Kaito shot up in his bed. His heart pounded through his chest and his entire body was drenched in sweat. He checked his body for any injuries, but there was nothing.
No marks, no pain… nothing.
"I... I found you...?" He thought to himself.
His eyes darted around the room, half-expecting the figure to be there. But it wasn't. He was alone. Or at least, that's what he tried to tell himself.
He laid back down, still shook up from the encounter. He closed his eyes to try and go back to sleep, but nothing worked. The weight of the dream was too heavy on his mind. He rubbed his temples, trying to shake off the anxiety, but sitting there wasn't going to help. He needed to move, to clear his mind. He threw on his jacket then made his way out of his room.
After walking down the halls of the ship for a bit, he turned a corner and heard something. It was the sound of fists hitting something solid, followed by a low, frustrated groan. His curiosity piqued and he moved toward the source of the sound—a door slightly opened at the end of the hall.
He took a peek through the crack of the door and saw Finn in one of the training rooms. He was surrounded by holographic combat figures, each one of them moving with blinding speed, attacking him from all sides. Finn darted, dodged, and parried with impressive agility. But there was something off.
One of the holograms landed a heavy blow to his nose, making it bleed almost immediately. He stumbled and fell, hard, onto the training mat. The session ended abruptly as the holograms flickered and disappeared.
Finn remained on the ground. He didn't move at all.
Kaito pushed the door open.
"Hey, you okay? That was some impressive fighting, Finn." He said as he walked over to help him up.
Finn looked up, startled. He hadn't noticed Kaito watching. He hesitated for a moment, then reluctantly took his hand, letting him pull him to his feet. His face, though, was filled with something far from gratitude.
"Impressive? Yeah, right. I couldn't even beat a training hologram."
Kaito could see the frustration, but he sensed something deeper.
"Seriously, man, your speed is unreal, and your technique is sharp. I've seen a lot of fighters, and you've put in the work. You just need to stop beating yourself up." He said.
Finn scoffed and turned away. His usual innocent and easy going demeanor cracked.
"You don't get it Kaito… I've always been weak. My homeworld is Arboren, which is a world of elves in the Veltheria star system in another galaxy. We're one of many different types of sub-race of elves throughout the universe, but not as prestigious or as powerful as the few core elf races like the captain."
Kaito shifted a bit upon hearing this.
"Woah… so there really are many different types of elves throughout the universe. Farro told me stories of elves and how they were one of the very first races in the universe."
He thought to himself before glancing at the side of Finn's head, looking at his small pointy ears.
"Actually… Finn's ears are a lot smaller than the captain's and his skin seems a lot more rugged, kinda like mine. Was old man Farro actually on to something about elves and humans?" He thought to himself.
Flashback
"You never know when to quit, do you, Kaito?" Farro grumbled as he carefully wrapped clean bandages around the bruised knuckles of Kaito's trembling hands.
Kaito winced slightly, but tried to quickly mask it with a confident smirk.
"Come on old man Farro. If I don't keep training, I'll never get stronger. I gotta get stronger so I can become the King of the Stars one day."
Farro sighed then shook his head as he finished tying a bandage.
"Strength ain't worth nothing if your body gives out before you reach your dreams, kid. Rest is just as important as training. Push too far and you'll break long before you achieve that goal of yours."
"Yeah, but…" Kaito's eyes drifted downward, his expression becoming slightly somber but serious.
"How else can I close the gap between me and those star travelers out there? What about the kids my age that are attending star traveler academies? If I'm gonna reach my goal, I need to be way stronger than I am now."
Farro looked at him quietly for a moment, his stern eyes softening a bit. He gently ruffled Kaito's rough black hair.
"I understand how you feel, but your body has limits too. Give it time to rest and recover. Strength ain't just muscles and toughness… it's about knowing when to stop as well."
Kaito sighed before looking away stubbornly.
Seeing Kaito's mood souring, Farro shifted gears, his tone becoming a little lighter as he sat back slightly in his chair.
"Say, have I ever told you the stories about the elves?"
"Elves? Uh… a little, I guess. There were some dusty old books in the orphanage library that mentioned them. And sometimes a couple star travelers at the black market on the west side would tell stories about them, too. They said elves are crazy strong and have all these insane abilities and stuff."
Farro chuckled while nodding.
"Haha. That's true, they're powerful alright, but there's a lot more to elves than just their strength and abilities."
Kaito leaned forward slightly, curiosity sparkling in his eyes despite his earlier stubborn expression.
"What do you mean by that?"
Farro's eyes drifted off into the distance as if recalling distant memories.
"Elves are among the oldest documented races in the universe. In fact, some ancient tales claim they were among the first intelligent beings to travel and colonize other worlds."
"Wait, really?"
"That's right. Their civilization expanded across countless worlds, spreading through galaxies millions of years before many other races even dreamed of leaving their home planets. Because of that, elves evolved and adapted to new worlds, climates, and conditions—eventually creating numerous sub-races of elves."
"Wait—there's more than one type of elf?"
Farro chuckled softly at Kaito's surprised expression.
"That's correct my boy, there are said to be thousands, perhaps even millions all throughout the universe. Each adapted uniquely, developing different cultures, appearances, and even essence affinities. But beneath it all, they still carry the core traits of their original ancestors."
"That's amazing! I never read about any of this in the old books."
Farro smiled warmly hearing the excitement in Kaito's voice.
"Not everything about the universe can be found in those books. Some truths you have to find on your own, out there among the stars."
He paused, watching Kaito's eyes burn with wonder, before speaking again.
"You know, there's another interesting rumor about elves—a rumor that few in the universe really talk about."
"Huh? Wh–What is it?"
Farro leaned closer, his voice lowering slightly, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.
"They say elves and humans share more in common than anyone realizes. In fact, elves look almost exactly like humans."
Kaito nearly jumped from his seat.
"What?! Seriously?"
"Indeed! I've seen a few elves myself in my many years out there, and one of the very few in the universe to see a human…and the rumors are true. Aside from their ears and a few subtle facial features, elves and humans are virtually indistinguishable—almost as if you share some forgotten connection. Strange, isn't it?"
Kaito fell back into his chair, deep in thought.
"Humans and elves could be connected…"
Farro stood up, placing a gentle hand on Kaito's shoulder.
"Remember this, Kaito. Strength isn't everything. It's okay to rest, to lean on others, and to learn from them. The universe is bigger than your fists alone can handle."
Kaito stayed silent, the old man's words sinking deep into his young heart as he stared down at his bandaged hands.
Back to the Present
"Kaito? Hellooooo?" Finn's voice snapped Kaito out of his thoughts.
He blinked rapidly, finding himself staring directly at Finn's pointed ears. He quickly straightened up.
"Who-Ha-Huh? What?"
Finn raised an eyebrow, confused.
"You've been staring at my ears for, like, five minutes straight. Are you okay?"
Kaito scratched the back of his head, embarrassed.
"Ah, sorry, man. I was just thinking about something old man Farro told me a long time ago."
Finn tilted his head slightly.
"What about?"
"About elves… and humans. It's just, now that I see you up close, your ears aren't as pointy as the captain's, and your face kinda looks like mine. Same type of skin, limbs, everything. It got me thinking—do you think there might be some connection between elves and humans?"
Finn chuckled softly, his embarrassment fading slightly.
"You know, I never really thought about that. But now that you mention it, we do look pretty similar, huh? Except, you know, I'm obviously much more handsome."
Kaito snorted, giving Finn a playful shove.
"Hehe. Yeah, yeah, whatever you say, pretty boy… Say, what were you saying about your world again? Sorry for distracting you."
"It's okay. Uhhh, oh yeah. My people are a race of warriors… and we have this tradition. Every Arboren boy has to fight a type of beast when they come of age. It's a rite of passage—if you win, you're respected as a warrior. If you lose..."
Kaito listened intently. He could see the pain that was building in Finn's eyes.
"I trained for years… Since the first day I remember being conscious in this life, I trained nonstop every single planetary cycle until I became of age. I tried to prove to them that I was strong. But when the time came… I couldn't defeat the beast. It humiliated me... in front of everyone."
Finn's voice quivered as his emotions tried to escape.
"After that, my mother disowned me. My own mother… She didn't even look at me anymore. On my planet, if you fail that rite, you're nothing. Weak. Worthle—"
He tried to finish, but he couldn't. He choked on his words as he covered his mouth. His eyes became watery and his body began to tremble slightly.
His words were laced with anger, but beneath the anger was something deeper… pain.
It was the pain of a child that felt as if they were a true failure to the very ones he thought would always love and be there for him… his own family. He let out a bitter laugh and his eyes dropped to the floor.
"After that, I gave up. I found a flight out of the galaxy and ended up working at a restaurant in this galaxy, not too many light years away from this star system. Cooking. I was just a failure who couldn't become a warrior. An elf who's a cook, of all things."
He paused.
"Then one day, Elara and the crew came into the place where I worked. They liked the food... and asked me to join them. Not as a warrior, but as a cook."
He chuckled again. The self-loathing in his voice stung Kaito, who understood all too well the feeling of not being accepted.
"So, that's me. The elf who couldn't even pass his people's rite of passage."
Kaito listened, his expression softening. The weight of it hit him, but instead of offering pity, his face broke into a dramatic exaggerated sniffle. Finn blinked, confused as he saw tears welling up in Kaito's eyes.
"Ar... are you crying?" Finn asked confusedly.
"That's... the saddest story I've ever heard, Finn!!!" Kaito burst out, tears and snots flowing like a broken faucet.
Finn stared at him dumbfounded, before letting out a laugh caught off guard by his ridiculous reaction.
"Yo... you're kinda weird, you know that?"
"Yeah, maybe. But I get it. You know... we're not so different. Your story hit me hard because… well, it kinda reminds me of my own."
"What do you mean? I thought you were always some badass fighter, taking down guys way bigger than you."
Kaito chuckled.
"I wasn't always like this. I was just a kid—an orphan on a planet where humans didn't really matter much. My parents and the rest of the human race died when I was a baby, and I was left to fend for myself on the streets of Thalos."
Finn's face fell, the weight of Kaito's words settling in.
"I was… nothing. People treated me like shit because I was human. I remember, there was this gang of adults. Stronger, faster… and they hated me just for being human. Every day was a fight. Not the kind you could win though. They'd gang up on me, beat me down over and over."
Kaito's hands balled into fists as memories of those beatings resurfaced, each one more painful than the last.
"I'd come home with bruises and cuts every day, hoping that maybe tomorrow would be different—that I'd be stronger. But I wasn't. I was just… weak."
Finn's expression softened as he listened.
"I remember there was this one time… I was hiding in an alley, trying to escape the adults chasing me. I thought I'd finally found a place where they wouldn't find me, but I was wrong. They cornered me, beat me so bad I pissed and shit myself. They made fun of me for doing so and began to beat me more viciously. I thought I was going to die."
Finn's eyes welled up with tears again, his lips trembling as he struggled to hold back a sob. He sniffled loudly, wiping his face with the back of his hand.
"No… no way, Kaito… that's horrible."
"Yeah, it kinda sucked. I felt so… weak. I wanted to be strong. I wanted to fight back, but every time I tried, they just hit harder."
Finn could no longer contain himself. Tears streamed down his face as he bawled uncontrollably.
"That's the saddest thing I've ever heard! How could anyone do that to you?!" He whimpered out.
"Come on man, don't cry harder than I did! You know you're kinda weird too."
Finn sniffled, wiping his eyes.
"It's just… so sad! You didn't deserve that Kaito."
Kaito patted Finn on the back, his laughter settling into a gentle smile.
"Hey, look at me now. I survived. I got stronger, and now I've got a chance to prove that I'm more than what they thought I was. Just like you do."
Finn looked up at Kaito, his face still wet with tears. He could see it—the strength that had carried Kaito through all those years of pain. And in that moment, Finn felt something shift inside of him. He wasn't alone in his struggle. Kaito had been through it too, and if Kaito could rise from the ashes of his past, so could he.
"Kaito… I didn't realize. You've been through so much."
Kaito nodded.
"Yeah. But you know what? That's what makes you stronger. Every hit, everytime you get knocked down, you get back up and keep going. No matter what"
Finn gave him a big watery smile.
"You're right. We've got each other, and that's all that matters."
The two of them shared a brief moment of silence.
"Finn, one day you're gonna be a warrior people respect. I can see it."
Kaito extended his fist toward Finn, grinning.
"It's called a 'fist bump.' It's a human thing. We do it to show respect , greet one or another, or to make a promise."
Finn hesitated for a moment, then slowly balled his fist and bumped it against Kaito's. A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, and for the first time in a long time, he felt... happy. Kaito smiled seeing this.
"Now we've got a promise. We're gonna crush this tournament—together."
"Yeah... together." Finn whimpered out.
They shared a brief chuckle followed by a short moment of silence that was quickly ended by Kaito.
"Actually I have an idea. Let's go to my room and play Mortal Kombat! It's a human video game I was able to find on the black market in Thalos." He said full of enthusiasm.
"It's a fighting game that was really popular on earth. I don't have everyone unlocked yet but my favorite character so far is Raiden. He's like a god of thunder or something like that. Jinx and Rorik are playing in the other room right now if you want to try it out. Actually… I wonder who you'd main? You seem kinda like a sub-zero player."
Finn tilted his head, completely lost.
"Mortal… Kombat…? Sub-zero?" He repeated.
Kaito nodded his head furiously with pure joy in his eyes.
"Come on pretty boy." He said as he grabbed his arm and began to walk out of the room.
Unbeknownst to the both of them, a pair of calculating eyes watched them from the shadows of the hallway just beyond the training room door they were walking towards. A hooded bronze skin elf man stood observing silently.
He smiled slightly as his eyes locked on Kaito.
Without a sound, he vanished into thin air, leaving no trace of his presence.