Scene: The Great Stone Hall, Airien Academy — After the Return
The air was thick with confusion, grief, and an uncomfortable silence. The students stood in the main chamber, flanked by ancient statues of past Airien knights — each one carved from the purest Avian crystal, glowing faintly in judgment.
Jack clenched his fists.
Henry was pacing.
Yyvone just sat, quietly staring at the floor.
Kennedy:
> "You knew what was happening… and you didn't stop it."
The accusation echoed.
Kainen stepped forward, his arms behind his back, his eyes sharper than obsidian truth.
---
Kainen:
> "You're angry. Good. That means you care."
Ractor: (gruff, but somber)
> "But caring ain't the same as understanding. So listen close."
---
Kainen looked around the hall, then placed a hand on the Grand Flame Orb — the symbol of Airien truth. His voice grew solemn, weighted with centuries of discipline.
---
Kainen:
> "We did not intervene during Redan's game… because we were never supposed to.
The greatest threat to Airious is not the Corruption Force…
It's the fragility of the mind."
---
Ractor:
> "Avia is authenticity incarnate. It gives you power based on who you are.
But what happens when who you are… is weak?
Conflicted?
Insecure?"
---
Kainen:
> "Then your Avia betrays you.
It stops listening.
Or worse…
It lets something else in."
---
Jack blinked, finally starting to connect the dots.
---
Yyvone:
> "So… the whole test was never about survival…"
---
Kainen:
> "It was about fortitude.
Redan was a test, a cruel one — yes. But necessary."
---
Ractor: (grinding his axe into the floor as punctuation)
> "Because one day, you won't be tempted in a game.
You'll be tempted in life.
When you're alone. When no one's watching.
That's when ghouls whisper best."
---
Sonia finally broke her silence.
---
Sonia:
> "But Klexis...he was struggling. He needed help—"
---
Kainen: (softly, almost a whisper)
> "And I mourn him.
More than you know.
But if we stepped in every time a student faltered…
No one would ever rise.
You don't become a Knight by being protected.
You become one by choosing truth when lies taste better."
---
A heavy silence.
Then, slowly, Kennedy nodded.
And so did Charles.
Even Ian, stoic and still, wiped a single tear.
---
Ractor (gruffly, yet proud):
> "You all survived Redan's test. That wasn't luck.
That was strength.
You chose yourselves over illusion.
And for that… you are one step closer to being true Airiens."
---
Kainen:
> "But remember this—
Klexis didn't fail because he was weak.
He failed because he was alone.
Next time… don't let your brother fall without a hand to hold."
---
And with that… the hall was quiet once more.
But every student now stood taller.
Not because they were unshaken—
But because they were learning what it truly meant…
To stand.
The air suddenly shifted. A gentle scent of lavender and danger swept through the hall.
Heel click. Cloak swish. Hair flawless.
Enter: Hela.
Airien Knight. Combat sage. Emotional support milf. Certified heartbreaker.
And oh — don't let the curves fool you. She once KO'd a ghoul by talking it into therapy.
---
Hela (grinning like she runs the place):
> "Alright, alright, alright... now hold up, my serious boys. Kainen, Ractor—love y'all but you always sound like failed poets at a funeral."
---
She sauntered in, hips telling their own story, eyes glowing with the mischief of a thousand won battles.
---
Hela (to the students):
> "Listen, sugarplums—Avia ain't just about stiff upper lips and mental marathons.
It's also your bestie.
Like—have you ever seen an energy force that literally grows with you, reads your feelings, and makes sure your trauma doesn't turn into a villain arc?
That's Avia. She's your emotional support liquid."
---
Jack (raising an eyebrow):
> "Wait… you're saying Avia has emotional intelligence?"
---
Hela (winking):
> "Jacky boy, she's got emotional doctorate degrees.
When you're sad, she listens.
When you're angry, she doesn't judge.
When you're confused, she shows you who you are through your powers.
Avia ain't rigid — she's a vibe."
---
Sonia (softly):
> "So we're not alone?"
---
Hela (placing a gentle hand on Sonia's shoulder):
> "Baby, you never were.
You're bonded to something that wants the real you to win.
Not the perfect you. Not the brave-you-all-the-time.
The honest you."
---
Hela (turning to Kainen and Ractor with mock scolding):
> "Let the kids feel. You can't beat corruption by being stoic statues all the time.
Sometimes you gotta laugh, cry, and punch a reality-bending ghoul in the face while doing it."
---
Kainen (finally cracking a smirk):
> "We needed your chaos, Hela."
---
Ractor (grunting):
> "She makes a point... annoying as it is."
---
Hela (snapping fingers):
> "Boom. Auntie Hela out."
She vanished in a shimmer of Avian waves — leaving sass, wisdom, and emotional clarity behind.
Scene: Merina & Ian – Under the Night Leaves of Airious
The sky in Airious wasn't just dark—it pulsed with starstreams, as if the cosmos itself were whispering to those who dared to feel.
Ian found Merina sitting by the Stream of Voices, where ancient Airien waters murmured the thoughts of those long gone. She was dipping her fingers in the flow, not to summon anything—just listening.
He sat beside her. Quiet. Careful.
---
Ian (softly):
> "You okay?"
Merina (still watching the stream):
> "I don't know what 'okay' means right now."
---
They both chuckled. Not from joy—just from understanding.
---
Ian:
> "You and Klexis… you two were close, huh?"
Merina (smiling, bittersweet):
> "Yeah… close. Friends. Just that."
(pause)
"But you know, the kind of 'just' that could become more… if things were different."
Ian (nodding):
> "Yeah… I get that.
Me and Eve—same loop. Heart says yes, fate says 'maybe later.'"
---
She turned to him then, her eyes glowing like moonlit oceans.
---
Merina:
> "Klexis wasn't like his uncle. People always assumed he would be... just another Elexis sequel. Another tragedy waiting to happen."
> "But he wasn't.
He was cocky, sure—but it wasn't hollow pride.
He worked. He trained. He bled with us.
And… he laughed. Oh, he could make you laugh even when the sky was falling."
---
Ian looked down, chewing over her words like a prayer.
---
Ian:
> "Do you think he chose it? The corruption?"
Merina:
> "I think he got tired.
Of proving himself.
Of pretending he didn't hear the whispers comparing him to Elexis.
Of carrying the weight and still being told he's not enough."
---
She clenched her fist, droplets from the stream floating upward around her fingers like water sprites drawn to her sadness.
---
Merina (voice shaking):
> "But in my eyes…
He was enough.
He is."
---
She let the words float, like offerings to the stars.
Ian placed a hand on her shoulder.
---
Ian:
> "He might be lost now…
But maybe he's not gone.
And if there's one person who can bring him back…"
---
Merina (whispering):
> "...it's me."
---
The waters of the Stream of Voices shimmered.
And somewhere deep in the Free Abyss...
Klexis paused, mid-training, his hammers trembling—
A drop of warmth trickled down his cheek. He didn't know why.
But Merina's tether had reached him.
Scene: Cosmic Gym – The Infinity Grind Begins
Cue intense cosmic rock with interdimensional basslines.
The Cosmic Gym wasn't your average "lift heavy, scream loudly" setup. No dumbbells. No machines. Just floating islands of gravity-defying challenge, astral resistance bands, and training bots with the personality of vengeful PE teachers.
Time dilation cranked to "Beast Mode."
1 hour = 1 week.
Pain now comes with a cosmic calendar.
---
Kainen (arms folded, voice as sharp as fate):
> "Welcome to pain. Welcome to pressure. Welcome… to the next phase."
Ractor (grinning like he eats lightning):
> "Today we unlock Flash Instincts.
Speed so fast it makes light file a complaint.
Awareness so sharp it might cut through your own denial."
---
The training field warped into place—suddenly they were surrounded by Avian Combat Robots, each infused with a specific element and built to punish hesitation.
Floating over the center was a rotating mantra of light:
> "If You Think, You're Late."
---
THE STUDENTS: INITIATE LEVEL 70%
Jack: His Analysis Eyes began scanning the battlefield, calculating optimal dodge vectors. His Lightning Affinity crackled—soon, his movement would be like thought incarnate.
Henry: His Electricity Affinity synced with the field, allowing him to charge the environment. If Flash Instincts is a spark, he is the storm.
Charles: He inscribed time-slowing runes mid-air, using Inscription Manipulation to shave milliseconds off reactions.
Yyvone: She wrapped herself in a cocoon of Healing Threads, creating defensive barriers that could auto-respond to damage—instinctual healing mid-combat.
Osei Jerry: He became a blur of intuition. Instinct Manipulation made his body respond before the attack even began. A punch thrown toward him felt... awkward, like it had already been dodged.
Kennedy: His Framework Manipulation built internal command lines. He wasn't moving—he was executing. Every dodge, every strike, was a pre-coded instruction activated by instinct.
Ian: The Slash Affinity turned his instincts into blade trails—every reactive movement carried a slice. Offense born from defense.
Sonia: With Emotional Spectrum Affinity, her fear sharpened her reflexes, her joy amplified her speed, and her resolve made her unshakable. Emotion wasn't weakness—it was the engine.
---
FLASH INSTINCTS
The technique isn't just about going fast.
It's about disappearing from hesitation.
The robots attacked—dozens at once.
And one by one...
They stopped thinking.
They started being.
Scene: Cosmic Gym — Day 3 of the "One Hour"
Pain was now personal.
The Avian Combat Robots weren't just sparring—they were styling. Dodging, taunting, dancing through the field like glitching dancers in a cosmic rave, roasting the students at every mistake.
---
KAINEN (hovering mid-air like a disappointed sensei angel):
> "You're all failing because you still think you're in control.
Flash Instincts doesn't need your logic, your emotions, your plans.
It needs your trust. In what?
In yourself."
The truth hit harder than an Avian Punch from a level 99 Forger.
---
JACK, eyes darting, constantly calculating.
> "If I redirect this bolt, then shift here, the robot—"
WHAM!
Too slow.
"Ow."
KAINEN:
> "Jack, your eyes are tools, not crutches. Trust your body, not your math."
---
HENRY, swaggering like he owned the storm.
> "Let me show y'all how to really—"
SLAM!
Robot uppercut.
His pride sparked harder than his lightning.
"...rude."
KAINEN:
> "Cockiness kills instinct. You're not a storm. You're a fuse box right now."
---
SONIA, pulsing with color.
One second she's blazing with rage. Next, sobbing from a near miss. Then laughing like a maniac.
KAINEN:
> "Sonia. You're trying to ride emotions like a rollercoaster when they should be your engine. Feel it. Don't drown in it."
---
IAN, slicing and slashing—but missing timing.
His eyes? On the field.
His heart? Still on Eve Maid.
KAINEN:
> "Ian. You can't fight the outside while stuck inside your head."
---
KENNEDY, summoning an army of sentient blades with personalities and backstories.
Cool? Yes.
Instinctual? Not even remotely.
One of his swords even waved at a robot before getting demolished.
KAINEN:
> "Kennedy, I said Flash Instincts, not Flash fan fiction. Focus!"
---
But YYVONE...
She breathed.
Then she exhaled.
She didn't think. She didn't flinch.
She didn't analyze, rage, or create. She just was.
When the robot lunged, she was already gone.
When it struck again, she was behind it.
And when it overcharged—
WHAM!
She dropped it with one clean hit. A thread wrapped around its core like a whisper.
FLASH INSTINCTS—LEARNED.
---
KAINEN (quiet smile):
> "That... is what mastery looks like. No fear. No ego. Just flow."
---
CHARLES followed.
He was already the calmest. The quiet storm. The artist of restraint.
He didn't shout.
He didn't overthink.
He closed his eyes—then became instinct.
His inscriptions weren't spells—they were reflexes.
He vanished. Reappeared. Engraved a robot's core mid-motion.
It shut down instantly.
FLASH INSTINCTS—LEARNED.
---
The rest stared, bruised, wide-eyed, and fueled now by something else:
Hunger.
Not just for victory—but for freedom from hesitation.
Cosmic Gym — Combat Chamber "Mind Over Matter"
Kainen floated above, arms crossed, like a warrior monk watching his crop finally sprout.
---
KAINEN (pointing to Ian):
> "You're first. Drop the sword."
"Trust me, you've been slashing at everything except your own doubt."
IAN (hesitating):
> "But I'm slash manipulation, it's literally in my name…"
KAINEN (deadpan):
> "And 'overthinking' is written all over your face."
---
Ian obeyed.
The sword clanged on the floor like a shackle cut loose.
He stood in the center, fists clenched, breath slow.
The robot activated — sleek, sharp, with scanners whirring.
First strike: toward his shoulder.
Ian closed his eyes.
His body swayed just an inch left—clean dodge.
---
IAN (thinking):
> "Wait… I didn't see that. I felt it."
Then he remembered—
That fight with Klexis… the way he weaved through Ian's flurry like wind through leaves. No blade. No bravado. Just instinct.
Flash Instincts wasn't about being fast—it was about being fluid.
---
The robot came in again—rapid jabs and feints.
Ian's mind? Clear.
No strategies. No Eve Maid. No comparisons. Just breath and body.
He ducked under a punch.
Spun past a leg sweep.
Then pivoted, flowing like a stream, and countered—not with power, but perfect timing.
---
His aura flickered.
Electric with Avian clarity.
He was faster. Sharper. He wasn't dodging anymore—he was dancing.
KAINEN (smirking):
> "There it is. The body remembers what the mind doubts."
---
FLASH INSTINCTS—LEARNED.
Cosmic Gym – Flash Instinct Training Arc, Part 2: Sonia & Kennedy
Kainen hovered above the sparring arena like a judgmental hawk crossed with a proud dad. His eyes tracked the next challenger as the combat robots reset, gears hissing and optics glowing.
---
KAINEN (to Sonia, calmly):
> "Your Affinity is the Emotional Spectrum… but emotions aren't just fuel—they're guides. So tell me, Sonia… which emotion brings you peace?"
---
SONIA (grinning):
> "You think I don't know?"
"C'mon, Kainen… I'm literally vibes incarnate."
She closed her eyes, her usually rainbow aura shifting… condensing… clarifying.
Silver.
Not rage. Not fear. Not sorrow. Euphoria.
The kind of peace that bubbles up after a long cry, the quiet joy of letting go.
---
SONIA (softly):
> "I used to think emotions were loud… but some of them whisper."
The robots charged.
Sonia smiled.
Then moved.
It wasn't just dodging—it was dancing.
Her body flowed like silk in the wind, a rhythm only she could hear.
Each dodge was graceful. Her aura pulsed gently with every twist, every skip, every sidestep. It was like she became the eye of the storm—serene amidst chaos.
---
KAINEN (impressed, quietly):
> "She's not just fighting… she's rejoicing."
---
SONIA (laughing mid-dodge):
> "Is it weird that I'm having fun? I feel like I'm on an emotional trampoline!"
KAINEN:
> "Nope. That's the point."
---
FLASH INSTINCTS—LEARNED.
---
Then came Kennedy.
He stepped in, cracking his knuckles with all the swagger of a mad inventor and the grin of a trickster god.
KENNEDY:
> "Yo, Kainen, real quick…"
"Can I, like… remix this whole Flash Instinct thing with some of my chaos?"
KAINEN (rubbing his temples):
> "Kennedy… Flash Instinct is a one-track technique. It's about unity, simplicity—"
KENNEDY (interrupting):
> "Yeah yeah, but what if I framework the instinct itself?"
"Like, create a reactive after-image system based on my dodges. The robots see me, then poof—BOOM—five versions of me zipping around."
KAINEN (sighing, but lowkey curious):
> "You're going to do it whether I say yes or not, aren't you?"
KENNEDY (grinning):
> "See? You do get me."
---
He stepped in.
No gadgets. No toys.
Just instinct and raw framework manipulation.
As the robot lunged, Kennedy moved—and a phantom trail remained behind him.
Then another.
Then another.
He blurred and bounced across the arena like a glitch in reality, every dodge leaving behind a ghostly echo.
The robots were confused—punching air, spinning in place, one even whiffed so hard it punched another robot.
KENNEDY (laughing):
> "Oh man, this is so my vibe."
"It's like Flash Instinct meets visual jazz."
---
KAINEN (muttering):
> "Unorthodox… chaotic… borderline disrespectful to the tradition… but effective."
---
FLASH INSTINCTS—LEARNED (GLITCH STYLE).