The First Steps
One month passed, and it was finally time for Kael to start his physical therapy.
He looked around the room at his parents and Sara. Taking a deep breath, Kael gave them a small smile. He moved his injured leg out of bed and planted his foot firmly on the cold floor.
He held his parents' hands tightly to keep his balance. Sara stood close by, holding his crutches tightly because she was nervous for him.
Kael looked down at his feet and closed his eyes. Tears started to run down his face. I did not even feel pain when I first got hurt, Kael thought to himself. But this is much harder.
Inside his mind, Vajr's deep voice spoke to him:
"That is because your loved ones are standing right next to you to help you."
Kael opened his eyes, looked at his family, and nodded quietly to himself. I think you are right.
He took a shaky step forward and began to walk on his own.
The doctor watched him and nodded happily. He told Kael's parents, "His recovery is amazing. He has great balance. This is wonderful progress."
Sara could not hide her emotions anymore. She walked over, gently held Kael's face in her hands, and looked at him with tears in her eyes. Kael then reached out and squeezed his mother Elara's hand.
"Mom, I am okay now. Really," Kael promised.
Elara wiped her tears away and smiled proudly. "Yes, you are."
Renjiro's Acts Tough
Renjiro walked quietly into the room and sat in a chair next to Kael's bed. He tried to act tough and crossed his arms. "Now that you can walk again, you better not miss any more school."
Kael looked closely at him and noticed that Renjiro's eyes were red and watery. It was clear he had been crying, even though he tried to hide it.
Kael smiled gently. "Ren... you are really bad at acting like a cold, tough guy."
Surprised, Renjiro touched his own cheek. Just then, the doctor handed him a small mirror. Renjiro looked at himself and saw his red, tired eyes.
Renjiro smiled sadly as fresh tears fell down his face. "I did not even notice," he said softly. "The tears just keep coming out on their own."
Sara placed a comforting hand on Renjiro's shoulder. "It happens," she said gently. "When you have to stay strong while being away from the people you love, all the feelings come out at once when you finally feel safe."
Renjiro looked down sadly. "My parents are so far away from me right now."
"Then that is exactly why you are crying," Sara replied with a warm nod.
The room was quiet and sad for a moment, until Adrian clapped his hands together with a big smile. "Alright, no more sad talks! Let's eat together before the food gets cold."
A Strange Feeling
They all went to the dining hall and sat around the table to eat lunch.
During the meal, Renjiro looked up and said, "Next week, when things are calm, Kael, Sara, and I are going somewhere."
Elara looked up from her plate and smiled carefully. "Ren, you can go wherever you want—but only when Kael is completely healed."
Renjiro nodded, finished his lunch, said goodbye, and drove home.
Back in the dining hall, Kael stayed in his chair. He pressed his hand hard against his chest, frowning in pain.
Sara noticed and moved closer to him. "Does your injury hurt?"
Kael looked up at her, looking stressed. "No. It is something else."
Sara looked at him with sympathy. "It is because you saw Renjiro cry. It made you feel sad."
Kael just made a soft sound in agreement, but he knew the feeling was much deeper than that. He stood up, went to his room, and shut the door.
The Echo of the Spirits
Alone in his quiet room, Kael focused his mind. He looked at his hands and spoke out loud. "All the spirits... you can come out."
With a flash of bright light, the spirits appeared in the room. Drakes, Vajr, Azune, Nyx, and Xiyan were now standing outside of his body.
Kael looked at them, still holding his chest. "Why do I feel like this? What is wrong with me?"
Azune stepped forward, looking very sad. "Nothing bad is happening to you, Kael. It is happening to me... and you are just feeling my pain."
Kael pressed his hand tighter against his chest. "Yes... you are right. The feeling is coming from you."
Azune looked down, and her spirit body blinked softly. "I feel a deep ache... like I am about to lose someone very important to me."
Xiyan looked at her with understanding. "Really? Then I think it is just like Renjiro's situation." Xiyan spoke softly and sadly. "You are far away from your parents, aren't you?"
Looking at Xiyan, Kael remembered the night he first showed this special spirit to Sara.
Flashback: The Powerful Spirit
That night, Sara's words had shocked Kael.
Before he could speak, Sara had whispered quietly, "Kael, that is a holy soul. It is the most powerful kind of spirit in the world. Almost everyone has forgotten them, but a few gods still remember."
Kael let out a slow breath, trying to understand how massive this was. "Oh..." was all he could say.
Their quiet conversation ended when they heard footsteps. Elara and Adrian walked into the room and smiled gently at the two teenagers.
"Alright, you two," Elara said kindly. "It is late. Go to sleep."
Kael picked up his crutches and stood up. His leg hurt a little, but he was mostly just very tired. He walked slowly down the hallway to his bedroom.
Before opening his door, he looked back. He saw Sara walk into the guest room next to his. She gave him a quick look before closing her door, leaving Kael alone in the dim hallway.
Later that night, someone knocked softly on Kael's door. It was Sara.
"I am sorry to bother you," Sara said quietly, "but I want to know more about that spirit."
Kael stepped aside to let her in.
Once inside, she asked, "Can you call him out?"
"Holy Soul, come out," Kael commanded softly.
A bright white light filled the room. It formed into a teenage boy. He had a glowing golden circle above his head, bright golden eyes, and long white hair. He wore beautiful, clean white clothes and looked very royal.
Kael looked at him. "Hey, what is your name?"
The boy answered smoothly, "Xianyu Celestalis."
Sara stepped closer and looked at him carefully. "You hold a legendary power called Redemption. I know what you are, so do not try to trick me."
Xiyan sighed and ran a hand through his white hair. "Yeah, you caught me. But Kael cannot truly use this power."
Kael smiled slightly. "Replica," he said.
Instantly, a glowing white sword appeared in Kael's hand. Seeing the legendary sword, Xiyan froze in absolute shock.
Kael's smile grew bigger. "Basically, I am already using that power."
From the dark corner of the room, Drakes stepped forward. His face was hidden under a hood, and he laughed softly. "He can pick up these legendary swords like he is just grabbing a water bottle, kid."
Shocked, Xiyan watched as the rest of the spirits appeared one by one to introduce themselves to Sara. After talking for a few minutes, Sara said goodnight and left the room, finally letting Kael get some rest.