《Tales of Cloudhaven》


 Chapter One: Seven

    The sun starts to wake up, sending a dim light in a world still covered in shadows. Such early hours and there''s already dozens of people jumping,climbing and swinging around, their red cloths wave through the wind, a common sight since a Flarer is always ready to help


    Meanwhile,far away from the bustling of the main routes inside and between the districts of Cloudhaven,the silence of a inhabited and dangerous zone is broken by the sobs of a kid and the laughter of a young girl


    "Haha,next time you try something like that," says Seven,laughing while she hangs from a balcony while holding a sobbing child "You tell me or one of the adults, capiche?" the boy nods between sobs,his arms trembling as he tightens the grip on Seven''s arm


    he threatens to look down,but Seven speaks before it could happen "Hey, Tiro, why arent you looking at me? Am i that ugly?" the boy smiles weakly,but as he sees rocks and pebbles falling and never Hearing the landing,he reminds his situation,the weak smile wavers and his eyes shut closed,too exhausted and tired to cry


    "I know you only have eyes for Firn,Tiro,and i apreciate your loyalty,but am i Not worthy of a chance?" she teases more and smiles to him


    As she feels her hand slipping from the wet plataform and Tiro slidding down her arm,she adjusts herself "Hey" she says, calmly


    He slowly opens his eyes,meeting Seven''s Rainbow Gaze,her eyes were gentle and confident "eyes on the rainbow,ok?" Tiro''s breath easen as his arms trembling slows,he knew Seven would save him,she always did and for that, fear was irrational


    The wind was cold,the air humid,the smells of wet concrete and vines remembering Seven why her hand was Slipping from the concrete,the sky still being a cloudy from yesterday''s storm


    The balcony crumbling sounded like a scold about how they shouldnt be playing here,and it only became louder as the seconds passed


    the creacking making cold sweat form and drip from Seven''s brow,her arm trembling from the effort ''Come on, Seven. Think'' she thinks to herself while her smile and cocky/playfull demeanor never falters,even as more and more concrete pieces fell from the balcony


    Failing wasnt a option for Seven and today was no different,she went through worse and yet,wasnt stupid enough to minimize the situation,she knew that one wrong move could End with her death,or worse,Tiro getting hurt ''And Gearhead would bring me back just to kill me again'' she thinks and chuckles to herself,making Tiro raise a brow "A Joke? Right now? Really?" She laugh out loud as her grips tighten,the scold bringing her back to the matter at hand "Sorry Sorry,It wasnt on purpose"


    This was the moment of truth,Seven knew there were lots of ways to get out of this situation and Only few would leave Tiro unscatched tho


    Then,a idea popped on her mind and she Smirks "No,dont even think about it" says Tiro,adjusting his grip on Seven''s arm "What? I havent even Said anything yet," she answers, feigning innocence


    "i know that face Seven,everyone in Red Flare does,you just had a Impossibly stupid idea," he says, Rolling his eyes


    "That might be true, but being Impossible doesnt Mean i cant make it," she says chuckling


    "We are both this close of falling to our deaths, and you are laughing?" He says, outraged


    She laughs louder "of course, there''s no better time to laugh then on Death''s face,we have to make sure they lady knows she isnt taking us soon" she says,her Voice wasnt cocky anymore,but determined and confident "we are Flarers Tiro,there''s Nothing we cant do"


    Tiro was scared,his hands trembling as he made everything he could to not slip,griping harder and harder by the Second to the point of his nails leaving a mark on Seven''s arm and yet,he Trusted Seven enough to be sure she wouldnt allow his death


    With that,she releases the balcony "Hold tight Tiro,this is our tickets" she says,smilling determined


    he wanted to scream,to cry,to panick but he didnt,he swallowed the tears and kept a brave face,trusting Seven with all his being


    She side-hugs Tiro with her left arm,then grabs a gun on her bag,not any gun, but a grapling hook, aiming at a lose pipe on the wall "Come on Gearhead,im counting on you" She shoots it,the hook and the rope flies fastly exactly where she wanted, it wraps the pipe,holding tight "Gearhead,you crazy Elder" Seven smiles as she saw his idea working Fine... Until the rope ends... She looks at it,the hook and the rope was stuck on the pipe,but not on the gun,she sighs "always forgeting the details,huh?" she shrugs,still on free fall "well,it is what it is,Any suggestions on what we should do now Tiro?" She looks at Tiro,who was crying his eyes out and screaming till his throat couldnt take it anymore "Fair point" she says,tucking the now useless gun back at her bag "im going to talk about this with Gearhead later"


    Seeing the rooftop of a smaller building,Seven has her chance,she uses the wall of the building to get impulse,throws Tiro up,lands on the rooftop rolling and jumps to catch Tiro before he falls, he''s still yelling and crying


    "Hey Tiro" she says smilling,but he kept screaming "Hey Tiro" he kept crying,she flicks his forehead so he Opens his eyes,his gaze meets Seven''s "See? We are not falling anymore" tears starts building up on his eyes,he hugs Seven tightly as tears streams down his face "Hey Hey,not so tight" she says smilling weakly,that landing... It hurt a little but she hides it with a reasuring smile while patting his Head


    Back at Red Flare


    After a few minutes of Seven Climbing and swinging while carrying a sobbing,apologizing and guilty kid on her back,she arrives back at Red Flare,with a jump she lands on top of Gearhead''s Workshop,she knocks on the roof "Knock, Knock, you crazy cog brain." she says,smiling "Come in," a Harsh Voice, forged by old age, answers


    She hops down from the roof. "i have a delivery for the worst Blacksmith around. Would that be you?" She says,teasing


    "Wrong address, kid. That would be Clockwise. His clocks never says the right hour," he says in a raspy tone,his back turned to herThis story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    "Yeah Yeah, anyways, here''s your delivery" Tiro lets go of her and looks at Gearhead "Uncle!" Hearing the kid''s Voice makes him jolt around "Tiro!" He says, surprised


    Tiro hugs Gearhead tightly. The Old man doesnt hug back¡ªhe wasnt the type to show feelings,¡ªbut he does pat his head "Heh,and here i thought i had escaped from you,little pest" Tiro sniffles,trying not to cry as he puts on a big, genuine, smile "Not today,old man"


    Gearhead signalizes for Seven to sit as he does it himself, his workshop bustling with half-finished inventios and slightly hot due to his forge. The noise outside is a nice reminder on where they are,footsteps and voices flew throughout The air,every now and then someone landing on the roof with a faint ''sorry'' or appearing on the window,kids bustling around giggling and the smell of fresh home made food... Ah,this was Red Flare


    "So Seven,how did you find this stupid kid? The patrols were looking for him during all morning"


    "Well,i know im Not as good as the adults,so i dont try to b¨º and Only focus on what i know i can do and i do know the kids around better then they do themselfs" she says, shruging "Tiro Said that he wanted to prove he could train on the crumble and was going to prove it, after that, it was easy to say he was going to one of the abandoned areas, it took me a few hours to find him, but i arrived at time to save the featherless bird"


    Gearhead only nods "Good,i will tell Hern about that,im sure that ends your weekly quota" she smiles "im sure as well,but i wont stop just because i finished it,the more people i save,the more i can call myself ''Lady Rainbow,the hero of the Flarers''" she says holding back a laugh,that was so stupid that she almost couldnt finish the sentence or hold it back as she burst laughing out loud


    Gearhead shakes his head and sighs "You kids... Cant you be serious for over two minutes?" "Two whole minutes? No can do,old Man" she says, with a shrug, while chuckling


    "Well,thanks for taking care of my nephew Seven,really" he says, sincerily "Hey,why the seriousness? Im just doing my job and helping as much as possible,its not like im a actual hero or anything like that" she says, scratching the back of her neck, blushing slightly, she wasnt good at receiving compliments


    "Oh" she jolts up "i just remembered" she places the broken grapling hook on the table "this things works well enough" Gearhead raises a eyebrow "does it? It was only on test phase,not supposed to be used yet" "Hm... That explains what happened" "what do you mean with ''what happened''?" "Well..."


    After Seven explained what happens, Gearhead seems mad "YOU DID WHAT!?" Seven tries to laugh it off "Hey,no need to get mad,everything went right,no one got hurt and i discovered what was wrong with your equipment,id call that a victory" she says, trying to dismiss her resklessness. But Gearhead wasnt mad at her, he was worried, he knew Seven would Only reveal she''s hurt when on the verge of death or worse, he knew she was hurt even if only a bit. He didnt wanted to say it out loud tho,the kids around, including Tiro, saw Seven as a invincible local hero who never got hurt, calling on her lie would be bad and Only make Tiro even more guilty, he grabs the broken gadget and places it aside "... Ok,i will fix the gun and send you the new prototype when finished, but next time, you test the damn thing before jumping off buildings" "it was a balcony, And i didnt jumped off, just released it" "..." He massages his Temple, this kid... He sighs "Tiro,go make us some tea ok? You both deserve it" the kid,who was sitten besides Gearhead perks up "Okie!" He stands up and hops down through a Trapdoor, Seven raises a eyebrow "and here i thought i knew the kids,i never see him that exciting on School... The only time i saw him that perked up was when i promised to let him watch me train on the bubbles" Gearhead nods "you didnt knew the kid''s passion is making meals and drinks, did you? He doesnt admit it, not to me or to himself, since he''s a Flarer ''and Flarers are bold and brave, they jump from falling buildings, fix whole bridges alone and save those in need'' is what he says"


    Seven is surprised "wow,i never... But there''s Nothing wrong in being a cook, Rebecca is a Red Flare and a cook" she says,trying to ask more without seeming intrusive "You are right, but its hard for the kids to not try to embrance their Color, you know? They all see you as inspiration, so does Tiro, he doesnt want to dissapoint you"


    Her eyes go wide "dissapoint me? He could never, i dont care if he cant do the bubble path or make a safe free fall, i will be proud of them as long as they are trying, no matter what" Gearhead nods "i know kid, and so does the rest of the Flarers, no one here preasures the kids but themselfs, its hard for him, he wants to be like you and he''s trying, he thinks he doesnt have time to improve his dishes,since every time he''s cooking he could be climbing" Seven is silent for a second "Can i do anything to help?" Gearhead looks at her "you can, but wont, its a natural process for the kids when growing up, even with the possibility of help, its better if he realises it by himself" Seven nods "you are right, sorry for intruding" "no prob kid"


    That talk made Seven remember a few things she just brushed off in the past,like seeing Tiro asking Rebecca the recipe for her Turnip soup,her home made apple buns and when she noticed he was a bit more excited then usual when he gave her cookies that supposedly "Silvia made for her",was it always clear?


    "Well" Seven stands up and streatches "Give my apologizes to Tiro, i wont be able to taste his tea today, im almost late for the bubble course training" Gearhead only nods "Bye bye cog brain" she jumps through the window, Gearhead shakes his head and sighs "this kid..." A faint smile in his face


    Outside,she lands on a pipe and starts jumping her way to the bubble sector,pipe to pipe,vine to vine and roof to roof,between jumps, swings and mid air flips and spins,she liked to throw some cool tricks to not get rusty,especially when she noticed some of the kids watching


    And as always when she passed by the urban zone of Red Flare,people Called out for her, and as always,she answered, she knew every single Flarer and non-Flarer that lived in the district and made sure to always call them by their names


    "Seven! Seven! When will you teach me backflips?" Said a kid,trying to run by her side "Only after you learn how to do a Tourniquet Pedro,so pay attention to Layla''s classes" Seven says,her breath steady. The kid grumbles as he''s left behind by Seven''s Speed


    "Seven, my dear, can you come here a bit? I think Robbie is sick" a woman calls on her, she climbs the walls, entering by the Balcony''s door "Robbie is sick? Why you think that,Ms. Trey?" She asks,looking at the Fox "oh,i have no Idea dear,she just doesnt run around or jump through the balconies,its been a month now and im starting to get nervous about it" Seven knees near the Fox, scratching behind her ear and her belly,when she notices... "Hellie,you dont have to worry, she''s not sick" she says,smilling tenderly "No? Then why is she so calm and quiet?" Hellie asks,confused "Why,i doubt you went outside much when you were carrying Lilo and Lila inside you" she says laughing "inside me? But what that has to do with... Oh" she realizes and Seven stands up "Robbie is pregnant,give her more attention until she gives birth" she says, still smilling "Oh,of course,i had no idea,thank you dear" Seven waves and jumps from the balcony "Put my name on one of them" her Voice fades as she lands and resume to her path "You lewd girl" Hellie says to the Fox,who just turns her head away,offended


    As she jumps away,she sees a wrench falling,she catches it mid air and throws it towards who let it fall "Be more careful Bartholomew,next time the abyss Will eat it" she says,smilling "thanks Seven,you are a life saver" he waves to her,she averts her gaze,blushing a bit


    "Seven!" Calls a feminine voice that makes Seven perks up instantly,she turns to look already knowing who it was "Layla!" She lands near the woman and hugs her, Layla pats her head "You coming to class later? I made apple pie today" she says,smilling "Really?! I wouldnt lose it for anything,count me in,It will be the First thing i will do after the bubble course" she says leaving the hug and smilling widely "No,you have to take a bath First" she says calmly yet commanding, Seven grumbles "ugh,ok ok, i will bath, happy?" She says,feigning annoyance, Layla squeezes her cheek "Of course,how couldnt i be happy with one of my Girls?" Seven blushes a lot now, Layla was the closest she had from a real Mother "now Go,you have a course to finish and people to make cry,go beat''em girl!" "Sir yes sir!" With that,she jumpes away,after a few minutes,she could already see the bubbles piercing the sky,it was time

 Chapter Two: Bubbles

    With a landing as smooth as always, Seven arrives at the entrance of the bubble sector, seeing how the grown-ups deal with them, showing off their abilities, balancing and jumping from the bubbles as if they were stable platforms. The real threat here is exactly that: The Bubbles.


    No one really knows what their purpose was in the old world, but the machines have kept making these compressed air bubbles for as long as Red Flare can remember.


    The wind here is treacherous due to the specific way this sector was built and crumbled. The air currents here are faster than anywhere else in the district¡ªsome even theorize it''s intentional and has something to do with the bubbles.


    With the wind throwing the bubbles in random directions, floating aloof, and popping out of nowhere, this was the ultimate timing and balance test.


    "Seven," said a rough, commanding voice. She stops in her tracks, her playful smile fading quickly. She turns to look at Hern, his voice cutting through the air faster than the wind. "You¡¯re late again; we almost started without you."


    "Oh yeah¡­ Sorry about that, Hern," she says, a sheepish smile on her face.


    "You¡¯re lucky," a pigeon lands on his finger, "that Gearhead gave me the news." He crosses his arms. "You were out there risking yourself in areas only adults should be in again, weren¡¯t you?"


    "...I know you won¡¯t believe me if I deny it," she says, defeated.


    Hern sighs. "Look, Seven, I¡¯m grateful, really. You¡¯re always out there saving people and fixing things¡ªsometimes even saving things or fixing people," he says, his voice calm yet stern. "But that¡¯s why I have to be harsh on you. You¡¯re important to us, and I can¡¯t risk losing you to a crumbling roof or an unstable pipe." He sighs again.


    She doesn¡¯t take compliments well, even less so scoldings. She keeps looking down the whole time. "I know, I just..." She raises her gaze, looking into Hern''s deep golden eyes as his dark brown hair flows with the wind.


    He raises his hand, and Seven goes silent. "I¡¯m not blaming nor condemning you, Seven. You have the heart and soul of a true Flarer," he sighs and uncrosses his arms, tipping his hat to cover his eyes, "and that¡¯s why I¡¯m forbidding you from leaving the urban zone for a week."


    Seven wanted to argue, but she knew Hern would never do something unless he was sure it was for the best. "Okay, Hern¡­ I¡¯m sorry."


    "Don¡¯t be, Seven, it¡¯s our fault after all," he says, looking at the bubbles and how some pop randomly. "We should¡¯ve found Tiro before you could learn about it," he sighs again, crossing his arms. "Don¡¯t think of me not letting you out as a punishment. I¡¯m just making sure," he smiles, "you¡¯re ready for our next expedition."


    She perks up, her mismatched eyes glimmering under the dim light reflected by the bubbles. "Expedition?! Me?! Are you¡­ messing with me?" she asks, still too happy with the news to even pretend to be mad.


    "You know I don¡¯t lie, Seven, and yes, I¡¯m being serious. Next week, we¡¯re going to the other districts to make sure their structures are as stable as ours," he says seriously.


    "Wow." She admired the Flarers for many things, but the most important was that they were Cloudhaven¡¯s protectors, always going around the districts and fixing things free of charge for the others.


    And that¡¯s why Seven was always the one being called to help. The adults were always out and trusted her to stay behind and help the district. But now, she would go with them. She had dreamed about this day so much that she couldn¡¯t hold her smile back.


    "Wow," says Hern, half-smiling. "If I knew you¡¯d be this excited about work, I¡¯d have called you ages ago."


    Seven laughs.


    Hern claps once, and the Flarers that came for the training stand in a line at the side. "Okay, Flarers, is everyone here? Good." He starts explaining how the course works.


    ---


    The Future of Red Flare


    "Already being scolded, Rainbow girl? Be careful, next time you might be the one cleaning the toilets," said a girl beside Seven, laughing a bit.


    "Oh, shut up, Dri. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m the one getting scolded daily for trying to invade The Crumble course," she says, laughing as well.


    Dri shrugs. "I get garbage duty when I mess up, but she earns an expedition spot? How¡¯s that fair?" said a boy, crossing his arms.


    "The difference, Irn," says another boy, "is that Seven went to an abandoned area to save Tiro. You tried to dive into the Abyss alone. Twice. In the same afternoon," he says sternly and calmly.


    Irn turns his head away, offended. "Shut it, Rey. I don¡¯t need another fangirl drooling over her."


    Rey just sighs and shakes his head.


    Another girl stretches. "In case any of you didn¡¯t notice, we are about to start our training." She stands up in position. "More focus on Mr. Hern," she says, her voice calm and commanding.


    Another boy sighs. "You have to calm down, Sif, it¡¯s too soon to be this wound up," he says sternly. "Workaholism isn¡¯t nice. Relaxing is needed to improve, and you know it."


    "You can repeat that the day you beat me, Ura," Sif says, not losing focus or looking at him.


    Ura sighs.


    A girl yawns. "Why are we here this early again? Can¡¯t we train, like, after breakfast or something? Don¡¯t you agree, Wel?"


    Wel shrugs, fixing his hair. "I don¡¯t mind waking up early, Nui," he says, biting an apple. "It helps me get used to my new healthy routine."


    "Honey?" says a girl, May.


    "Yes, dear?" answers a boy, Lui.


    "Can we have lunch together after this?" she asks, coldly and calmly while adjusting her suit.


    "I don¡¯t see why not. I pick the place, and you pick the food, d''accord?" he asks, his voice devoid of any emotion while adjusting his suit.


    "Oui," she answers.


    Dri raises an eyebrow, glancing at the couple. She shakes her head and turns to Seven. "How do they manage to train in suits?"


    Seven only shrugs, not caring much. "I already got used to it."


    "Just make sure," says the tallest and strongest-looking of them, cracking both knuckles and her neck, "you don¡¯t get in my way. Got it, shorty?"This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    The boy smiles, patting her head. "Of course, Berry Bun. I would never do anything to disturb your training."


    She crosses her arms and averts her gaze, blushing furiously as she whispers, "I told you not to speak to me like that in public, Kya."


    He quickly takes his hand back when he notices. "Oh¡­ S-sorry Be- I mean," he stops quickly, trying his best not to call her pet names in front of others. He knows she dislikes it, but he can¡¯t help it. The tallest and strongest girl around is a cutie patootie in his eyes. "Sorry, Tai," he rubs his arm, looking at the ground and blushing slightly. "It¡¯s just that you get really cute when acting tough," he says sheepishly, mad at himself for embarrassing Tai.


    She huffs. "Don¡¯t beat yourself up..." She rubs her arm, looking at the ground and blushing slightly. "You haven¡¯t said anything wrong... Just refrain from the nicknames in public."


    He blushes even more.


    ---


    The Bubble Sector


    Hern allows the kids to talk a bit more before cutting it short with a single, loud clap.


    "Okay, kids. Talking a lot today, huh? I wanna see that energy in the training as well, okay?"


    The trainees stand up straight, all taking Hern''s words seriously. They nod in unison.


    "Great," Hern says. "Now, you all know how this works¡ªthree groups of four, from left to right."


    Hern stands in front of the starting line. "Y''all already know the deal. From here to the end, you can only touch the bubbles. No swinging on pipes, no wall running, and especially no gadgets," he says, looking at Irn, who clicks his tongue. "You can help the other Flarers, but never disturb their path. This is a training area, not an arena. Any questions?"


    No one raises their hand.


    "Adorable."


    "Honey?" says May.


    "Yes, dear?" answers Lui.


    "It seems this will be a couple¡¯s dispute."


    "What!?" exclaims Tai. "We are not a couple!"


    Kya looks at her. "We aren¡¯t?"


    She blushes. "Shut it, Kya!"


    May¡¯s face remains cold. "It seems the best couple has already been decided, then."


    Lui nods, lacking any actual emotion. "Indeed, my dear."


    A vein twitches in Tai¡¯s forehead. She forces a smile and turns to Kya. "We¡¯re gonna win this, got it?"


    He tilts his head, confused. "Win? Isn¡¯t this just training?"


    Her voice gets serious. "We. Are. Gonna. Win. This. Got. It?"


    He blushes. "Got it."


    "Nui, you will be my partner," says Sif, to which Nui responds with a half nod.


    Wel and Ura high-five, always the duo.


    "We will beat you, Sif, and prove training isn¡¯t everything," says Ura.


    "Yeah, sometimes you need to focus on ¡®off-the-training¡¯ zones, like a healthy sleep routine," Wel adds.


    Sif doesn¡¯t answer their taunt.


    "Be ready to eat my dust, Irn," Dri declares mockingly.


    "In your dreams, Dri," Irn answers with a bitter smirk.


    Seven and Rey look at each other and sigh, half-exasperated by the antics of the troublemaker duo.


    Hern gazes at the group, that ¡®proud father¡¯ look in his eyes.


    "Okay, okay, quiet now, kids. Let¡¯s finish this before lunchtime, okay? Group one, get ready."


    May, Lui, Tai, and Kya step forward, getting into position.


    "Let¡¯s see if you can keep up, Gorilla," May says coldly in a matter-of-fact tone.


    "I¡¯m gonna crush you," Tai says, forcing a smile while cracking her knuckles.


    "They are lovely, aren¡¯t they?" Lui speaks, calm and cold.


    "Yeah..." Kya answers, blushing slightly.


    Hern raises his pistol. "On your marks... Get ready..." He shoots, and the two couples jump into action.


    The difference between the two groups is obvious. Tai is the strong type¡ªshe¡¯s good at swinging and climbing¡ªso she¡¯s clearly at a disadvantage since the entire course is based on balance. And yet, she is nowhere near giving up.


    Kya is the complete opposite. He is the epitome of balance and weight control due to his smaller-than-most size. The bubbles don¡¯t even waver when he lands on them. He patiently follows Tai from behind in case something happens.


    May and Lui, though? These two are absolutely relentless, jumping from bubble to bubble in unnerving perfect sync, performing almost impossible tricks mid-air, even throwing each other around.


    Hern clicks his stopwatch. "Okay, that¡¯s enough."


    His gaze turns to the finishing line, about 30 meters away from the start. Tai is panting heavily, while Kya, slightly out of breath, is trying to comfort her about the "defeat." May and Lui, though? They are... spotless¡ªnot even sweating.


    "Tai = 5:23 minutes, Kya = 5:32 minutes, May and Lui..." Hern glances at the pair and sighs. "Exactly 3:33 each. Again."


    "We did good, Berry Bun. You were almost a whole minute faster than last time," Kya says, supporting Tai over his shoulder.


    "...You think so?" she asks between sobs, tears slightly dripping from her cheeks. She doesn¡¯t like losing one bit.


    "Of course, Berry Bun. In my opinion, you will always be the best!" Kya exclaims.


    "...Thank you, Kitty," she says, leaning on him more as they walk away.


    "Dear," Lui says.


    "What is it, honey?" May asks, tilting her head.


    "We can¡¯t allow imperfections to tarnish your impeccable beauty," he says, standing in front of her, adjusting a single strand of hair that had fallen across her face "D''accord, ch¨¦ri?" His voice is devoid of emotion.


    "Bien s?r, cher," she answers coldly.


    Gazing into each other¡¯s eyes, they kiss lightly and say, "Je t¡¯aime," in sync.


    "Good," Hern says, arms crossed. "Those two improved a lot in only a week," he smiles. "Meanwhile, those two are as perfect as their first day..." He sighs. "I¡¯m starting to think they don¡¯t finish faster on purpose," he chuckles.


    "Okay," Hern claps once. "Group two, get ready."


    Sif gets into a runner¡¯s position, focused, while Nui yawns.


    "Don¡¯t forget what you said earlier, Sif," Ura jokes.


    "Yeah, you promised to rest if you end up losing."


    "Wrong," Sif exclaims. "I said that Ura could repeat¡ª" She stops speaking when she sees them smirking, clearly taunting her. She just rolls her eyes, unamused.


    "On your marks... Get ready..."


    Hern shoots, and the four jump right into action.


    Sif¡¯s approach is similar to May and Lui¡¯s, but instead of perfect jumps and flashy tricks, her movements are exact and calculated rather than half-premeditated like the duo. She doesn¡¯t just use the bubbles as platforms but also as trampolines. She lands¡ªsimple yet solid¡ªon her feet.


    Ura and Wel act like a real duo, communicating the whole time, telling each other about the bubbles and where they would go, boosting each other, and even kicking bubbles below the other. At the end, Wel boosts Ura so he arrives a few seconds before him.


    Nui was... Nui. She lazily moves through the course, her jumps and landings strangely precise, even though she looks sleepy, even yawning mid-air. She doesn¡¯t just land on the bubbles like the rest¡ªshe bounces off them, using her back and belly as well. She almost misses the last jump, landing barely on her butt¡­ then lays back and starts napping.


    "Okay," Hern exclaims, clicking his stopwatch. "Wel = 4:02 minutes, Nui = 4:04 minutes, Ura and Sif were tied at 3:58."


    Sif scoffs, half out of breath. "Tsk, I could¡¯ve finished two seconds earlier if that bubble hadn¡¯t popped."


    Nui only snores.


    Wel and Ura bump fists while sitting on the ground, both kind of winded. They say in unison, "Red Flare forever."


    "That was great," Hern exclaims. "Group three, get ready."


    "Remember, Garbage Boy, crying doesn¡¯t change results," Dri mocks.


    "It goes both ways, Toilet Girl," Irn smirks.


    Seven and Rey sigh and get into position.


    Dri is the daredevil of the group¡ªshe doesn¡¯t just want to be better; she wants to make it clear. She dives headfirst to bounce upside-down, weaves through bubbles, popping them just to land on the one below for extra momentum, and bounces even higher. Between somersaults and twirls, she passes Irn and smirks at him while upside-down. She lands at the finishing line on a handstand.


    Irn is the risk-taker, always choosing the faster yet more unstable path, making longer leaps and diving from greater heights. He doesn¡¯t waste time with tricks and gets riled up whenever someone passes him¡ªespecially Dri. He lands on the finishing line, rolling after a high-risk jump.


    Rey is the "better safe than sorry" type. He also avoids flashy tricks, preferring to take safe routes with jumps he knows will work. He stays behind to make sure no one gets hurt. Due to his control, patience, and lack of competitiveness, he¡¯s the one Hern often asks to help the younglings with their training. He lands lightly at the finishing line, not even sweating since he didn¡¯t put much effort into speed.


    Seven, however, is the creative type¡ªnever repeating the same trick or path twice. She twirls, spins, and flips through the air, her prismatic hair flowing in the wind, creating a blur of colors due to her speed. Unlike the others, who only bounce or jump from the bubbles, Seven uses them as structures, kicking off the sides for better momentum and higher jumps.


    "Good morning, Miss Kly," she calls out after jumping past the window of an old lady, who waves back at her.


    She doesn¡¯t land at the finishing line¡ªshe reaches the exact height and simply steps onto it, walking across with grace.


    Hern clicks his stopwatch. "Dri = 4:05 minutes, Irn = 4:12 minutes, Rey = 5:00 minutes, Seven = 3:30 minutes."


    "Hahaha! Take that, Garbage Boy!" Dri laughs.


    "Tsk, you¡¯ll see. Next time, you¡¯re going down, Toilet Girl," Irn scoffs.


    "Your performance only improves, Seven. I¡¯m impressed," Rey says, his voice stern.


    "Thanks. I have to be at my best when the expedition arrives, right?" Seven smiles.


    Hern sighs and shakes his head. "These kids..."


    "Dri is still the same¡ªshe could¡¯ve finished 12 seconds faster without all the flashiness. Irn should stop caring so much about everything that doesn¡¯t directly involve his training. Rey making sure no one gets hurt is a good thing as always, though I would like to see how fast he could actually be. And Seven..." He shakes his head and smiles. "What am I going to do with that girl?"


    Hern used a zipline to reach the finishing line, landing smoothly.


    "Okay, guys, that was a good training session. I can see that you¡¯ve all improved a lot in just one week," he says, crossing his arms. "Yet, I can tell that most of you didn¡¯t listen to my advice from the last session," he adds sternly.


    "Tai, I know you hate losing, but you can¡¯t treat every training session like a competition. The only person you should compare yourself to is yourself."


    Tai nods, still a bit sad about losing.


    "Kya, you should focus more on yourself rather than on Tai. I appreciate you looking after her, though."


    Kya blushes and nods.


    "May and Lui¡­ You two probably have the best form among your peers, yet I think you could be even better if you stopped caring so much about finishing with the exact same time."


    May and Lui nod in sync.


    "Sif, you are as efficient as always, and I can see you improving, yet I have to agree with Ura. You were already winded before the race¡ªtone it down a bit. Resting is just as important as training."


    Sif clicks her tongue and averts her gaze.


    "Ura and Wel, your teamwork is spot on, but I can¡¯t have you two depending on each other. Next session, I want you competing against each other."


    They both nod while smiling.


    "Nui¡­ Try to sleep earlier next time."


    Nui, still lying on the ground, nods in acknowledgment.


    "Dri, your form is beautiful¡ªreally. But you should focus more on efficiency over flashiness. I need to make sure you can be serious when the situation calls for it."


    Dri smiles and gives a mocking salute. "Sir, yes sir!"


    "Irn¡­ Reckless as ever. Your time isn¡¯t bad, but the fact that you almost fell three times says a lot about your form. Stop focusing on your surroundings and concentrate more on your goal."


    Irn mutters something but nods nonetheless.


    "Rey, I really do appreciate you looking after everyone, but this is a training session meant to see how good you are. So try to be as fast as possible next time."


    Rey shrugs. "If you say so."


    "Last but not least, Seven¡­" Hern sighs and ruffles her hair. "Stop showing off and winning¡ªyou¡¯re breaking the others¡¯ morale."


    She blushes slightly. "Okay..."


    "Well, that¡¯s it for today. You¡¯re all free from me for now. Everyone be here next week, same time."


    He turns around and walks away.


    The group starts talking, deciding what they would do next.


    May and Lui left the second Hern walked away to have lunch together. They decided on a cafeteria near the central plaza.


    Dri and Irn were grumpy about going back to their punishments¡ªdoing chores around the area.


    Tai and Kya went back to their abode. As a token of gratitude, Tai had promised to bake berry buns for Kya, who perked up instantly.


    Nui, Ura, and Wel went to eat together at Sif''s place. As a self-imposed punishment for being wrong, Sif had decided to cook lunch for them.


    Rey stayed behind since he would be supervising the younglings'' training. He asked Seven if she could help, but she declined, saying she was going to eat at Layla¡¯s. Rey nodded, and they parted ways.


    Another training session ended, but the day had just begun. Many things could still happen.