Solflare: The Painter's Secret-Chapter 58: Impossible

"Behave yourself when we get there." Zoe sighed and shook her head. She walked toward the door, swung it open, and turned.

"Aren’t you coming?" she said, her tone making the door tremble slightly under her palm.

Footsteps echoed down the hallway as Leon rushed to catch up. Air flowed between them like a river separating enemies.

Leon’s gaze flickered toward Zoe whenever he felt watched.

’Is she always like this, or am I just seeing a different version of her?’ His thoughts reeled, finally settling as they reached the base of the stairs.

Ahead, a crowd swarmed the vast space like bees without a hive. Moving through felt like pulling teeth from a live lion.

"Hey, look, just passed." Vera’s voice hit the back of Leon the moment he threaded through the first few lines of people.

He turned, met her gaze briefly, then returned his attention to Zoe.

"Ooh... I never knew she was now your mother." Laughter exploded in the lobby as Vera clapped, drawing all eyes to Leon and Zoe even after they moved out of her sight.

’I really need a lady to discipline this fucken lady in a fight,’ Leon thought, knuckles crackling with tension.

Whispers brushed past them as they reached the side of the main entrance, where the wall bore old damage.

"Isn’t this the same handprint we saw on the elevator door on the second floor?"

"...it can be. But wait... yeah, it’s the same."

"...does that mean the person is among us?"

"...I’m not sure. If he is... then all of us are dead."

A silent smile crept across Leon’s lips as his eyes locked onto a boy nearby.

Strange tingles ran through his fingers as he noticed Vera’s friend behind the boy.

Outside, a sense of weight pressed down on him as they stepped past the main entrance.

"Will you behave, or should I go alone?" Zoe asked, frowning as she looked at Leon.

"I will do what you tell me to do," he replied, a childish innocence in his expression.

Leaves danced around their boots, giving Leon the appearance of a divine entity.

"Ahh..." He exhaled, letting a long-held tension leave with the breeze.

Inside, three proctors stood upright while another three crouched, collecting darkened sand in tiny jars.

’Isn’t that where the lightning that almost killed me landed?’ Leon’s gaze stayed on them as they entered the building marked GRIMFORGE.

Touchable darkness welcomed them once the door closed. Mechanical crushing sounds echoed as Zoe flicked the light switch downward.

Bright light burst from the far end, forcing Leon to shield his eyes. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

Through the gaps in his fingers, he glimpsed two people entangled, their actions violent and unrestrained.

Leon’s gaze shifted to Zoe, who smiled, as if such sights were nothing more than a joke.

Moaning filled the room as Leon’s eyes reluctantly traced the scene: a woman atop a broad-shouldered man, moving hastily.

Pah. Pah. Pah.

The hinges of the sparring ring vibrated as Leon and Zoe approached.

"Ahem..." Zoe cleared her throat.

The woman froze mid-motion, turning to smile at them. Sweat traced her body as she stood, adjusting her gown.

"Zoe," she said, wiping herself, "Is he your new boyfriend?"

Zoe giggled silently, and Leon’s eyes shifted between the woman and Zoe.

’My girlfriend... how in the world...?’ he thought, brow furrowed.

"Well," Zoe said, stepping forward, "he’s not my boyfriend."

The woman’s eyes locked onto Leon as she licked her lips. He swallowed, noticing the size of her chest beneath the gown.

"Won’t you train anymore?" Zoe’s voice broke into his thoughts.

Leon shook his head, letting the earlier vision fade. "I will."

"Alright," Zoe moved past the sparring ring. "Let me show you around."

She introduced him to the neatly arranged equipment.

"Let’s start with these," she said, pointing to a labeled wall. "Tools to train your speed."

She paused, frowning. "Is your mind here, or still on her?" Her laugh drew the woman’s attention.

From a distance, Leon watched her hug the guy, then shift her gaze to smile at him.

"Should I come and help you guys?" she called.

"We’re okay. Thank you," Zoe waved back.

"So, where were we?" she asked Leon.

"You were talking about using these to train speed."

"...Yeah. I can see your mind wasn’t fully taken by her demeanor." Zoe laughed, stepping onto a treadmill.

"Step on the other one. I’ll show you how it works. Maybe start with this." She gestured.

Leon smiled genuinely, stepping on the machine. His hand hovered over the start button.

"Hey! Did you check the speed before starting?!" Zoe’s voice boomed.

He leaned forward, checking the screen. "It says 30 mph."

"30?!" Zoe’s voice rose as she hurried to adjust the setting.

Leon frowned, confused. "Why are you changing the number?"

Without answering, she continuously pressed the down arrow until the speed adjusted.

"Huh..." she sighed, stepping down to the other machine. "You would’ve been thrown like a leaf if you’d started."

"Really?" Leon smiled, planning to test it carefully.

The grin widened as his fingers hesitated on the top arrow. 3... 15... 25... 40. The treadmill’s surface quivered under his weight, humming like a caged storm.

Zoe’s eyes widened, her voice caught somewhere between alarm and disbelief. "Leon... stop! You – "

Leon didn’t. The numbers climbed higher... each increment sending tremors through the floor.

Sweat beaded on Zoe’s brow, but she couldn’t tear her gaze away.

The treadmill bent slightly, rubber and steel straining as lights flickered around.

The lady at the far end froze mid-step, her eyes locking on the boy as if she’d just seen something impossible.

Her hand went to her mouth, trembling.

The air between them felt heavier, charged, vibrating with a force that made the hairs on her arms stand on end.

Leon’s breathing remained calm, though the treadmill now roared like a living engine.

Zoe’s fingers clenched at her side, her nails digging into her palm. "How... how is he – "

"Impossible," the lady whispered with a cracking voice, "He can’t..."

The treadmill accelerated beyond comprehension, blurring the edges of the room as if reality were bending around Leon.

Each step he took made a faint sonic boom echo in the metallic walls.