"Wha—?! LUMIII!!!! WHY ARE YOU ON MY BED!!!"
Lumi was curled up like a hibernating bear, comfy and peacefully. He wakes up by the sounds of Joine yelling, with a lazy yawn, he finally blinked awake.
"What's all the noise about?"
"I'll tell you what! Why are you on my bed?"
Lumi stretched his arms like a cat and let out a satisfied sigh.
"Because I was very exhausted…. And, you know, my home got destroyed remember"
"Yeah, but you could have slept downstairs"
"What's wrong with me sleeping here?"
"Ugh, never mind. Let's just figure out what to do"
"Okie dookie"
Joine and Lumi both got up, stretching off the last remnants of sleep. Joine let out a tired sigh as he made his way to the bathroom, grabbing his toothbrush.
"Another day"
Lumi, still sleepy, watches Joine brushes his teeth
"Mm…. Brush mine too"
Joine sighed, squeezing the toothpaste hard
"Not happening"
Lumi pouted
"Oh really, Tch, Fine I see how it is"
After Joine brushed his teeth and washes his face, he made his way downstairs to prepare breakfast, meanwhile, Lumi was still lying on the bed, he hasn't move yet.
"Lumi!!! Breakfast is ready"
Lumi still lying there didn't want to get up.
"Oh, so that's how it is, huh"
Joine rushes upstairs
STOMP! STOMP! STOMP!!
Lumi barely peeked, open one eye and saw Joine over him, smiling
"Ha-ha, Gotcha! Ass"
"AHHH!! Come on Let me stay on the bed!!"
"NOOOO!! It's my bed and I don't even wanna stay on it all day, and we still have to get my sister"
"O-okay!! Fine, put me down! Already"
Joine immediately let go. THUMP! Lumi face planted onto the floor, Joine just walked away without a second glance
"Your fine, hurry up and eat"
Lumi groaned, rubbing his head, before finally dragging himself downstairs. By the time he plopped onto a chair, Joine was already sitting at the dining table, eating like nothing had happened.
"Wow, here you're eating like nothing happen"
Lumi pouted, crossing his arms.
"Uh, Hehe, I don't know what you're talking about, just eat"
"Mmm... fine, but next time wake me up a little more gently"
"You were already awake, and you could've gotten up on your own"
Joine smirked, chewing casually
"Mmm!! Anyways, I wanted to ask you something"
"What is it?"
"I never actually asked, but what's your sister's name?"
"Oh yea, sorry about that, her name is 'Mina, my cute little sister"
"That's a cute and amazing name. I won't forget it"
"Hehe, she's cuter than you"
"HEYYY!! Ok yea but I'm still cute"
"You're super cute yeah, for a boy"
"Hmph I'll take that as a compliment"
After finishing their breakfast, Joine and Lumi turned their focus to what mattered most getting stronger and rescuing Mina.
So, they headed to the back of the house. after regaining some of his mana and strength back, he took a deep breath and raised his hand and first he cast a barrier around them and with his fingertips he traced a pattern in the air. Within seconds a gate formed before them, pulsing with an eerie yet mesmerizing light.
"Now Joine, you'll have to get stronger before even thinking about going through this gate. In your current state, you'd probably be torn apart by its energy or worse. So, you must have a higher energy and capacity to withstand it"
"What! Training, do I have too, can't I just, I don't know, wing it?"
"Oh sure, okay…... If you want to evaporate into magical dust"
"Ugh fine, I guess training it is…. But if I pass out, you're carrying me back inside"
"OK, I can work with that but take it seriously. But no promises on how gently I drop you on the bed"
"Yea! Ofc I'll take this seriously, I have to safe my sister"
"You mean us"
"Yea, we, us, on an adventure"
Joine sits in a meditative pose, while Lumi places an energy barrier around him. Joine must find his center, sense and circulate mana throughout his body. Joine loses focus, the barrier zaps him lightly.
"OW!! What's that about?"
"HAHA!!"
"Come on, was that necessary"
"If you stay focus that wouldn't happen"
Joine tries again and again, determined to push past his limits. After several more attempts and a few more jolts of painful zaps he finally managed to focus. His breathing steadied, and suddenly, the world around him faded into a vast, endless space.
Before him two 2 energy cores floating in front of his eyes, radiating opposite auras, one shone bright as the sun, while the other one dark as midnight abyss. As he slowly moves closer and closer to the cores and the dark core flickered, and then without warning WHOOSH! It slowly dissipated into the void, vanishing like mist in the wind.
Joine's eyes widened in confusion,
"What just happened? "
He didn't have time to question it. He turned toward the remaining radiant core, its golden light reflecting in his eyes. An invisible force pulled him forward, and as he reached out
FWOOOM!!!
The core rushed into the magic crest on his right hand, flooding his body with an overwhelming surge of energy. A brilliant glow enveloped him, and at that moment, the space around him trembled.
Through the blinding light, a faint yet majestic presence emerged—a colossal, beautiful white divine fox, its fur shimmering like stardust. Its golden eyes met Joine's, filled with ancient wisdom and power.
"Joine"
Its voice echoed softly through his mind, both gentle and commanding. And just as quickly as it appeared
SHWOOOSH!
The fox vanished into the light
Joine gasped, snapping back to reality. He was still seated in his meditation state, his body glowing faintly with divine energy. His heart pounded.
Lumi looked at Joine as he glows.
"Oh wow, it actually worked"
"What do you mean, 'it actually worked"
"Oh, hehe, nothing, it just that it takes days or sometimes it never happens for someone to unlock there inter core" "It's just that… unlocking one's inner core usually takes days, sometimes even weeks. And in rare cases, it never happens at all."
"Oh, well, I don't really get it, but I finally did it"
"Yes, you did. But that's just the first phase, so don't get too cocky. You're still a beginner, rookie"
"Geez, can't a guy enjoy the moment for once"
"Fine, fine, enjoy your little victory. But don't forget this is only the first step."
And now, as Joine and Lumi stood before the swirling gateway, its energy pulsating like a heartbeat, casting eerie reflections in the air, a gust of wind rushed past them, pulling at their clothes as if urging them forward.
Joine smirked "See you on the other side"
"Try not to embarrass yourself"
FWOOSH!
The gate sealed shut behind them in an instant, its presence erased as if it had never been there.
And just like that, they were gone.
Off to face the unknown.
Off to a new adventure that awaited them.