Fragments Of Fire

After a 30-minute bus ride, Kai and the others arrived at their destination, an older branch of the EX Agency.

"How nice is it? We've traveled from one EX Agency to another EX Agency," Kai remarked, a hint of humor in his voice.

"Yeah, it's a bit confusing," Tony added with a chuckle.

Master Feng clarified, "You can think of this as the EX Training Agency."

"Alright then, EX Training Agency—we've arrived," Tony said, stepping off the bus.

Master Feng nodded. "Now, head to your rooms and prepare for today's class."

Following the instruction, MyungJin and Tony went to their shared room, while Kai and Jin headed to theirs.

As Jin was getting ready, a sudden headache overwhelmed him, causing him to sit on the bed.

"What's wrong?" Kai asked, noticing Jin's discomfort.

"Just a headache," Jin replied, rubbing his temples.

"Do you think you'll be able to join class today?" Kai asked, concerned.

"Yeah, I think so," Jin answered, standing up to continue preparing.

However, as he got up, weakness overtook him, and he collapsed to the floor.

"I don't think you can make it to class today. You need to rest," Kai said firmly, helping Jin back to the bed.

"But I'm fine," Jin protested, struggling to stand.

"No, you're staying here. I'll head to your class and inform them you're not feeling well," Kai insisted before leaving the room.

Once alone, Jin took some medicine and headed to the bathroom to change clothes. As he removed his shirt, a wave of dizziness struck him.

"What's happening?" Jin muttered weakly, trying to steady himself.

Before he could react further, the dizziness intensified, and he collapsed, falling unconscious on the bathroom floor.

Meanwhile, Kai headed to his class. After the session ended, he was on his way back to his room, passing through the training ground. As he walked, he spotted Tony approaching.

"Hi," Tony greeted Kai.

"Hi," Kai replied.

"Where's Jin? I didn't see him after class ended," Tony asked.

"He had a headache, so I told him to rest. That's why he didn't join the class today," Kai explained.

As they spoke, the clouds above rumbled loudly. Both looked up.

"Hmm, looks like it'll rain tomorrow," Tony said, observing the overcast sky.

"I think so," Kai agreed.

Suddenly, a human-shaped figure with wings flew by at incredible speed.

"What was that?" Tony asked, startled.

"I don't know, but I think we should follow it," Kai said.

"You're right. Let's go," Tony agreed.

They both started running in pursuit of the mysterious figure.

"I'll follow it from the sky; you track it from the ground," Kai suggested.

"Alright," Tony replied.

Kai leaped into the air, summoning his wings, and began flying after the figure. As he closed the distance, he saw that it was indeed a human but couldn't make out its face.

"WHO ARE YOU? STOP! I WON'T HURT YOU!" Kai shouted.

The figure ignored him, increasing their speed to escape. Kai pushed himself to fly faster, getting closer.

"I REALLY WON'T HURT YOU, BUT YOU NEED TO STOP!" Kai yelled again.

The person suddenly transformed their wings into fiery wings, continuing to move forward with even greater speed.

"AHH, THAT FIRE! STOP! I WON'T HURT YOU IF YOU STOP!" Kai shouted, shielding himself from the intense heat.

Instead of stopping, the person turned and punched Kai in the face, sending him hurtling down toward a sharp rock. Just before impact, Kai regained control and started flying again. When he looked up, the mysterious figure was gone.

He landed back near Tony.

"Did you see where it went?" Kai asked, still catching his breath.

"No, it was too fast," Tony replied.

"It was also incredibly powerful," Kai said.

"We'll catch it next time," Tony reassured him.

"Yeah, you're right. I need to check on Jin and see if he needs anything," Kai said.

"Alright. Ryu should be arriving soon too," Tony said as they parted ways.

Both returned to their respective rooms. Kai entered his room to find Jin still lying on the bed, asleep. Concerned, he placed a hand on Jin's forehead and immediately noticed the fever. Alarmed, he grabbed a thermometer and measured Jin's temperature—it read an alarming 46 degrees Celsius.

"That's too high. I need to get him to the hospital," Kai muttered.

He quickly called two nearby kids for assistance. Together, they carried Jin to the hospital.

Meanwhile, in the EX Agency's medical facility, Wei's magical process was nearing its completion after an hour and a half. As the final step of the procedure concluded, an unexpected jolt of energy surged through Ryu, flinging him into the wall.

"AHH! You said it wouldn't hurt!" Ryu groaned.

"No, I didn't say anything like that," Wei responded nonchalantly.

"I think you did it on purpose!" Ryu accused.

"No, it's part of the cure," Wei explained.

"So, is it over now?" Ryu asked, still recovering.

"Not yet, but it will be any second now," Wei assured him.

Suddenly, Ryu's arm began to burn, radiating intense heat.

"AHH! You said this was a cure!" Ryu shouted in pain.

A brilliant light burst from Ryu's hand. Without hesitation, Wei summoned a magical containment box and trapped the light within it. Moments later, Ryu's arm returned to normal.

"What was that light that came from my arm?" Ryu asked, panting.

"I'll explain later. For now, we need to head to Prince Ryu—he's experiencing the same issue you had," Wei replied.

"So, am I cured now?" Ryu asked again.

"Yes, it's done," Wei confirmed.

With that, Wei opened a portal to the Royal Dimension. Both stepped through, leaving the EX Agency behind. The air was filled with an aura of majesty, the massive castle looming ahead of them.

As they walked, Ryu turned to Wei. "So, now tell me—what exactly is in that box?"

Wei glanced at the glowing box in his hand. "It's a part of Black Fire."

"You mean the Legendary Weapon I accidentally destroyed? But how did it end up inside my body?" Ryu asked, confused.

"When Black Fire broke, you were the closest to it. Its powers sought a host to preserve themselves and entered you. Another fragment ended up in the gem Kai found in the cave. When you made a cut on your hand and fed your blood to the sword Prince Ryu gave you, the Black Fire's powers bonded with the sword. Later, when Kai and Tony placed the gem on your sword, it fully transformed into Black Fire but remained hidden within you and Prince Ryu," Wei explained.

Ryu frowned as he processed this. "I get why it entered me, but why Prince Ryu? He didn't even have Black Fire's powers in him."

Wei nodded. "That's because the sword contains the blood of both of you—by your mutual consent. The shared blood linked you to the Black Fire's power."

Ryu sighed, finally understanding. "That makes sense. Black Fire really has a way of complicating things."

After a short walk, they arrived at the castle. Entering the grand hall, they headed straight for Prince Ryu's chambers.

Inside, Prince Ryu sat reading a book, his usual calm demeanor evident. Wei approached him first. "Hi, how are you feeling now?"

Prince Ryu looked up and smiled faintly. "Better. Do you want new books?"

Before Wei could respond, Ryu chimed in, "Hi."

Prince Ryu turned to him. "Hi. Why haven't you visited me lately?"

Wei interrupted the pleasantries. "Ah, I think we should tell you why we're here. I've found a permanent cure for your arm. It will take some time."

Prince Ryu hesitated. "Promise me it won't hurt," he said, glancing nervously at Wei.

Ryu jumped in. "No, it won't hurt. I promise."

Prince Ryu looked directly at him. "Promise me."

Wei sighed. "I think we should just start."

He began his magic, carefully channeling the intricate process. Over the next hour and a half, the room was filled with glowing energy. As the cure neared its end, a jolt of electricity surged through Prince Ryu, making him wince in pain.

When the magic concluded, another fragment of Black Fire emerged from Prince Ryu's arm, radiating a fiery glow. Wei deftly contained it in another magical box.

"You promised me it wouldn't hurt!" Prince Ryu said furiously, glaring at Ryu.

Ryu held up his hands defensively. "I didn't promise, Wei did."

Prince Ryu's eyes narrowed, but after a moment, he sighed. Shortly after, his arm returned to normal, the pain subsiding.