The sun was already low, but still hot enough to make the air heavy. Abraham finished training with Leah in the clearing by the cabin, both sweaty and breathing heavily. Leah dropped her wooden sword on the grass and threw herself to the ground, arms outstretched.
"Damn, Abraham... my arm is dead. How do you endure this every day?"
He laughed, sitting down beside her. "I can't. I just pretend I can."
She turned her face to him, her cheek red from the effort and the sun. "You're a liar. You're really getting good. I saw—your Light Cut is faster."
Abraham scratched the back of his neck, embarrassed. "I still make a lot of mistakes. But... thanks for training with me. It was fun."
Lia sat down too, resting her shoulder against his. "It was. I like seeing you focused. You seem... I don't know, handsome."
He glanced at her sideways. "Handsome?"
"Yeah. Like... serious, focused. Not the shy guy from the village I knew."
Abraham felt his face heat up. "You looked beautiful training too. Even messing everything up."
She gave him a light tap on the arm. "Hey! I only messed up a little."
They both laughed. They stayed there for a while, watching the sun go down, moons beginning to appear in the still bright sky. Lia spoke softly:
"Abraham... I'm enjoying this. Coming here, training, being by your side. It feels right."
He turned to her. "Me too. Very much."
She smiled, rested her head on his shoulder. "So I'll come again tomorrow?"
"Every day, if you want."
After Lia left (with a quick hug and a "don't forget to rest"), Abraham was alone in the clearing. He still had energy left—his body ached, but his head was light. He thought about playing ball to relax, like he did when he was a child in the village. Mahina saw him picking up the old lunar leather ball (a heavy ball, full of air and with reinforced stitching, that bounced high because of the lunar energy).
"Going to play ball now? After training all day?"
"Just to clear my head, Mom. My head's full."
She shook her head, smiling. "Go ahead. But don't break anything."
The makeshift court was on an open plateau near the hut—a dirt floor, two goals made of wood, and an old net. But the place was full of obstacles: large rocks, fallen logs, old training holes, even some lunar roots that grew crooked and shiny. It was like a natural parkour circuit. Abraham liked that—it turned the game into a challenge.
He started slowly. He dribbled between the rocks, bounced the ball off a log, jumped over a hole. His body responded well—the sword training had made him more agile. First goal: a simple shot, the ball went in cleanly.
The level didn't go up. But he felt his body lighter.
The difficulty increased. He placed the ball on the ground, took a deep breath. He dribbled faster: jumped over a log, spun around a stone, kicked hard. The ball hit the net forcefully, almost tearing the old fabric. The impact made a dry sound and cracked a board in the goal wall.
Abraham stopped, looking at the crack. "Damn... I overdid it."
But he smiled. It's working. The training is paying off.
He advanced to "level 2"—more difficult obstacles: higher jumps, tight spins, shots from bad angles. He started slowly, but gradually picked up the pace. He dribbled past a shiny root, jumped over a high stone, spun in the air, and kicked. The ball went in perfectly, the net trembling again.
He was sweating cold, his heart racing, but feeling alive.
That's when he heard a slight noise behind him. He turned quickly.
A boy was standing on the edge of the court, his large violet eyes wide, his long silvery-blue hair swaying in the wind. He wore a tight black tunic with a short pleated skirt, high boots, and thin gloves. He looked like a mix of delicate boy and dancer.
The boy blinked, as if he had been caught red-handed.
"You... you're incredible. Like... I've never seen anyone dribble like that, with so much grace and strength at the same time."
Abraham scratched his head. "Who are you?"
The boy approached slowly, hands clasped in front, shy.
"I'm Liora. Lio... if you prefer. I live in Bastion, but I run away here sometimes. I saw you training with a sword yesterday... and today with a ball. You're Abraham, right? Everyone talks about you."
Abraham chuckled softly. "They talk badly about you, right?"
"No! They say you're strong... but that you're still growing. I think you're... inspiring."
Liora looked at the ball on the ground. "Can I watch you make another one?"
Abraham shrugged. "Okay. But don't laugh if I miss." He placed the ball on the ground. He took a deep breath. He thought of Lia—of her smile, of the way she said, "I want more days like this."
This shot is for her.
He ran, skillfully dodging the obstacles: jumping on a rock, spinning around a tree trunk, leaping over a root. In the air, he spun his entire body—a perfect spinning kick, like a hurricane of fire, pure strength and control. The ball flew straight, with a slight curve, towards the goal.
But at the last second, he saw Liora looking—violet eyes shining with admiration, her mouth open in "wow."
Abraham hesitated. Shit... I don't want to scare the boy.
He tried to correct the shot in the air, but lost his balance. The ball went crooked, with too much force,flying straight towards Liora.
Liora's eyes widened. "Oh no—!"
Abraham jumped forward, instinctively activating Light Cut (even without a sword). The ball slowed in mid-air for a fraction of a second. He stretched out his arm and caught it with his bare hands, the impact sending him sliding back two meters, his feet scraping the ground.
Silence.
Liora blinked, then ran to him, hugging him tightly.
"You... you saved me! Like... out of nowhere!"
Abraham, breathless, ball still in hand: "Calm down, Lio. It's okay."
Liora wouldn't let go. "You're incredible... really. I've never seen anyone do that. Not with a sword, not with a ball. You... you're like a hero."
Abraham laughed, ruffling his hair. "Not a hero. Just a guy trying not to hurt anyone."
Liora looked up, her eyes moist. "Can I... stay here? Train with you? I don't have anyone to train with... and I like watching you."
Abraham thought of Lia, of training, of the life that was starting to make sense.
"Okay. Stay. Let's train together."
The phone vibrated. Mission: "Save someone important with physical effort. Post a photo of the person saved. #SimpleRescue"
Reward: +2 levels (76). New layer: "Shared Reflex" (reacts faster when someone important is in danger — +10% speed in rescues).
Abraham took the photo: ball in hand, Liora hugging him, both sweaty and smiling.
Liora looked at the photo: "Save it for me too? So I can remember that you saved me."
Abraham put the phone away. He looked at the sky — sun setting, moons shining.
My life is getting full of important people... and I don't want to lose any of them.