VII. The Winner

Their challenge brought them out to the front yard.

"You look surprised," Seyin said in between his rugged breathing. "Were you underestimating me all these years?"

It hurts to admit but yes. As far as Ryder knows, Seyin just loved to play. He would do tricks that would embarrass his opponent. He would tickle, strip clothes, put on really scary masks, threaten to spill out funny secrets and many others.

But now with Ryder holding on to the fence for support, he couldn't believe that he was having a decent challenge with the same happy-go-lucky guy. His friend's weakness was hand to hand combat but the pain in his gut proved that Seyin was still training.

Ryder straightened himself with a silent grunt and flexed his wrists. What would Fhae say to him if he was wincing over a little kick?

"Yeah. You've never been this fired up."

Ryder clenched his fists, adrenaline rushing in his veins.

"But I hope you don't forget–my title is not just for show."

Ryder ran towards him and let out a barrage of fists but Seyin blocked them all with his wrist--a technique Seyin learned through street fighting with cats and criminals.

The two were careful not to let their right hand show out of their pockets.

"Huh, don't worry," Seyin said as he was pushed backward with Ryder's punches but never really being hit. "I never thought of your title as decoration."

Ryder then pounded hard at his wrist but Seyin just bit back the pain. "Which is why I have a surprise for you."

Seyin head-butted him.Ryder shouted and blinked his eyes as the world suddenly became two. The pain came later and it flared in his head.

With that distraction, Seyin launched his own punches. 

But all missed. He, too, was a little disoriented.

"You are not from the warrior clans---just a small town boy like me." Seyin continued to fight the sluggish Ryder. "That's why I know that your bones are normal as an ordinary teenager, unlike the Rigiddins who have really tough bodies."

A sudden lock of their left arms made Seyin grunt.

"Golden Rule number one: bite more, bark less" Ryder seethed.

Both of them struggled for control with a lot of pushing and kneeing.

Seyin managed to trip him and used the momentum to throw him to the ground. Ryder let out a harsh cough. Along with the pain in his head, now he had to bear the pain in his gut.

"I've learned two things from you today. First, you're really a pain." Seyin said as he let himself rest for a second.

Ryder was on his knees. Both of them had sweat dripping on the sides of their faces.

Ryder's clothes were dirty with all him being thrown around. Even if it was Seyin who had difficulty catching his breath, Ryder was struggling to stand but his knees won’t let him.

"And second, you lose this time, Ryder."

Seyin charged with all his strength and was about to tackle him down when Ryder suddenly stood---his brown eyes glinting dangerously.

This time, Seyin was not sharp enough to react.

Ryder grabbed Seyin's golden hair and lifted him up like he was some trophy.

Seyin screamed so loud and fought to free himself, making it more painful than Ryder intended to.

"Golden Rule number two: Never fall for fakes. I told you, didn't I?" Ryder lifted him higher, producing more screams. "That my title is not just for show."

Ryder swung him from left to right and finally whipped him on the ground.

Seyin coughed blood. The effort killed his insides. Even if he was not moving, pain throbbed all over his body with every heartbeat. Seyin bit back his anger.

Ryder grabbed Seyin's right arm and was about to pull it out when the front door opened and Raeya stepped outside.

"Guys, there's a call---Oh. Are you finished?"

Ryder couldn't move. 

Raeya was standing and still looking beautiful even in her bandages. She was now okay! Ryder was about to speak when the whole gang appeared from around the corner of the house where they had been watching secretly though anyone would have noticed them.

And from the looks on their faces, they were half-surprised and half-satisfied.

"Seyin wins!" The small Aura announced much to the shock of everyone else, especially Ryder.

"What? But Ryder successfully immobilized Seyin." But Aura shook her head at Rhed.

"Ryder had broken one rule: Don't let your opponent bleed."

"Oh." Everyone's reaction was summed up in those two letters. Ryder felt Seyin chuckle faintly as he tried to sit---meditating style. Seyin would have laughed his heart out but Ryder didn't really care any longer. All that was in his head was the stake of the challenge.

Raeya...

"I admit defeat." Seyin's voice boomed throughout the yard. "I can't accept the decision that I won just because of one petty rule. I was beaten up bad. Ryder wins."

Now that really shifted the mood of the others but Ryder suddenly grabbed Seyin's neckerchief, the way Seyin did to Ryder last night, but Ryder was aggressively tighter.

"Don't joke with me, Seyin. The decision has been made. You win. I'm not taking victory by pity."

Seyin neared his mouth to Ryder's ears.

"Take it. Or it just shows that you're not willing to swallow your pride for the sake of Raeya. I was serious when I said that Raeya will be mine if you will lose. If you still insist, I will require you to break your contract."

Ryder's face flushed with anger and thought of punching him hard right then and there if Aura hadn't spoken.

"Both sides admit defeat. It's a draw, then!" Aura clapped her hands. "Okay, people, it's settled. Raeya, you were about to say something?"

Raeya was the only one who was clueless on why everyone was so heated up after a normal challenge.

"Maybe it's best if we discuss it inside."

Raeya gave Ryder a meaningful look.

***

Everyone met at Leison's room.

"This is indeed troubling. It’s like they are saying that Fhae is alive."

Even if he was covered in bandages, Leison's voice still made it clear that he was their tough trainor. Nique and Aura immediately shook their heads.

"We were there when...when she was killed. I held her body," Aura defiantly protested. "That hunter must either be lying or crazy." Keyanne immediately hugged her. She was always the one to know when someone was about to cry.

"It's okay, Aura." Nique looked at everybody. "I was there, too. This is just a hoax."

Raeya shuddered at the memory of Fhae being slipped into the body bag. At that time, she was stationed at Veynstown and in-charge of the evacuation. So when the call came to break the bad news, she immediately left her post, leaving the evacuating people panicking. But at that time, she didn't care. All she wanted was to see with her very eyes that the one who was like a mother to Aegis was killed in action.

"Then we'll leave it at that until HQ says otherwise. We'll discuss these matters when we get there,” Leison said.

"Whoa, there. You're coming with us? With all your injuries? You can't even stand!"

Leison ignored the playful tone in Seyin's voice.

"If someone who was beaten to a pulp can still go to report, why not me?"

Oh, joy. Sarcasm at its best, Raeya chuckled.

Leison noticed that everybody was trying to hold their laugh.

"Wipe those snickers off your faces and get dressed, people of Aegis. Out, all of you."

And everyone laughed. It had been a long time since they were able to laugh like this. When they were out in the hallway, Raeya cleared her voice and Ryder heard it. They deliberately let the others go on until there were only two of them.

Ryder was the first to talk.

"Those Shadows...I'm really proud that you were able to defeat all of them," he said while scratching the back of his head, feeling awkward.

"Yeah. It's been a year and we still haven't located the remaining conjurers. More and more are showing up," she replied in a boring tone to make him realize that it was not the topic that she wanted.

Ryder sighed."Look, Raeya, I'm sorry if I hadn't been checking on you lately but I'm really glad you're now okay. I know it's my fault because I was supposed to be there but---"

"Woah, hang on, mister." Raeya made a time-out signal. "Let's go there later but first, I want stories and explanations."

"Of what?"

Raeya eyed him.

"Of what you've been up to these past few months, duh. You're starting to worry me with all your absences."

At that, Ryder sighed. This is it, Raeya thought. Whatever he says next is the root of this all.

"I-I've been wanting to tell you but...I thought it would be better if I could solve this on my own because it's personal.

That took Raeya by surprise. Something pricked her heart---just a needle, small but enough to cause pain. Personal, huh? There was supposed to be no such word in his vocabulary. They have literally been through fire and storm. Why would he hesitate to tell her something that was bothering him?

"Okay, it’s okay. I understand." It's not like they were husband and wife. Raeya has her own life and so does he.

"So, how about telling me where you've been going, then,” she said.

Ryder tore away from her eyes.

At that, Raeya's expression darkened.

"Don't tell me...You've been visiting the old house, again."

"Let me explain. I was just---"

"You said you were improving! You said you were doing your best to break free. Why?!" Raeya could no longer stop her emotions. This was supposed to be a soft talk---their usual style of catching up. She was supposed to be calm and all ears but hearing that revisiting the past was all he did while being away from her and from his leadership, it was more than what she can bear.

He had been ditching missions just so he could return to that forsaken place again and again. He had been ignoring her and Aegis just because he was stuck to what happened last year, as if he was the only one affected. 

But upon hearing Ryder's next words, she immediately regretted raising her voice.

"Don't shout at me like it's easy, Raeya." The warmth radiated by his coffee-brown eyes was gone. "Losing more than half of your members in a single day is not something that I could erase in one year, much less ten. So don't you dare blame me because you're not the one shouldering the responsibility."

Shouldering the responsibility? 

Did Ryder think that Raeya and the others had no emotions that they don’t feel the same way? When did the death of their friends pitched at just Ryder? When did Aegis become a one-man company?

Ryder’s aura radiated a dark vibe, to the point that the power of the Shore seeped out of his body but it was not green and blue, the good colors. Ryder was enveloped by a dark purple atmosphere. In his anger, he had tapped on the dark doors of the Shore. 

Raeya could only stand there. Never before had he shown this much anger to her and it made her step backward.She was so frightened she couldn’t move. It was like Ryder could hurt her at that moment. 

After a few seconds, a tear from her cheek splattered on the wooden floor. 

And Ryder suddenly went back to the caring Ryder. The purple air around him also dissipated.

"Raeya, I... I didn't..."

"Yes, you did." Raeya furiously tried to wipe her tears away, as if to keep them from falling. She hated it when her anger just turned to tears. She wanted to say a lot---to pour out her own anger too but it's really frustrating when the words just melt into tears.

Why was Ryder acting like this?

"Fine, then. I wish you luck in solving Aegis' problem on your own."

And with that, she turned her back, ignoring her conscience telling her that nothing good comes out of walking away. But she was tired of putting up the I-always-care face.

She headed upstairs and for the first time in a long while, it was Raeya who left Ryder.