I'll be staying here for a whole week…?"
Her voice cut short. Her blue eyes widened as she realized Kaivan was wearing nothing but a towel around his waist. Her face flushed crimson. "Waaah!" she cried, slamming the door shut. Yet instead of leaving, she stayed inside, her voice trembling playfully from behind the door. "I… I can help scrub your back if you want," she teased, though her embarrassment was obvious.
Kaivan pinched the bridge of his nose, exasperated. "Thivi, what are you doing? Get out! What if someone in the house finds out?" he hissed sharply.
But as always, Thivi refused to back down. Calmly, she locked the bathroom door and stepped closer. This time, she slipped off her jacket, leaving only her bra and underwear. With a mischievous smile, she tilted her head. "Relax. I'm not naked, so it's fine, right? Now then, where do you want me to start, Kaivan?" she asked boldly, as if the situation were the most natural thing in the world.