Soul Mirror (3)

I found myself standing in front of Ari, just a few steps away from her, at the center of the circular red dirt training ground.

Maybe noticing I looked a bit tense and worried, Ari tried to reassure me:

"This training field uses a technology similar to the one found in the Colosseum duel arenas... when your HP hits zero, a barrier will instantly activate to protect you from fatal attacks, so whether now or in future duels, don't worry too much about your life."

Some reassurance that was… her explanation made me even more worried than before.

'Just how badly does she plan on beating me up?' I thought, nervously chuckling to myself.

However, the part about future duels in the arena did surprise me a little.

"So, my life won't be at risk in future duels?" I asked, just to be sure.

"In most cases, no..." she replied.

"What do you mean by 'in most cases'?"

"Let's just say that in official duels, it's rare for a gladiator to die, though it can happen if a wound causes instant death, for example, if a gladiator were to cleanly decapitate the other, in that case, death would be almost certain, because the barrier wouldn't activate in time," she explained.

I could only swallow nervously.

'So I could actually die in a duel,'

Becoming aware of this stirred a strange feeling throughout my body, my heartbeat sped up and my breath grew shallow. I took a few deep breaths and, staring blankly at a random spot in front of me, regained a bit of calm.

I thought again, this time with greater conviction, that I absolutely had to understand my Soul Mirror.

I stared at Ari, my gaze shifting from hesitant to coldly serious.

"I prefer that look on your face," Ari commented. "Alright, time to begin, I promise I'll go easy," she added with a sly smile, taking off her heels and setting them by the edge of the ring.

The next moment, I was flat on my back, several meters from where I had just been, with a stabbing pain in my chest.

I couldn't react to Ari's strike, or rather, I didn't even see it coming.

'What the hell?!'

Eyes wide open, I stared up at the blue sky. Fluffy white clouds drifted lazily from right to left.

I got up with difficulty, brushing off the dirt, one hand pressed to my aching chest. I looked ahead,

Ari stood a few steps in front of me, and then, she vanished into thin air.

'Where is she?!' I looked around quickly in all directions, not blinking once.

As soon as I saw a figure coming at me from the left, it was already too late. I felt knuckles sink into my cheek, and moments later I was airborne, then crashing and rolling hard against the ground.

"Didn't you say you'd go easy?!" I shouted at Ari, who responded with a laugh and an amused look.

'She's enjoying this, the damn sadist…'

I stood up quickly. My sides, face, chest, and left wrist throbbed with pain.

I was probably bleeding somewhere on my face, as I occasionally tasted that unmistakable iron flavor on my lips.

'To hell with it!'

Maybe having gone completely insane by now, I lunged toward Ari. Just a step from her, I loaded a right hook aimed at her face, but it was just a feint, meant to raise her guard on her left.

My real intent was to hit her with a kick to her right side.

She initially watched my movements with a surprised expression and raised her guard to the left, maybe curious to see how I'd strike, or just playing along.

Unfortunately, she quickly noticed the feint.

As my leg rose toward her side, she closed in on me with inhuman speed and leapt, driving her knee into my face.

The hit made me stagger backward, my mind fogging up.

Ari didn't waste a second. The moment she landed, she launched herself at me with inhuman speed, preparing a side kick aimed at my left flank.

Instinctively, I leapt backward clumsily, falling and landing hard on my butt.

Ari didn't waste a second. The moment she landed, she launched herself at me with inhuman speed, preparing a side kick aimed at my left flank.

But the strike missed!? I had dodged it by falling backward!?

I looked at Ari's confused expression with my own equally baffled one.

I couldn't understand what had just happened.

I had seen the exact same scene play out twice before my eyes.

From the side of the field, I heard a surprised sound, probably from Iwe.

Looking over at her and Rui, I saw their curious faces and expressions of genuine astonishment.

"You finally did it." Ari commented coolly.

'What does she mean?' I wondered, too mentally disoriented to grasp it.

I got up with difficulty, stumbling and struggling to stay balanced, it felt like I was drunk.

I saw Ari dash toward me and throw a straight punch aimed at the center of my face.

I raised my arms to block, and a moment later the punch landed exactly where I had seen it coming, right where I was now shielding myself with my forearms.

Even though I had blocked it, the pain was searing and pushed me back a few staggering steps.

'What's going on? Why can I react in time now?'

My eyes widened. Thinking it through, it was obvious what was happening, though my dazed mind had taken a while to process it.

'I'm predicting her moves!' That was the only logical explanation – as logical as seeing the immediate future could be –.

I felt something different inside me. I instinctively sensed something about my power, as if a candle had been lit deep within me.

The flickering flame dimly lit a sandy-colored ditch. A black spider, intent on spinning a single thread, caught my attention.

'I can foresee danger,' that's what the trembling thread from the spider was telling me.

"Ari, I think I've figured out part of my power." I said, slightly excited, snapping back to reality.

"Good," Ari replied flatly, then delivered a kick to my temple.

I saw it coming, but couldn't fully dodge it, it was simply too fast.

"I thought we were done here…" I muttered weakly, dazed on the ground.

"What are you talking about!?" she exclaimed. "Now that you've understood part of your power, it's time to train it." She added, seeming unwilling to end her fun so quickly.

That "training" session, which was more of a one-sided beatdown, went on for another thirty minutes, until I had neither the physical nor mental strength left to stand.

"Alright, let's end it here," Ari finally declared. "I'd say it was a productive session," she added with a bright smile. She seemed to have had a blast, the damn witch.

While I sat on the ground, covered in bruises and pain, Iwe and Rui walked over to me.

"Don't you think you went a little overboard?" Rui asked Ari, offering a hesitant smile.

"I did it for his growth," Ari replied, clearly having enjoyed using me as a stress-relief punching bag.

Rui sighed, then offered me a hand to help me up.

"Eat this," he said, handing me an energy bar.

I took it and nibbled on it, confused as to how a bar could help me in the sorry state I was in.

Yet moments later, my strength seemed to return, at least physically, and my wounds began to slowly heal.

"That was quite the… show? Uh… you did great," Iwe said, trying to lift my spirits.

"Actually, after a while it looked like your movements changed…" Iwe added. Rui seemed to agree with her observation.

I looked at their curious faces. I wanted to trust them, and for them to trust me.

I had the strong feeling I'd need allies and friends to survive here in the Colosseum without losing my mind.

"My movements changed because of my Soul Mirror. I partially figured it out… after being beaten to a pulp by… Ari."

I chose to call her by name, though I would've much preferred some… alternative nicknames at that moment.

'Should I tell them what my Soul Mirror is?' I wondered, a bit conflicted.

Maybe noticing my uncertain look, Rui spoke with a gentle expression:

"Ah, you don't have to tell us about your Soul Mirror just yet, we understand if you'd rather keep it to yourself for now… after all, we only just met."

Talking with Rui was… comforting and relaxing.

Iwe, on the other hand, didn't seem quite as skilled at hiding her curiosity.

Her face and body language betrayed the strain of holding back her urge to ask.

She crossed her arms and kept pinching her extremely well-defined tricep, nervously moving her lips, occasionally biting them, avoiding eye contact only to glance back at me in split-second intervals, while her foot tapped the ground at a speed… that stirred a faint cloud of dust?

I stared especially at that last detail, slightly furrowing my brows.

Rui sighed and shook his head gently at Iwe's behavior, then smiled faintly, letting warmth show through. He didn't seem very surprised by her behavior.

He gave her a light elbow nudge to the side.

Shortly after, Iwe sighed loudly, giving up on asking.

"Alright, alright… you don't… don't have to tell us now…" she said with deep disappointment. "But!" she exclaimed, now with a bright look, "whenever you feel like talking about your Soul Mirror with someone… I'm always here to listen… and I'm not saying you should tell me ASAP, eh…"

That was obviously a lie, even Rui's expression toward her seemed to agree with me.

"…whenever you feel like it… yes, whenever you want, tell me."

Her expression shifted again, now back to disappointed and sad.

'How many times does she change moods?' I wondered, barely holding back a laugh.

"Elías, I need to talk to you about something." Ari cut in with a serious voice.

I turned toward her. Her stern expression left me wondering.

"Your first duel, when and with whom, has been decided," she explained.

At her words, I couldn't help but swallow nervously.