Kai sat cross-legged on the boulder, the air around the garden filtered through his body, he closed his eyes, taking in deep short breaths and focusing on the environment he was surrounded by. Meditating outside with nature was the best way to connect with the Astral World as many in the academy believed.
As the cold breeze blew through Kai's body, minutes turned into hours, and the night deepened around him as the air grew cooler around him. Kai remained still, his mind focused on where he wanted to be. He began to feel warmth from his Astral Node into his chest.
Suddenly his mind began to flood with images and sensations.
Kai slowly opened his eyes, he was back here, standing in front of the Jade Dragon Castle. The giant doors made way for him to enter as he quickly made his way back to the disc. Picking up the script once again, Kai began to navigate. "I need to learn how to activate my skills," Kai said his voice filled with determination. "I've managed to unlock some of the skills mentioned here, but I still don't know how to use them."
The script in Kai's possession was a skills script that contained valuable information about the different skills a bearer of an astral node could make use of. Kai nodded as his head ran with infinite possibilities.
That night as Kai lay on his bed his Kai felt a strange sense of peace. His Astral Node resonated with him as if acknowledging his thoughts.
The next morning, Kai woke up with a sense of purpose. He felt a determination he had lacked for a long time. As if In defense Kai decided to keep to himself his discovery to avoid unwanted attention.
After taking his breakfast, Kai made his way to the training court. The early bird recruits were already there practicing in preparation for the next challenge in a few days. The Colonel was already at the training court, keeping a keen eye on the recruits that practiced. Kai joined the Colonel in observing the recruits.
After some time, the number of recruits present has greatly increased. "Gather around recruits." The Colonel's deep voice tore through the air, bringing everyone's attention towards him.
"Starting today, training will be done in pairs. Teams will be merged to form a new 15 team consisting of 10 members in each team. Also, a special trainer will be assigned to each team."
After the Colonel's words, he walked away. Shortly after a Ranking Board was railed into the training court. It displayed the new order of the teams, containing the recruit's name and their current position on the Ranking Board.
Kai's team was paired with team 30 forming the new team 15. The special trainer assigned to the team walked up to meet them. He was a renowned bearer. Famous for his special abilities. He was able to control two Astral Nodes despite just having unlocked half of the potentials they could offer.
Standing in front of the team was Colonel Davide. His black hair was as soft as silk, that radiated in the glowing sun. The scar on his face that tore from the top of his left eyebrows to his left cheek was a testament to the perilous battles he had fought.
"I'm Colonel Davide, your new trainer for this period." His voice came lowly, sounding melodic like a practiced hymn. Who would have thought that such a man could have such a beautiful voice? The girls in the team had already begun to drool over him for sure. "Let's get to know each other, starting with the names and the ranking."
"I'm Erik, Yellow Rank." Erik rushed. He has started the introduction. "Frode, Blue Rank." Frode joined him. "Maurice, Blue Rank." The introduction continued until every member of the team had completely introduced themselves.
Like a flip of a coin, the once calm Colonel changed into a harsh individual. The STARLITE Academy was a place that determined nothing short of excellence. "Let's begin with hand-to-hand combat and focus on teamwork. Pair up let's see what you got."
Kai found himself paired with Frode. Frode's big body made Kai look like a mere ant in his palm. They began circling each other, observing for any loophole to create the first attack.
"Ready," Frode said with a small smile tugging beside his lips.
Kai nodded and they began. Frode attacked with a swift move, ready to land a brilliant strike on Kai but Kai blocked and dodged each strike with calm precision.
They had both trained together for long, anticipating each other's move was easy as they continued to push each other to their limits.
After several intense minutes of training, Colonel Davide called the team to a halt. "Remember it's not just about strength, but strategy and coordination. You have to learn how to work together as a team and watch out for each other with rhythm."
As the day continued the team cycled through various drills and intense sessions to help hone their skills and build their endurance. By the end of the day when evening fell, the recruits felt exhausted and satisfied by the progress they had made.
After the events of the day, Kai and his teammates headed straight for the canteen. The bond between Kai and his teammates had begun to become stronger creating a sense of belonging for Kai.
"You know," Frode said breaking the silence that filled the table they were all gathered. "We've all come a long way since we arrived here at the academy from our different homes."
"Hahaha!" Annika laughed at Frode's words. "Cheers to the future Alien Hunters." She said raising her cup of non-alcoholic drink
They all clinked their cups together as a promise of silent hope to make it to the end of the journey ahead to become Alien Hunters. Kai felt a new sense of purpose. Just a few weeks after he first arrived at the academy, he knew nobody and now he was sitting with people he could call friends at the same table.