Levels

Darren stared at the notifications in awe. He had sensed something happening while in the Rift, but there hadn't been time to stop and check. Now, seeing all the notifications at once, he felt a surge of excitement.

"I'm level seven!" he exclaimed.

"What?" Kaycee replied, sounding indignant. "I'm only level five!"

Darren chuckled, "Well, I must have killed more creepy goblins than you. Plus, I did kill the boss."

Kaycee smirked. "You know, that lightning ability of yours isn't really fair."

"Fair or not, it's pretty awesome. That monster was done for before it even knew what was going on!" Darren said proudly.

Kaycee smiled and moved closer, resting her head on his shoulder. They were sitting on a picnic table bench, their backs against the table. She intertwined her fingers with his, and Darren had never felt so at peace.

The sky was brightening as the first rays of the sun peeked over the horizon, and a soft breeze rustled through the trees, swaying the branches to the rhythm of nature. They had been up all night, but Darren didn't feel tired. Energy still coursed through him, making him feel like he could fly. The thought sparked an idea he wanted to try later.

"Oh, you're injured," Kaycee noted, noticing the wounds on Darren's arms and legs. He had already forgotten about them.

"It's nothing, I don't even feel any pain," Darren shrugged.

"Nonsense, I'm a healer now," Kaycee grinned. "Let me fix it."

Darren nodded, and Kaycee, seeming to know exactly what to do, placed her glowing hands on his wounds. Her hands radiated a soft green light as she touched his arm and leg, and almost instantly, the tears in his skin began to close. Darren could feel other cuts and scrapes elsewhere on his body healing as well. In less than thirty seconds, every wound had vanished.

"Now that is cool," Darren said, thoroughly impressed.

"I unlocked a new skill! I guess that's how it works, huh? We apply our current power in a new way, and that unlocks it? What do you think the benefits are of that?" Kaycee wondered aloud.

The Earth Defense System responded with a message on Darren's display, indicating it was meant for Kaycee: 

"I may be able to answer that question for you."

"Oh, yes, please do," Kaycee replied eagerly.

EDS explained, "Unlocking the skill simply allows you to grow in strength with relation to that specific skill. For instance, you healed Darren by applying your Healing Aura to his body, and it worked to heal him. However, now that the skill Mending Touch has been learned, the strength of the healing from Mending Touch will scale with two of your Attributes, Absorption and Luck."

"Could you explain those Attributes a little bit more, EDS?" Darren asked.

"Certainly," EDS continued. "Attributes are, to put it simply, qualities that each Knight has that can be increased with Advancement Points. Each Attribute strengthens you, the Knights, as well as your individual skills and abilities. In Kaycee's case, the strength of her Mending Touch will scale with Absorption and Luck. Absorption, along with Vitality, are the only two Attributes that cannot be increased by spending Advancement Points on them. For most Knights, however, they are also the only two Attributes that increase automatically with each personal level gained.

"Your level of Absorption indicates how well you're able to absorb and manipulate different forms of energy. Whereas your level of Luck basically indicates your chances of delivering a critical hit, or a critical heal. It also affects your ability to obtain rare and valuable items from defeating enemies, and how likely you are to achieve any desired result in general."

"Okay, that's... a lot," Kaycee said, processing the information.

"Yeah, but it makes sense, right? In fact, I think we both probably have some Advancement Points we can spend at some point," Darren said.

Kaycee nodded, "I guess so. That's kind of cool, actually." She chuckled, then gazed at the vibrant sunrise, the sky painted with shades of orange, red, and pink that outlined the clouds beautifully.

"So, what do we do now?" Kaycee asked softly. "Can we really go back to life as usual after that?"

Darren considered her question, then answered, "I don't know, but I don't think I want to."

"You don't want to go back to life as usual?" Kaycee asked.

"No, too much good has happened in the last several hours... Plus, life as usual doesn't include spending time with you, and there's no way I'm ready to give that up," Darren admitted.

Kaycee leaned forward, a coy smile playing on her lips, and kissed him. This time it was slower and more deliberate than before, back in the Rift. The world around Darren seemed to melt away, and he was lost in her scent, her love, and her lips.

Eventually, Kaycee pulled back, brushing her bangs aside, her face flushed. She held Darren's hand in both of hers, gently rubbing his fingers with her thumbs. Darren knew what he had to do.

"Kaycee, you know, I've never actually had a girlfriend before, nor have I ever really wanted one. I've pretty much always been lost in my studies and learning. But, I don't want to let you go... ever. Will you be my girlfriend?" Darren asked, feeling a bit old-fashioned but sensing that Kaycee might appreciate it.

"I've been waiting on you to ask me that since freshman year," Kaycee admitted with a playful narrowing of her eyes.

"What? Really?" Darren asked, surprised at his own obliviousness.

"Yeah, but I'm a patient woman. And yes, I'd love to be your girlfriend," Kaycee said, her smile growing with each word.

She kissed him again, and then again, and Darren wished he could stay in that moment forever.

"Get a room!" someone shouted, snapping Darren back to reality. He glanced around, trying to spot the source of the voice, but there were too many people around, all beginning to head to class.

"What the..." Darren muttered, still disoriented.

What time was it?

"Wow," Kaycee said, her eyes wide. "I don't think I've ever lost time like that before. How long were we... you know?"

"Honestly, it felt like seconds," Darren said. "But it seems it was quite a bit longer than that..."

Kaycee laughed, covering her mouth with both hands. "Well, I can think of worse ways to spend our time," she said. "Wait, don't you have your last finals today?"

"Oh, crap," Darren groaned.