The Golden Globe capital shimmered under the midday sun.
Buildings of polished iron reflected light like mirrors—blinding, beautiful, alive. Pedestrians moved in steady streams: vendors calling out from open-front shops, children darting between legs, the low hum of daily life blending with laughter and the distant clang of blacksmith hammers.
Anna walked ahead in a red gown that caught the sun like fire, black slippers clicking on stone, black purse swinging lightly. Her eyes were bright, smile wide, energy bubbling.
Koya followed a step behind—white gown flowing around her, hair woven into two neat braids. Head bowed. Shoulders tense. Every step looked like she wanted the ground to open and swallow her.
"Still can't believe you talked me into this," Koya muttered, voice edged with annoyance.
Anna glanced back, unbothered. "You needed it. All you do is train. Try being a girl for once."
Koya's deadpan stare could've cut steel. "I am being a girl. A very annoyed one."
Anna laughed—bright, unapologetic—and grabbed Koya's hand. "No more talking. More fun."
She pulled her forward. Koya stumbled once, then let herself be dragged—store to store, testing perfumes that smelled like flowers and smoke, sampling snacks that left sugar on their fingers, laughing despite herself when Anna made faces at a vendor's terrible sales pitch.
Earlier that morning.
An alarm had blared across the academy—sharp, ear-tearing.
"Attention everyone… Tomorrow's Flow Bound has been postponed. The Golden Guardian and elders cannot attend due to an emergency. The tournament will resume the day after."
Koya had stared at the ceiling, already mentally mapping extra training hours.
Anna had other plans.
Back in the present.
"We should be training," Koya said again, dodging a cart of fruit. "Not… this."
Anna bumped her shoulder playfully. "Exactly. All work, no play. You're allowed to breathe, Koya."
Koya opened her mouth—then closed it. She looked at Anna's smile. The way her eyes lit up at every little thing. The way she never once treated Koya like she was less.
Koya sighed. "Fine. But if I fail tomorrow because of this…"
"You won't," Anna said simply. "You never do."
The Golden Tower.
A sealed chamber at the peak—dark except for one golden orb floating above a round table. The four elders sat around it. The Golden Guardian stood.
The orb pulsed softly, casting long shadows.
"Onwura's power grows weaker every day," the Iron Elder said, voice low and unsettled. "It's only a matter of time before we're fully exposed."
The Light Elder leaned forward. "Our scouts have been out for years. No useful information. Ekekiri is impenetrable. No weakness. If he attacks, we have nothing strong enough to throw at him."
Silence fell—heavy, suffocating.
The Guardian stepped closer. Touched the orb.
"We're not completely hopeless."
The orb split into five smaller lights. Images flickered inside each: warriors in armor, weapons gleaming.
"His four generals. Powerful? Yes. But what if we train our present and next generation to match them? Onwura's energy may fade, but we have a plan if it does. And our current children of the dawn need only a few more years to reach that level."
The Water Elder nodded slowly. "You're right. This generation is the strongest we've seen."
The Spirit Elder's voice was soft. "We cannot afford a single moment of lax training. And thankfully… she is part of them."
The Academy dorms.
Students lingered outside—talking, laughing, showing off small flows for fun. The sun was dipping lower, painting everything gold.
Inside Anna and Koya's room, Anna flopped onto her bed.
"Today was a whole lotta fun," she said, exhausted but glowing.
Koya sat on her own bed—quiet. Distant.
Anna noticed. Sat up.
"Koya… are you okay? You've been creepily silent. Are you still mad about the dress and braids? Sorry, I just wanted—"
Koya cut in—voice small.
"Why are you always so nice to me?"
Anna blinked.
"Everyone else treats me like some disease. Stay away. Don't get close. They…"
Tears slipped down Koya's cheeks—quiet, sudden.
Anna moved fast—sat beside her, pulled her close, let Koya's head rest on her shoulder.
"I'm not like the rest," Anna said gently. "Being flowless doesn't make you less human. Honestly? You're better than us. You work harder. Where others give up, you push through. You made it into the top fifty. Defeating flow users. In the Flow Bound you proved everyone wrong—Kelly, Julius. You need to learn how to treat yourself better."
Koya stayed quiet. Tears kept falling.
Anna just held her—steady, warm.
The Academy training room.
Spotless floor. Cleaning supplies stacked neatly by the entrance. Air fresh, cool, empty.
Ra'an walked in—hoodie up. Looked around. No one.
He moved to the center. Pulled the hoodie off. Looked up. Breathed deep. Stood still for a long moment.
Then he stomped.
Right foot. Swipe left.
Eyes glowed—bright yellow. A dozen magic circles flared around him.
He teleported.
Appeared on the first circle. Exhaled.
Teleported again—second, third, fourth—barely a second between each. It looked like he stood on all of them at once.
He landed on the last. Hands on knees. Breathing hard.
"Not fast enough!"
He stomped again. Circles reappeared.
He teleported—faster.
Again.
Again.
Back in the dorms
Anna got up.
"Okay Koya, enough with the pitty party, let's get our training on, tommorow is the flow bound after all".
Koya laughed calmly.
"Okay now you remember".
Anna gave a big smile.
The golden globe villa.
Huge white walls carved with ancient designs. Rooms lit by golden orbs embedded in stone.
Cal walked in—hesitant. Expression dull. Nervous.
His parents sat waiting—dressed in fine blue and white material. His mother rushed forward—big hug.
Cal froze. "What's going on?"
His father stood. Walked over.
"Aren't you mad I lost?" Cal asked.
His mother pulled back—smiling through tears.
"Quite the opposite. We're really proud. Yes, the loss wasn't ideal, but we saw how much you put in. That warmed our hearts more than any win."
His father placed a hand on his shoulder. "You've grown, son. More than we realized."
Cal stared—speechless. Words refused to form.
He hugged them both—tight, sudden.
The golden tower.
The Golden Guardian stood alone at the peak—looking down over the city.
"Tomorrow's round will be a total game changer," she murmured. "I just know it."
To be continued...