“You got me, Hiro,” Kyren admitted, his legs giving out as he collapsed onto the sandy beach, breath coming in harsh, uneven gasps. Sweat dripped down his face, and his muscles screamed from the relentless exertion.

Hiro smirked, trying to act tough but clearly feeling the same fatigue. His chest heaved as he looked down at his friend. “Finally decided to quit?” he teased, wiping his brow with the back of his hand.

Kyren chuckled through his exhaustion. “Yeah, I’ll let you have this one. It’s gonna be 0-1 on our record,” he said, shaking his head in disbelief.

“We’ve been running for almost three hours, Kyren. I didn’t think I had it in me,” Hiro remarked, hands on his knees as he stared up at the clear, endless sky.

“Honestly, you boys impressed me,” Patricia said as she approached, tossing them water bottles. Her tone was light, but there was a glint of pride in her eyes. “Didn’t think you’d last more than an hour.”

Hiro took a long drink, still panting. “I don’t even want to think about how my body’s gonna feel tomorrow,” he said with a laugh, though his face twisted with mock dread.

Patricia grinned. “After you rest up, don’t get too comfortable. We’re going to keep pushing the training. No time to slack.”

Just then, Alaine appeared, arms full of bright beach clothes. “Welcome to the guild,” she said warmly, tossing the outfits to them. “Consider this your official initiation celebration.”

As they changed into their beach attire and joined the festivities, the exhaustion began to fade, replaced by the energy of camaraderie. Lili, holding a skewer of grilled meat, beamed at them. “I can’t wait for you two to graduate from Sky Academy! You’re almost there!”

“Yeah, I’m so pumped!” Hiro flexed his arm triumphantly but winced immediately. “Ouch, ouch—okay, maybe not that pumped yet,” he admitted, laughing through the pain.

Kyren forced a smile, but something inside him twisted. Amid the laughter and cheers, a cold wave of unease surged through him. His nightmare—dark, terrifying, relentless—flashed in his mind. His body froze, and the skewer of food slipped from his fingers, drawing everyone’s attention.

“Kyren?” Alaine’s voice was soft with concern. “You okay?”

He shook his head, trying to mask the dread clawing at his chest. “Yeah, I’m just tired. That’s all,” he lied, brushing it off as best he could.

“If you need to rest, head back to the office,” Alaine offered, her brows furrowed with worry.

He nodded, his heart pounding. “Yeah… I think I’ll do that.”

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Kyren lay on the couch in the office, staring at the ceiling, the flickering images of his nightmare still haunting him. The door creaked open, and Hiro and Alaine entered, sitting beside him, their faces mirroring concern.

“Kyren, this isn’t the first time you’ve had these nightmares, but it’s never affected you like this before,” Hiro said quietly, his voice a mixture of curiosity and worry.

Kyren sighed, knowing he couldn’t hide it any longer. “You’re right,” he admitted. “This one’s worse.”

Alaine leaned forward, her eyes searching his face. “Can you tell us what’s happening in these nightmares?” she asked gently.

Kyren hesitated, the words catching in his throat. “It’s always the same—dark, twisted, evil,” he began slowly. “But each night, it gets worse. More real. Last night… it was all of you.” His voice wavered. “You were trapped, tortured by monsters I couldn’t recognize. And there was this girl, laughing. She enjoyed every second of it. It felt like more than just a nightmare. It felt like a warning.”

Hiro’s eyes widened. “That’s… disturbing.”

Alaine, though troubled, remained calm. “Kyren, do you think this girl could be connected to the one we encountered in the Forest of Paramnesia? Maybe there’s something more to it,” she suggested, her tone steady and reassuring. “But remember, you’re not alone. We’re here with you.”

“Yeah,” Hiro chimed in, his voice full of determination. “We’ve got each other’s backs. Nothing’s going to happen to us, Kyren.”

Alaine smiled softly. “And you’ve got Patricia and me. We’re stronger than we look. But Kyren, you need to get stronger too. We all do. Whatever’s coming, we’ll face it together. But we need you at your best.”

Kyren’s eyes hardened with resolve. He sat up, facing Alaine directly. “Alaine, I need to spar with you.”

Alaine blinked, caught off guard. “Spar? Now?”

“Yeah. I want you to go all out,” Kyren insisted. “Don’t hold back. I need to know how far I still have to go.”

Hiro’s face twisted in confusion. “Wait, Kyren, what? Are you serious? You want Alaine to beat you up?”

Kyren stood firm. “Yes.”

Alaine’s expression shifted to one of understanding. She nodded. “Alright,” she said simply, rising to her feet.

“Wait, wait, wait! What’s going on?” Hiro tried to step between them, but Kyren pushed past him, his focus solely on Alaine.

Alaine equipped her battle gear, her armor gleaming bronze in the light. The emblem of the Heart Blade guild shone proudly on her chest. Her gauntlets, plated with metal, slid over her fists, and her sword hung at her side, ready for action.

Kyren stood opposite her, his sword in hand, light and familiar, though it felt heavier under the weight of what was to come.

As they entered the training hall, Hiro’s protests became background noise. “Are you really sure about this?” Alaine asked once more, her voice calm.

Kyren nodded. “I’m sure.”

With a sharp breath, Alaine charged. Her sword flashed in the air, the speed of her movement shocking. Kyren barely managed to parry, the force of her strike reverberating up his arm. He tried to analyze her attacks, but she was relentless.

Every hit hurt. Each swing of her blade sent shockwaves through his body. He couldn’t find a pattern, couldn’t keep up. His defenses crumbled as his arm numbed from the repeated blows. Desperation began to set in. He tried a counterattack, but Alaine was faster, her strikes precise, calculated.

In a final, sweeping move, Alaine disarmed him, sending his sword clattering to the ground. Kyren fell to his knees, chest heaving as pain coursed through his body.

Hiro stood speechless, watching from the sidelines. “Whoa… Alaine, you’re amazing.”

But Kyren wasn’t done. He clenched his fists, rising to his feet once more. “Not yet,” he muttered, his face full of grim determination.