As Theo's grip on Lennox's neck loosened, Lennox seized the opportunity to pull himself up. Ignoring Theo, he swiftly got to his feet and cast a glance in Theo's direction. Without uttering a word, Lennox sprinted towards the larger stone. Intrigued, Theo, opted not to call out, instead he decided to follow Lennox, curious to see what he had in mind.
Both of them arrived at the large stone, with Theo watching Lennox intently as he observed the scene. Raising an eyebrow, Theo couldn't contain his curiosity. "What are you doing?" he asked.
"..." Lennox remained silent, his attention fully on the details around the stone. Calculating the trajectory and impact, he watched the way the stone landed and how the ground around it was disturbed. The dragged dirt and the angle of impact where it came from and Lennox, with a thoughtful expression, started to piece it together. Without uttering a word, he began to move backward.
Heading toward the direction where the falling stones came, Lennox and Theo were met with the sound of chilling screams of panic from the people around them. Large stones rained down from the sky, slamming into the unsuspecting crowd. Amid the chaos, Theo, with a keen eye, noticed a stone perilously descending toward a mother and son. Using his air manipulation, he propelled himself forward, swiftly grabbing both of them and moving them out of harm's way just in time. The grateful mother and son expressed their thanks before fleeing to safety.
Lennox and Theo exchanged a meaningful look, understanding the gravity of the situation. Without exchanging words, they both knew their mission: discover the cause of the falling stones and save as many people as possible.
As they raced to assist those in danger, Lennox felt a change on his back, a sensation he recognized as his strength line gaining more dots. However, he remained uncertain about how to check it on his own. he also knew that with his injuries had stopped him from practice, a fact that weighed heavily on his mind. Nevertheless, the immediate priority was to address the crisis unfolding around him.
Theo got closer to Lennox and gave him a tiny nudge on his shoulder. "Nox, as I was about to say before we were interrupted, we are a team. We help each other, aren't we? Yes or no?" he said.
"I... I mean, yes. Yes!, we are," Lennox replied.
"You can't beat yourself up over things that you didn't know would happen," Theo reassured him. "Also, it wasn't only your fault because we just blatantly followed your plan, meaning we're all at fault."
Lennox had a bit of enlightenment with Theo so he decided "I'm sorry for what I said and did back there. I didn't know what came over me, so I'm sorry," he apologized.
"I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have slapped you. There were better ways I could've gotten through to you, but also make sure to apologize to Kira, as she was hurt to," Theo advised.
"What? She's hurt? How? Was it because of Terra, or was it because of me?" Lennox asked worriedly, eager to understand the situation.
"Yeah, a little from you, but it was mainly because she went training," Theo explained, starting to recount the events of yesterday.
...
After spending a couple of days training upon his return from Terra, Theo received disconcerting news from his mentor, Vayuna. Learning that Kira was injured in the enigma grove, Theo made the immediate decision to visit her.
Arriving at Kira's apartment, Theo encountered a peculiar girl with white hair and white eyes who opened the door. "Hi...I came to visit Kira," he announced, attempting to peer past her.
"Oh, Alevei, let Theo in. He's just my friend," Kira's voice echoed from inside the room.
The girl, Alevei, cautiously scanned Theo before opening the door and allowing him in. Theo couldn't help but feel a strong and unusual energy emanating from her.
Once inside, Theo noticed that Kira had her thigh bandaged up and high up on her bed. "Kira, I heard from my mentor that you had gotten hurt, so I came to visit," he expressed concern.
"Yeah thanks, but I'll be fully healed in a day or two," Kira reassured, proceeding to explain what had happened in the Enigma Grove.
"Well, it's good that everything worked out in the end, and you came out safe," Theo said, turning his attention to Alevei, who was still staring at him.
Kira noticed the silent exchange. "Theo, this is Alexei. I met her, and I helped; she saved me in the Enigma Grove," she introduced.
"It's nice to meet you, Alexei, and I'm grateful that you helped Kira," Theo acknowledged.
"..." Alexei didn't verbally respond but cutely nodded multiple times, a slight smile appearing on her face. After recounting Kira's ordeal with Dr. Quantinium and Vayuna, she had undergone a somewhat unconventional healing process. Despite her leg healing, the loss of blood had taken a toll, leading to lingering pain and the need for rest.
Fortunately, with Morgana captured, she was placed in rehabilitation with the hope of reforming her. After successfully completing the rehabilitation program, there were considerations for her reintegration into the world. Nexarch Valarian agreed to keep Alexei around, foregoing rehabilitation, but with a condition, Kira was assigned the responsibility of keeping a close eye on Alexei. Any mishap or issue that arose would be deemed her responsibility.
"Oh, well, I'm going now. I just wanted to check up on you. Also, I'm going to visit Lennox tomorrow," Theo informed Kira.
"Thanks, Theo. Well, be sure to tell Twinkle I asked for him," Kira responded with a smile.
Theo nodded and bid them farewell, leaving Kira's apartment with a mixture of thoughts about the day's events. As he walked away, he couldn't help but wonder what tomorrow's visit with Lennox would bring and how will he react.
...
"Well, I'm glad she's okay, but I will for sure apologize to her," Lennox expressed.
"Nox, you are our friend, and with you being hurt, it's splitting everyone up and hurting the rest of us. So, no matter when either of us is going through something, we will help," Theo affirmed.
As Lennox was about to express his gratitude to Theo, their moment was abruptly shattered by the arrival of multiple large stones crashing around them. One of the stones struck a nearby building, sending debris cascading down. Amidst the chaos, they finally laid eyes on the source of the city's destruction a towering monstrosity, a grotesque figure standing at a staggering height of 160 feet.
The creature's form was nightmarish, its emaciated and elongated body covered in an ever-shifting cloak of inky blackness. Its limbs resembled twisted, gnarled branches, ending in menacing, clawed fingers. Instead of a face, there was only a featureless expanse of absolute darkness, a void that instilled dread in anyone who gazed upon it. Within this void, crimson, malevolent eyes occasionally flickered, burning with an insatiable hunger for chaos and despair.
Lennox's eyes widened in shock as he exclaimed, "What the hell is that dark giant?"
The monstrous entity's immense stature and otherworldly appearance sent shockwaves of terror through Lennox and Theo. As their eyes locked onto the nightmarish being, a chilling realization washed over them, filling their hearts with a primal fear.