Time Holders: The World of Balance

”Uh, no. What if I get crippled?” Aldrus crossed his arms with a grimace.

”What are you saying?! T-That won’t happen!” Sornel exclaimed.

”But, you know, we’re in the middle of a test. If something goes wrong, I won’t be able to keep up.”

”I’ll take full responsability.”

Aldrus flinched.

”Y-You’re really serious about this, huh...”

”I am. I’m really curious, Aldrus. Come on, trust me just this once.”

Sigh.

”Alright. Tell me what to do.”

Sornel lit up in anticipation.

”Great! First—”

***

”N-No way...” A red-haired boy stood in astonishment, staring at the figure before him.

”Aldrus, this is...”

Aldrus turned toward him and slowly opened his eyes. Then, a cheeky grin spread across his face.

So, this is my strength.

”Sornel... go wake the others. I have a plan.”

***

The next day—outside the safe zone.

Aldrus ran through the damp vegetation of the forest, branches and leaves scraped against his skin. His breathing was uneven, and his steps occasionally faltered.

The previous night, his team had agreed on a defensive approach for today. However, after his brief experiment with Sornel, Aldrus had discovered something incredible, and it changed the situation entirely.

That was enough for him to come up with a crazy idea, and to his surprise, the others seemed eager to try it.

Crap... I wished they didn’t trust me so easily.

Dashing through the mud, he spotted a narrow space beneath a cluster of rocks and a fallen log. Then, he quickly hurried over and squeezed himself inside.

If I’d known the weather would be this bad, I would’ve kept my mouth shut, damn it...

Holding his breath, he focused on his hearing and soon caught a pair of familiar voices.

”That bastard... He got away!”

”Don’t leave the area just yet. He has to be around here somewhere. Don’t let him escape!”

They’re really taking this seriously, huh.

Aldrus held his position for a few minutes until the voices gradually faded into the distance.

Now!

He [Froze] the sound of his footsteps and rushed north.

The rain poured down harder, and the wind whistled through his soaked clothes, but he refused to slow down. Scanning his surroundings, he soon noticed a familiar sight through his drenched bangs.

Ahead of him stretched a path leading to a clearing deep within the forest. Unlike the surrounding woods, the trail had clearly been dug out, and the feeble attempt to conceal it only confirmed his suspicions.

There.

He shook the water from his hair and resumed his sprint. The sudden burst of speed sent icy wind rushing across his face.

He was getting close enough now. Close enough to almost make out what lay beyond the endless sea of trees. But just as he reached the edge of the forest, he came to an abrupt stop, momentum carrying him across wet leaves, mud, and dirt.

Sigh.

”Well, well. Sorry, Aldrus. It seems you’re getting captured.”

One of his classmates suddenly appeared in front of him, blocking the path.

”Hahh... Um, hey,” Aldrus muttered, less than pleased.

”Oh, that’s right. We’ve never talked before. I’m Cedric. Nice to meet you.”

The blond boy studied him with amusement for a moment before glancing away.

”Well, you know. You should probably turn around and head back unless you want a fight... and stuff.”

You don’t sound entirely convinced yourself, though.

Aldrus remained silent for a moment before replying,

”I’m sorry, but you know I can’t do that.”

He took a deep breath and added,

”Just try not to punch me too hard, okay?”

”Pff. Yeah, well, of course. No hard feelings, right?”

”Right...”

Both smiled in anticipation.

Then they clashed in a blur.

This was the first proper fight Aldrus had ever been in. Needless to say, he wasn’t confident of victory, but winning had never been the point to begin with.

Dodging the first punch, Aldrus spun and closed the distance between them in a single step. He recalled the basic hand-to-hand techniques Miss Leona had taught them.

He was a complete disaster, of course. No one could expect to become a decent fighter in just a week. However, a disaster with powers was an entirely different matter.

He immediately threw a punch at Cedric, but the blond boy simply tilted his head and avoided it. Then, he lowered his center of gravity and launched a kick at Aldrus’s solar plexus with incredible speed.

Aldrus quickly raised his forearms and blocked the attack, but the impact still sent him flying backward several meters before his back slammed against the trunk of a large tree.

Ugh, w-what the hell... Holders really are superhuman.

He already knew this, but being overwhelmed by a second-rank Holder and fighting a peer on equal footing were two very different things. He was starting to regret underestimating his classmates.

Without giving him a moment to recover, Cedric immediately closed the distance and launched another kick, this time aimed at his calves—but Aldrus was prepared.

He quickly jumped, avoiding the sweep, and landed in a clinch. Then, he wrapped his arms around Cedric’s legs and drove him into the ground.

”Agh!”

Cedric grunted as he crashed onto the mud.

Aldrus was now on top of him. His right arm shot back, ready to punch Cedric in the face.

Using the little [Motion] control he could muster, he accelerated his fist enough for a clean knockout.

Got you!

However...

His sight shifted.

Instead of towering over Cedric, Aldrus found himself pressed against the jagged trunk of a tree, his aching forearms raised in front of his face.

T-This sensation!

Having experienced it before, he recognized it immediately.

It wasn’t that he hadn’t known Cedric could use it; he simply hadn’t expected him to, since [Motion] control was taxing on the user’s mental stamina, and using it recklessly during a prolonged exercise was far from ideal.

He had miscalculated. The enemy team was willing to take a loss if it meant securing an advantage.

Shit! He’s—

In that instant, Aldrus felt a chill running down his spine and turned around as quickly as he could.

”[Visione], huh? That’s great, Aldrus. But I’m sorry... you’re too late.”

Cedric’s fist slammed into his stomach with inhuman force.

G-Gaahhgh!

A shockwave tore through Aldrus’s body. Every bone and muscle felt as though he’d been hit by a truck. Stunned, he coughed hoarsely before swiftly collapsing to his knees.

”Shit, you’re pretty good, Aldrus! Your [Motion] may suck, but you sure didn’t waste Miss Leona’s lessons.”

Cedric spoke casually as he approached his defeated classmate,

”Unfortunately... you’re still inexperienced. You know, I had my doubts at first, but now I’m sure. You’re not from the upper class, are you? Most Holders our age have a decent grasp of their abilities, but you seem strangely awkward with yours.”

Aldrus didn’t answer.

He remained on his knees, silent.

Between the rain and his lowered head, Cedric couldn’t make out his expression.

”Well, I’m tying you up now, okay? Don’t try anything funny.”

Step.

Step.

Step.

Cedric slowly walked over to him, the sound of his steps swallowed by the wind.

He was now in front of him. Close to him.

Close enough.

In the middle of a heavy storm, atop the green; below the gray—a cheeky smile formed on the lips of a drenched boy kneeling on the mud.