PSsss…Psh…PSHHHHHH

A crackling life gate burst open in the air above the floor of the sanctuary. The portal spat out Kaizen and Alex, and their bodies crashed into the floor. 

“Agh! Ok, never doing that again,” Kaizen said as he peeled himself off the floor.

“Emergency life gates aren’t ever fun,” Alex agreed as he stumbled up clutching his shoulder.

“Why are you two complaining about a little tumble?” 

Kaizen turned around to face none other than the blonde haired boy from the school. He had his usual overconfident grin and was sitting on a comically large pile of potato sacks in the center of the room.

“Hey! La right?” Kaizen asked as he walked over to the pile.

The boy smiled and did a somersault off the pile and did a superhero landing in front of him.

“That’s right. Glad you haven’t forgotten me and my awesomeness!” La chuckled as he popped up.

“Right…”

Kaizen tilted his head around as if he were looking for something. 

“Looking for me?”

He jumped as he looked to his side to see La’s sister next to him. He saw her slight smile and remembered when he first met her at school. His face became slightly reddened.

“Mina, I never got to thank you for saving me back at the academy,” Kaizen stated, averting his gaze. Mina seemed surprised for a second, but then she smiled in acceptance.

“Hey! I helped too you kn-,”

Tug!

“Ow Ow OW!” 

Kaizen looked up to see Mina pulling her brother’s ear as he yelped, her face far more serious than it was initially.

“Could you not interrupt my praise from Kaizen?” 

“Ok Ok! I get it!” 

Mina released La and he rubbed his ear while frowning slightly.

“Why am I getting hurt because of him?” La mumbled.

“HA! You two at it as always!” Alex commented as he walked over to the group.

“Ah the Eru himself! How you been Alex?” La asked, folding his arms and grinning again.

“Well, nearly got caught by an SHF agent today. Thankfully, he managed to bail us out,” Alex commented, pointing his thumb to Kaizen.

“Wait, I wouldn't really say -” Kaizen began but was cut off by an excited La.

“REALLY!”

La put him in a headlock and ruffled his hair.

“I knew it! Arch never picks wrong! A natural born fighter, this one!”

“T-That hurts…” Kaizen said, trying to struggle out of the headlock. La released him and grinned at him like a proud parent.

“Well the kid must be tired after that whole ordeal, you guys should take him back to the estate with the others,” Alex suggested while yawning. Kaizen’s blood was still rushing from all of the tension earlier, but he could feel his mind and body begging for a break.

“I agree with Alex. I can take him back,” Mina offered. “That’s good with you Kai?”

“Kaizen actually.”

“Sorry?” Mina asked, confused.

“The boy…I mean…My friend, Archamed. He told me that I would go by Kaizen from now on.” Kaizen walked up to Mina and tilted his head slightly with a smile.

“If I do… I can be with the Saints right?”

Mina blushed slightly and turned her head away from him. La smiled from behind.

“Of course,” Mina responded. She looked back at him with a gentle face, “Your home now after all.”

__________________________________________________________

SSSHHHSS….

Kaizen sighed as he stepped through the portal.

“Ok, what crazy place are we going to this…”

Fwooosh!

The wind blew a stream of leaves past Kai’s face as he gazed upon the place in front of him.

It was massive.

A beautiful estate stood before him, boasting its presence. Despite being a luxury island, no building in all of PinkShell looked as beautiful as what he gazed upon. Large white marble pillars erected around the premises with steel bars joined between them curved in beautiful designs. The main building was a blinding white color with blue and gold accents hailing it all around. From the outside alone he could identify at least eight rooms and some sort of lookout tower on an upper floor. The gardens between the gates and the building were filled with an array of flowers of varying types and colors. There were fountains, statues, a gazebo and everything you would need for a prestigious outdoors.

“Do…Do you people live here?” Kaizen asked, unable to close his jaw.

“Hmm? Oh. Well kinda,” La answered. 

“This is Myra’s parents’ place. We’re just crashing here for the meantime since they don’t need it.”

“Crashing! Why would anyone ever leave this place? And how rich are these people!?” Kaizen thoughts didn’t stop racing even when they entered the main building and stood in the luxurious living room.

The three proceeded through the massive welcome area. The furniture and ornaments were all expensive as you’d expect, but Kaizen noticed even the tiles and wall material were high end. In the following hallway, there were several beautiful, priceless paintings, vases and trinkets displayed in glass boxes. The largest painting hung over a massive archway. It portrayed a middle-aged man with white hair who fashioned a firm look as he gazed away from the eyes that would view him. He appeared very distinguished and Kaizen wondered if he was Myra’s father.

“Kaizen,”

Kaizen looked away from the painting down one of the several archways in the hallway and saw Mina waving at him next to La in a bright golden elevator.

The three descended in the elevator, and Kaizen could finally feel the fatigue catching up with him. He leaned back onto the elevator wall as he closed his eyes. He felt something small and soft interlock his fingers. He opened his eyes slightly and looked down to see Mina’s hand resting in his. He looked across at her but she was looking away from him. He couldn’t find any reason to complain, and his eyes returned to being closed. He only hoped he could be like this a while longer.

Ding!

Shoot.

The elevator door opened, and the three exited onto an underground floor. In front of them lay a large open area with a gigantic glass panel overlooking somewhere below. Attached to the glass was a large red panel with hundreds of buttons, sliders, and keys. The panel wrapped around the entire perimeter of the room and several monitors were embedded in its frame. Kaizen followed the two as they walked up to the panel and looked into the space. Below was a large room filled with…nothing. 

The enormous room below them was covered from top to bottom in white panels for the tiles, walls and roof, and nothing else. Then, Kaizen noticed something way down below in the center of the floor of the room. Someone was sitting on the floor with their legs lapped and their hands on their knees.

“Is that…” 

“Sheesh. Arch’s been in there for a while now,” La remarked.

“What is he doing?” Kaizen inquired.

“You have The Beholders right? Take a look.”

Kaizen paused for a moment not seeing the point. Then he blinked twice to take a look. Below them, he could see a something covering Archamed’s body. It was golden, silky and absolutely beautiful.

“Aura…” Kaizen stated absent-mindedly, unable to look away. The energy flowed around him eloquently and while significantly less than Crimson’s, it seemed so tangible. Kaizen finally managed to look away and turned to La.

“What is…Aura?” 

La looked at him with a slight frown.

“He didn’t tell you? I guess that’s why he called me in.”

Mina sighed.

“Please go easy on him.”

Kaizen raised an eyebrow.

“What are you guys talking about?”

La grinned.

“You’re training ,of course!”

Kaizen’s eyes widened.

“Training? What kind of training?”

La held up his palm.

“Not right now. I can already tell you’re an overachiever, like a certain someone, so no more info until you rest up,” La replied. A mischievous grin crept across his face. Kaizen felt the pressure from his crystal blue eyes pierce at him.

“And trust me, you’re going to need it.”