The drive took about an hour, long enough for me to get fidgety in the back seat. We followed closely behind Romeo's bike, my parents exchanging occasional glances.
It turned out—even they had never visited his place before.
And wait a second—Romeo had a sport bike?!
That threw me off. Romeo didn't exactly scream "motorcycle guy." But dang, those sleek red wheels were hella fine. I found myself grinning.
The more I learned about this family, the more I freaking loved it.
But nothing—and I mean nothing—prepared me for what came next.
The moment our car pulled up in front of Romeo's place, our collective jaws hit the floor.
For the past few years, I had been living in what I considered a mansion.
But this? This wasn't just a mansion.
This was a fortress.
A luxurious, sprawling estate wrapped in an endless sea of emerald-green paradise.
And… was that an underground parking lot?!
I barely contained my internal screaming.
Bruno exhaled sharply, shaking his head in sheer disbelief. "It's one thing that you live in Kavita, the capital of Alaranta…" His gaze drifted across the estate before locking onto Romeo. "But this? You live here? All on your own? How?"
Romeo, ever the composed one, casually removed his helmet, running a hand over his buzzed head. "I mean… working at Chasles Academy does the trick, right?"
I squinted at him. That's all it took?!
Working at an academy got him this?
A dream house, bikes, cars, and a literal underground parking lot?
Okay. Yeah. I was gonna have to check out these academies real soon.
Without wasting time, Romeo led us toward a training ground.
At least, that's what he called it.
In reality?
It was a warrior's paradise.
The floor was pristine white marble, polished so flawlessly it practically glowed under the soft lighting. Dozens of punching bags stood in formation like silent sentinels, waiting for challengers. Strange, otherworldly artifacts lined the walls, pulsing with raw energy.
I could feel it in my bones—the sheer concentration of Flow in here.
This wasn't just a training space.
This was a gateway into the heart of Flow mastery.
And once again, I found myself wondering—how in the world did Romeo have all this?
At long last, Romeo was about to begin the test.
I was excited, sure—but my parents' intense stares were practically drilling holes in my back.
Like, chill you two!
It was just a test, not some trial by fire!
Not that asking them to leave would help. If anything, I knew they'd just glue themselves to the glass wall outside, watching like hawks.
Whatever. I'd just have to ignore the peanut gallery.
Romeo strode over to the artifact wall, selecting two flawless crystals. He handed one to me. The cool glass was smooth against my palm, pristine and transparent.
"Now, Young Lady," he began, "can you sense any Flow within this crystal?"
I tilted it in my hand, peering through its clear surface. Nothing. No swirling mist, no faint glow—just pure, unblemished transparency.
"Nope! No Flow in here!" I chirped.
To my surprise, Romeo's lips curled into a slow, satisfied smile. "Excellent!"
He held up his own identical crystal—also devoid of Flow.
And then, I saw it.
A current of vibrant blue energy pulsed beneath his skin, gathering at his wrist like liquid lightning. It traced the veins of his arm, flowing down in a controlled, deliberate path.
When it reached his fingertips—the crystal reacted.
It pulsed. Once. Twice.
Then, suddenly, it burst into a brilliant sapphire glow, mirroring the color of Romeo's Flow.
I watched, mesmerized, mouth slightly agape.
That. Was. So. Cool.
"I transferred some of my Flow to the crystal, filling it with my Flow signature," Romeo explained, though honestly, I'd already grasped that much just by watching.
Then he turned to me, his expression expectant. "Unlike the pendant, this requires you to project your own Flow into the crystal, not absorb external Flow. Think you can do it?"
He tapped the crystal in my hand lightly. "Imagine it as an extension of yourself. Will your Flow to reach it."
Alright. No pressure, yeah?
I clutched the crystal tighter.
Transferring Flow sounded simple enough, but what if I messed up?
What if I couldn't control the immense power coiling inside me?
A pulse of heat surged within me, stark against the crystal's cool, glassy surface. The air around me hummed with unseen energy, mirroring the storm brewing inside my chest.
I inhaled deeply, shutting my eyes. Alright. Focus. Channel the Flow.
Romeo's energy had been fluid, effortless, like a river dancing through his veins.
Mine?
It was thick, sluggish—molasses instead of water. A heavy, dark tide instead of a free-flowing current.
But with each breath, it grew stronger, pulsing, seething, demanding release.
The blackness within me wasn't just an absence of color. It was alive—a swirling vortex, a night sky ablaze with obsidian stars.
I pushed it towards the crystal.
It resisted. Balked. Like some untamed beast, snapping at its leash.
I nearly clicked my tongue. Bruh… really? Even my own Flow was acting up? Annoying.
Taking a steady breath, I shifted tactics. Romeo had told me to see the crystal as an extension of myself, but that clearly wasn't working.
Then… what if instead of forcing my Flow into it… I let the crystal take it?
I pictured it differently—not as a passive object, but as something hungry.
A gaping maw, starving for Flow.
The moment I did—a pulse.
Unlike Romeo's Flow, which had cascaded in gradually, mine devoured the crystal in one go.
One breath.
One surge.
And just like that, the transformation was complete.
A startled gasp escaped my lips.
The once-pristine crystal was no longer clear.
Instead, it gleamed with the same abyssal black as my Flow, like an ink-drenched void trapped in glass.
The sight of it sent a thrill through me.
Yeah… that felt weirdly satisfying.
Grinning, I turned to Romeo, proudly presenting my work. "Done!"
But… hold on.
Was it just me, or did Romeo look uneasy?
His brows were knitted, his stare sharp, almost a glare.
Ohhh… Was he freaked out by how I did it differently?
Probably, yeah.
But hey, it worked, didn't it?
Romeo accepted the crystal with a slow, hesitant nod, setting both crystals on a nearby table.
His gaze, however, never left me.
Okay… Why was he looking at me like that?
"Young Lady," he finally spoke, his voice measured. "You did fantastic! But…"
He trailed off, his fingers flexing as he glanced at his hand—the same one that had transferred his Flow just moments ago. His brows furrowed, his lips pressing into a thin line.
"Did you feel anything… strange during the transfer?"
Strange?
I blinked. No?
I hadn't felt depleted. No exhaustion. No strain. It had felt natural—almost too natural.
Like… breathing.
But then, my gaze dropped to his hand.
And that's when I noticed it.
His Flow—gone.
The very hand that had transferred energy to the crystal was now… empty. Completely devoid of Flow.
Lowering my gaze, I focused inward, peering into my own Flow circuits.
Bathed in energy. Overflowing.
But beneath that glowing power… something flickered. A familiar inky blackness, swirling beneath the surface like a roaring abyss.
It was there. Unfazed. Untouched.
My circuits were full.
As if I hadn't transferred a single drop.
"...Did I do something wrong?" I raised my head, hoping for an answer.
Romeo's smile faltered, but he shook his head. Relief. Okay, good start.
"The transfer was successful," he admitted, still staring at his Flowless hand. "The crystal bears your signature, after all."
"But something's off…" He exhaled slowly, eyes narrowing in thought.
"It's not that you didn't lose any Flow—I saw it burst out of you. But…" He hesitated.
"Your circuits… they replenished instantly."
A heavy silence settled between us.
That made zero sense.
Flow wasn't supposed to restore itself like that. At least, not naturally. It took time. Rest. Recovery.
Unless…
A thought clicked into place.
"Is it because I can sense the Flow in the air?" I blurted out. "Unlike others?"
Romeo hesitated.
Then, slowly, he shook his head.
His expression was carefully neutral, but I saw it. The way his fingers twitched. The way his smile was just a little too measured.
There was something he wasn't telling me.
But instead of pressing the issue, he gave a slow nod, stroking his chin thoughtfully.
"An intriguing theory, Young Lady," he mused.
Then, after a pause—
"…But let's not dwell on it for now."
Liar.
I could tell he was holding back.
But whatever. If there was something I needed to know… I'd find out eventually.
Romeo wasted no time shattering the awkward silence.
"I still need to see if you can exchange Flow with something else as well," he announced, striding toward the artifact wall.
My spine straightened, excitement flickering through me. Another challenge? Bring it on.
He retrieved two crystals, but this time… something was different.
They weren't colorless.
Romeo handed me one, its surface cool against my palm.
"You can feel it, right?"
I frowned, fingers tightening around the deep brown crystal. A peculiar sensation crept up my arm, like I was… touching the earth itself.
"…Is it full of the ground's Flow?" I asked, turning to him.
Romeo chuckled, nodding approvingly. "Excellent observation."
Unlike Flow Transfer, this was something else entirely.
"Flow Exchange," he explained, his voice steady and precise. "Instead of simply pouring Flow into an object, you overload it slightly. That forces the object's own Flow to surge out, looking for an empty circuit—like the one that just got emptied in your body after you transfer your Flow to the sphere."
I watched closely as he demonstrated. His Flow surged into the crystal, mingling with the earthy energy inside. Then, as if obeying an unspoken command, the ground Flow abandoned the crystal, flowing into him.
Fascinating.
I crossed my arms, deep in thought. Unlike before, this wasn't just excitement—it was determination.
Flow Exchange… Wasn't this just like trading energy? Like pouring water into an already full cup and making the excess spill over?
I pursed my lips.
Nah. Overthinking wouldn't help. Time for a hands-on approach.
I raised the crystal, closing my eyes.
Just like before, I imagined it as a hungry maw, thirsting for my Flow.
A jolt ran up my arm, a sharp confirmation of connection.
Yes! There it is!
My Flow surged in—
But something felt wrong.
The crystal… pulsed erratically.
Unstable. Chaotic. Nothing like what happened with Romeo.
Wait—if my Flow regenerates instantly… wouldn't that mean my circuits are never actually empty?
Then where is the exchanged Flow supposed to go?!
The crystal trembled violently in my grip.
My heart skipped a beat.
Oh—
BOOM.
A blinding explosion erupted from the crystal, sending me flying backward.
Pain shot through my palm, a searing sting that left my nerves screaming.
I hit the ground hard, a shocked gasp escaping my lips.
The acrid scent of burnt rock filled the air, curling around me like a mocking whisper.
Smoke billowed from my injured hand, thin wisps spiraling toward the sky.
A tense silence followed.
I stared at my throbbing palm.
"…Well. That was… something." I winced.
Ouch.
A flurry of movement.
Romeo and my parents rushed toward me, their faces tight with worry.
Strong hands clamped onto my shoulders from behind—Bruno's. His grip was firm, steady, but his gaze was locked on my burned hand.
Across from me, Elza's hands flew to her chest, her knuckles white as if she were clutching something invisible.
Her voice was small. Shaky. "Lily… are you alright? Does it hurt?"
Shame burned hotter than the pain itself.
I did this. My curiosity. My recklessness. Had I not overloaded the crystal, they wouldn't be looking at me like this—like I was about to break.
Fighting back the sting of both tears and pain, I forced my head up. A smile—or something meant to be one—stretched across my lips.
"Don't worry," I rasped, "It doesn't hurt that much."
Romeo was at my side in an instant, his movements quick but measured.
He didn't speak right away—just dropped to one knee, his expression unreadable. Then, without hesitation, he gently took my hand in his, cradling it like something fragile.
"Don't worry, Bruno, Maria!" he called out over his shoulder. His other hand hovered just above mine, and—
A glow.
A soft, radiant blue.
It shimmered at his fingertips, curling like a living wisp of light.
My breath hitched. What was he doing?
Romeo's voice was calm, steady. "Young Lady, I don't remember mentioning that I'm a Harmonizer, right?"
I barely registered his words at first, my eyes locked onto our hands.
Harmonizer?
"…Flow practitioners can specialize in different paths," he murmured, half-thinking aloud, "and a Harmonizer is one of them…"
But I had never seen Flow move like this.
Romeo's Flow wasn't just energy—it was alive. A pulsing, cerulean current detaching from his palm, swirling like a miniature storm.
And then—
The storm arced toward me.
Threads of glowing dust drifted down, spiraling until they reached my skin—
A shock of coolness. A sudden wash of relief.
The burning pain receded, fading into a light, almost pleasant tingling.
I sucked in a sharp breath. This… this was Flow too?
Not Transfer. Not Exchange.
Something entirely different.
Something so much bigger than I realized.
Awe roared inside me.
If this was just a glimpse of what Flow could do… then I had barely scratched the surface.
"As Harmonizers, we possess a unique affinity for living flesh," Romeo explained, his voice steady yet filled with quiet authority. "This grants us the ability to harness our Flow for healing purposes."
As he spoke, the last traces of blue light faded from my skin, vanishing like embers in the wind. My hand, once raw and wounded, was now completely healed.
Romeo straightened, dusting off his coat. "We do this by materializing Flow into a dust-like substance, which creates temporary Flow points across the injured area. These points then draw in the Flow within the dust, converting it into raw energy that accelerates cellular regeneration."
I flexed my fingers, testing them. No pain. No scars. It was as if the injury had never existed.
Romeo stretched lazily, drumming his fingers against his cheek. "Healing's our specialty, sure," he admitted with a shrug, "but we can dabble in a little offense too. Nothing too flashy—" Then, a wry smile tugged at his lips. "Except for a certain someone."
His words drifted past me. I barely registered them.
Because despite the awe crackling inside me, something deeper settled in my gut.
Unease.
I pushed myself up, brushing the dirt off my clothes. "Uncle Romeo," I said, my voice sharper than I intended. "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"
Silence.
Three sets of eyes turned to me, confused.
Romeo tilted his head slightly. "Tell you what?"
I inhaled slowly, glancing down at my hands for a brief moment before looking back at them.
"My Flow… it doesn't regenerate immediately because I see the Flow in the air, does it?"
More silence.
A thick, heavy silence.
Romeo's expression barely wavered—but a bead of sweat rolled down his temple.
Bingo.
I pressed on, my heart hammering. "I noticed earlier—when the Flow left my body, I didn't absorb Flow from the outside to restore it." My fingers curled slightly. "It came from within me."
I met Romeo's gaze head-on. "I have limitless Flow, don't I?"
The tension in the air thickened.
No one spoke. Not my parents, not Romeo. Just silence.
Until—
Romeo exhaled a long sigh, rubbing the back of his neck. Then, he turned to my parents, his lips twitching into a small, reluctant smirk.
"Elza. Bruno…" He clicked his tongue. "No offense, but the Young Lady's mind? It keeps me on edge."
I swallowed. That… didn't sound like a compliment.
But my parents? They looked pleased.
Bruno chuckled, ruffling my hair like he had done a thousand times before. Meanwhile, Elza knelt in front of me, pulling me into a gentle embrace.
"Yeah," Bruno murmured, voice quiet but firm. "She's our little genius, isn't she?"
Little genius, huh?
I blinked. Then… yeah.
I could live with that.
And more than anything—
They weren't afraid of me.
Something warm curled inside my chest. A strange, fluttering relief.
…Yeah. That made me really glad.