Shortly after Jay had defeated his two future versions, the white void engulfed the cavern. He recognised the coliseum’s teleportation system and mentally prepared himself for his next fight. Maybe there was a way of knowing what would come next, but Jay had given up on trying to predict the coliseum’s moves.

Expect the unexpected.

Jay prepared his body for a fight.

Not like I can do anything else.

A face full of mahogany pressed into his cheekbone wasn’t the kindest of surprises, but it was better than any of the others over the past few days.

He felt the three sets of eyes staring at him before he saw them.

“How did I do?” Jay said as he pushed himself up of the ground. He gauged the room’s faces. Selena remained impassive as ever, and the storm sage was giving his best shot at a stoic smoulder.

Thane was easier to read however, and Jay was thankful for it. He was clearly impressed and wasn’t trying to hide it.

The storm sage cleared his throat.

“You reforged your body, in the furnace of electricity. You tempered it, in the throes of battle. But now you must set forth. And test it to its limits. For the meandering path to Harmony is infinite. A day may come when this body is no longer adequate. I implore you to charge mightily towards that day and face it with the same zeal that you have given this one. For this is merely the first step. Necessary, but longing to be forgotten. As the most important is ever the next.”

As the sage’s cosmic eyes gazed into the distance, the other six in the room rolled into their respective skulls.

“He means well done.” Selena added.

Perhaps the universal translator didn’t do a good enough job converting the sage’s poems to English, Jay was grateful the cat-eyed woman was around.

“How did you know about Julian?” Jay said, clenching his jaw.

He dedicated every atom of his being to watching the storm sage’s face as he answered. Even subtly activating Eye of the storm, although not enough to trigger the blue sparks in his eyes. “We barely spoke about my brother, yet you created him perfectly in the trial. How?”

The sage raised an eyebrow, and Jay could have sworn one of the stars within twinkled in the light.

“It wasn’t me. It was the coliseum.” He said, a wry half-smile curling at the edge of his mouth.

Then that means-

“The trials are all created by the coliseum using methods even I don’t understand. Old era technology from the Ancestral Wilds. Similar to the device that brought you, and many other gladiators, to this planet.

“There's a chance it trawled through your memories and recreated him. Similar to how it created the potential future versions of you, or the other people from your planet.”

The storm sage gave Jay a look that showed he knew exactly what he was thinking.

“But maybe it could create Julian because he’s already fought in the coliseum.”

The thought had crossed Jay's mind before. But hearing it echoed through someone else made it far more tangible.

Jay tightened his fist. Reaching the top of the Second Chance Coliseum was a good goal, albeit one he was soulbound to accomplish, this was real. If there was a chance Julian was out there, Jay had to look.

“Enough on that. Let’s focus on you! My promising, potential young prospect.” The storm sage’s words cut through Jay’s spiralling train of thought. “You performed adequately, admirably even, in these trials. Congratulations. But once more our paths must diverge. Don’t return until you have advanced into D grade. I have an opportunity for you near my hometown, but you will need far longer than a week.”

“What is it?”

“A month-long symposium on being patient and enjoying surprises.”

What a joker.

“Can I ask a question, to Thane, before I leave?” Jay asked. He didn’t know when the sage might teleport him out of the tower. Although he had many more questions, Jay really wanted to ask one.

Answers, he could get any time, opportunities were rare.

“I’ll allow it.”

“It was the bandages that healed me, right?

“The paint tied my essence of regeneration to your body to concentrate the healing.” Said Thane. “The bandages amplified the effects of the regeneration, as well as applying it themselves, and localised it on your arms, so yes. Why do you ask?”

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“Could I… maybe have a few rolls?”

…

He waited for a second before reaching into his bag and throwing three rolls Jay’s way.

“They're expensive, so don’t waste them. Your arms are fully healed, so you don’t need to use them there. And remember you owe me a favour”

“Got it.”

“You owe me one too.” Said the storm sage. The proud smile on his face twisting slightly. He rested his hand on the desk, directly next to a messy stack of paper and an inkwell.

Fuck... I thought he forgot.

“I never forget. You’re free for now… but be wary. Remember you promised three days, yet only required two. The siren’s song awaits, waiting for you to heed its call.”

Jay kept his face perfectly still. Not wanting to do anything that could possibly be mistaken for a nod. He had a lot of faith and trust in the storm sage, but he wasn’t someone Jay wanted to owe too many favours to.

The “sirens song” would remain thoroughly unheeded if Jay had any say in it.

The storm sage brought his thumb and finger closer together. Jay quickly locked eyes with each of the three harmonisers, a wordless goodbye before they vanished from his sight. In an instant, the sage's office was replaced by the wooden façade of Tranquillity tower and an ocean blue rectangle beside it.

And so the young warrior sets forth. Armed with new knowledge and a newer still body, he embarks on his path to Harmony. Will he slice through the ocean swell, charting a course to the peak of the coliseum? Or will he be swept ashore, caught in the whirlwind of another’s story?

Well. It’s better than the ones last week, I guess.

…

Damn, it’s already been a week?

Jay had barely had a moment to think since his last trip to Tranquillity tower. He couldn’t afford one. But through grit, determination, and more than his fair share of luck, he’d carved himself almost a full day.

As he emerged from the salty mists of Tranquillity tower, a warming, yet slightly worrying, thought arose.

This world’s starting to feel like home.

He was still learning new things every day, and that probably wasn’t going to slow down. But it no longer felt overwhelming. When something confused Jay, he now looked at it with acceptance and curiosity instead of annoyance and exasperation.

Jay squinted his eyes and stepped onto the now visible tram. Another reminder to accept what he couldn’t understand, learn what he could, and simply try his best to survive.

He still wanted to rise through the rankings at the Second Chance Coliseum. He was a fighter at heart, after all. But now he had a far more important goal.

He had a brother to find.

Even if there was only a fraction of a fraction of a chance. That was enough.

But Jay didn’t even know where to start. Even if Julian had fought in the coliseum before, Jay didn’t know how to look for his fights. Lyra had found all his fights last week, but now that he had a second fight under his belt Jay could watch them on his own.

How?

He’d saved the first two fights he’d seen, and promised Lyra he’d analyse her previous ones, but he’d never considered how.

Jay had ticked most of the basics off his list of confusing shit. Only the more obscure questions remained. He still didn’t know how exactly crystals stored information, or who the hell spoke to him during his debut, but the list had largely been trimmed down.

“Find Julian.” Slotted in comfortably at the top and “How do I watch fights?” joined it just below.

However, there was another thing Jay needed to do. One far too straightforward for the list.

Survive.

It’d been two days since his last fight. The announcement for his next fight was bound to come in the next day or so. He couldn’t find Julian if he was dead, so staying alive suddenly seemed more important than ever.

Jay was thoroughly satisfied with his progress during the trials. He’d strengthened his body, the main weakness in his last fight, as well as improving Eye of the storm considerably. He’d found a new way to channel essence into his attacks, one that fit him way better than thunder strike did, and increased his fighting versatility beyond punching.

But there were always ways to get stronger, always ways to prepare for a fight.

The contradiction in his fighting style wasn’t lost on Jay. Although it technically sped Jay and his mind up, Eye of the storm didn’t feel fast. He was beginning to learn that feelings and gut instincts were as important in harmonising as they were in the ring.

As he was now, his greatest attack and his greatest ability couldn’t be used simultaneously. If he wanted to attack, Jay couldn’t use Eye of the storm. In the split second before he landed, he’d give his opponent a crucial opening.

Jay couldn’t see a solution right away. He wasn’t even sure if he needed one quickly, but it was something to keep in mind.

He’d already begun to detach Eye of the storm from his nervous system, realising a more holistic, essence based, version of the technique. Perhaps he could find a way to shift his perspective on the technique to use it in a faster fashion?

The thoughts spiralled within Jay's mind. Dizzying him as he stared out at the wondrous façades of Reveller's Avenue. Jay made out the knitted iron front of the celestial swords tavern and stood up.

He had half a foot out the door when he turned and saw Akira and the twins getting onto the exact same tram he was about to exit.

Guess I’m staying on as well then.

----------------------------------------

Jay walked through the carriages until he caught a glimpse of Akira engrossed in conversation.

“There's gonna be something good today, I’m telling you! Maybe a sword, maybe an axe. Hell, maybe even a pair of magic boots. All I know is, I’ve got a good feeling about this one.”

“That’s what you said about the last one.” The stern voice of Lyra replied. “And you spent all your points on that useless scabbard.”

“It’s not useless! I just… Haven’t found a use for it yet. But-”

Jay stepped into their carriage holding his arms limply by his sides for slightly longer than necessary before smiling and waving at his friends.

“I’m alive. Armed and ready.”

Thinking about how to restructure Eye of the storm had begun to give Jay a headache halfway through the journey back.

He’d been working on that line ever since.

“Dude! That’s like double the number of working limbs you had last time!”

Vega groaned, eye twitching as she tried to brush past the boys' comments as quickly as possible.

“Congratulations on the win. I watched the fight. Not much style, but the comeback made up for it.”

Jay shrugged. She was right after all, and it was the closest thing to a compliment he’d get out of her.

“I’m working on it. You’ll get your style points next fight, don’t worry. Hopefully no need for a comeback though.” Just because he barely won his last fight, didn’t mean he couldn’t be a little cocky. “Where are you guys going anyway?”

“Remember when we went to Hawker’s Avenue, and I said it was my favourite place to shop?” Akira said, unable to hide the excitement from his face. “Well, that was a lie. Because this is my favourite place to shop.

“Ever been to an auction before?”