Chapter 94: Shallow Life

Stella and Julia were busy bandaging the two injured men. Nearby, Kai watched with mild impatience. "Why not just use the pill? It's a lot quicker," he suggested.

Julia glanced up, shaking her head. "Because we don't have many left. We wasted a lot on that island, remember?"

Kai let out a scoff and mumbled under his breath, "To think a thief could be this…" Before he could finish, Julia tugged the bandage tighter than necessary, making him wince.

"What was that, Kai?" she asked, her tone icy and laced with sparks of lightning crackling around her.

Kai quickly shook his head, backing down. "Nothing at all. Just… nothing."

As tension simmered down, Elijah turned his attention to Mike, who sat nearby. "So, Mike, what brings you to this planet?"

"Oh, you know, just running from some crazy chick," Mike replied, flashing a grin. He nodded to Stella, who was finishing his bandages. "Thanks, Stella."

Elijah raised an eyebrow. "Lisa, right?"

Mike flinched, a hint of fear flashing across his face. "Wait—what do you mean, Lisa?"

Elijah chuckled. "Relax. Last time I saw her, she mentioned leaving the planet."

Just then, Julia placed a hand on Elijah's shoulder with a slight but firm pressure, her curiosity piqued. "Which Lisa are we talking about?"

"One of the Seven Miracles," Elijah explained, looking off into the distance. "I ran into her because she was controlling that Emperor-tier sea creature. I guess she mistook me for you and decided I'd make a decent target. Or maybe it was just her twisted way of testing me."

"Yeah, that chick is something else," Mike added, shaking his head.

Julia shot Mike a sharp look. "So, what did you do to make one of the Seven Miracles want to chase you? I doubt you'd go around making enemies with someone like her for no reason."

Mike scratched the back of his neck, chuckling awkwardly. "It's... complicated. My sister is one of them, so Lisa and I got... close. Really close." A mischievous grin spread across his face. "Let's just say her older sister was fine, but her younger sister? Well, I couldn't pass up the chance to say hi."

Elijah frowned, his disapproval plain. "And that's exactly what I dislike about you, Mike."

"Don't hate the player, hate the game," Mike shot back, laughing. "So, yeah, one thing led to another, and I ended up sleeping with her sister. Somehow, Lisa found out.

Next thing I knew, she was coming at me with some ice blade, ready to, uh… make some drastic changes to my anatomy." He gave a dramatic shiver. "So, I hightailed it to this remote planet, hoping she wouldn't follow. Can you believe she actually tracked me here?"

Julia smirked. "Maybe I should let her know where you are," she teased.

Mike's eyes went wide. "Wait, please don't! She'll… let's just say I won't make it out in one piece."

Julia chuckled and shook her head. "Fine, fine, I'll stay out of it. For now."

As she walked away, Elijah called after her. "Mike, why did you cheat on her in the first place? She doesn't seem like a bad person to be with."

Mike shrugged. "Elijah, we're young. Gotta live a little, right?"

Elijah stood, giving him a hard look. "Three seconds of fun isn't worth anything, Mike."

"Hey, someone's gotta live it up for all the people who don't," Mike replied, laughing.

But Elijah's smile faded, replaced by a look of disappointment. "Is that all, Mike? Just... living for shallow moments?" His voice was soft, but the disapproval was clear in his eyes. "I thought you were better than that." Without another word, Elijah turned and walked away.

"Where are you going?" Julia called after him.

"It's nighttime. I'm going to check on Tank," he replied.

Julia dashed forward, appearing beside him in an instant. "Then let's go together."

Mike watched them leave, looking bewildered. "He thought highly of me?" He muttered, glancing around at the others gathered by the fire. Kai, Adan, and Stella sat close by, sharing a knowing look.

"So, Mike's someone you've known for a while?" Adan asked, settling comfortably next to Stella, who rested her head on his shoulder.

Kai huffed, his arms crossed. "To think you were even more arrogant back then."

Stella nudged him playfully. "And here I thought I'd seen all of your arrogance already."

Kai's frustration bubbled over. "Why do you two keep calling me arrogant?"

"Because you are," Stella and Adan replied in unison, grinning.

The three of them shared a laugh, and then Kai took a deep breath. "Alright, before I tell you about Mike, let me finish where I left off."

Seven Years Ago

For an entire year, Kai hadn't spoken to or even seen Aurora. His focus was solely on training with Jun, though Aurora had shown up a few times to watch him. Seeing his determination drove her to train even harder, knowing he was steadily closing the gap between them.

One day, Kai's father summoned him. Bowing slightly as he entered the room, Kai greeted him. "Father, you called for me?"

Lucas, his father, nodded. "Yes, Kai. Your mother says you haven't visited her in months."

Kai straightened, his expression serious. "I've been busy training, Father."

"Busy or not, family should always be a priority," Lucas reminded him firmly. "You have a duty to rebuild relationships with your siblings, especially your future wife. The bonds you create now will carry you through adulthood."

Kai stood in thoughtful silence before nodding. "Yes, Father. I understand."

"Good. You're dismissed." As Kai left, Lucas turned his attention to Jun, who remained in the room. He sighed, his face weary. "Are you sure you want to go through with this, Jun?"

Jun's eyes softened, but her resolve remained. "I must, my lord. It's something I need to do."

A flicker of sadness passed through Lucas's eyes. "Promise me you won't die. Kai will be devastated if you do." His voice held a fatherly warmth as he added, "Take care, my faithful maid."

"Yes, my lord," Jun replied quietly, her loyalty and determination evident in her gaze.