Milo sat on a built in bench against the wall of the combat hall, the lights had long since gone off. Milo looked forward, Eva was repeating some basic katas he was taught in school... again, and again, and again.
'Does she seriously never grow tired?'
It had been a week since their little conversation in the storage closer. She had been improving, relatively. Her body was built for the movements, but her mind couldn't keep up. She would overthink, step too far, step too little, overswing, or not commit enough.
Which is why Milo suggested that they sneak out and get some extra training in. Of course, Milo was simply trying to tire her out so she left him alone. Milo didn't want to be associated with an absolute weirdo like this at the end of the day, even if it was his fault he was here.
However, she had the body of a machine. No pun intended, she never got tired, it was absurd. Milo wasn't sure if he was simply just weak because doing even a tenth of what Eva has done would've made him hurl.
She finished, wiping the sweat off her forehead. Milo had to admit that she looked rather alluring, especially because any shirt on her would ride up slightly because of her height. She turned to Milo.
"Lets spar again."
Milo sighed and grabbed the wooden training sword next to him.
"Alright, just don't complain about me going hard, you are a very fast learner."
Both his and her training swords had blood on them. Only the tiniest amounts, and they did clean up after themselves. Milo entered his stance, and so did Eva.
Milo waited for Eva to strike, she stepped forward with a quick downwards strike. Milo blocked and moved the tip of the sword to her chest. Eva twisted her body and threw a leg kick. Milo stepped back and followed with a side kick that connected with a mean sounding thwack.
Eva stumbled back, nearly losing her balance. Milo followed up, thrusting his sword forward. Then Eva recovered suddenly, knocking Milo's sword to the side.
"Faker." Milo spat out. Milo blocked a wide swing with his prosthetic. Grabbing the top of her sword and yanking it from her hands. She flew towards him. and Milo reeled back his left hand, delivering a devastating gut punch. Eva groaned, the air was more than likely knocked out of her.
Milo shook his left hand, it felt like he was punching concrete. Milo figured it had to do with her aspect, her body was just unnaturally durable and strong. Maybe it was based off statues considering her otherworldly looks.
Milo never bothered to ask. Maybe her Flaw made her demented or senile but she genuinely didn't know or remember a single thing about this world outside of a few niche aspects. She didn't even know how to use a communicator properly, yet she knew who Queen Bee, Leo Striker, and everybody else was. How in the world did that make sense?
Milo knew it had to do with her Flaw. She likely had some sort of memory loss, maybe she forgot how to do trivial things? It honestly made tons of sense. She usually ate with her hands, forgot the basic greetings of respect to higher ups. She just didn't fit in to everybody else. It could likely be overcome after some time, but who's to say the Flaw wouldn't make her forget again.
Milo rubbed his head.
"What am I going to do with you" He mumbled out.
Eva had gotten her breath back and grinned. "I don't know, maybe you should choose to believe me."
Milo shook his head. "It's your flaw isn't it. You were forced to forget the most trivial of things of all time."
Eva froze and Milo knew he was correct.
"You are keen you know that?"
Milo appreciated the praise but knew to stay humble, especially in front of a legacy.
"I mean its the only natural assumption. You forgot how to fight, how to forage properly. Yet you still remember things like the gods and the great clans."
"Well, what counts as trivial seems to depend on me. Because in the Dream Realm, things like fighting and foraging are important and yet I still forgot them. However, I do have an attribute that makes up for it... in a way."
Milo shrugged. Just one of the many mysteries this girl had.
***
Two weeks. Two weeks since Milo and Eva had started their strange routine. This time, they were simply out at night, enjoying the... well the digital sky.
"Remind me why we're doing this again when I could be practicing starting fires?"
Milo sighed. "Listen, we might die soon. You have to enjoy the small pleasures of life."
He hesitated... was it really appropriate to even say this right now?
"You know... I'm scared." Milo squatted down and hugged his knees.
"I mean, I'm barely sixteen, did you know that most sixteen year old's back then more than likely hadn't even wielded a training sword before?"
Eva looked at Milo and nodded. "I guess I can relate in a way. I had to relearn all of this after all."
Milo shook his head. "You have muscle memory, because you learn way too quickly. Plus that attribute of yours, how does it work again?"
Eva sighed, sitting down next to Milo. "I absorb knowledge quickly through their respective mediums. If I read a book I can memorize and recall its contents easily. I'm essentially a sponge of knowledge."
Milo wanted to laugh, she didn't even have a Divine Aspect, and yet she still got such a better attribute than his own. "You are one lucky person, you know that? Either way, what would that be like? Going back to before the devasting wars that destroyed Europe. I've seen pictures of Greece, and I have to say, looks like a beautiful place."
Eva just sat there, listening, and so Milo continued. "They make webtoons about it, people transmigrating to more peaceful universes. Or Awakened going back in time to before the wars and having to get accustomed to every day life back then. I wonder... what if that was me? What if I was lucky enough to get away from all this noise and bullshit and just be allowed a peaceful existence."
Milo let the silence linger, this was nice. This felt right, and Eva eventually answered. "Well, I can show you, if we both get back from the Dream Realm alive of course. I don't plan on dying out there."
"Who knows, maybe I'll let my nightmare end out there. With my luck, I wouldn't be surprised if I ran into a Unholy Titan."
Eva seemed dumbfounded and worried.
"Tell me, do you happen to have an attribute called Fated?"
Milo shook his head. "Never heard of it."
Eva relaxed. "Good, I've heard its terrible news."
Milo stared up at the giant expanse of the Awakened Academy. He didn't know what to think, what to say.
"Alright, well, lets get out of here before I start tearing up like a little bitch."
Milo stood up, and Eva followed,
"Finally realized how cringe this was getting weren't you?"
Milo shrugged. "Maybe... I can only do this once every three months." His voice was a little haggard
Eva chuckled "Likewise, my friend."
Milo didn't dare show his face. Eva looked down, small wet spots that had fallen on the concrete floor were clear as a day under the light of the artificial sky. She ignored it.