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"I didn't know healing others burdened you in the process. I thought it was something you just...do," I responded, comprehending his depleted state a little better. "Wouldn't it have been faster if you used your hybrid form? You would've had access to more power."

"Yes, but I would've had to take you upstairs, where you may have been detected if your energy burst or if they searched hard enough. We're currently below my manor—the only place here where we won't be detected."

"Oh." I watched quietly as he strained himself to continue healing the others. Then, a thought crossed my mind.

"How did you manage to save all of us? I had to have been somewhere near Arizona. Meanwhile, Arne was in Phoenix, Naomi was in California, and Damien was in Montreal. I know you're incredibly fast, but how'd you manage to save each of us and get away?"

"I have a cintracy that allows me to move as fast as light temporarily," he said as sweat beaded his forehead. He stopped healing to catch his breath. "I used it to reach each of you almost simultaneously."

"Seriously!? So much has happened that I'd forgotten the rumors of you being that fast. I figured it was just an exaggeration. If you have such an ability, why haven't you used it? You could've stopped the others."

Michael didn't answer. He looked slightly confused for a moment as he observed me closely. Then his confused expression changed into one of sympathy.

"You're distracting yourself. After everything, you need to..."

"No," I shook my head, forcing a small smile as I told myself to remain strong.

"Please...just...I'd rather not."

Michael sighed with a nod.

"It's not something I can use at any inconvenience. Not only does it burn through too much of my energy, but it also requires precise control, which is difficult to accomplish with so many obstacles on the planet. That's why I use it sparingly and only in short bursts."

"Obstacles—you mean buildings? You can normally fly without a problem; why is that an issue?"

"If I may," Viraa's voice spoke from my bracelet. I didn't respond. "The cintracy he speaks of is called 'Streak'. It does not directly grant him the ability to move as fast as light—that is an aspect he has due to him being the one to possess the cintracy. Its true ability allows him to become weightless and indestructible by simultaneously focusing and layering the inside and outside of his entire body with intangible molecules of energy that bond with him and his spirit energy. Since Michael's spirit energy also has the qualities of light itself, he essentially becomes light temporarily—something uncommon among klevonians. Maneuverability in that state is quite difficult. Moving that fast on a planet such as Earth could cause him to unintentionally damage the planet if he is not careful. After all, one misstep, and he could fly straight through the planet's core in a fraction of a second."

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"I wasn't aware that's how it worked," Michael stated. "I never took the time to examine myself while in that state."

"That's incredible... If I had that power, I'd..." I stopped as the words caught in my throat.

Michael watched me closely, then his eyes lifted as he remembered something.

"Oh, I nearly forgot; I also saved your aunt when I arrived at HQ. With my reserves at the time and knowing I'd need my energy to heal the others, I couldn't go back to save anyone else. I did at least want to grab your parents, but they were too close to the center..."

"Hm. Where is she?" I asked casually.

Michael wore a look of concern at my nonchalant reaction.

"She's upstairs sleeping, but as I said, I couldn't—"

"No, that's okay. I mean, it's not, but it's not your fault. Thanks for saving her."

"Alissia..." he reached his hand out to me.

"I'm fine," I snapped as I shrugged him off. Michael looked at me with silent judgment, as if he wanted to say something but thankfully chose not to. I was in no mood to hear the man who fled the moment he was made vulnerable lecture me on how to process my emotions. That's not to say I wasn't grateful for what he'd done.

Michael stared at me with a guilty and shameful expression. My thoughts must have been clearly written across my face.

"Now that I'm awake, I can leave—go upstairs. That way, you can transform to heal them quicker." I offered.

"I don't have the stamina left for that," he responded disheartened.

"Oh. Makes sense," I stated dismissively as I shuffled to a nearby wall. It was smooth and frictionless to the touch. Looking around, I realized I recognized where we were from Viraa's vision of a worse future.

"Hey, what are these walls made of? It's not just cindium or PRP, or at least not the same way others use it."

"I'm not sure. The manor was left to me by my previous self. However, I do know that this place doesn't suppress our power like a typical room such as this would. So long as we're within these walls, even at full power, we will remain undetectable. This is where I trained myself to learn the extent of my abilities."

"Hm. It must be sturdy then," I tapped on the wall with the back of my knuckle.

Suddenly, the others started to move as they awoke.

"Don't push yourselves too much, you three," Michael told them as he looked over them. "I'm too drained to heal you fully, so you each must use meditational healing to recover yourselves from here."

"Ugh," Damien groaned as he sat up. He rubbed the point of one of his shoulders that Junichiro's blade had been run through.

"I thought I died," Arne commented as they stood from their bed, instantly gripping the side of their head. "That coward! He caught me off guard with those suppression cuffs."

"The wind one—Wren, right? I couldn't even get close to her." Naomi stood from the bed.

"What happened?" Damien asked as he pulled his hat from his bag.

Damien looked at my state and then at Michael, who glanced at me.

"You explain. I'm going upstairs." I said as I shuffled off.

Slowly, I made my way up the long, spiraling stairs leading to the surface portion of the manor, where I eventually stumbled across an elevator.

Would've been nice to know that was an option.

I had gone up there to check on my aunt, but to my surprise, the guest bedroom I assumed was hers was left with its door open. I peeped inside to see that it was empty, but a letter was on the bed. It read–