That night, Najo slipped silently into his home, seeking the familiar comfort of his mother, Naomi. He mirrored her perfectly, down to the same striking ginger hair.
"I think someone saw my lightning today," Najo confessed, his voice barely a whisper.
Naomi turned, her eyes etched with concern. "Does this mean I can't go back?" Najo asked, a tremble in his voice, bracing for her usual protective stance. He expected her to demand he stay home, locked away for his safety.
Naomi considered this, a brief, complex flicker crossing her face. "I've kept you from living your life for too long already," she finally said, her voice firm. "There's nothing more for you within these walls. The world is out there, and if your father is still coming for you, then you'll have to face him. He was always afraid you'd surpass him, after all."
Najo's eyes flashed with a potent mix of fear and excitement. "Got it," he declared, his fists clenching. "And I won't let him hurt you either."
Naomi smirked, a cold glint in her eyes. "Oh, I wouldn't worry about that. I'm not worth the effort to him."
"What did you even see in him?" Najo burst out, exasperated.
Naomi simply laughed off his question, turning back to her thoughts. "Keep up your earth training; you'll need it."
The next day, Moto shadowed Najo relentlessly, a persistent annoyance. "Tell me," Moto chirped, "what are your powers?"
"Back off, dude," Najo grumbled, quickening his pace. "You're not even my friend."
"Fine," Moto declared, leaping in front of him at the school gate, a wide grin splitting his face. "Let's be friends then!"
Najo stumbled, caught off guard. "Y-you don't just—" he stammered, bewildered.
"She can be your friend too, right Sheu?" Moto prompted, glancing back at his quiet companion.
Sheu shifted uncomfortably. "Um..."
"No," Najo snapped, trying to push past Moto.
"Fine," Moto countered, leaning in, a challenging glint in his eyes. "Be my rival then."
Najo scrambled backward, pressing himself against the wall. "Look, I can't, okay?"
"Why not?" Moto pressed, genuinely curious.
A shadow fell over them. A deep voice rumbled from above. "That's because he's in a completely different league of power compared to you, boy."
They looked up. A half-masked man in dark blue grinned down at them, flanked by three other figures emerging from behind the wall. Their cloaks swished ominously.
"Sir Nawick sent us to retrieve you, young man," the masked man announced, his gaze fixed on Najo.
"Run!" Najo screamed, his voice raw with sudden terror.
The three teens sprinted, the masked figures hot on their heels. As they neared a sharp corner, Moto shouted, "Left!"
Najo hesitated, a question in his eyes.
"Trust him!" Sheu urged, pulling Najo around the bend.
As they whipped around the corner, Moto unleashed a thick smoke cloud, obscuring their pursuers. On the other side, Sheu, with a focused burst of wind, shoved a heavy trash can directly into the haze. Moto ducked just as it slammed into one of the masked men, sending him sprawling. Another tripped over his fallen comrade. Najo stared, wide-eyed, at their seamless teamwork. Is this what having friends is like?
Two men still pursued them. Moto flung another smoke bomb. This time, Najo instinctively gestured with his hand, and a large chunk of the earth wall beside them tore loose, hurtling back to smash into the last pursuer.
Moto's face brightened. "You have earth powers?!"
The masked man from earlier burst through the settling rubble, his fists crackling with lightning.
"Crap," Najo swore.
"You might be an imposter anyway," the spy sneered, eyes narrowed. "This attack will end this one way or another." He hurled a lightning bolt straight at Moto.
"Ugh, I have no choice," Najo muttered.
Moto couldn't dodge in time. But just before the bolt struck, a sharp crackle filled the air. Najo stood in front of him, deflecting the attack with a burst of his own raw lightning, now exposed.
"And lightning too?! Amazing!" Moto gasped, completely unfazed by his near-death experience.
Najo stared at Moto, bewildered by his friend's lack of fear.
"So it is you," the spy said, his voice flat. "Lord Nawick will be pleased to hear this." He then melted back into the shadows, leaving the bewildered teens to regroup.
Moto, ever the leader, guided them to one of his hidden allies. There, with questions in their eyes, Moto and Sheu pressed Najo for the full story. Najo was reluctant, but the gravity of their situation forced his hand.
"I'll tell you," Najo began, his voice low, "but this is for your safety. You can really get hurt if you keep following me around."
Sheu listened intently, her silence heavy.
"My father, Nawick, is after me."
Sheu gasped, genuine surprise flitting across her face. "Nawick's son?"
"Who's that?" Moto asked, oblivious.
"He's the son of Ginimbi," Sheu explained quickly, "leader of the Lightning Village and the wealthiest man in the world. He's even said to be above the King."
"Well, I don't know about the old man," Najo continued, "but Mother told me Nawick fears my potential. The firstborn of my family possesses an ability called 'Storm,' which is stronger than regular lightning with the right training. It's pure lightning, accompanied by roaring thunder."
"I've spent all my life hiding from him," Najo said, a bitter edge to his voice. "But a life like that isn't worth living. Now that he's found out about me, I can't go back. It might put Mom in danger."
Moto agreed immediately. Staying away was the only logical course. He insisted Sheu stay with them as well, for her own safety. The group finally rested, but Moto, ever vigilant, secretly remained awake, keeping a watchful eye on their surroundings.
Meanwhile, Nawick's spy reported back, confirming Najo's identity.
"That wasn't the mission!" Nawick roared, slamming his fist on the table. "I sent you to bring him!"
The guard stammered an apology, blaming his "dementia."
"You're 20, you're just stupid!" Nawick fumed, his frustration boiling over. "I'll go myself then."
He immediately began his own search, taking a detachment of spies with him. It wasn't long before he found his ex-wife, Naomi. He spoke to her with feigned affection, as if he missed her, but Naomi remained cold, her eyes hard.
"How can you expect my trust," Naomi asked, her voice sharp, "after you tried to have me and our son killed?"
"Anything for the throne," Nawick replied, a chilling glint in his eyes, as his men seized her. "The boy will come for her. Let's go to the outskirts of the Earth village so that Ginimbi doesn't find me."