1 month later...
The training hall rang with the sound of metal clashing, footsteps pounding, and sharp commands echoing back and forth. Team NOVA moved like a single unit, drilling formation after formation until their bodies ached.
At last, Jaemin slumped back, panting. "That's enough. Any more and we'll be crawling to class tomorrow."
Jisoo sighed, twirling her chakram. "I'd rather crawl than deal with Professor Port's stories."
That earned a weak laugh, even from Jiwon, before they finally began filing out.
"Hyunwoo, you coming?" Jiwon asked.
Hyunwoo gave a quick nod, wiping his face with a towel. "Yeah. Just need to stretch a little more."
The doors closed behind them, leaving the room in silence.
Hyunwoo dropped the towel, eyes sharp now. His hand tightened on his spear. The crimson-green aura shimmered faintly across his body, stronger and steadier than it had been a month ago.
Alright... let's see how far I've come.
He burst forward. His body blurred three times in rapid succession, the dashes clean, no stumble at the end. His aura held. The fatigue hit him after, but not nearly as harsh as before.
"Better," he muttered.
Extending a hand, he called his spear up. The weapon lifted smoothly, hovering in the air, its spin precise like an extension of his will. The strain was there, but faint—he could feel the control settling into him like a second instinct.
Then came the test. Crimson aura surged down his arm, wrapping the spear like living flame. With a sharp breath, he hurled it forward.
The weapon screamed through the air, colliding with a practice dummy. The upper torso shattered, scattering debris across the floor. The recoil forced Hyunwoo back a step, aura flickering out around him.
He stood there, chest heaving, sweat rolling down his jaw.
a month ... and already this much. If I keep this up...
He glanced at his palm, the crimson glow still faint under his skin. For a moment, his smirk faltered.
But this power... it isn't mine. Not really. It came from him.
The dream returned in fragments—the original Hyunwoo's hand on his chest, the strange warmth, the red aura sinking into him.
He was just a kid. No combat, no training, no semblance... so how? How could he give me something like this?
He closed his hand into a fist.
And if he didn't die the way I thought he did... then what really happened to him?
The thought lingered, heavy and cold. Hyunwoo exhaled slowly, forcing it down.
For now, I'll keep this to myself. Not even NOVA should know. Until I understand what this power really is...
The silence of the empty hall swallowed his words, leaving only the faint glow of crimson light on his skin.
___
The training hall was empty now, silent except for Hyunwoo's steady breaths. He'd just finished another round of aura control, sweat clinging to his skin. His spear leaned against the wall, the faint glimmer of crimson-green aura fading from his hands.
The door creaked open.
Hyunwoo turned, expecting maybe Jaemin or Jiwon coming back for something. But instead, Ruby stood there in the doorway. Her usual brightness wasn't there — no eager smile, no childish energy. Just a girl who looked... small.
"...Ruby?" Hyunwoo asked, his tone soft.
She hesitated, eyes shifting like she wasn't sure she should even be here. Then she closed the door behind her, her hands twisting nervously in the hem of her cape.
"H-hey, Hyunwoo... can we talk?"
Hyunwoo wiped his face with a towel, watching her carefully. She looked fragile, like one wrong word might shatter her. "...Sure. What's up?"
Ruby stepped closer, her boots echoing faintly against the floor. She tried to smile, but it faltered. Her lips trembled before the mask broke, and her eyes began to glisten.
"It's... Blake," she whispered, her voice breaking on the name.
Hyunwoo's brows furrowed. "...What about her?"
"She's gone, since 2 days ago" Ruby said, hugging herself tightly as if to keep herself from falling apart. "She disappeared after everyone found out she's a Faunus... and that she was once part of the White Fang."
Her voice cracked, shaking with guilt. "And me... as her leader, I didn't even notice. I didn't see how much she was struggling. I didn't hear what she wasn't saying. I didn't stop her from walking away. Some leader I am..."
The words spilled out faster, heavier, each one laced with self-loathing. She buried her face in her hands, her shoulders trembling.
"I thought I could do it, you know? Be like the heroes in the stories... lead a team, protect my friends... but every time something happens, I just... freeze. Or I say the wrong thing. Or... I don't notice until it's too late."
Hyunwoo stayed quiet, watching her. Ruby's voice wavered again.
"Blake trusted us. Trusted me. And she still felt like she had to run. That's my fault. I failed her. I failed everyone."
Her knees buckled slightly, like the weight of her guilt was pressing down too hard. Hyunwoo caught her by the shoulder before she sank any lower.
"Ruby," he said firmly, grounding her with just her name.
Her red eyes lifted to meet his.
"Do you really think she left because of you?"
Ruby's lip trembled. "I—"
"She left because she's carrying scars you can't see. Because she's afraid. Because she thought running was easier than leaning on someone else." His voice softened. "That's not your fault. And you thinking it is won't bring her back."
Ruby's tears spilled over now, but she stayed quiet, listening.
"You're young, Ruby. Younger than most who even get to be leaders. You'll make mistakes. You'll miss things. But the fact you're standing here crying over your teammate? That means you care. That's already more than most so-called leaders I've met."
Ruby shook her head, wiping at her eyes. "But caring doesn't change the fact that she's gone..."
"No. It doesn't." Hyunwoo's gaze hardened, but not unkindly. "But it changes what you do next. You can keep drowning in guilt, or you can get stronger. For her. For your team. For yourself."
Ruby stared at him, breathing shaky, his words cutting through her spiral.
"...What if I'm not strong enough?" she whispered.
Hyunwoo gave the faintest hint of a smile. "Then you keep moving until you are. That's what it means to lead."
For a moment, the silence between them was heavy, but not crushing. Ruby wiped her face again, sniffling, her hands trembling less than before. She didn't feel fixed — but she wasn't breaking apart anymore either.
Hyunwoo leaned back against the wall, folding his arms. "You don't have to carry this alone, Ruby. Let the others stand beside you. That's what a team is for."
Her lips trembled again, but this time, she managed a small, fragile smile. "...Thanks, Hyunwoo."
Ruby sniffled, her red eyes still wet, but she was listening closely now.
Hyunwoo studied her for a moment before speaking again, his tone quieter, more thoughtful.
"...I don't think Blake just ran away."
Ruby blinked. "...What do you mean?"
"You said it yourself — she was a Faunus, and part of the White Fang once. If I had to guess... maybe she went to see for herself. To figure out if what people are saying about them is true. If they've really become what the news paints them as."
Ruby's breath caught. The thought made too much sense. "You... you think she's looking for answers?"
Hyunwoo gave a small nod. "She doesn't strike me as the type to abandon her team for nothing. If she left, it's because she needed to see something with her own eyes."
Ruby clutched her cloak tighter. "...That sounds like Blake."
Hyunwoo leaned slightly forward. "If you're serious about finding her, you don't have to do it blindly. You can ask Jiwon for help. His Echo Sense... it's sharp. If anyone can track faint traces — sound patterns, hidden movements — it's him. He could make your search faster."
Ruby's eyes widened slightly, hope flickering behind the tears. "...That could work."
She straightened, determination starting to replace her despair. "The others and I... we were already planning to go look for her this afternoon. If Jiwon joins us, maybe we'll actually catch up to her."
Hyunwoo gave her a small, approving nod. "Then do it. And Ruby..." his voice firmed, grounding her again, "...good luck."
Ruby let out a shaky exhale, then smiled — fragile, but genuine this time. "...Thanks, Hyunwoo."
Hyunwoo tilted his head toward the training floor, a faint grin tugging at his lips. "So... want to join sparring before you head out? Might help clear your head."
Ruby blinked, then gave a soft laugh through her sniffles. "You never stop, do you?"
"Not really," Hyunwoo said simply. "And neither should you."