SEINA'S POINT OF VIEW
"You're doing great," Sei encouraged as she observed me trying to control the fire element.
I waved my hand, and a small flame danced above my palm. I couldn’t help but smile, amazed that I wasn’t getting burned despite holding the flame. It was exhilarating to see such a display of power without any harm.
"Honestly, I’m not sure about the full extent of that element's capabilities, so it's up to you to discover them," Sei said.
I focused on the tiny flames floating in the air, watching as they slowly extinguished themselves. The feeling of control was both thrilling and unnerving.
"Do members of the Black Society have powers too? I mean, do they have abilities or something?" I asked, genuinely curious.
"Uh, yeah. They have the ability to transform into different creatures," Sei responded. Her answer made me pause.
Transform into different creatures? What does that mean?
"What do you mean? Aren’t they human?" I asked, puzzled.
"They are human. However, they experimented with chemicals that granted them the ability to transform into various creatures."
"That sounds a bit unsettling," I remarked, a hint of disbelief in my voice. Sei chuckled softly, but I couldn’t shake off the feeling of unease.
Sei was still lying down, clearly exhausted and struggling to regain her strength. Her movements were sluggish, and it was apparent she was not fully recovered.
I redirected my focus back to my hand. Earlier, I realized that I could manipulate the fire with my mind. I tried to concentrate on creating a small, square-shaped flame, and once again, I succeeded.
"Just manage your emotions well, okay?" Sei advised. "If your mind can control the fire, then the fire can also influence your mind."
"Got it," I said, my eyes fixed on the floating flame.
At the moment, all I knew was how to generate fire with my hands and form fireballs, which seemed sufficient for self-defense. I hoped it would be enough.
"A-ah..."
My concentration wavered, and the flame in my palm vanished. I looked at Sei in concern as she groaned in pain. I saw her clutching her neck. "What's wrong?!"
"N-nothing..."
"Tell me, Sei. You’re clearly not okay." I stared directly into her eyes, trying to read her expression.
Sei remained silent, but her face revealed her discomfort. "Sei, what’s the issue? Please, tell me..."
She continued to look at me without speaking. I knew there was a reason behind her groans, and I was determined to find out. It could be something serious.
"Promise you won’t tell Kion and Xylus?"
"Promise, just... just tell me." Sei took a deep breath and pushed her hair aside, gathering it to one side of her head.
At first, I wondered why she did that, but then I noticed a seal on her neck that had been hidden by her hair.
"S-Sei..."
"Kion doesn’t know that I have the Nature Seal, and neither does anyone in the Black Society," she explained, her voice trembling slightly.
"But Sei, your body can’t handle it anymore..." Her skin was pale, and it was evident that she was struggling.
"I know, but my mom entrusted this to me." Her mom gave her the seal?
"You mean you’ve had it for a long time and never told Kion?" I asked. Sei nodded in response.
All this time, she had been bearing the Nature Seal in her body?
Sei adjusted her hair again, covering the seal on her neck. It seemed like it was placed there deliberately to keep it hidden.
"The two seals are the reason I’m feeling weak... I’m sick, Seina. I wasn’t born as strong as you."
"Why don’t you remove the seal?" I asked, moving closer and sitting on the edge of the bed where Sei was lying.
"The Black Society can sense the power of the seal if it’s not in a human body," she explained. "So, I decided it’s better not to remove it."
I was at a loss for words. If she couldn’t remove the seal from her body, she might be in grave danger, especially if she was indeed sick and her body was weak.
But we also couldn’t let the Black Society know that we possessed another seal, or they would surely find a way to take it from us.
Another concern was understanding why the remaining elemental seals hadn’t been destroyed yet.
Hmm... where could the Dark Seal be? It sounds dangerous. I just hope it’s not in the hands of the Black Society.
---
### XYLUS'S POINT OF VIEW
We couldn’t stay in Manila for long. The Black Society would soon start searching for the elemental seal, and with so many people in the city, innocent bystanders would likely get caught in the crossfire. We needed to move quickly.
"I spoke with Gon. He has a small house near Everland Forest, close to the waterfall." I looked at Kion, a bit surprised.
"Gon?" I asked, trying to recall who he was.
"Yeah, he’s going to have his staff clean the place. We might be able to move there temporarily," Kion said, typing something on his phone.
In that case, I needed to inform Seina and the others so they could start preparing. I assumed Gon’s house would be spacious enough for all of us.
I decided not to say anything further and went to Ashly, who was busy unpacking her belongings from her suitcase.
"Put that back, Ash." She looked up at me with a puzzled expression. "We’re moving, so don’t scatter your stuff everywhere."
She frowned at me. "You’re being so unreasonable! The contents of my suitcase are worth more than you! Hmp!" Her sudden outburst took me by surprise.
She slammed her suitcase shut and glared at me before leaving. "Dude, I think your girlfriend’s on her period," Kion said, laughing softly.
"Tss, you’re not used to Ashly. That’s just how she is; she has a strong temperament."
"Hey, what’s this about a temperament, Xylus Ivan Deltran?!" Ashly yelled back. Kion and I exchanged worried glances. Damn... she heard me...
"I’m going to the garage to prepare the vehicle. Make sure to tell Seina and Ashly to pack up," Kion said. He walked away, while I headed toward Sei’s room. I checked my phone and saw that it was already 5 PM.
I wondered how the others were doing.