BA3 - Chapter 22

Transports waited for us at the edge of the long pathway from TK_Dokun Corp. Enjiho guided us onboard, and the train of excitable students took off for the beach luau—the party Dokun had promised the entire school to coax us into changing our plans for the day.

The sun hung a few degrees above the horizon, casting orange, pink, and red across the cloud-speckled sky. The beauty of it soured in my mind as I considered the memory I’d witnessed over, and over. Had Dokun fabricated it? Could he? How had he put a vision in my head in the first place—and how had it come and gone so fast that no one noticed I’d see it?

Hana rested her chin on my shoulder and looked out the window with me. “Hey.”

“That was some tour, wasn’t it?” I asked her, my voice flat.

“Yeah, you’ll have to tell me all about it tonight,” she whispered, trying to sound casual amid the chatter of students.

Cho and Yuri stood nearby like sentries, quiet and still. I’d never seen Yuri so tense. Whatever she’d seen or heard on her end of the tour must’ve been worrisome in it’s own right. We would need to meet up again, soon. I’d have to ask Sung-ki to help our excited minds rest tonight.

My mind ran in circles, chasing what I’d seen and heard at TK_Dokun Corp. with what I knew from Min-hwan, and Mother. If Dokun had given my father a disc like Mae’s, he would’ve had all her powers at his fingertips. With resources like the Wong family—and likely others who could profit from decisive drug distribution—he would’ve had the power he needed to operate alone.

The chatter picked up at the front of the train and Hana tugged my arm. She beamed with what may have been real happiness as she dragged me to the windows on the other side. Glimmers of light sparkled up from the sea with the colors of reflected sunset. Pure white sand stretched on into the distance, dotted with families celebrating the very last vestiges of warmth before the snap of winter.

Hana wrapped her arm around my waist and hugged me. “I suppose it’s not a private beach,” she grumbled.

I snorted with laughter and wrapped my arm over her shoulder. “Raya’s beach does not interest me.”

We were quiet for a moment, then Hana smirked slyly. “Her name’s Numane.”

I scowled. “Huh.”

She chuckled, shaking her head. “Slick.”

The train decelerated and a lively scene came into view at our destination. A bonfire at least three meters tall blazed on the beach, and students lounged about nearby. Down near the water, several more teens used en munje to splash one another, or compete for the strongest wielders. The edge of the beach closest to the train station was lined by breezy looking huts covered in sheer white fabric that drifted on the gentle wind.

The train set down and let us out to the fresh ocean air. Signage on the station read, “Beach amenities sponsored by TK_Dokun Corp. Thank you!” Another sign below that one that had been scrawled in ry munje not long ago read, “Closed at sunset to a private party. Thank you for understanding.”

As far as I could tell, the trains were free—one simply had to wait in line. And then there were the Enjiho, citizen operated safety force who did real good for the world. Maybe not heroic tales to be passed down as legend, but they made a difference. Now, to see that Dokun had made this little paradise for all the citizens who wanted to visit… could he really be the man I’d been told about?

No, I couldn’t second guess what I knew like that.

We moved out toward the huts to find Anbura instructors relaxing at candlelit tables, drinking from glowing glasses that thrummed with green, or smoked purple. Towels and swimming clothes waited on tables near curtained changing rooms that said, “Swim Safely, please!”

The other Bastions ran like giddy children toward the offered garb. I couldn’t blame them. The thought of swimming out to the deep and resting on top of the cold water, looking up into the colorful sky sounded to be the most pleasant thing about now.

It would also give me a bubble of solitude to talk to Mae.

I joined the charging students with a little less enthusiasm.

“Jiyong,” Sung-ki called me.

I stopped and hid my annoyance at the interruption. “Yes, sir?”

He held up a metal disc with a smile. “I hoped you would help me document the cultural experience. It’s a mandatory requirement of these trips, since Busa-nan has paid for our presence here.”

“Oh, let him enjoy the beach!” Dokun interjected with a patronizing wave of his hand. “You may not get another chance to see a luau with the first snow upon us.”

I bowed to my instructor. “I can assist you.”

Sung-ki looked from Dokun, back to me. “No, he’s right. This is a rare opportunity and another cultural experience. Help me tomorrow morning.”

I bowed again with a grin. “Thank you, sir.”

With that, I rushed off to catch up with the others. The swimwear covered me from mid-thigh to my neck, and down to my elbows. There were paddle-shaped shoes that made my feet look like a gold-billed marmin, but I doubted I’d need them. I’d always been a strong swimmer from all the times falling into the river near Namnak, and I was a much better en user than I’d ever been.

When I came out of the changing room, Cho was waiting for me. He pulled on the legs of his swimwear with a wince. “I think it’s too small.”

I patted him on the shoulder. “It’s supposed to be tight. Keeps you warm.”

We walked out onto the beach, the setting sun warming our faces. The cooling sand squished between my toes, seemingly pulling the anxiety out of my body. It felt so good to take a breath for a moment.

Yuri and Hana were already at the coast, throwing globes of water between one another in a rapid juggling game. Yuri pulled two new globes into the rotation and Hana’s movements became frantic. I couldn’t tell how many they had bouncing between them, but it was obviously too much for Hana, and a breeze for Yuri. Then, the inevitable happened.

Water splashed against Hana’s face and all the globes dropped to the ground. The girls laughed and I smiled. It was good to see them unwind, even if just for tonight, right now. Yuri always wore an easygoing persona, but I knew this mission had her frightened just as much as the rest of us.

Cho cleared his throat. “I don’t mind just watching, but Yuri’s going to think I’m a creep if we don’t go over there.”

I hummed. “Are you a creep?”

He smirked. “Maybe a little.” Then his smile drooped. “She won’t give me a chance.”

I patted his shoulder. “I don’t think she knows you want a chance. Especially with the way you talk to the other girls at school.”

Cho scowled. “What, for giving them gardening tips?”

My brow shot up to a sharp, incredulous point. “They’re not just after your tips, and everyone else can see it.”

Cho rolled his eyes. “Please. You’re the one with wansil-mu Numane inviting you over.”

“Only after she learned I have a rich great-uncle.”

He sighed and watched the girls start their water juggling game again.

I knocked his shoulder, a little harder than I intended, and he turned to me. “If I didn’t already have the girl of my dreams, it would be intimidating to stand next to you.”

Cho screwed up his face in confusion.

“Don’t make me say it out loud, man.” I couldn’t tell if he was playing dumb, or really thought so little of himself. He was tall, with rich brown hair, blue eyes, and a lean physique. He was certainly more handsome than me, especially with my scars.

The smirk returned to his face. “I’d make me feel better if you said it out loud.”

“Get over yourself,” I said with a shake of my head.

“You first.”

We looked at one another and I knew he was remembering the same moment as me. Our first year of school, after my second trip to the infirmary, I came to apologize to him first for acting like an idiot. I remembered how small my problems were back then with fondness. My biggest obstacle then had been winning a bot fight. Now we were spying on the most powerful man in Kokyu.

“Are you coming?” Hana yelled.

I waved to her, then gave Cho a nod. “You’re prettier than me. There, I said it.”

His face wrinkled in disgust. “Prettier?”

“What were you expecting?”

He scoffed. “Not pretty. Yuri is pretty.”

I shook my head. “Yuri is cute. She’s like Mini, but taller.”

Cho shoved my shoulder. “Gross. She’s not like your sister.”

Movement caught my attention and I turned just as a globe of blue glowing water smashed into my face. Salty sea water surged up my nose and burned the back of my throat. I sputtered, blinking away the itchy pain in my eyes.

“Got you!” Yuri yelled and I looked up to see several more globes waiting to be fired.

I looked to Cho who was barely containing a laugh. A globe dropped down from above and splashed me as it hit his head. Cho shot upright, all his muscles tensing as the cold water rushed over his face.

“Let’s get ‘em,” I said in a whisper.

He nodded. “It’s on.”

We charged together, deflecting flying balls of water with flicks of our wrists. I poured energy through my third band and locked the en block over the crystal. The second and first bands lined up for tri-en and I pushed the power through. Bright blue munje flowed from my hands and I wrestled control of the water away from Hana, then pushed it back toward her.

She caught the ball and twirled it around herself, picking up speed as she regained control. The water launched back toward me and I unleashed more munje. I split the massive sphere into five smaller ones and sent them sailing back to her at different angles.

Beside me, Cho was getting hammered by a non-stop stream Yuri pulled from the ocean. She cackled, redirecting the flow every time poor Cho started getting a handle on it.

Hana split the five globes again, sending ten fist-sized balls of water back at me. I pulled up my hands, unleashing the last bit of the shūspekta’s munje in the wall of deflection. I roared like the bear had, shattering the balls of water and sending tiny dropplets rocketing back at Hana and Yuri. The gale-force rain slapped against them, and they ceased their assault, shielding their faces.

When the spell dissipated, Hana scowled. “That’s cheating.”

I shrugged. “No one told me any rules.”

Hana charged, her muscles rippling with zo munje. She reached out for a grab and I deflected her hands. My feet sank into the sand as I stepped back, keeping pace with her relentless assault.

“And this isn’t cheating?” I asked between blocking kicks.

“You’re getting dunked,” she said with a wild smile.

“Dunk him!” Yuri screamed.

Arms clamped down over mine and across my chest from behind. Cho’s arms.

“Traitor!” I screamed as Cho pulled me into the air with his superior height.

“Just making it even!” He laughed, dashing into the water.

I wriggled, bucked, and kicked but somehow couldn’t get free. Cho was knee deep and not stopping. Fine, if I was getting dunked, he was too. When a tall wave hit us, I locked my feet behind his knees and pulled. I took a deep breath, blocking my nose with a shield of en munje.

“Who’s pretty now?” Cho laughed and faceplanted me into the wave.

Cold water rushed over my face, but not up my nose! Cho’s grip loosened and I twisted free, kicking off deeper into the bay. I surfaced and took a huge breath, then went back under. The water tugged at me unnaturally and I released ma munje to undo the spell that tried to drag me back.

I surfaced again and turned to see Yuri, somehow floating on top of the water. She splashed me as she went by on a flat sheet of ice. She swam her arms through the air rhythmically, propelling herself around in a wide arc. She was coming back around to splash me again. We’d see about that.

Another big wave rushed toward me and I wrapped my head in a loose pocket of air. I dove down and kicked, unleashing spell disrupting ma from my feet in big swaths. The meters appeared at the edges of my vision to show me remaining stores of munje.

“Mae!” I shouted into my little bubble of air with a grin.

Yuri’s ice board coasted over me, riding the wave.

“It’s good to be functional again.” Mae’s voice released a tension in my shoulders I didn’t know I’d been holding. I surfaced just in time to see Yuri’s board splitting apart. She waved her arms wildly, trying to keep herself upright on the two slender pieces under each foot.

‘What happened to you?’

“Do you know that feeling when a lot of people are talking in a small room and it becomes hard to think?”

I knew it all too well from having so many siblings and a tiny house.

“Well, imagine five-hundred Daegon screaming at the top of their lungs in the bathroom. Dokun’s facility is loud. Apparently so loud it was disrupting my ability to function. I’m sure I can protect against it, but it’ll take some time.”

I bobbed up and down as another wave passed me. ‘How long? How can I help?’

She blew a raspberry. “I don’t know. A year? My analogy was much too simple to really describe what was happening to me, and I doubt the solution will be as simple.”

Hana paddled up next to me, concern in her face. “Everything okay?”

I nodded. “I think so.”

The water tugged on my legs gently and I looked around for the ambush. Hana thought she could distract me while Yuri snuck up and dunked me again, well she thought wrong—

A constricting grip latched onto my legs and jerked me under. My stomach lurched into my chest as I was dragged deeper and farther out into the bay. The water rushed past me so fast I struggled to pull my arms out to the side. I needed to slow down.

I unleashed ma munje through my legs, trying to dispel whatever had caught me, while I sent en to my arms. I pushed my hands down to my sides, forcing the water away from me. The magical dragline that had caught me didn’t relent even a fraction. My ears ached and I forced air into the canal through my nose to equalize.

‘What’s happening?’ I asked Mae in a panic.

“I don’t know!” She cried back.

I pushed en up from my neck, encasing my face in a shield to trap the air bubbles. I opened my eyes to nothing but black. Ten meters above me was the surface of the water, glistening gently from the golden clouds above.

I took a shallow breath from the trapped air and prepared to cycle… but for what? The ma dispel hadn’t worked. The en repulsion had barely slowed me down What could save us from the horrible fate that awaited when the monster’s face emerged from the deep?

We slowed, and a rippling barrier emerged, and behind it was a massive, black, tubular shape. Something orange appeared at the side, and blue twisted out from it. That blue soaked into the water around me, slowing me to a near stop. I knew that orange.

My feet crossed the barrier into dry air, then my chest, and I saw my opportunity. I kicked at his glowing blue hands, trying to loosen his control over the water to set me free. He jerked away, then slapped my leg down with a spark of red. My leg went numb, dropping uselessly.

It was the same spell I’d used against Shin-soo, though I hadn’t known how to use it. My mind came alive with the replay of Bo fighting my father in the garden, and the explosions of red that put her on the ground. I hadn’t had a breath to cycle in too long, and my ma was too low to try to counter him.

I crossed into the large pocket of air, weightlessly hanging before the open hatch of the submarine. I wanted to gasp in the oxygen to ease my burning lungs, but I breathed slowly and glared down the fox-faced man standing in the open hatch. Salty seawater dripped down my hair and lashes, blurring my vision, but I glared on.

He pulled the mask up, revealing bright green eyes. “Hello again, son.”