Odyssey Of Survival-Chapter 72 I Stopped Running

Nate sat cross-legged on a flat stone, his focus entirely on the plate of food before him. The aroma was rich, a mixture of freshly cooked rice, seasoned vegetables, and tender chunks of meat. It was the first proper meal he’d had since leaving earth, and he savored every bite.

The rice had been a small miracle of its own. A young plant manipulator in their camp had managed to grow rice from seeds scavenged from the island’s ruins. Using his powers, he cultivated it in a makeshift patch by the stream. Not just the rice—this individual had coaxed tomatoes, onions, and peppers from the soil, creating a variety of ingredients for the meal. The meat came from a successful hunt earlier that morning, where Ryder and Madison had brought down a wild boar. Together, these elements made the feast before Nate possible.

Around him, the air buzzed with tension. Ryder leaned against the wall, arms crossed, watching Nate intently. Madison and Alice sat close by, whispering to each other, occasionally glancing at him. Griffin, the art professor, appeared unusually quiet, a frown etched into his face as he sat on an old log. Bella remained still, her eyes fixed on Nate, her expression calm but unreadable.

Then there was Jack. The boy’s gaze burned into Nate with unrelenting curiosity, practically screaming his questions before he even opened his mouth. Nate didn’t need telepathy to know that Jack was itching for answers.

Finally, as Nate finished the last bite, Jack straightened in his seat and declared, "I’ll start." His tone was firm, leaving no room for interruption. "How do you have the lightning ability? And how are you so strong now?"

Nate set his plate down and wiped his mouth, taking a moment to gather his thoughts. He had anticipated this question—it was the one that had been written on everyone’s faces since his return.

"Zoro," Nate began, his voice steady but grim. "The one you call the lightning man. He’s the reason."

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Jack nodded, his sharp mind clearly filing away the name for later.

"Every day, Zoro would break me," Nate continued, his tone darkening. "He’d push me to the brink of death, again and again. At first, I thought I was just enduring his torture. But then I noticed something… a spark."

He paused, his eyes glazing over slightly as he recalled the harrowing memories. "It was faint at first, almost unnoticeable. But it was there. The lightning started to grow inside me, bit by bit. And the more he tortured me, the more unstable it became. It was like a storm building inside, growing stronger, more chaotic. Until one day, it exploded."

Nate’s hands trembled slightly as he spoke, but his voice remained even. "That explosion… it almost destroyed me. It felt like an eternity of pain. My body couldn’t contain it, and my mind… my mind nearly shattered. Even in my subconscious, the lightning kept chasing me. I started running from it, trying to escape it. But no matter how far or fast I ran, it would find me. It would hurt me."

Everyone around him remained silent, their faces a mixture of awe and horror. Ryder finally broke the silence, his deep voice cutting through the tension. "What happened next?"

Nate shifted his gaze to Ryder and replied slowly, each word heavy with meaning. "I stopped running."

Ryder’s brows furrowed, but he didn’t interrupt.

"I turned around and fought back," Nate continued. "It was either let the lightning consume me or subdue it. So I chose the latter. I fought with everything I had. Every ounce of strength, every shred of will. And eventually… I won."

His words hung in the air, a testament to the inner battle he had endured.

Madison, her curiosity getting the better of her, asked cautiously, "So… if you can control lightning now, what happened to your fire?"

Nate glanced at her, a faint smirk forming on his lips. He raised his right hand, and in an instant, lightning sparked across his fingers, crackling with raw energy. Then, he raised his left hand, and flames roared to life, dancing across his palm.

The display left everyone in stunned silence, their eyes wide as they stared at the twin elements in Nate’s hands. The contrast was mesmerizing—one hand alive with the chaotic energy of lightning, the other burning with the steady intensity of fire.

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For a moment, no one spoke, the only sound being the faint crackle of electricity and fire. Nate let the elements dissipate and lowered his hands, meeting their astonished gazes.

Jack leaned forward, his curiosity still unsatisfied. "But Nate, how is your lightning ability so strong? I mean, Zoro was powerful, but he never showed this level of destruction."

Nate’s face darkened slightly, his gaze dropping to his hands as if trying to find an answer in his own flesh. "Honestly, I don’t know," he admitted. "The lightning… it feels different. It’s not just power; it’s alive. It’s always moving, always pushing, like it’s trying to escape me and wreak havoc on its own."

The group exchanged uneasy glances, the gravity of Nate’s words sinking in.

Nate continued, his tone more somber. "That’s why I need to refrain from using it. It’s too destructive, and I haven’t figured out how to fully control it yet. If I let my guard down, even for a moment, it could—" He stopped, shaking his head. "Until I find a solution, I’ll stick to using my fire. It’s safer… for everyone."

The group nodded in understanding, though the weight of his words left an unspoken tension hanging in the air.

As the conversation started to wind down, Griffin, who had remained unusually quiet, suddenly spoke up. His voice carried a hint of unease. "Nate, there’s something that doesn’t add up. You eradicated the surface of the ocean with that lightning, right? But our powers aren’t supposed to work on the ocean."

All eyes turned to Nate again, waiting for his response.

Nate frowned, clearly having thought about this before. "You’re right. My fire doesn’t work in the ocean. It never has. But for some reason, lightning does. I don’t know why… but it just does."

Griffin’s brow furrowed deeper, but he didn’t press further. The implications of Nate’s abilities seemed to add another layer of mystery to the growing list of unanswered questions.

Before anyone could speak again, Ryder stepped forward, his expression serious. "I have one last question," he said, his voice cutting through the murmurs. The group fell silent, sensing the gravity in his tone.

Nate looked at Ryder, waiting patiently.

Ryder took a deep breath before asking, "Do you know anything about how Zoro escaped?"

Nate’s face didn’t change, but his eyes flickered with something—confusion. He let Ryder explain everything they had know about how Zoro escaped , listening intently as the group hung on every word.

When Ryder finished, the cave was deathly quiet, the weight of the revelations sinking in.

Nate broke the silence with a simple but unexpected statement. "About that," he began, his voice steady. "I know some things."

The room collectively leaned forward, the air thick with anticipation. Jack’s eyes lit up with excitement, his hunger for answers sharper than ever.