Nova's body refused to move. His muscles cried, bones creaked, and his soul probably filed for early retirement.
The fourth morning after starting the training sessions.
Three days of non-stop getting slammed into mats, flipped like pancakes, and punched like a ragdoll in a street magician's act.
He groaned. "Damn. Even blinking hurt."
Still, he dragged himself out of bed, limbs groaning in protest. The bruises had mellowed into a dark, cosmic palette across his body. His ribs felt like someone had put them in a grinder.
But he moved.
Because the one thing more painful than Vincent's punches was....
Being a disappointment.
"Damn, just thinking about it makes me tear up."
Wearing the same breathable shirt and shorts because he had no energy to even look for another set, Nova stumbled into the training hall, expecting another soul-crushing session.
But the room was surprisingly empty.
No uncle. No aura of doom. Not even the threat of a surprise punch.
"...Hello? Are you invisible?" he called, voice echoing faintly in the hall.
Only silence answered.
After a couple of seconds of being alert in silence, Nova suddenly moved. He raised his hands in a defensive stance. Ready for anything coming his way. "Surprise attack!"
He waited, but nothing happened.
"No surprise attack?" For a moment, he stood there confused. Then he took a deep breath and slowly lowered himself to the center of the mat.
His body popped like a bubble wrap as he sat cross-legged, attempting to mimic Vincent's meditative posture.
He closed his eyes, placed his hands relaxed on his knees and straightened his back.
He inhaled.
Exhaled.
Waited.
...Still nothing.
"Alright, again."
Inhale.
Exhale.
Imagine the mana… feel the mana… be the mana…
...
Nothing. Not even a shiver of sparkly cosmic nonsense.
Nova peeked one eye open.
Still nothing.
"Tch… fraud technique," he muttered, closing his eyes again.
The morning passed like a snail climbing a tree. He sat there for hours, stubbornly repeating the pose, breathing rhythm, and even tried humming anything that would help.
Eventually, he slouched.
Then leaned a little more.
Then fell asleep, face tilted to the side, mouth slightly open, breathing deep and exhausted.
Until…
BZZT. BZZT.
His phone buzzed violently against the table beside him. Nova jolted awake with a short, panicked snort. "I'm up! I'm… Who!?"
He scrambled for the phone and saw the caller ID.
Bossy Uncle.
He picked up quickly.
"Uhh yeah! I was training! Real deep stuff. You almost didn't wake me. What's up?"
Vincent's voice came through calm, as usual. "I had something to take care of today. You're resting. Use the day however you like."
"…Wait. You serious?"
"Yes. Don't get used to it."
Click.
The call ended.
Nova blinked at the phone. Then blinked at the ceiling.
"…He gave me a day off?"
A slow grin spread across his face.
"Holy shit, I lived."
He let out a long breath, his entire body easing up for the first time in days.
But as the excitement mellowed, he sat back on the mat and checked the time. It was already around noon.
"So, uh… what do I do now?"
…..
His stomach growled like it was ready to riot.
With a sluggish stretch, Nova pushed himself up from the mat and dragged his half-broken body out of the training hall.
The hallways were quiet, filled only with the sound of his bare footsteps and faint humming from somewhere deep in the compound.
He made his way to the kitchen, hoping there was at least something edible that didn't require cooking. Because even if his cooking was top notch, like how a master chef would… totally not making it up.
He doesn't have the will power to cook for himself.
As he reached for the fridge, his phone buzzed again in his pocket.
Crackhead.
He saw the name, blinked, then let out a hearty laugh. That name pulled a reaction his muscles couldn't. He couldn't even remember when did he change the contact's name.
[Sophia: What have you been up to these past few days? Haven't seen you since. Also... have you eaten yet?]
Nova stared at the message, a smile spreading across his face before he could stop it.
He called her instead of replying to the text.
"...Hello?" her voice came through, soft and slightly surprised.
"What's up?" Nova said, playing it cool, trying to sound casual despite the fact his legs still felt like pudding.
"Oh, um… nothing much," she replied, her tone shifting to a more casual warmth. "I just finished class so I called. You kind of disappeared."
"Yeah, sorry about that," Nova rubbed the back of his neck as he leaned against the kitchen counter. "I've been… doing some, uh… private stuff. Uncle-stuff. Ehem… Nothing weird! But training, kinda. business-related... Sigh. It's a long story."
He winced a little, fumbling over his words. His thoughts were still a mess, and his stomach clearly begs for nutrients.
There was a small pause on her end, then her voice again, light but fidgety.
"Yeah… So… I was thinking, I mean… it's lunchtime, and I'm already out, and there's this place near campus with those dumplings you like, and I didn't want to eat alone, so I thought… maybe… if you're not busy, you could just, you know, swing by and… maybe we eat? Together?"
Her voice grew softer and softer, until the last words were barely audible.
Nova smiled again, this time wider.
He could hear the nervousness in her voice, pretending to be casual. Making excuses so that the invitation doesn't sound too forward.
"Hmm," he hummed, pretending to think. "Well, it'd be rude to let someone eat alone and I'm really starving you know."
Her breath hitched. He swore he heard her smile through the phone.
"I guess I can swing by."
"You're not too tired?" she asked quickly. "You sounded a little… off earlier."
"Still breathing," Nova replied, opening the fridge and finding a sad half-bottle of juice. "And I'll probably eat better if someone else orders for me anyway."
"…Alright then," she said softly. "I'll wait."
"Send me the pin."
"Already did."
Nova hung up and looked at himself in the reflection of the fridge door. His hair was a mess. He had a fading bruise on his collarbone. His legs still hurt.
But his heart felt a little lighter.
"...Hehe, I'm still super awesome." he muttered, and limped off to go find something wearable.
…..
A low hum echoed through the university parking lot as the black coupe rolled in, smooth and deliberate.
Nova stepped out, his posture relaxed, one hand adjusting his collar lazily. His black hair caught the light, and his eyes swept the lot with a faint flicker of disinterest.
He leaned against the hood, waited for a while but it didn't take long.
Sophia emerged from the main building, wearing a light blue dress, covered by a white coat, her long black hair was tied in a ponytail and she was hugging a book to her chest she probably didn't need to bring out.
She was scanning the lot before her feet even touched the stairs. Her gaze found him too quickly, like she'd known the exact time and place he'd arrive.
"Fancy." she said with a half-smile.
"Let's go. I'm dying of hunger."
He opened the passenger door. She didn't hesitate to slide in, but she glanced at the rearview mirror as if trying to catch his expression from the side. It was subtle and seemingly unnoticed.
Or so she thought.
Nova frowned for half a second, thinking about what was going through her mind right now. But he shook it off and got in the driver's seat.
She probably thought about what he has been busy with for the past few days, which is definitely worrying.
"I wonder… will I be able to read other people's thoughts?"
"What was that?"
"Nothing. Let's go."
…..
They ended up in a tucked-away ramen shop with cheap seats and good smells, hidden between concrete buildings near the campus.
Nova liked the quiet and peace right now.
He sat across from her, stirring broth with chopsticks.
Sophia didn't dig in immediately. She sat for a second too long, looking at him as if trying to remember every line on his face.
When he finally noticed and raised a brow, she quickly looked down and murmured something about the steam fogging her glasses even though she wasn't even wearing any.
"So," she said eventually, lifting her bowl. "What have you been up to these past few days? You look exhausted."
Her eyes narrowed sharp with concern. "Is someone bullying you?"
Nova shrugged. "Something like that."
"Should I even ask?"
"Probably not."
"…Is it dangerous?"
Nova paused. "Kinda. But it's safe."
She let that hang for a second, then nodded like it was normal. Like she expected that answer all along.
They walked the streets after, the sun mellow and gold behind them. Sophia talked about school and classmates, but she kept glancing sideways when she thought he wasn't looking.
Nova noticed, but said nothing.
She laughed at all his remarks. Always a second longer than needed.
"You doing okay though?"
Her voice was softer now, like she wanted him to really hear it.
Nova looked over. "Still breathing."
A pause.
"…Good," she said, smiling faintly. Her hand brushed against his as they walked, just a graze, but she didn't pull away fast enough for it to be an accident.
He raised a brow for a second, and considered holding onto it.
But she was already pointing out a bird or a cloud or something else completely irrelevant. So, he just exhaled through his nose and let it pass.
Maybe he was imagining it.
Maybe not.
Or maybe he just needed more sleep.