The morning sun painted Aqualis Village with a warm glow, but mischief was already stirring. At the schoolyard, Rin and Rio, mischievous twin siblings, plotted quietly behind the fountain.
"There," Rin whispered, pointing at Ocean Counter, who walked calmly toward the classroom. "Let's see if we can get him this time!"
Rio grinned. "This time, he won't know what hit him!"
A small spell, meant to trip or surprise Ocean, flew toward him. It fizzled before it reached him, redirecting harmlessly into the ground. Ocean tilted his head slightly, brown eyes calm as ever.
"Hm. Careful," he murmured. A faint ripple of water and air swirled around him, almost invisible, subtly bending probabilities. Another prank fizzled; a ball rolled safely past him. The twins blinked, bewildered.
Lyra Mistwind ran up, laughing. "I don't think your tricks are going to work on him!"
Ocean smiled faintly, walking between the twins and the classroom. He didn't scold them. He didn't need to. The world itself seemed to adjust around him, keeping him safe from every minor disruption.
Inside the classroom, Kael Thorn watched quietly, frowning. "How does he do it… every single time?"
Ocean adjusted his satchel and took his usual seat by the window. Sunlight reflected off his black hair, faint ripples of water hovering around him unnoticed by anyone else. He looked out at the twins, who were now sheepishly sitting down, unsure what had just happened.
"Some things," Ocean murmured quietly to himself, "don't need to be fought. They simply… bend."
And far beyond the village, a faint shimmer of abstract energy lingered — Kiyo Jian, still watching, still curious about the boy who always 'loses,' yet never truly loses anything at all.