KION'S POINT OF VIEW(Universe 97)
 
"Where are Seina and the others?" I asked Xylus, who was engrossed in reading a book.
 
In a situation like this, he still found time to read?
 
"Maybe they’re outside; they said they were going to practice their fire abilities," he answered, not taking his eyes off the book.
 
It was just Xylus and me in the living room, while Ashly was missing. She was probably off somewhere getting her beauty rest.
 
"Oh my gosh, Xylus! Why is it so hot here?!" Ashly burst in, fanning herself vigorously with her hair tied up in a bun.
 
I was about to respond when I realized Ashly was right. Why was it so hot already in the morning? There were plenty of trees outside, so I was puzzled about the sweltering weather.
 
Xylus slowly closed his book and placed it on the center table. "Maybe the air conditioning is off?" he suggested.
 
I shook my head. I had just turned on the air conditioner a few minutes ago. I glanced at Ashly, who was practically sweating profusely.
 
"I feel like I’m on fire! It’s so hot!" she complained. Typical, she’s always so dramatic. She should be grateful she’s my friend’s girlfriend; otherwise, I might have kicked her out of the mansion by now.
 
But wait—on fire?
 
Both Xylus and I widened our eyes and exchanged looks before rushing towards the door. "Hey, where are you going?" Ashly called out, but we didn’t have time to answer her complaints.
 
We nearly stumbled as we hurriedly ran towards the door to get outside.
 
"Seina! Sei!" I shouted when we saw them surrounded by flames. In front of them were two figures cloaked in black.
 
"Members of the Black Society..." Xylus muttered.
 
Oh no...
 
How did they find out we were here?
 
---
 
### SEINA'S POINT OF VIEW
 
"That’s right, make it bigger as much as you can." I followed Sei’s instructions, sweeping my hand in a circular motion.
 
I had to calm myself to prevent the fire from becoming erratic. If I got tense, the flames would get hotter uncontrollably.
 
At this moment, the fire I was creating wasn’t too intense, and that was due to my calm mindset. I also avoided thinking about other things to keep my performance steady.
 
"The Fire Seal, I see..." I heard an unusual voice and glanced around.
 
I noticed Sei looking in one direction—towards the garden.
 
"Seina, just stay calm..." Sei’s words made me worried. Why should I calm down? Who said that?
 
I closed my eyes and focused, as controlling the fire wasn’t easy and required time to extinguish.
 
I realized too late that the speaker was standing right in front of us, their faces obscured by hoods.
 
"Who are they, Sei?" I whispered.
 
"The Black Society."
 
My eyes widened, and my heart almost stopped beating at her words.
 
"S-the Black Society?"
 
"Seina, focus. Don’t let them distract you. Your concentration will break," Sei instructed.
 
"I see you’re Seina from Universe 13. You seem weak..." The man’s words pierced my heart. Am I really that weak in their eyes?
 
I struggled to stay calm with our enemies right in front of us. What were they doing here in Everland Forest?
 
"What do you want?" Sei asked bravely.
 
"What else? The seal on that girl," the man said, pointing at me.
 
My knees nearly gave way as Sei whispered, "Stay calm, Seina. The heat around us is increasing because you’re losing control."
 
I knew that, but I chose to keep the temperature high, hoping that Kion would notice. I knew they could also feel the heat from my ability.
 
"Don’t be afraid, Seina; they don’t have powers, just Black Society minions." I glanced at the two men again.
 
"We don’t want trouble; we’re just here to give you a warning," the man continued. "If you don’t hand over the seal, we’ll have to fight."
 
Fight us?
 
"Seina! Sei!"
 
We all turned towards the shout, which I guessed came from behind us. Kion and Xylus.
 
They must have sensed the unusual temperature, leading them to think something was off outside the house.
 
Wow, it took them a while to realize the temperature was abnormal. I thought they would have noticed sooner.
 
"They’re gone," Sei said.
 
I looked for the two men but only heard the fading sound of their footsteps.
 
Finally, I breathed a sigh of relief as the flames disappeared. Perhaps it was because I was calmer now.
 
I wanted to tell Sei earlier that I had lost control of the fire, but I chose not to. I didn’t want the Black Society to think I was weak.
 
I am weak, but I’ll find a way to protect myself if the worst happens. I hope it doesn’t come to us having to fight them.
 
---
EVELYN'S POINT OF VIEW
 
I gazed at the dark sky, covered in thick clouds that threatened rain, with no stars or moonlight to illuminate the night.
 
I hoped Seina was okay in Universe 97. I knew she could handle whatever problem she faced.
 
It had only been minutes since she left, but it felt like an eternity to me. I forgot to mention that time doesn’t match up here and in other universes.
 
A minute here is an hour for them. So, I know she’ll return earlier.
 
"Auntie..."
 
"K-Kion?" I was surprised and shocked to see Kion right in front of me.
 
"Why did you let Seina go with them?" he asked.
 
So he must have seen everything...
 
I approached him and hugged him to reassure him that everything was fine. I could see the worry in his eyes for my daughter.
 
"Don’t worry, she’ll come back," I said.
 
"I’m not like the Kion she’s with..." he said, facing me.
 
"Do you think she’ll like Kion from Universe 97?" I asked. He nodded in agreement.
 
"If that’s the case, I know she’ll still come back to you." I didn’t know why I said that. Honestly, I wasn’t sure about the possibility of what he thought might happen.
 
But if she falls for someone from another universe, it could lead to significant problems, especially between universes.
 
"Go home now; it’s getting late. You have work tomorrow, don’t you?"
 
"Okay."
 
I watched him walk away, gradually disappearing into the darkness. I was fond of that boy; every time he visited our home, I treated him like my own child.
 
Kion was orphaned and had no parents, only his step-parents with him.
 
He’s a smart, caring, and kind child. I don’t understand why Seina doesn’t see it. Maybe she’s just oblivious to everything Kion does for her.