When they reached the river, a few Fortissimo members on the other side saw them and cried out to Skyla that they had found Kai. Soon, Skyla herself came to the river.
"Where had you gone? You had me worried sick!"
Kai's eyes remained unchanged, but he slowly lowered his head.
"Sorry..."
"And you Lukas, how did you of all people find him? I didn't even send you, you're still hobbling around on those crutches. No offence, but if there was any sort of threat I would have expected you to die in that condition."
Lukas awkwardly laughed off Skyla's questions and began to hobble towards the barracks.
"Oh no, I'm not done with you. Everyone else, you're all free to rest! You two, are stuck with me."
Skyla then more or less dragged Lukas and Kai around the corner from the Mistfell Fortissimo Station.
"Lukas, I need you to give me a detailed report of what happened and how you found Kai."
Lukas thought about retorting, saying something along the lines of 'Why can't Kai tell you?' But he thought better of it, not fully understanding Kai's character. He at least saw Kai's distant emotionless behaviour, so maybe he can't fully answer it himself.
So, Lukas explained what happened. How he was exploring to get a lay of the land when he stumbled across Kai by chance. The fact that Kai somehow instantly killed a ghast and that it seemed to have strained him somehow, with him having to clutch his chest and all.
None of it seemed to phase Skyla, beyond the fact that Lukas found Kai by chance. But after his explanation had been given, all she did was sigh.
"That's not good..."
"What's not?"
"If Kai was strained it means he had to have been out there for a long time. Long enough to reach his limit at least. If he had been fighting that whole time, then... well there had to have been nearly a dozen or so ghasts..."
"A DOZEN!?"
"Yes, I think the situation might be worse than what Wels had theorised."
She paused for a moment, lost in thought. To Lukas, it felt like an eternity.
"Starting tomorrow, I will begin to go out and fight these ghasts. You can join me when you've recovered, Lukas. For now, rest and make sure Kai doesn't go anywhere."
"But, he killed a dozen ghasts by himself, isn't he stronger enough to-"
"Shut it! I don't want to hear it! You're free to go back to the barracks and rest for the night."
With that, she walked off with Kai following right behind her. Left in the sidestreet, Lukas thought over Skyla's words.
Everything that had happened as of late had been strange. First, Skyla's tone and visible emotions would rapidly change, and only while Lukas was alone.
Second, despite everyone else's remarks about Kai, he seemed to be one of, if not the most powerful member of the Fortissimo. He certainly didn't need protection, however, he was strangely lifeless and hollow.
Third, just now, Skyla seemed filled with an outrage unbecoming of her pre-established projection of self. Not to mention at least twice she had outright shot down Lukas' questions. With no further reasoning.
Something didn't seem right with her, yet everyone is on good terms with her? Is she hiding all of this from the world? Lukas' heart sank at the thought of having to wear a mask in front of everyone.
Does she not want to let people down? Or maybe she hides her displeasure for others under an amicable facade.
Lukas limped back to the barracks, now no longer using his crutches. Lost in thought he failed to notice the idle chatter around him as he walked in. He failed to notice the murmurs and mumbling surrounding him.
He was oblivious as he now walked in an almost perfect stride. Nor the fact his eyes faintly glowed an ethereal and brilliant emerald, a brighter version of the colour of his eyes. Although, even if he looked in a mirror he wouldn't see such a vibrant colour regardless.
The others around him noticed, they saw his stride, his eyes, and his distant stare. Lukas was so focused on his thoughts his body performed everything he wanted without so much as a second thought.
Before he knew it, Lukas woke up, without even knowing he had gone to bed. Nor the fact he walked last night. As he awoke, he overheard a small snippet of conversation between two other members.
"...he was like a ghost."
"They did say he was special, right?"
"What if..."