Chapter 39: One Year Of Training And Understanding
The year of training began like a storm - relentless, intense, and unyielding.
With Heatsun, Moonsalt, Henry, and Marie pushing both Rei and Jim to their limits, the days blurred into one another.
Rei, still grappling with the pain of Tim's sacrifice, threw herself into every session, refusing to show weakness. Every swing of her hatchets, every burst of Lunar energy, felt like a step closer to avenging him.
Jim, equally driven by his brotherly bond with Tim, trained harder than ever before - not just to prepare for Dark Void, but to test Rei.
He needed to know she was worthy of Tim's last wish.
And so, the two clashed over and over again, their sparring matches becoming the heart of their training.
-
One afternoon, during an intense sparring session:
Jim's Solun Lance crackled with Solar and Lunar energy, the golden and blue flares mixing as he charged at Rei.
Rei sidestepped, her hatchets glowing with pure Lunar power. She countered with a sharp arc of energy, forcing Jim to block.
The force of the clash sent both of them skidding back, breathing hard.
It was always like this - no clear winner.
Jim clenched his jaw, frustration simmering beneath his calm expression.
"Why am I still just matching her?" he muttered under his breath.
After the match, he went straight to Heatsun and Moonsalt.
"I wield both Solar and Lunar powers," Jim said, his voice tight. "Why am I not stronger than Rei? She only uses Lunar energy. Shouldn't I have the advantage?"
Heatsun exchanged a glance with Moonsalt.
Moonsalt answered first, her voice steady but firm. "It's because you rely on both powers, Jim."
Jim frowned. "What does that mean?"
Heatsun crossed his arms. "Rei focuses entirely on her Lunar powers. She's refined and sharpened them to near perfection. You, on the other hand, split your focus between Solar and Lunar powers. You have more variety, but you can't bring out the full strength of either power alone."
Jim's eyes widened. "So I'm... holding myself back?"
Moonsalt nodded. "In a way, yes. Using both powers together makes you versatile, but it also means you haven't unlocked the true potential of either element."
Jim's fists tightened. It stung to hear, but deep down, it made sense.
Rei, overhearing the conversation, leaned against the wall, catching her breath.
"If Tim were alive," she said softly, "he probably would have been equally strong as me."
Jim's heart twisted at her words.
She wasn't boasting.
It was just the truth.
Tim, being the Solar warrior, would have pushed his Solar powers to their peak - just as Rei had with her Lunar powers.
Jim, caught between both elements, was still searching for his true strength.
-
The training pressed on.
Heatsun drilled them in combat techniques - focusing on precision and control.
Moonsalt tested their abilities - forcing them to use their powers under extreme conditions.
Henry and Marie sparred with them regularly - acting as both mentors and partners, helping them master their speed, strategy, and endurance.
But it was Jim and Rei's constant duels that defined the year.
The more they fought, the more Jim noticed Rei's rapid improvement.
Her attacks became sharper. Her defense, nearly impenetrable.
She learned faster than he expected - and though his heart still held its doubts about her, a small part of him... admired her progress.
Even if he never said it out loud.
One year later:
The final day of training arrived, the air heavy with anticipation.
Jim and Rei stood at the center of Heatsun's base, the same place where their journey together had begun.
Everyone gathered - Heatsun, Moonsalt, Henry, and Marie - watching silently as the two warriors prepared for one last spar before the inevitable war.
The clash would decide how far they'd come - and how ready they were for what was to come.
Jim's Solun Lance shimmered, a perfect blend of Solar and Lunar energy.
Rei's hatchets glowed with pure Lunar power, a cold aura surrounding her.
No words were spoken.
The battle began.
Jim (now 21 years old) charged forward, his Solun Lance crackling with a blend of Solar and Lunar energy. Sparks of grey clashed as he struck again and again, forcing Rei (now 23) to retreat, her Lunar Crescent Hatchets slicing through the air with deadly precision.
For the first time in all their training, Jim cornered her.
Her back was against the cold stone wall of Heatsun's base. Jim's Lance hovered just inches from her chest, glowing with a dangerous pulse of energy. His heart pounded - victory was within reach.
But in that split second - that flicker of confidence - he hesitated.
And Rei noticed.
Without a word, she twisted her hatchets into an elegant arc, slipping past Jim's weapon, and in a flash of light -
The cold, curved blades of her hatchets were pressed against his throat.
Jim's body froze. His mind screamed - how did she move so fast?
For a brief moment, he thought this was it. That maybe... maybe she would kill him.
But then-
Rei pulled the hatchets back.
Her expression was calm. Not mocking, not angry - just calm and calculating.
"Never let your guard down," Rei said flatly.
The words struck Jim like a blow.
His grip on the Solun Lance tightened, but his throat still felt the cold sting of her weapons.
He wasn't angry at her - he was angry at himself.
-
Jim stepped back, his breathing ragged.
He couldn't shake the surprise - not just from the fact that she beat him, but from how... mature she had acted.
It was the first time anyone had pointed out his weakness so directly.
Tim had always been different and fought with passion, sometimes recklessly throwing himself into danger without a second thought but He cared deeply about people, often wearing his heart on his sleeve.
But Rei?
She was the opposite - serious, calculated, and methodical.
Jim, despite his cold exterior, couldn't deny the truth anymore:
Rei was nothing like Tim.
Tim was reckless hope.
Rei was cold logic.
And over the year they trained together, Jim had slowly adapted to Rei's style - even if he didn't realize it at first.
He noticed her precise movements, her strategy-driven battles, her ability to anticipate his attacks by reading his patterns. She didn't fight with raw emotion - she fought with purpose.
It was a side of battle Tim never showed him.
And though Jim still kept his distance - still acted cold - he couldn't shake the growing respect he had for Rei.
It wasn't trust yet.
But it was something.