ACE OF FATE

Chapter 13: Troubles

Chapter 13: Troubles

"Will you help save an innocent girl?"

"An innocent girl?" Felix repeated, confusion evident in his voice.

"Do you remember what I said about the heart being the most beautiful?" she asked.

"Yes?"

"That is not the full reality," her voice taking on a somber tone.

"You see... beauty cannot always exist in harmony with love. The same is true for a beautiful heart; no matter how kind or loving it may be, it is always at risk of causing itself harm."

"How?"

"A heart that is righteous, kind, loving, and innocent can be easily ensnared by the chains of hate and darkness, for it remains unaware of the shadows that dwell within a cruel world."

"The same goes for the little girl I am asking you to save," she continued.

"Her heart is trapped in chains that make her suffer every day, every second. She acts like everything is fine, but in truth, it's not."

"But can't you help her? You are wiser than I," he asked.

"No, it's not possible by my hands. The only one who can reach and break those chains is a person in similar shoes and a person that is walking beside her," she paused, her voice dropping to a whisper.

"That person is you."

"Me?"

"Yes."

"You are the only one who can make her smile again. When she smiles, a huge weight would be lifted from my soul."

"I see... Then please tell me who she is and where I can find her!" he pleaded.

Suddenly, a loud voice shattered the vision.

"SENSEI!"

"SENSEEIIIII!"

"Yes, yes, I am here," Felix said, blinking rapidly as he tried to shake off the lingering tendrils of his vision.

"Are you really dozing off in the middle of training?" Kai's disappointment was palpable as he crossed his arms defiantly.

"Sorry! Where was I?" Felix replied sheepishly.

"You were talking about my negative Zor energy," Kai reminded him with a sigh.

"Oh, right!" Felix said, rubbing his temples as he tried to gather his thoughts.

"I was saying that those Kaals had a lot of negative Zor energy, and their powers were different."@@@@

"Could you explain that better?" Kai asked, tilting his head in curiosity.

"Okay, let me explain it more clearly," Felix responded.

"Negative Zor energy is essentially like regular Zor energy; everyone has a certain amount of it."

"Aha," Kai nodded thoughtfully.

"But from what I've seen," Felix continued, "the two types of energy users exhibit different abilities. When we encountered the Kaals, they literally froze me with some unknown invisible pressure."

"I don't remember being frozen like a statue," Kai said, holding his index finger to his chin.

"Because the pressure was so immense that you lost consciousness."

"Really? I don't remember anything." Kai frowned in confusion.

"So, as I was saying, the abilities are different. Normal Zor energy users can't freeze someone just by gazing at them."

"How do you know that someone becomes a living statue from a negative Zor user's gaze?" Kai questioned.

"I'm not completely sure, but it seems to be related to either looking at them or focusing on them."

"It has to be by focusing," Kai asserted confidently.

"If you just looked at someone," he continued enthusiastically, "you'd only be able to immobilize one or two people because we only have two eyes. But if we focus mentally..." Felix's eyes lit up with realization.

"A negative Zor user could immobilize more people at once!" Kai concluded triumphantly.

"Wow, Kai, I never knew you were that smart," Felix complimented him, patting his head.

"Hey! Who do you think I am? May I remind you that I'm not a kid!" Kai puffed out his chest with pride.

"So if you're correct," Felix mused aloud, "I think you might be able to do it too."

"No... No... No... No..." The mantra fell from his lips, each repetition more broken than the last. Felix rocked back and forth, his entire body a living manifestation of his inner torment.

Kai stood frozen, his heart breaking at the sight of his strong, composed sensei reduced to this shattered state.

"What's wrong?" Kai asked, concern etched deeply into his features as he took a cautious steps towards Felix.

"Hey, it's okay if you tell me; I can help you," said Kai softly, trying to bridge the gap between them with gentle words.

"No... No... No... No..."

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry," he repeated, his words muffled against his knees.

Kai knelt beside him, careful not to touch. "You have nothing to be sorry for, sensei. Whatever happened, it wasn't your fault."

Felix looked up, his face streaked with tears.

"But it was, Kai. It was all my fault. And I can never make it right."

"We can try," Kai whispered, his voice cracking. "Together, we can try to make it right."

Felix's next words were barely audible, filled with a lifetime of regret and pain. "Some things can never be made right, Kai. Some wounds never heal."

Kai tried to put his hand on Felix's shoulder.

"Don't touch me! You don't understand... you can't understand."

"Then help me understand," Kai pleaded, tears welling in his own eyes.

"I can't bear to see you like this."

"I can't, I can't," Felix whispered.

"I need to do something," Kai thought.

Kai extended his left hand outward with his arm straight to mimic the Kaals' ability.

"I can do this," Kai tried to focus negative Zor energy slowly. Helping Felix was the only thing on his mind.

Suddenly, Kai felt like he released an invisible force at Felix.

[THUD]

"Sensei!" Kai screamed as Felix fell unconscious on the floor.

"Where am I?" Felix whispered as he opened his eyes to find himself in a dark place.

"I see you've been getting comfortable with these people. Are you forgetting who you are?" A malicious voice echoed through the shadows.

"N-No, not that voice again," Felix stammered, trembling at the sound of it.

"Why are you scared?" A man appeared behind him, sitting in a high-backed, ornately carved chair that exuded an air of authority and sophistication.

Felix turned his head to the voice, and as he did, the space around him changed. Now he found himself in a luxurious room adorned with rich burgundy drapes that cascaded from tall windows, filtering the dim light of dusk.

Intricate wallpaper depicting swirling patterns and scenes of opulence told stories of a bygone era.

While the flickering light of a grand chandelier illuminated the plush velvet furnishings scattered throughout. The scent of polished wood and aged leather filled the air, enhancing the atmosphere of both elegance and foreboding.

In this lavish yet oppressive setting, the man's presence loomed larger than life, his high-backed chair a throne of intimidation amid the opulent decor.

"Its... you... Viktor!" Felix said with a trembling voice, looking at the man with silver hair styled in a side part.

"Addressing your uncle by his name is not considered proper etiquette," Viktor replied with a smirk.

His eyes were red, narrow, and slightly slanted—similar to Felix's—confirming that he was indeed his uncle. He wore a black shirt with white buttons and blue pants, complemented by Oxford shoes. His muscular build highlighted his visibly toned physique.

"Y-Yes, Uncle V-Viktor," Felix said hesitantly.

"That's more like it," he smirked at him.

"What is this?" Felix thought, terrified.

"D-Did I come back in time?"

"Felix!" Viktor's voice cut through his thoughts like a knife.

"Why are you lost in thought? I said, show me what you learned!"

"Y-Yes, Uncle," Felix replied, swallowing hard.

"Here, take this," Viktor said as he tossed a dagger to the floor beside him with a casual flick of his wrist. The chandelier above cast a shimmering glow, illuminating the intricate patterns etched into the steel.

"I want you to attack me as if you're going to kill me," Viktor commanded.

"Kill him?" Felix thought as he bent to pick up the dagger.

Felix clenched the dagger tightly and fixed his gaze on Viktor. In an instant, Felix dematerialized, reappearing to Viktor's left with the dagger poised to strike at his neck.

"ACK!" Felix gasped as Viktor's hand gripped him mid-air, effortlessly halting his advance.

"Too slow," Viktor remarked coolly, shifting his gaze toward Felix with an unsettling calmness.

With ruthless force, Viktor hurled Felix back to where he had been standing.

[THUD]

"Shameful," Viktor whispered, disappointment lacing his words.

"Have you learned your Shakti?" he asked, his tone now serious.

"No, not yet," Felix replied as he picked himself up from the floor. He felt a familiar ache but didn't complain, as if he were used to it.

"No worries," Viktor said dismissively.

"Atleast let me see how your negating power is coming along." He extended his arm and gathered Zor energy at the tip of his finger—a red light crackling with potential.

"No!" Felix shouted instinctively. "I won't use that power ever."

"What did you say, boy?"

"You should use it with honor, as it is the only gift she gave you."

Without hesitation, Viktor extended his arm toward Felix. "If you want to live, you must negate this attack."

[WHOOSH]

A thin beam of highly concentrated Zor energy shot toward Felix, slicing through the air with deadly precision.