26- Move on

After the battle against Bahaa and the Spirit of Darkness, everyone returned to their normal lives. However, none of them looked at the world the same way anymore. The Elements Users had realized that the danger was far from over, and that what they had faced had only been the beginning.

For that reason, Yassin supervised each of them individually, focusing on their weaknesses before their strengths in preparation for whatever the future might bring.

Three months had passed since those events. The school year had ended, summer had arrived, and Wail, Elyes, Bahaa, Mark, and Raouf had moved on to secondary school.

Despite returning to school and their daily lives, they never stopped training. Every evening, they gathered with Yassin on the mountain hill and trained until late at night, while he simply watched and guided them.

---

One day, Yassin sat silently watching them train, while Amira sat beside him as usual.

"Yassin... don't you feel like Wail has changed a lot?" she asked as she watched him.

"Yes. He's become more mature and confident in himself, and that's a good thing," he replied, looking at him.

She shook her head.

"That's not what I mean... I feel like something inside him has changed. Ever since you came back that day, he's been treating me differently."

Yassin turned toward her.

"Really? I hadn't noticed. If there's a reason, no one but him would know."

Amira turned her gaze toward Wail.

At that moment, he was training with Bahaa.

The two charged at each other at the same time, and the fight began without using any energy.

They exchanged punches and kicks. Wail tried to impose his rhythm with a series of rapid attacks, but Bahaa blocked most of them and avoided the rest.

Wail threw a punch toward his face, but Bahaa ducked beneath it and countered with a punch to his stomach that forced him to retreat several steps.

Wail regained his balance and charged again.

Their fight continued for several minutes, but Bahaa maintained a clear advantage until the battle finally ended with Wail falling to the ground, gasping from exhaustion.

"Man... you're getting stronger really fast," Wail said as he caught his breath.

"No. You're the one getting weaker every day," Bahaa replied.

Wail picked up a bottle of water, took a drink, then threw it at Bahaa's head.

Bahaa caught it and threw it back, but Wail caught it and threw it again, hitting him once more.

Anger flashed across Bahaa's face, but he had no chance to retaliate before Elyes approached.

"Are you two done? Who's going to be my opponent now?"

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"Bahaa is right there. I want to rest for a while. I've been fighting both of you since this morning," Wail said as he lay on the ground.

"You're talking as if you actually defeated us," Bahaa replied sarcastically.

Wail raised his head.

"What did you say?"

Yassin intervened.

"Enough. Training is over for today. Get some rest. We'll continue tomorrow."

Everyone stood up while Amira brought them bottles of water.

She handed one to Wail.

"Here... you must still be thirsty."

He looked at her for a moment, then took it silently.

She then walked over to Bahaa and handed him some water as well.

Wail watched them for a few seconds before looking away without saying anything.

Yassin noticed it, but remained silent.

A little later, everyone gathered around the table for dinner.

"So... are we going to keep training until Dark returns? Don't you know where he is, Yassin?" Bahaa asked.

"If I knew where he was, I wouldn't have left him free until now. He has completely disappeared since our last encounter, but we can't ignore the possibility that he may return."

"But I'm his target, since I'm the only Darkness Element User," Bahaa said.

"Not necessarily. Darkness may be suitable for him, but Spirit Energy has absolutely nothing to do with Elemental Energy. He can use any body as a vessel."

"I see..." Bahaa muttered.

"I'm a target too. I still don't understand the power he was talking about. Can't you tell me the truth?" Wail asked.

"No."

Yassin continued.

"If I tell you now, you won't reach the answer yourself."

"But that puts me in danger."

"I'll take responsibility for that decision. Keep training, and when the time comes, you'll discover the answer yourself."

"Does it have something to do with the red energy that appeared when the Falis captured me?"

"Perhaps... and perhaps not," Yassin replied with concern.

"By the way... you said two Falis appeared after your fight with Raouf. One of them was Hida, so who was the other?" Elyes asked.

"I don't know. I only saw her for a few moments. I don't remember what she looked like."

"Wasn't she the one who stopped your power?" Bahaa asked.

Wail shook his head.

"I don't think so. There was another girl restrained by purple chains, wearing armor covered in tubes... I don't think they were the same person."

"What do the Falis want in the first place?" Amira asked.

"The Falis are a race from a planet that bears the same name. During the Great War, their men tried to sacrifice all the women in order to survive. The women rebelled, absorbed their souls, and killed every last one of them."

Silence filled the room.

Yassin continued.

"Since that day, there have been no men among them. And because absorbing each other's souls would eventually lead to their extinction, they began traveling from planet to planet in search of men with powerful Spirit Energy. They absorb their energy first, then their souls, and use them to extend their lives and rejuvenate their bodies."

Amira shuddered.

"So... if they had succeeded with Wail..."

"He would have been nothing more than an empty body."

Silence filled the cabin.

After dinner, Elyes left, and Yassin said goodbye before departing as well.

Bahaa, however, stayed behind, waiting for Amira to finish gathering her things.

Wail passed by the door when Amira called out to him.

"Wail... could you help me carry these things?"

He approached without a word, carried the belongings outside the cabin, then continued walking.

"Aren't you coming back with us?" she asked.

"I'll come back... but alone."

She looked at him in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

He looked toward the road ahead.

"You'll go back with Bahaa... and I'll go back alone, as usual."

Amira frowned.

"What's wrong with you, Wail? What are you talking about?"

"Nothing."

He was silent for a moment before continuing.

"It's just... I once thought our relationship had become something different."

Amira stopped speaking.

He continued in a calm voice, though there was clear sadness in it.

"Then I realized I was wrong."

"Wail..."

He looked at her.

"When I saw you hugging Bahaa that day... it felt as if everything that happened before that had disappeared."

He lowered his gaze slightly.

"The promise I made to you... your fear... your tears... every time I tried to stand by your side..."

He fell silent for a moment.

"I didn't even hear a thank you."

Amira's eyes widened.

"I... I didn't mean it that way."

"I know," he replied calmly.

She stepped closer to him.

"When I saw Bahaa... I forgot everything around me. I didn't think about how you might feel. I'm truly sorry, Wail."

He remained silent for a few seconds before giving her a faint smile.

"It's okay."

She looked at him hesitantly.

Then he asked:

"How about we go out tomorrow?"

A smile appeared on her face.

"Of course."

He nodded, then continued on his way home, while Amira remained there watching him leave.

She had finally understood the reason behind the change she had noticed in him throughout the past few months.

---

The next morning, Amira stood in the middle of the city waiting for Wail to arrive.

She didn't have to wait long. She spotted him approaching from a distance and waved at him with a smile.

As soon as they reached each other, she said:

"I want to go shopping."

Wail smiled.

"As you wish."

They headed toward the shopping mall together.

As they walked, he asked:

"Where's Bahaa? Didn't he come with you?"

"He said he still wanted to train, so he went to the mountain hill."

She turned toward him.

"And you? Why didn't you train today?"

He smiled.

"Rest is part of training too."

She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Really? Is that all?"

He hesitated for a moment.

"Actually... we haven't gone out in a while, so I thought today might be a good day."

As soon as he finished speaking, he quickened his pace and walked ahead of her as if trying to escape the embarrassment.

Amira laughed as she followed him.

"Wait! Where are you going?"