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The moment Keith saw Ava step out, he quickly went over to her and asked, “Are you sure you’re alright? Maybe we should sit down somewhere for a bit so you can catch your breath.”
She shook her head. I’m fine. It’s just that rides like that–fast and intense–really aren’t my thing.”
Her gaze swept over him from head to toe as she added genuinely confused, “How do you look like nothing even happened to you?”
He answered calmly, “That speed barely registers for me Our consciousness enters a simulated network where everything moves far faster than this during mental power training. If you compared it to the training Laurent and the others endured in the military, that would be on an entirely different level.”
She parted her lips, then thought better of it and swallowed her words. She thought, Fine. I accept it. I’m clearly the weak one here.
He guided her beneath a covered corridor, and the two of them sat side by side, quietly watching the steady stream of people passing by.
After a while, the sound of children laughing reached her cars. She turned her head and noticed several large fish tanks nearby. A group of children stood crowded around them, waving small nets as they tried to scoop up the fish inside.
“Hurry, go for the black one!” one of the children shouter.
“Ah! It slipped away again! That chubby one is way too speaky!” another child yelled.
“If you can’t catch it, then let me try!” the other children declared.
Another child sighed. “The red one–no, it got away again!”
The scene completely captured Ava’s attention.
Keith caught her expression and asked with a hint of amusement, “Want to try it yourself?”
She looked straight at him and questioned earnestly, “Do you think I’m being childish?”
A soft laugh escaped him. “Not at all. You are younger than us, though–that’s just a fact. And besides, you look like you’re already tempted.”
“Those fish are called Azure Eye,” he continued. “Their eyes are especially striking–bright and vividly colored. They come from Azure, which is where the name comes from. How about catching one and taking it home?”
Ava glanced at the children again. After countless attempts, not a single fish had been caught.
At first glance, the fish appeared dull–its eyes vacant, it movements sluggish, giving no impression of intelligence. Despite that, it moved with astonishing speed and never panicked or darted around without
reason.
Most of the time, it lingered quietly in place, looking utterly lifeless. The instant a net approached, however, its tail flicked sharply, and it disappeared in a flash. Once the danger passed, it resumed its motionless, empty–headed act.
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There was something oddly captivating about it. The fish looked foolish, yet it was anything but simple- minded.
Ava rose to her feet. “Alright, I’ll go take a closer look.”
By the time the two of them reached the tanks, the children still hadn’t managed to catch a single fish. Disappointed and deflated, they threw their arms around each other’s shoulders and trudged off together.
She stood before the tank, studying it in silence for quite some time.
While her attention remained fixed on the fish, Keith had already paid the vendor. He returned with a small net in hand, casually twirling the handle between his fingers. “Here. Give it a try.”
A trace of uncertainty crept into her voice. “What if I can’t catch anything?”
“Then you keep going,” he replied. “You’ve got thirty tries.”
Her fingers tightened around the handle. “And if I still don’t catch even one after all that?”
She thought, Each attempt costs ten coins and comes with three scoops. That means he’s already spent a hundred coins. Could I really miss every single one? That seems impossible.
After a careful scan of the tank, Ava selected the fish tha looked the slowest and most oblivious. She held her breath, lowered the net into the water with painstaking care, and edged closer. Just as she felt certain of success, the so–called dumb fish suddenly reacted and shot away without a trace.
What an awful start. She could almost sense the silent, merciless ridicule coming from the fish. She glanced up at Keith. “It’s… incredibly fast.”
Amusement curved his lips. “Then, try again.”
More than a dozen attempts followed. Each time she came close, the fish slipped away at the last second. No matter the approach–quick or slow, cautious or bold–very effort ended the same way.
Keith extended his hand. “Want me to give it a shot?”
His expression remained calm and unreadable as Ava handed over the net.
“Go ahead,” Ava insisted. “This fish is ridiculously hard to catch. If you fail too, I won’t laugh.”
He smiled without responding, the handle spinning lightly between his fingers. “When it comes to catching fish,” he declared, “you have to be fast, accurate, and decisive. Hesitation won’t get you anywhere.”
The moment his words ended, the surface of the water ippled twice. Before she could even blink, a purple fish was thrashing inside the net.
She stared at him, then at the fish.
There was no mistake–he had actually caught one.
Only then did Ava realize that her earlier comment had turned into ruthless self–mockery.
Keith asked the vendor for a container and placed the fish inside. He turned back to her and asked, “Which one do you want next? I can catch another for you.”
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She pointed toward the fastest fish in the tank–the milk–spotted one. “That one. I don’t believe you can catch that one, too!”
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