FA Chapter 19 End
Instincts. A warrior is taught from the moment that they wield a weapon, or go to war...to trust that sense.
The most important function of an instinct is sensing danger.
Bora had been in far too many battles to count. Most of them she won, and a few were lost. But what made it so that she was still here, living and breathing, was the fact that she had managed to survive, either intact, or by the skin of her teeth.
She wasn't the only one, though. She knew that. Even these opponents had honed their sense of danger by climbing out of multiple battles with their lives intact.
That was why, every single person within the training room, herself included, directed their attention towards Drekov's position after feeling a chill down their spines. Bosingwa's message was just a bit slower.
Bora's expression drastically changed as she felt a unique aura, one that belonged to the solid spiritual stage!
'Drekov!!!!!'
She had never felt this much hate for someone before. She didn't want to die! Not like this! There were still many things that she had to do!
Many questions popped into her mind...
How had Drekov managed to get that?
No, how had one of her family members managed to get a hold of a creation from a Forger at the solid spiritual state?!
They were very very expensive! After all, few Forgers gave away such things and even then, others at their level were always the ones in the waiting line!
While despair was about to consume her, a figure materialised just before the light as if they had teleported.
That's when she knew... He was a solid state Forger! And an extraordinary one at that.
Her heart, which had been in her throat, settled back down. She also relaxed her body, letting gravity take its hold, causing her to once again make contact with the training room's floor.
The reason for her relaxation was singular. Death was looming. Every being within the room, not just her, could sense the doom in the air. Any movement deemed as hostile would lead to death! That's what her instincts were telling her.
Bosingwa had fainted while the others were spotting minor to major injuries. But what made her feel elated was the fact that so far, no one had died... Except that it would have been better if Drekov had.
Then something that caused a shiver down her spine... In the form of words, were uttered...
"Contact your father!"
Father... Most people would have feelings of love or close to that when such a person was mentioned. But not her! Not her siblings either!
Love was a concept that didn't even manifest upon the utterance of that word...'Father.' Why? Because the man had never showered any of them with it.
Bora had absolutely no memories of being with the man in a relaxed setting. Her mother had been the one who had raised her, with absolutely no input from the man.
Besides, no one wanted to be near the man. A portrait is something inorganic, basically possessing no life, except having the role of being admired occasionally.
Lin Bora was a man akin to a portrait. If he sat in a chair too long, you might even think that he had ceased breathing. And then there was the creepy way his eyes scanned people, without emotional fluctuations. At a point, Bora had once wondered whether he was a robot.
But upon becoming a Forger, each and everyone of them knew... He was a monster in human skin. There was this malicious aura to him that made the very notion of being close to him nauseating! It clung to his being like cloth!
Most Forgers did everything in their power to restrain their auras, and yet, he did not! That was the entire reason he never appeared in any public setting unless he was meeting with family or his closest confidants.
That was the entire reason why Bora shivered upon being commanded to contact the man. She was certain that there would be no admonishment, only a gaze filled with disinterest.
Ultimately, she steeled her resolve after a sigh escaped her lips. The old man with the grey hair and an imposing appearance was one of the enforcers of law in this city. If she didn't contact her father, then resolving this trouble would be hard.
She gave an uncertain glance to the young girl within the spiritual bubble, puzzled as to why the man was carrying her with him, but wasn't curious enough to ask, so she interfaced with her neural link.
A holographic screen in rectangular shape was projected from her eyes into the air before her, where an image materialised within.
It was of an office or study, with a desk comprised of a terminal, where many holographic screens were floating, and data being scrolled through with such speed that just a single glance could make her fall dizzy.
The theme color of the office was black, with gold scribbles that looked like they had been casually written with a pen by a child. They weren't exactly stylish, but when looking at the whole from a distance, there was an undeniable beauty that captivated the mind.
There was no light from any other source except the terminals and they served to light up the face of the man behind the desk.
Those purple petalled pupils possessed not the slightest emotional change, whether it was rage and anger from being interrupted, or impatience to get back to his own work. Instead, there was this stoicism that could be felt within. Though, Bora was also certain that there was some boredom within.
"There are very few people I hate meeting in this world...and one of them is you." The man started. Of course Bora already knew of his name, Lwazi. He was one of the elders of the Forger association, a powerful being in his own right. Weaklings weren't allowed among the circle of elders as sometimes force was necessary in solving some of the disputes between Forgers. Especially those at the solid spiritual state.
"So, why are you contacting me?" Lin Bora didn't even bat an eyelash, a perpetual statue.
"This situation here was brought upon through the clashing of your descendants. This little girl, and someone else in the shadows decided to create a commotion in my city. How should we go about solving this?" Lwazi asked while sending a flare her way and a pressure that almost brought her to the knees.
But she endured. This wasn't entirely her fault, but talking back now could result in even more severe punishment. Even the assailants were obediently staying in place wherever they were standing, crouching, or laying, like harmless lambs.
Another holographic panel manifested to the side of Lin, where his purple petalled pupils became directed.
He was probably checking his surveillance history for notifications. Bora surmised because that was what every single leader of a large and powerful family did. Keeping tabs on the family was the best way to prevent troublesome situations like this one. Though, since he was perusing the records, that meant that this was just some minor infraction his AI had had no need to warn him of.
There was no warmth within Bora, not because of the fact that she was about to be saved, but because of the uncertainty of the situation. She had never found herself within a predicament of this nature...where she needed Daddy's help like some of her siblings. So, naturally, she had no idea what he was going to decide or do.
During the battle, she had known that this was bound to happen. Why? Because even she had felt that the training room wasn't as sturdy as that back at the branch office. The tremors had been bound to attract someone, or a disaster would have happened...though the latter wouldn't happen because the former had been a more likely outcome.
But that still didn't absolve the possibility of what might have happened. A disaster where the building would have collapsed, killing thousands of people would have happened.
Just the thought caused a sick feeling within her stomach. Shouldering so many innocent deaths would probably make her kill herself. As a Forger, she was no stranger to killing. But killing an enemy or thousands of innocents...each carried its own weight, but that of the latter would crash her will to live. Bora was certain that she would commit suicide the moment that burden settled upon her shoulders.
"My descendants won't be given up to the Forger Association."
There was a finality within Lin's voice that brooked no disagreement. Even with a lack of love from the man, Bora's heart still skipped a beat in happiness.
"You do realise that your true body isn't here, right? And I doubt that even with your presence, they would be safe, right?"
Elder Lwazi's face adopted a feral grin while the pressure everyone was under, increased tremendously to the point that Bora had her body plastered onto the floor of the training room.
Her body failed to respond to her commands under the powerful spiritual pressure, which didn't just affect the physical, but even the metaphysical, like her spiritual energy. This was a power that gave birth to horror within a person.
But, Lin's expression didn't so much as flicker. He simply gazed at Lwazi, silently and intently.
"(Sigh)... Maybe I should have waited until a disaster had been caused." With a thought, the pressure enveloping everyone vanished, allowing Bora to shakily get on her feet, wobbling as if she was a newborn who had just learned to walk.
"It won't happen again." Lin's voice echoed in the place. This wasn't a concession on his part, but a promise.