"In this world, strength is not a gift… it is the price one pays to stay alive."
"Kara is the life energy that flows through all things. Some shape it to create, others to destroy… but all depend on it to survive."
"When the breath of Kara fades, the heart stops beating, and the soul disappears into the eternal shadow."
Night in the forest of the port city of Congo.
The air was warm, vibrant, filled with the damp murmur of the jungle. The river's water slid gently against the rocks, steady, peaceful.
Kneeling by the current, a young woman let her fingers brush the cool surface. Her long golden hair cascaded over her shoulders.
"The water breathes with the world... If it is touched, everything is."
She closed her eyes. Her Kara, light as a breath, spread into the river, probing the liquid's density, its impurities, the traces left by the fauna. Nothing bad.
"Perfect."
But the calm shattered.
A sound. Tiny. A crack too controlled, too human.
Her eyelids snapped open, her blue eyes turning icy and attentive. She remained motionless, but the entire forest suddenly felt alien.
"I am no longer alone."
The silence grew heavy. Then something tore through the canopy.
Five figures dropped from above, fast, sharp, surrounded by a dark aura—a Black Kara so aggressive it seemed to bite the air. They landed in a circle, trapping her with military precision.
One of them, a man with a scarred face, stared at her with a foul glee.
— "We found you, little Zenith. Alone and defenseless."
She didn't answer. Her heart didn't even speed up.
"Them again… you never learn."
The leader raised his hand and barked:
— "Kill her!"
The five of them lunged at once, their blades hissing with Black Kara. The ground vibrated under their momentum.
Facing the deadly assault, she simply raised a hand, palm open.
???
— "Elemental Celestial Kara: Plant Barrier."
The ground answered her call. The earth broke. Dozens of thick vines shot out at once, animated by a vibrant Kara. In a split second, they coiled and wove around her, forming an impenetrable dome of vegetation, glowing with life.
KLANG! SHRIIK!
The blades struck the barrier, embedding themselves, powerless.
"You are too slow."
Before the Blood Burns could even realize their failure, the vines turned on them. They shot out like wrathful serpents, grabbing their arms, their legs, their torsos, lifting them off the ground and squeezing with merciless force.
— "Shit— agh!"
— "Wai—"
In three seconds, it was all over. The dome opened like a green corolla. She stepped out, impassive, not even out of breath.
"This was just a distraction."
But suddenly, the earth trembled. No: it roared.
A deep vibration traveled up her legs. The birds flew away screaming, the fauna fleeing in a raw panic.
"That… is not human."
A fissure tore through the clearing. A black energy erupted from it, heavy, crushing, as if the light itself was recoiling in fear. A massive, clawed hand emerged, followed by a massive torso covered in bone plates.
A Superior Kageyami. Far larger than any she had faced before.
It pulled itself completely out of the ground, crushing the earth under its colossal weight. Its cavernous breath made the vegetation around it vibrate. Its eyes, two glowing red embers, fixed directly on her.
She met its gaze without flinching.
"So it's you… the real threat. A Superior Kageyami."
The creature raised its head, sniffing the air as if to taste her presence. Then its voice, heavy as a collapsing tomb, tore through the atmosphere.
Superior Kageyami:
— "Emma Moji… of the pure Stellar Zenith. Your heart will stop here."
The very moment it spoke her name, something in her relaxed, almost amused. A slight smile graced her lips.
Emma Moji:
— "I'd like to see you try."
Emma's smile widened, but her eyes remained cold and focused. The Superior Kageyami let out a roar and raised one of its massive claws, ready to strike.
In response, Emma bent her knees slightly, her body tensing like a spring. She lowered her hand, palm facing the ground, and the Celestial Kara began to gather around her, making the vegetation vibrate. She was about to charge, then...
(Sudden Transition)
Hot Spring, in a corner of the forest.
Steam rose in lazy wisps, mingling with the cool late-afternoon air. The soothing sound of hot water lapping against the rock was the only noise in this small, isolated clearing.
A graceful silhouette rose slowly from the spring. Water beaded on her skin, her long black hair stuck to her back. Diana Kurogami stepped out of the bath, grabbing a towel from a rock to wrap around herself. She stood motionless for a moment, her gaze lost in the distance, pensive.
"It's already been two weeks since we separated..." she thought, a hint of melancholy in her heart. "I hope you're all doing well, my friends."
The image of her first meeting with Danky and Raizen came back to her: the tension, the rivalry, then the camaraderie that had formed. A slight smile appeared on her lips, and a soft blush colored her cheeks.
Suddenly, a sharp sound pulled her from her thoughts. A branch snapping in the trees overlooking the spring.
Instinctively, she dropped into a defensive stance, her gentle expression instantly hardening.
Diana:
— Emma, is that you?
No answer.
The silence settled, heavy, tense. Then, another sound. The distinct rustle of foliage, as if someone was hiding there.
Survival instinct took over. Diana didn't think. Her Kara exploded, cold and powerful. She thrust her hands forward, releasing a wave of icy energy.
— Elemental Kara: Frost Zone!
A wave of cold swept through the clearing. The hot spring froze with a hiss of steam, its surface turning into a thick layer of ice. The trees, the rocks, everything was instantly covered in a white, biting frost.
The silence returned, absolute.
Then, a voice echoed in the clearing. A voice she knew all too well. A voice she hated from the depths of her soul. It was only a voice, without a body, but it was there, clear and mocking.
Johan's Voice:
— I should have killed you with my own hands when I still could...
A cruel, disembodied laugh followed, seeming to come from all directions at once.
Diana:
— Johan...
Hate and fear overwhelmed her. She...
...jolted awake violently.
Her eyes flew open, her breath short and ragged. She was lying on a simple futon in a small wooden cabin. Through the open window, the first light of dawn painted the sky in soft shades of pink and orange. The morning birds had already begun their song, heralding a new day.
Diana remained motionless for a moment, disoriented, her heart pounding in her chest. She brought a hand to her forehead, which was covered in a cold sweat.
It was just a dream. A nightmare.
But as the warm morning light began to flood the small room, chasing away the shadows of the night, the icy fear left by the dream remained all too real.
The sun was now higher in the sky, its light filtering through the leaves of the trees and casting dancing patterns on the forest floor. Diana, having shaken off the last vestiges of her nightmare, had gotten dressed. She wore a simple but functional training outfit: loose pants and a sleeveless top that allowed for great freedom of movement.
She crossed the small clearing where a few wooden cabins stood, before arriving at a slightly larger building that resembled a traditional dojo. She took a deep breath, then slid the wooden door open.
Light flooded the room. Inside, the atmosphere was calm and studious. Four other apprentices, two girls and two boys who seemed to be about her age, were already sitting cross-legged on the polished wooden floor. In the center, standing, was their mentor, Emma Moji. Her long golden hair was tied in a ponytail, and her expression was serene but focused.
She raised her blue eyes to Diana as she entered.
Emma:
— You're late today. What happened?
Diana bowed respectfully, a hint of embarrassment on her face.
Diana:
— Sorry, I overslept a little. My apologies.
Emma's gaze softened, and she gave her a benevolent nod.
Emma:
— Come on in. We were about to start anyway.
Diana nodded and went to sit silently in her usual spot, next to the other apprentices. As she settled in, the other two girls gave her a friendly smile and a discreet little nod, a silent gesture of welcome.
On the other side, the two boys exchanged a few words in a low voice.
Yan: (whispering to his neighbor)
— Hey, Carless, did you see how beautiful Diana is today?
Carless: (without taking his eyes off Emma, his face serious)
— Yes, but stay focused. We're about to begin.
Yan: (straightening up immediately)
— Ah, right, sorry.
Once Diana was settled, Emma Moji began to speak, her calm voice filling the dojo.
Emma:
— Alright. Today, we are not going to fight. We are not going to seek to destroy. We are going to do the opposite. We are going to learn to give.
She gestured toward the large open door of the dojo, which led to a small inner courtyard. In the center of the courtyard was a desolate sight: an old tree, dead and withered. Its branches were bare and twisted, its bark gray and cracked.
Emma:
— Your exercise for today is simple. You will, in turn, try to bring this tree back to life.
A murmur went through the ranks of the apprentices. Yan, always quick to react, let out a nervous little laugh.
Yan:
— Bring a dead tree back to life? Master Emma, with all due respect, isn't that a bit... impossible?
Raley: (one of the twins, with a more direct personality)
— "Shut up and listen, Yan. If Master Emma is asking, there's a reason."
Adley: (her twin sister, gentler)
— "She's right. It must be a test of control."
Emma: (smiling at their exchange)
— "Raley is correct. Do not try to force it. The Celestial Kara is not an order you shout at nature. It is an invitation. You must offer your own energy and convince the tree to accept it. This is an exercise in control, generosity, and empathy. Yan, since you are so skeptical, you'll start."
Yan stood up, grimacing, but with a hint of defiance in his eyes. He approached the tree, placed his hands on the trunk, and closed his eyes. A powerful and visible blue aura enveloped him.
Yan: (muttering to himself)
— "Come on, come on, wake up, you old stick!"
But nothing happened. The tree remained dead, and after a moment, Yan stepped back, out of breath and his face red with frustration.
Carless: (in a neutral, analytical tone)
— "Too much force, not enough intention. You tried to drown it in energy."
Yan: (sitting back down, annoyed)
— "Shut up, Carless. Easier said than done."
Emma:
— "Carless is right. Your turn, now. Show us."
Carless approached, methodical. He placed a single hand on the bark, his expression focused. A much finer and more controlled energy flowed from his palm. A tiny green leaf appeared on a branch... before withering and falling, dry.
Adley:
— "Oh, you were so close!"
Carless: (sighing, but not discouraged)
— "I lacked consistency. The intention was there, but not the endurance."
It was the twins' turn. Raley, more impetuous, got a result similar to Yan's. Adley, gentler, managed to make a few drops of sap bead on the bark, but nothing more.
Emma:
— Diana. It's your turn.
Diana stood up in silence. The memory of her nightmare still lingered in her mind. She approached the dead tree, her gaze fixed on the lifeless wood.
She closed her eyes, ignoring the curious glances of her comrades. She didn't think about "giving" energy. She remembered Emma's lesson: *listen*.
She let her Kara flow, not like a wave, but like a fine mist. She tried to feel the tree's history. She felt the dryness, the disease that had consumed it, the slow surrender of life. A deep sadness washed over her, an empathy for this life that had been extinguished.
Instead of projecting her strength, she shared this feeling. Her Kara was no longer a tool, but a caress, a whisper that said, "I am here. I understand your pain."
Slowly, almost imperceptibly, something changed.
A small green bud appeared on a branch. Then another. And another. They didn't wither. They remained. A thin film of moss formed at the base of the trunk.
Yan: (whispering, stunned)
— "No... Look at that..."
Diana hadn't brought the tree back to life, but she had awakened it. She had rekindled the spark.
She opened her eyes, short of breath. The effort had been more mental than physical.
Emma Moji approached, a sincere and proud smile lighting up her face.
Emma:
— "Excellent, Diana. You've understood the essence of it. You didn't command. You connected."
She placed a gentle hand on Diana's shoulder, her gaze growing deeper.
Emma: (in a low voice, so only Diana could hear)
— "You have a lot of sadness in you today. But you managed to turn it into empathy. That is the true strength of a healer."
Diana felt her cheeks blush, touched by her mentor's insight.
Emma: (raising her voice to address everyone)
— "The lesson is over for today. Meditate on what you have seen. Power is useless if the heart is not just."
As the others got up to leave, Yan approached Diana, looking half-admiring, half-pouting.
Yan:
— "That was... not bad. How did you do it?"
Carless:
— "Stop bothering her, Yan."
Yan:
— "Hey, unlike her, we're not geniuses, okay... so let me know."
Diana: (with a small, shy smile)
— "I... I don't really know. I just... listened."
Emma held Diana back with a gesture as the others were leaving.
Emma:
— "Stay for a moment. We need to talk."
Emma's gaze was gentle, but it left no room for escape. She knew the time had come to address the shadows that haunted her student.
END OF CHAPTER 19
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