"Alright! Now we race back to the oak tree!" shouted Riku as soon as he climbed out of Mistveil Creek, water dripping from his hair. He darted off towards the tree without waiting.
"Hey! Wait, Riku! Hahaha!" The others laughed, splashing through the shallows to chase him.
Nova was the last to get out. He smiled watching his friends run ahead, then started running after them, the cool breeze drying his wet hair.
Huff, huff.
Riku reached the oak tree first and raised his arms in triumph. "Haha! I won. You guys are so slow."
"Hey! You ran off first. Of course you'd win!" the others complained, making faces at him.
Huff, huff, huff.
Nova finally reached them, breathing heavily.
"Hey Nova, you okay? You look more tired than usual," asked Tama, frowning in concern.
Nova smiled despite his exhaustion. "I'm fine. I guess… I'm just getting dull. Haha."
Riku grinned, ignoring the conversation, and began climbing the oak tree. "Since I won, I get to be the Oak King!"
"Hey! We said you cheated!" Haru shouted up at him.
"Hahaha!" Riku laughed, climbing higher in a rush. Then suddenly—"Ah!" His foot slipped off the branch, and his small body tumbled down.
Time seemed to slow for Nova. Just a moment ago he was exhausted, but suddenly a burst of energy flooded his body. Before anyone could react, he dashed forward instinctively.
Thud. The next moment, everyone saw Riku cradled safely in Nova's arms, his eyes wide with shock.
…Silence. The children stood frozen, their mouths open.
"Uh… Nova… That was—" Riku began softly.
"Amazing!" Tama shouted, cutting him off, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
"Yeah! That was amazing! We didn't even see you move!" Haru added, his voice full of awe.
Suddenly all the children erupted in cheers.
"That was so cool! Do it again!"
Nova gently set Riku down, confused by what just happened. Before he could speak, Tama grinned and declared, "From now on, you're not just Nova. You're Super Nova!"
"Huh?" Nova blinked, dumbfounded.
"Yes! Yes! Super Nova! Super Nova!" everyone chanted, laughing.
Nova finally gave in and smiled. "Cut it out, guys. Let's go home."
"Okay, Super Nova!" they chorused, laughing all the way back to the village.
---
"I'm home!" Nova shouted as he ran into his house, spotting Joren reading at the table. "Dad! Dad! Something cool happened today!"
Joren looked up with a smile, but as soon as his eyes met Nova's, his smile faded. He felt something… different.
Nova, oblivious, continued excitedly, "Today Riku fell from the oak tree, and I—I just dashed and caught him! I don't even know how I did it, but everyone said I was cool. What do you think, Dad? Wasn't that amazing?"
"…Yeah…" Joren said softly, his mind racing. He stood up and said, "Nova… come with me for a moment."
"Eh? Why, Dad? Tell me! Are you so shocked by my story? Hahaha!" Nova chuckled as he followed Joren to the small training lawn behind their house.
When they reached the open space, Joren turned to him and asked, "Nova, do you know what a push-up is?"
Nova nodded confidently. "Of course! I see you do them every day when you train."
"Yeah… Have you ever tried doing them yourself?"
Nova tilted his head. "No… You said my training would start when I turned five, so I never did, except trying it a few times."
Joren's eyes widened slightly. "Then… can you show me one now?"
"Sure, Dad!" Nova said cheerfully. He took the push-up position he had seen so many times and performed one smoothly.
Joren watched silently. "Good… Now, do as many as you can. Think of it as your first training task."
Nova's eyes gleamed with excitement. "Yay! Training! Okay, I'll do my best!" He began.
1… 2… 3… 4… 5… Joren's eyebrows rose.
6… 7… 8… 9… Joren gulped, a bead of sweat rolling down his temple.
10… 11… Nova's arms began trembling.
12… 13… He strained, gritting his teeth.
14… With a small groan, he pushed himself up.
15… Huff… Huff… Huff… Nova collapsed onto his knees, panting hard, but looked up with a bright smile. "How was that, Dad? Was it bad? I've seen you do so many more…"
Joren's face was frozen in shock.
"Dad…?" Nova asked softly, worried.
Joren forced a smile. "…That was amazing, Nova. Go rest now. Your proper training starts tomorrow."
Nova's face lit up in pure joy. "Yay! Thanks, Dad! Now I can be strong like you!" He hugged Joren tightly and ran back inside, humming.
Joren watched him go, then looked down at his trembling hands. 'Fifteen push-ups… A five-year-old child who never trained before did fifteen push-ups…'
"The only way this is possible… is if his body has already entered Flesh Tempering... At five years old… he broke into the first phase of Body Tempering without any training…" Joren whispered to himself. His eyes widened with realisation. "Just… what kind of monsters are these people from the Heavenly Realm… He entered flesh tempering just by...playing…"
A bitter chuckle escaped his lips. "Heh… I almost forgot he's a god. But… I'm excited. To watch him grow… to see how a god develops with my own eyes…" His voice trailed off into the cool evening breeze, a faint smile curving his lips.
---
That night, Nova lay in bed, staring at the ceiling with sleepy eyes.'Training, huh… I'll become strong like Dad… Then, when Mom and Dad get old, I'll protect them and earn money for all of us… Hehe'. He chuckled softly, eyes fluttering shut.
Creak.
His door opened and Elaine entered, her swollen belly showing under her robe. She smiled gently and kissed Nova's forehead. "Goodnight, son."
"Mom…" Nova's sleepy voice mumbled, "Will my little brother or sister train too? If they do… can I teach them… please?"
Elaine's eyes softened, and she nodded. "If they want to, then yes… you can train them."
Nova's lips curled into a drowsy smile. "Yay… Goodnight, Mom…"
"Goodnight, my little Nova…" she whispered, walking out.
A moment later, Joren stepped in. "Sleep well, son. From tomorrow, your training begins. Don't expect any mercy from me. Haha."
Nova giggled, eyes half-closed. "Okay, Dad… I don't want you to go easy on me… Goodnight."
"Goodnight, son." Joren extinguished the lamp and walked out, leaving the room dark and silent.
Nova closed his eyes, sleep embracing him with dreams of tomorrow's training – dreams of becoming strong enough to protect the people he loved most.