Theoron
"The monsters…"
The monsters... Did he mean...
"Do you mean... the real monsters?" I stammered, barely able to process what he had just said.
"Yes. The real ones," he replied nonchalantly, as if discussing something as trivial as the weather.
This guy is out of his mind!
"Why would you do this to me, you maniac?" I shouted, my voice bouncing off the trees in the forest.
Fantastic. Here I was, trembling with fear, thinking about monsters. Exactly how I wanted to spend my day. Deep down, I was crying—because what's sheer terror without a healthy dose of internal sobbing? Perfect. As if my life wasn't already a complete mess, now we're throwing monsters into the mix. Just wonderful.
Of course, facing terrifying creatures was the last thing I ever wanted to do. I mean, who wouldn't want to battle monsters when they have zero survival skills? Sounds like the ideal way to spend the afternoon. Yep, I'm completely prepared for this.
Can't even catch a fly, let alone handle monsters.
What happened to basic human rights? Shouldn't there be a form or something? A little "No thanks, I'd rather not participate in the monster apocalypse" checkbox to tick off? Is that really too much to ask?
But no, here I am. No energy, no survival instincts, no skills. Just me, staring down the barrel of inevitable doom. Fabulous.
I followed him to continue my brother's legacy, not to end it.
"Relax! Relax!" he said, as if the mention of monsters was no big deal. Sure, maybe he could survive, but me? Not likely.
"Relax? You want me to relax knowing I could die out here?" I snapped, my frustration boiling over.
"The monsters appear with every full moon and new moon. We've got ten days to get you ready to survive the apocalypse," he said with a casual shrug, as though we were discussing weekend plans. A careless chuckle escaped him.
He laughed again, flashing a V-sign with his fingers like surviving this was a breeze. The nerve! What could I possibly learn in ten days? A surge of dread hit me like a punch to the gut. Did I make a mistake coming here? Doubt gnawed at me, but it was too late to back out now.
My mind spun, consumed by the thought of what might happen to me by the end of those ten days.
"It's not funny!" I said, my words sharp with frustration.
"Did I say it was?"
"Now, let's start with the basics, shall we?" he continued, a tinge of impatience creeping into his tone.
"Have you learned how to summon your energy yet?" he asked, like the answer should be obvious.
I shook my head.
"Not even a little bit?"
"No," I admitted, feeling a bit ashamed.
It wasn't like I hadn't tried. I'd attempted countless times, following instructions from every book I could get my hands on. But no matter how hard I concentrated, nothing ever happened. It was like reaching for something that was always just beyond my grasp.
He sighed. "What exactly did you learn from those books?"
I remained silent.
"Right," he said, his tone now bored.
"There are several stages to summoning energy. The first stage is the most important—it's the foundation for everything else. Stage A: summon your energy and feel it in your hands and fingers. Stage B is all about control—using that energy to interact with and disrupt objects."
"We'll start with Stage A for now."
He clapped his hands, signaling the start of my training.
"Let's begin. Hold your palms in front of you, where you can see them, and believe that energy is flowing out of your body."
I stared at my palms, silently repeating, energy is flowing out of my body. I waited, hoping something—anything—would happen.
We stood there for what felt like forever. Still nothing.
"I'm guessing your energy has been trapped inside you for so long because you've never summoned it before," he said, though I was still fixated on my hands.
"Well, let's try the method I learned when I was five,"
"Take a deep breath, close your eyes, and— Oh! You did it," he said, pointing to the faint green glow emanating from my palms.
I guess my subconscious recalled the instructions from the past.
"Have you done this before?" he asked, though it was clear from his tone that he already knew the answer.
"I suppose," I murmured, my voice barely above a whisper.
I didn't feel like explaining how or when I'd discovered this ability.
"Huh. So you have learned this before."
"Now, let's move on to Stage B."
There were probably a million questions brewing in his mind, judging by his naturally inquisitive nature. He wasn't one to let things go without digging deeper, and I could practically feel the unspoken questions hanging between us. Knowing him, he'd want to pry into every little detail about how I came to possess this ability and why I was so reluctant to talk about it. But thankfully, for the moment, he was holding back—though I doubted that would last long.
He stepped a short distance away and faced me. "Now, summon your energy and focus on commanding the plants or trees to hit me."
"Your green energy indicates you'll be able to control nature."
I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and focused on summoning the green glow in my palms. I tried to will the plant to move toward him.
Nothing.
I let out a frustrated sigh as the plant remained still.
"Try again," he instructed.
Second attempt—nothing.
"Keep trying," he said.
Third try—still nothing.
"Make your soul connect with the object. You need to synchronize with it to gain control."
Move. Move. Move!
Suddenly, the plant shifted—just a little.
"It moved!" I shouted, thrilled by the tiny victory.
"Don't get too excited yet," he said, sounding unimpressed.
I focused harder, trying again. This time, I felt the energy flowing between me and the plant, and it moved a bit more.
Let's do this again, Theoron