the beginning after the end perfect duo

Presence lingers, power unsettling.

Tom's POV

"So, you mean to tell me that you've both been this strong from the start?" Mira questioned, her voice tinged with disbelief as she stared at us with wide eyes. Her hands rested on her hips, her body tilted slightly forward as if demanding an immediate explanation.

"Pretty much," Arthur and I answered simultaneously, our voices calm and nonchalant. We kept our expressions neutral, exchanging a brief glance that mirrored our unspoken agreement—there was still no need to show all our cards.

The clearing was quiet except for the rustling of leaves overhead, the warm sunlight casting soft shadows across the ground. Lilia, leaning casually against a moss-covered tree trunk, seemed utterly unbothered by Mira's reaction. She crossed her arms, smirking as if she'd expected this all along. Jasmine stood slightly apart, her back against another tree, arms folded. She tilted her head ever so slightly, the faintest curve of her lips betraying her amusement at Mira's predicament.

Mira, on the other hand, wasn't taking the revelation lightly. Her face twisted from shock to frustration, her fists clenching as she stepped closer to us. "So, that means you weren't serious at all back when I was examining you? Damn it—I was beaten by a child who wasn't even serious!" Her voice grew louder, almost echoing in the open space.

I couldn't help the smirk that spread across my face. "Well, to be fair, you're pretty strong yourself," I replied, shrugging as I tried to defuse the situation.

Mira shot me a sharp glare, her green eyes practically burning holes into my skull. "Don't patronize me, Tom," she hissed, her tone low but biting.

Arthur stepped forward slightly, his posture composed and unshaken as usual. He raised a hand in a small, calming gesture. "It's not about trust, Mira," he said, his tone measured and diplomatic. His voice carried a sense of authority, as if he'd thought through every word before speaking. "We just didn't see the point in going all out back then. But it wasn't personal—it's just how we operate."

Mira crossed her arms and tilted her head, her lips pressing into a tight line. "So, you're saying you were holding back because you didn't think I was worth the effort?" she asked, her voice dripping with exasperation.

"Not exactly," Arthur replied smoothly. "It was more about staying cautious. Sometimes it's better to observe than to reveal everything. Let's just say we like to keep things... interesting."

"Interesting?" Mira repeated, throwing her hands up as she began pacing in small circles. "Interesting is realizing I got my ass handed to me by a couple of kids playing pretend!"

Arthur stayed quiet, letting her rant, but I decided to chime in. "Hey, technically, you didn't lose that badly," I said, raising a finger as if making a point. "You put up a fight. I mean, a decent one."

Mira stopped pacing, her hands now gripping her hair in frustration. "You two are impossible!" she groaned, her voice muffled as she let her arms fall dramatically to her sides.

"Relax, Mira," Lilia said from her spot, her tone teasing. She flashed a grin that only seemed to irritate Mira further. "Honestly, you should've figured this out sooner. I mean, Tom literally teleported all of us out of danger during that mission, remember?"

Mira froze mid-step, turning slowly toward me. Her expression shifted from frustration to something more contemplative. "Don't remind me," she muttered, shaking her head. "You saved us all in an instant—like it was nothing. And then you healed wounds that should've been fatal in a week's time."

"Yeah, well," I said, scratching the back of my neck. "I don't do that stuff lightly. It takes a lot out of me."

It really does. If I hadn't activated Phoenix's Burst at the last second, I wouldn't have made it. And that was the first time I'd used teleportation on someone else. There's still so much work to be done.