The sun had begun its slow descent over the horizon, painting the broken city with streaks of gold and crimson. Kairis Ash landed on the rooftop of his new home, the coat still flaring in the evening wind. The forest beyond Vardra still whispered of danger, but here, near his house, all was deceptively calm.
He stepped inside. Elyra and Aeren were safe, playing quietly on the floor. And there she was: Kaiyara, standing just inside the doorway, her hands clasped together, watching the two siblings with a faint, protective smile.
> "Looks like you've been busy," Kairis said, lowering his coat.
Kaiyara turned, her brown eyes meeting his, and the usual calm in her expression faltered for a heartbeat.
> "I… I was just making sure they were safe," she said softly. Then, after a pause, a little flush creeping up her cheeks: "I… I like you, Kairis."
The words hung in the air.
Kairis's brow raised, an amused smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. He crossed his arms, studying her like a predator sizing up a challenge.
> "Confess like that, huh?" he said, voice low, teasing, but with warmth underneath. "Bold."
Kaiyara's face burned brighter, but her eyes stayed locked on his. There was something in her gaze — determination, honesty, and a little fear of rejection.
> "I'm not… asking for anything complicated," she said. "I just… wanted you to know."
For the first time in days, Kairis felt the weight of the world lift slightly, if only for a moment. Despite the chaos outside, the monsters, the void, the apocalypse looming over humanity, there was this—humanity, in its purest, simplest form.
He exhaled, shoulders relaxing.
> "Fair enough," he said, smirk softening. "We'll see where it goes. But don't expect me to babysit feelings."
Kaiyara smiled faintly, but there was a spark there — mutual understanding, tension, and a chemistry neither wanted to ignore.
> "Noted," she replied, tone playful now, the tension easing. "Just… keep them safe, alright?"
Kairis nodded, turning toward the stairs.
> "Always."
By the time he returned to his bedroom, Kairis's body screamed from the Vardra Forest fight. Every muscle, every tendon felt stretched to the limit. He shed his coat, letting the bruises and cuts sting in the cool air, then collapsed onto the bed.
Sleep came swiftly and without warning, a welcome escape from the strain of the past days. One full day passed. The world outside continued in chaos, monsters roaming, awakeners fighting, humanity clawing its way back from extinction, but for Kairis, time slowed as his body and mind recovered.
When he finally woke, the room was silent, the soft light of morning spilling in. His vision flickered as the system interface appeared before him, pulsing faintly:
> [Attention – Trial of the Apostle of Void: Preparation Required]
[Commencement: 2 Days]
[Requirements: Physical and Mental Endurance Training – 1000 sit-ups, 1000 push-ups, 1000 jumps, 100km run over 2 days]
[Reward: Unknown – Critical for the completion of the True Apostle Trial]
Kairis groaned softly, stretching his sore limbs.
> "1000… sit-ups, push-ups, jumps… and a hundred-kilometer run… huh?" he muttered. A small grin spread across his face. "The void doesn't do things easy."
He stood, coat flaring as always, muscles already tingling with residual adrenaline. The system pulsed again, displaying his current stats and level:
Level: 20
HP: 6500
MP: 3500
Strength: 58
Dexterity: 55
Agility: 57
Intelligence: 50
Divinity: 48
Authority: 45
Void Mastery: 65
> "Alright… let's see if I can survive this without collapsing first," Kairis muttered, stepping outside into the early morning air.
He started simple, focusing on form first. Sit-ups, push-ups, jumps, each repetition exact, controlled, testing the limits of his body. Every muscle screamed, but he pushed past the pain, using Gyro-Telekinesis sparingly to maintain balance and conserve energy for the longer runs.
> This is nothing compared to fighting monsters, he thought. But it's the foundation. The void requires perfection.
He moved through hundreds of reps, each one bringing a light sheen of sweat to his brow, muscles burning, lungs straining. Then, after finishing the sit-ups, he moved to push-ups, his body adapting to the pain and rhythm.
Even when fatigue threatened to overcome him, he kept moving. His mind ran through the strategies for his next battles, the rogue awakeners he might face, the monsters yet unseen. Every push-up, every jump was not just exercise—it was preparation for life and death, for survival and dominance.
The Run – 100 Kilometers
By mid-afternoon, Kairis strapped on light gear and began the run. The system tracked each kilometer, heart rate, stamina, and endurance. Trees, hills, and broken city streets became his track. Occasionally, his mind wandered to Elyra, Aeren, and Kaiyara—those he had to protect.
> "If I fall, they fall," he muttered under his breath. "Can't let that happen."
The miles blurred together. Muscle fatigue set in like wildfire, and the ache in his joints was almost unbearable. Gravity pulsed through his veins, a reminder that his powers were still growing. He used Graviton Blade minimally to support long leaps across ruined rooftops and riverbeds, conserving energy but testing his Aerial Step in practice, maintaining a perfect balance of speed and efficiency.
By nightfall, Kairis collapsed near the edge of Vardra Forest, rain lightly drizzling, water washing sweat and grime from his skin. Despite exhaustion, he smirked faintly, bloodied from minor scrapes and cuts but alive.
> "Two days," he whispered, voice raw. "Two days to perfect this. The void… demands nothing less than everything."
Back at his home, Kaiyara had been keeping an eye on his siblings, ensuring Elyra and Aeren ate properly and stayed safe. She noticed Kairis leaving and returning each time, exhausted, bloodied, and yet unwavering. Something in her chest tightened—admiration, concern, and that unspoken chemistry that had begun the day she confessed her feelings.
> He fights like a storm, but… he's human, she thought. "I'll make sure they're ready too. And maybe… he'll let me fight beside him someday."
The sun set fully, casting long shadows across the broken city. Kairis lay on the rooftop, staring at the stars, his body broken but spirit unyielding. The Trial of the Apostle of Void loomed ahead, more difficult than any monster or mutant he had faced so far.
But he was ready.
> "Level 20," he whispered, eyes glowing faint purple. "Aerial Step… Gravity Falls… let's see what the void really has in store."
And with that, Kairis Ash closed his eyes, letting the exhaustion consume him, knowing the next 48 hours would be the most grueling of his life.