28- Hidden secret

The next day, Wail was training with Zaki and Sif on the mountain hill while Yassin watched them.

"Attack him together. I want you to synchronize your attacks. The better your coordination becomes, the faster you'll be at noticing your opponent's movements and responding to them," Yassin said.

The two nodded, then charged at the same time. Wail began dodging some of their attacks and blocking others without launching any attacks of his own, simply observing their movements.

After a few moments, he noticed that Sif's attacks were slightly faster than Zaki's. As soon as Sif charged forward with another punch, Wail shifted to the side, grabbed his arm, and pushed it in the opposite direction.

"Ow!"

Sif's punch struck Zaki directly in the face.

Zaki stepped back, holding his face angrily. "What are you doing?! Don't you know who your opponent is?"

Sif replied irritably, "It wasn't my fault! He forced me to hit you."

Zaki snapped, "You could have stopped!"

Wail laughed. "Easy, you two. If we were real enemies, this would have been over before you even finished arguing."

He pointed at them. "Come on, let's continue."

But Zaki crossed his arms. "I'm not training with this idiot."

Sif charged toward him. "Who are you calling an idiot?"

The two grabbed each other, and their auras began to rise.

Wail sighed as he tried to pull them apart. "Yassin! Don't you think this would be a good time to step in?"

Suddenly, Zaki and Sif turned toward Wail at the same time.

They said together, "Get out of our way!"

Zaki's hand began glowing with green energy, while water gathered around Sif's hand.

Wail took a step back. "Wait... why me?"

In the next moment, two beams of Plant and Water Energy shot toward him.

His scream echoed throughout the mountain, while Yassin burst out laughing.

Elsewhere...

Bahaa was sitting beneath a waterfall with his eyes closed, while Mark and Raouf watched him.

Raouf spoke in his usual calm manner. "Don't you notice that he's changed? He's not as hostile as he used to be... he's become calmer."

Mark smiled slyly. "Just watch."

He picked up a small stone and threw it at Bahaa.

"If he opens a portal and brings it back to us, I'll believe he's changed," he said confidently.

The stone fell... and struck Bahaa directly on the head.

"Ow!"

Bahaa grabbed his head in pain and shouted, "What are you two doing?!"

Mark's eyes widened. "Oh... looks like the waterfall fixed you."

Anger flared in Bahaa's eyes, and his aura began to appear.

But Yassin's voice rang out from a distance. "No energy!"

Bahaa shouted in frustration, "Damn you! Why didn't you stop the others?!"

Before he could finish, Yassin appeared beside him, grabbed him by the head, and shoved it into the waterfall.

Bahaa struggled with all his strength, trying to break free.

Yassin laughed. "Provoke him more... maybe we'll see something new."

At the top of the mountain...

Zino and Dill were watching what was happening.

Dill said, "Why do they act like children?"

Zino looked at him. "You say that while being the youngest of us."

Dill didn't like the answer. He waved his hand, sending a gust of wind that knocked Zino over the edge of the mountain.

Before he could smile in victory, sand wrapped around his feet.

He looked down. "Damn..."

In the next moment, Zino pulled him down with him, sending them both falling.

Their screams echoed throughout the area.

By the end of the day, everyone began leaving the mountain hill one after another.

Wail was talking to Sara on the phone. She had suggested that they meet.

He returned home, changed his clothes, then headed to the café where she was waiting for him. They sat together, exchanging conversation.

Sara smiled. "You seem more relaxed today... unlike last time."

Wail smiled shyly. "Maybe I'm starting to feel comfortable around you."

Her cheeks turned slightly red as she laughed. "Where did you learn to talk like that?"

They both laughed, and their conversation continued for a while.

As Wail reached for his cup, his eyes caught sight of two people entering a narrow alley.

He froze.

It was Sam and Noel.

He suddenly stood up, spilling some of his drink onto the table.

Sara flinched. "Wail! What happened?"

He answered while staring toward the alley. "Sorry... I just remembered something urgent that I need to take care of."

She asked worriedly, "Is everything okay?"

He forced a smile. "Don't worry. I won't be long... just ten minutes."

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He hurried out of the café.

Wail followed the two men through the narrow alleys until the area became increasingly quiet.

Suddenly... Noel stopped in front of him.

"Hello... looking for someone?"

Wail stopped in his tracks.

At the same moment, Sam landed from one of the buildings behind him.

He smiled. "Good... I thought you wouldn't come."

Wail quickly glanced around and realized that any confrontation here would not be in his favor, so he decided not to act recklessly and instead listen to them.

Noel spoke calmly. "Let's get straight to the point, then we can all go home."

Wail replied cautiously, "Talk."...

“We know what you’re hiding, Wail.”

“We know there’s a dormant power inside you... and we also know what happened the day the Falis kidnapped you.”

Wail’s eyes widened.

“So... you two are Element Users.”

Noel smiled.

“Yes.”

He added, “You might think we’re hostile because of the way we approached you, but that’s not the case.”

“There are many things you don’t know... and some of them may be difficult to believe. But hear me out until the end.”

Wail remained silent.

“The power inside you is extremely dangerous.”

“You saw it yourself when it took control of you in front of the Falis.”

The memory returned to his mind.

The red color... the destruction... the bodies lying all around him.

He spoke quietly.

“...You mean that red energy?”

Noel nodded.

“Yes.”

“Some Energy Users are born with a flaw within their energy or element. As a result, an energy develops that gradually consumes the body.”

“Controlling it is almost impossible... and the only way to get rid of it is to forcibly extract it.”

Silence fell.

Wail felt every word he heard adding to his unease, and he began to hesitate.

Sam smiled from behind him.

“Looks like you don’t know anything... Doesn’t it make you wonder why Yassin keeps all of this from you?”

Wail quickly turned toward him.

“Yassin? How do you know him?”

Noel answered calmly.

“We’ve dealt with many cases similar to yours, and Yassin was present for most of them.”

Sam added, “He always told you not to trust anyone.”

He smiled sarcastically.

“He had a point... but don’t let that stop you from questioning him, too.”

Noel took a step forward.

“Think about it, Wail. Why does he insist on training you while hiding all these secrets from you?”

He paused for a moment before continuing.

“We’ve known him for years, long before you ever met him. And he’s constantly searching for people with powers like yours... because what he ultimately wants is that dormant power inside you.”

Wail’s expression tightened.

Their words made sense...

And that was what disturbed him more than anything else.

Sam spoke this time in a calmer tone.

“We’re not here to force you to believe us.”

“Just think about what we’ve told you. And know that this power never stops consuming you. The longer you wait... the worse it will become.”

Silence fell.

Wail couldn’t respond.

Suddenly, a voice rang out from above the buildings.

“You two are stubborn, aren’t you?”

All three of them looked up at the same time.

Bahaa and Elyes jumped from the top of the building and landed in the middle of the alley, separating Wail from the others.

Bahaa looked at Wail.

“Looks like I wasn’t wrong when I said you were getting weaker.”

Elyes glared at Noel and Sam, anger in his eyes.

“You were really going to let these scumbags deceive you? Or have you forgotten how to tell an ally from an enemy?”

Sam looked at Bahaa with annoyance.

“You again... Didn’t I tell you not to interfere?”

Bahaa smiled challengingly.

“And what are you going to do if I do?”

Noel calmly raised a hand.

“That’s enough.”

He looked at Wail.

“We didn’t come here to fight.”

“Think carefully about what we told you.”

The moment he finished speaking, he and his companion vanished in an instant.

Silence filled the alley for a few moments.

Suddenly, Elyes grabbed Wail by the collar and slammed him to the ground.

“You were seriously going to believe what they said?”

Wail remained silent.

Elyes furrowed his brows.

“Are you serious?”

Wail didn’t answer.

Elyes let out an irritated breath.

“Damn you.”

He vanished in a flash of light.

As for Bahaa, he sighed as he looked at Wail.

“Looks like I can’t leave you alone anymore.”

He then pointed down the road.

“Go back to your friend first. She’s waiting for you. Then come back to the mountain hill.”

He paused for a moment before continuing.

“We need to tell Yassin what happened.”

With that, he left as well.

---

Wail returned to the café a few minutes later.

The moment Sara saw him, she quickly stood up.

“Wail! What happened? Are you okay?”

He gave her a faint smile.

“Yeah... I told you. It was an emergency involving one of my friends.”

She examined him with her eyes, then noticed the dust clinging to his clothes.

She looked up at him.

“You’re lying.”

Wail sighed.

“Sara...”

She calmly interrupted him.

“Did you get into a fight with someone?”

He tried to sound reassuring.

“Don’t worry... I’m fine.”

But she wasn’t convinced.

“You’re hiding something from me... and I just want to help you.”

Silence passed between them for a moment.

Then he said,

“I got into a fight with a friend... It was just a small problem.”

She stared at him for several seconds.

“Really?”

Then she asked,

“Do you promise me everything is okay?”

Wail hesitated for a moment before answering with a calm smile.

“I promise.”

“Okay... Since you’re fine, let’s go have dinner.”

This time, he smiled sincerely.

“Let’s go.”

---

Time passed, and they had dinner together.

Afterward, Wail walked Sara home.

“I’m sorry... for making you worry.”

She smiled.

“It’s okay... I was just afraid it was more serious than you said.”

Wail looked at her mischievously and said,

“Actually... I’m glad you kept thinking about me the whole time.”

She stopped walking.

Then she smiled shyly and whispered,

“I was thinking about you.”

Wail’s face turned red.

She slowly moved closer to him and held his arm.

“I know we haven’t known each other for very long... but...”

Before she could finish, Wail said,

“I understand what you’re trying to say.”

He smiled.

“Let’s just let things happen naturally.”

They continued walking until they reached her house.

Wail turned toward her and said shyly,

“So... let’s go out again sometime.”

She laughed.

“I’d love to.”

They stood there for a few moments, looking at each other.

Then Wail scratched the back of his head nervously.

“Well... I guess I should go.”

She nodded with a smile.

“Good night.”

“You too.”

Sara went inside the house while Wail remained standing there for a moment.

He took a deep breath.

“Alright... time to get serious.”

He vanished in a flash of lightning.

---

A few moments later, Sara opened the door again.

She looked around.

“Wail?!”

There was no one there.

She lowered her gaze to the object she was holding in her hand, then smiled.

“I wanted to give him this...”

She sighed.

“It’s okay... next time.”

Then she closed the door.

---

Wail appeared at the mountain hill.

Yassin was waiting for him, with Bahaa and Elyes beside him.

Yassin looked at him.

“You’re late... It’s already night.”

Wail approached with steady steps.

“Before training... I want to talk.”

Yassin noticed his expression, and his own changed slightly.

This wasn’t the usual look in Wail’s eyes...

Wail stopped directly in front of him.

Bahaa stepped forward until he was standing beside Wail.

Yassin spoke calmly.

“Talk.”

Bahaa gave a faint smile.

“Don’t worry... We have the whole night.”

Silence fell...

Wail’s eyes remained fixed on Yassin.

“What’s the story with Noel and Sam...?”

Yassin was stunned by the question.

Serious expressions appeared on both Wail’s and Bahaa’s faces.