DRIVE/BREAK: Blade of the Heart

Ren immediately closed his eyes, but the moment he did, his thoughts spun out of control. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't keep his mind blank, images, words, and stray worries kept flooding in.

Gale noticed the faint twitch in his brow and, without hesitation, smacked the back of his head.

"Ouch! What was that for?!" Ren yelled, rubbing his skull.

"You get a smack whenever you drift off! And no opening your eyes!" Gale scolded.

For the next hour, the rooftop echoed with the repeated sound of Gale's palm smacking Ren's head as he couldn't help but think. How am I supposed to meditate when I'm being beaten senseless? Did Kaien go through this torture too?

Then came another smack.

"What are you thinking about now?" Gale asked flatly.

Compared to the chaotic first hour, something began to shift. His body, drained from the constant tension of keeping his eyes closed and fighting distractions, started to die down. Fatigue dragged at him, and gradually his scattered thoughts melted away.

At last, there was silence.

There were no words. No noise. No frustration. Just a still, quiet black.

Ren could feel the cool night breeze brushing against his skin with startling clarity. Every shift of air, every speck of dust, every faint ripple in the atmosphere registered in his senses. It was as if the world had slowed down, and for the first time, he wasn't resisting it.

It wasn't just meditation, it was peace. A peace he hadn't allowed himself to feel until now.

And just like that, another hour slipped by, though Ren hadn't even noticed. To him, it felt like mere minutes, minutes of drifting weightlessly in the cosmos, feeling everything yet clinging to nothing. It was peaceful. Light.

Then, through the stillness, Gale's voice reached him. He didn't let up, didn't let thoughts intrude, her words simply entered the calm.

"Now, in this stillness, envision everything." Gale instructed softly. "Envision your core spiraling, sealing the leaks, redirecting its flow. Picture it blocking the inward surge of energy, then releasing it outward again. Don't act, just envision. Slowly. Then gradually build it up."

Ren obeyed. The endless black canvas in his mind began to take shape, threads of lightning danced across the void, surging, coiling, spiraling. He guided the rhythm only in thought, letting it flow, redirect, block, release, repeat. Over and over, until the pattern no longer required effort. It simply moved as naturally as breathing.

Time became meaningless. Another hour passed unnoticed until Gale's voice broke through again.

"Now, slowly open your eyes."

Ren's eyes opened, the world filtering back in. He blinked then whispered.

"I feel… light. Like everything around me has slowed down. Even if it was only for a few minutes, I felt true peace."

A faint smile tugged at Gale's lips. "It wasn't minutes. You stayed in that state for two hours."

"Two hours?!" Ren muttered in shock, eyes widening. "But to me, it felt like only minutes!"

"That's the point." Gale replied calmly. "Hold onto that feeling. That's it for tonight, we'll continue tomorrow night after your day training. Never forget it."

Before Ren could respond, Gale's form shimmered and vanished, dissolving like a fragile bubble. The only trace of her presence was the scattering of frost and the sharp glint of icicles left behind on the ground.

Ren blinked at the empty space, baffled. "Huh? We didn't even use any core energy!"

The very next day, Ren went through the morning and afternoon training sessions diligently. The others noticed something different about him. Though he remained quiet, only speaking when necessary over comms, the heavy frustration that used to weigh him down was gone. In its place was a calm aura. Tranquil, steady, and almost soothing.

They didn't say anything outright, but a few of them exchanged knowing smiles. Ren was close, close to breaking past the wall that had held him back. It was only a matter of time before he unlocked a new strength that would raise him to another level.

After dinner, Ren once again made his way to the rooftop of the apartment, ready for his night training with Gale. But when he arrived, he stopped in surprise. Not only was Gale waiting, but Kaien was already there too, flashing him a grin.

"About time! We've been waiting forever." Kaien said, hands on his hips.

Ren's expression changed as if annoyed by his presence. "First of all, I'm only two minutes late. And second, why are you even here?"

"Why are you always like that when you see me?" Kaien argued. "Didn't I promise I'd give you some tips?"

"You should've done that yesterday." Ren replied bluntly.

"Well, it's true." Gale cut in with a faint smile. "Kaien will give you some pointers tonight. But before that, we're heading to the shopping district."

Before Ren could ask why, Gale hooked both of them by the shoulders and dragged them along, ignoring Ren's protests.

They walked around the ward as the streets glowed with life, voices and laughter spilling into the night, lantern light giving comforting warmth into the cool air. Despite the late hour, the ward pulsed with liveliness, a rare sight to see in a place like Aetherpolis.

Up ahead, Kaien and Gale walked side by side, their steps easy, their smiles genuine as they chatted about something trivial. For a moment, Ren slowed his pace, letting the scene soak in.

I just wish every day could be like this, He thought, his chest tightening with a fragile longing. A life without chaos. Without losing the people we love. Just simple days filled with happiness and peace.

For the first time in a while, Ren felt at home. He had already been back for more than a week, but until now, he hadn't taken the time to really look at the place again. His days had been consumed by training, shutting himself away in the apartment's training grounds, desperate to grow strong enough to stand against the fangs.

Now, however, with the quiet peace inside him, walking through the ward carried a different weight. Ward 11 had hardened him, but Ward 1 was where his heart belonged. It was here that he'd found a home after a year of wandering, searching endlessly for his brother.

"So, what do you feel like eating? My treat!" Kaien glanced back with a grin.

"Eating? Aren't we supposed to be training?" Ren raised a brow.

"C'mon, training can wait. Right now, food first. So, what'll it be?"

Ren thought for a moment. "Burger, I guess."

"Perfect! I know just the place." Kaien replied without hesitation, leading the way as Gale chuckled softly at the exchange.

Kaien practically skipped down the street, humming to himself, with his steps light like a kid on his way to a festival. Ren watched in disbelief. This guy, how did he even make Gale fall for him?

Before long, they stopped in front of a humble little restaurant. Smoke rose from the grill, carrying the irresistible aroma of flame grilled meat that lured them inside. The three took a table, Kaien and Gale naturally sitting side by side, while Ren sat across from them.

Without asking, Kaien ordered for everyone. A few minutes later, the dishes arrived, and both Gale and Ren lit up as if they'd just found treasure.

On the table sat a simple yet glorious food. A quarter-pound cheeseburgers stacked with bacon strips, crispy fries on the side, and tall glasses of chilled juice.

Ren and Gale stared at the food, practically drooling as the savory scent filled the air. Meanwhile, Kaien leaned back with a smug smile, taking in their reactions.

Hmph. Guess he really does have good taste in food. No wonder he runs a restaurant that's always packed. Ren thought, tightening his grip on the burger as if it were a long awaited prize.

After eating, Kaien paid for the bill and guided them to another part of the ward. This time, it was an arcade.

Ren frowned. "We're really not training?"

"Training can wait." Kaien repeated with that same carefree grin.

What followed was nothing Ren could have predicted. They played claw machines, shot hoops, sang terribly in karaoke booths, and tried out every silly game the place had to offer. At first, Ren kept questioning when they'd finally start training, but somewhere along the way, he stopped asking. He was too busy laughing, shouting, and smiling.

By the end of the night, the three of them were exhausted, but not from drills or sparring. They were worn out from simply being together, from feeling like old friends who'd known each other forever.

Then, Kaien's demeanor shifted. His grin softened into a calmer smile, one carrying a rare trace of seriousness. "I'd like to show you two something."

Ren and Gale exchanged curious looks, but neither protested. They followed Kaien without hesitation.

He led them to the outskirts of Ward 1, to its very edge where the glow of Aetherpolis dimmed into shadow. There stood a rundown two story wooden house, its walls cracked and sagging, smothered in moss and covered with graffiti. It radiated the aura of a haunted place long forgotten.

But Kaien approached it without pause, pushing through the broken door. Inside, dust and decay filled the hollow rooms, but he continued on until they reached the backyard.

There, he stopped.

"This is what you wanted to show us?" Gale asked.

Ren raised a brow, unimpressed. "Show what? There's nothing here but weeds and tall grass."

Kaien just smiled knowingly. With a flick of his index finger, a soft mist spread from him, rolling gently across the backyard.

Then, as the mist settled, fireflies appeared, hundreds of them, drifting into the air and illuminating the overgrown yard with a tender, golden glow. The rundown place seemed to transform before their very eyes, no longer bleak but serene, like nature itself had reclaimed it in tenerife beauty.

Ren and Gale stood frozen, their eyes wide, silently taking it all in.

Kaien, however, strode through the tall grass with casual steps until he reached the very center of the yard. There, where the grass gave way to a small circle of bare dirt, he flopped onto the ground, arms spread wide, wearing the grin of someone who belonged there. "Come on, you two!"

Ren didn't follow right away. Instead, he glanced at Gale, curiosity flickering in his eyes.

"Before we go there," Ren muttered. "Mind if I ask you a question?"

"Sure." Gale said, smiling slyly. "He can wait, or I'll just freeze him if he gets impatient."

Ren smirked at her playful threat, then asked, "How did you fall for Kaien?"