The late-morning sun bathed the forest in warmth as it came to life. Birds flew above the canopy, and insects buzzed near the forest floor as activity in the forest increased. A warm breeze passed through the trees as sunlight pierced through and hit the ground.
The four boys stood in a clearing, sweat clinging to their skin despite the early hour. Omari rolled his shoulders, cracking his neck with a loud pop.
He jabbed a finger at Jackson. "You ready to go again?"
Jackson jumped lightly on his toes, loosening his muscles as a smirk tugged at his lips. "Yeah, let's go."
Damian paired everyone by skill. The more experienced fighter would stay on the defensive while the less experienced one attacked relentlessly. That way, the defender could point out mistakes in real time while learning how to read an opponent's offence.
Damian and Jackson would defend.
Savien and Omari would attack.
Damian stood in front of Savien in a low fighting stance. His eyes locked on him as Savien dashed forward, fist pulled back.
He blocked the punch with his forearm and pushed Savien back. He raised his arms defensively as Savien circled him.
Damian didn't truly need to train. Years of combat in his previous life had already made him a seasoned fighter. He only sparred to learn the limits of his young body. Serious training would have to wait until his body was capable of matching his experience.
Omari threw a jab into Jackson's ribs, forcing him back. Not letting him recover, Omari came in with a high kick aimed at the chest.
Jackson grimaced as the air in his lungs was forced out. He clutched his chest as pain surged through his body.
Omari continued with a roundhouse kick aimed at his head, which Jackson caught with his free hand.
Jackson smiled as he pushed Omari's leg back, causing him to stumble slightly. "You were a bit slow on that last one."
Omari smirked as he brought his fists up. "At least I got some hits in."
Savien raised a knee at Damian, which he caught. Damian threw an open palm and shoved Savien, sending him flying backwards.
Damian stared at Savien as he landed, eyes locked onto his movements. "Your body is still too stiff, and you keep throwing out random attacks. You need to look for my openings."
Savien let out an exhausted sigh and raised his fists, preparing to attack.
He lunged forward and threw a punch aimed at Damian, his silver eyes following Damian's movements as his strike got redirected. He blocked the open palm that Damian threw at him as he jumped back slightly.
Savien lifted his leg and drove a kick toward his opponent's stomach. Damian raised a brow as he easily blocked the kick.
"You managed to see the opening. Good, you're learning quickly. Keep it up."
—
The morning passed in a blur of punches, kicks, and bruises.
All four boys sat underneath a tree near the edge of the clearing, drenched in sweat. Their breaths were heavy as the afternoon heat slowly intensified. They each sat facing a cardinal direction, backs pressed against the tree.
Savien faced north, Omari faced east, Jackson faced south, and Damian faced west.
Omari crossed his arms and let out an exhausted sigh. "Next time we should train our powers. It would be way more fun than what we did."
Savien lifted his head and stared at the tree leaves as they swayed in the gentle breeze. "Don't you think we should start using the proper name for it?"
"For what?"
"Our powers."
"You mean Resonance?" Omari waved his hand dismissively. "I prefer to say power."
Savien closed his eyes and let the breeze hit his white hair. "I'm just saying, it will definitely throw people off if you don't use Resonance. It might even make you look suspicious."
Jackson smirked. "He just likes saying 'power' because it makes him feel like a main character."
Omari snapped his fingers. "Nah, power just sounds better. Resonance sounds like something straight out of a cultivation novel." He scratched his cheek and sighed. "But, I guess you're right. I'll start using Resonance from here on out."
A comfortable silence washed over the four boys, occasionally broken by the rustling of leaves in the wind.
Omari hummed a familiar tune as he absorbed the beauty of his new world. He used to dream about being isekai'd into a new world with magic and powers, having to fight monsters and demons to gain power before facing the 'Big Bad' of that world and saving everyone, making him a hero.
And here he was living that dream, though, under different circumstances.
He clasped his hands behind his head and let out a satisfied sigh, relaxing his body against the tree.
Fame and fortune beyond anything he could imagine awaited him once he got stronger and developed his Resonance enough to beat whatever group Observer was talking about.
'I can finally do something with my life!'
Feeling satisfied with that potential outcome, he let his imagination take over. Images of him training with his friends and growing stronger popped into his mind.
Then the image of him being fatally wounded popped up in his mind.
'…Oh, yeah. I could die again.'
The images in his head disappeared.
The dream of becoming a hero suddenly didn't seem as glorious.
He didn't want to die a second time. He still had things he wanted to do, dreams to live, and elf baddies to marry.
"…Guys," he said, his relaxed expression fading into something more serious. "On some real shit… what's stopping us from forgetting about The Observer's mission? We got reincarnated. We have new bodies. We have powers—Resonances, or whatever. Why risk our second chance fighting some big bad group? We could lie low, get strong on our own, and chill. We'll let someone else deal with it."
The air grew quiet. Even the forest seemed to hold its breath.
Savien opened his eyes and looked at the clear-blue sky. "Because if we don't do it, we die anyway. All of us."
Omari blinked. "…What?"
"The Observer didn't just send us here for fun. He gave us the full picture before we reincarnated, remember? This world is cruel. It eats the weak. The villainous group he mentioned… they're not just some random threat. They're accelerating the collapse. If they succeed, the chaos that follows won't spare anyone—not even us. Not even the strong. We'll die alongside everyone else who wasn't prepared."
He let the words sink in.
"We were given a second chance precisely because we wasted our first ones. If we waste this one too… there won't be a third."
"You also have to think about it like this," Damian spoke up in his usual flat tone. "Why would he ask us to deal with the villainous group if there was already someone who could deal with them? Either there isn't anyone strong enough to defeat them, or we're the only ones who can, assuming there aren't any others like us."
Omari stared at the ground for a long moment, then let out a heavy sigh.
"So… it's either we risk dying while fighting… or guarantee it by doing nothing."