107 Volume III - Chapter 28: Realizing and Accepting

I let myself down on the rock, stood there for a while, then sighed deeply, lay on my back, and turned my eyes to the gray sky.

The clouds were getting grayer and grayer, clearly indicating that it would rain soon. If I stood here I would get wet, but I didn't care.

I was alone, and that's what I wanted.

"Lithoa."

'What is it, Adrian?'

"Do you... do you think I'm strong?"

'If you compare yourself to your peers, you might be at the top, but you're not where I want you to be.'

I paused.

Until now Lithoa's obsession with power had always frustrated me, I could never quite understand why he wanted me to get stronger when I was so far ahead of my peers, but lately, I had been contradicting myself.

I thought of the boy I saw during the attack.

A hole had been punched in his stomach right in front of my eyes. I could see him crying his eyes out for help, but I had to leave him there.