The afternoon sun was warm, casting long shadows across the academy grounds as we walked. Kaelen was fully recovered, his stride confident and his posture radiating the energy of someone who had been cooped up for too long. He rolled his shoulders, the fabric of his uniform tightening across his back.
"I finally feel like myself again," Kaelen said, taking a deep breath of fresh air. "I need to test my strength. Maybe we should head to the training grounds, spar a bit? See if my reflexes are still sharp."
I stopped walking, stepping directly into his path to block him. I placed my hands on my hips, giving him a stern look. "Absolutely not."
Kaelen blinked, pausing mid-step. "What? Why?"
"You just got out of the infirmary," I admonished, poking his chest with a finger. "No big fights for now. You need to ease back into it, not throw yourself into a spar the moment you're bandage-free."
Kaelen stared at me for a moment, then let out a long, exaggerated sigh. He rubbed the back of his neck, a sheepish grin spreading across his face. "You sound just like the healers."
"Because they're right," I insisted, though I couldn't suppress a small smile.
He nodded, his expression softening. "Alright, alright. I yield. No sparring today."
We resumed walking, the silence between us comfortable. The path led toward the library, the quiet hum of the academy filling the air.
Kaelen glanced at me, his green eyes scanning my posture. "You've been training hard too, haven't you?"
I felt a rush of heat rise to my cheeks. "Umm... well, I've been busy with the club. Training my synchronization with Nibbles, and... studying the theory of the Path of the Bonded Vessel..."
I began to list my excuses, my voice trailing off as I tried to justify my lack of physical conditioning.
Kaelen chuckled, cutting me off with a wave of his hand. "Hey, I'm not going to admonish you for not physically training. Honestly, looking at the progress you're making with your Singular Magic..."
He stopped and turned to face me fully. "You're probably better off working on magic than working out physically right now. Don't force yourself into a mold that doesn't fit."
His words were a relief. I stepped closer to him, looking up into his face. "Even so, I don't want to fall behind. I'll keep training with you, Kaelen."
Kaelen's smile widened, genuine and warm. "Of course. I wouldn't have it any other way."
A month passed in a rhythm of classes, club activities, and shared study sessions.
The days were long but fulfilling. My synchronization with Nibbles had improved drastically. What started as ten seconds had stretched into minutes, the silver thread connecting us becoming as natural as breathing.
Today, the sun was high over the outdoor training grounds. The grass was soft under my boots, and the air was still.
I stood in the center of the field, Nibbles perched on my shoulder. Kaelen stood a few meters away, watching me with a focused gaze.
"Ready?" he called out.
"Ready!" I shouted back.
I took a deep breath, closing my eyes for a split second to center myself. I felt the flow of mana within me, and the answering pulse from Nibbles. The synchronization was stable.
I extended my right hand, palm open.
"Hah!"
A beam of pure, white light shot from my palm. It wasn't a concentrated laser, but a wide, spreading arc of luminescence.
Kaelen moved instantly. His agility was incredible; he sidestepped with fluid grace, his body twisting to avoid the beam. But the light was fast, and it grazed the edge of his sleeve.
He landed in a crouch, looking at the scorch mark on his uniform. He looked up at me, impressed.
"That was fast," he noted.
I grinned, but the moment I relaxed my focus, the connection wavered. The exhaustion hit me like a tidal wave. My knees buckled, and I collapsed onto the grass, gasping for air. Nibbles tumbled off my shoulder, landing in the grass next to me with a tired meow.
Kaelen was at my side in an instant. He knelt down, a towel in hand, and gently wiped the sweat from my forehead.
"You've kept the synchronization for over a minute now," he said, his voice low and encouraging. "And you're starting to use Nibbles' elements. That light beam... it's incredible."
I panted, trying to catch my breath. "It... it has no damage power currently," I managed to say. "It's just light. It can blind, maybe confuse, but it can't burn or cut."
"Yet," Kaelen corrected firmly. "It's still progress. A month ago, you couldn't even hold a connection for ten seconds."
I smiled, my cheeks flushing at his praise. "Thank you."
I reached out and petted Nibbles, who was purring weakly against my leg. "Good job, buddy."
Kaelen stood up and offered me a hand. I took it, and he pulled me to my feet, steadying me as I swayed.
"You're getting good at the theory, too," I said, dusting off my skirt. "Your answers and knowledge from the tutor sessions have been spot on. You're making really good progress."
Kaelen shrugged, a humble smile playing on his lips. "It's all thanks to you. You explain things in a way that makes sense."
I shook my head vigorously. "No, it's you. You have the discipline to actually study. I just point the way."
I looked up at him, my eyes bright. "Let's have a good tutor session today, too. I want to go over the mana circulation diagrams again."
Kaelen nodded. "I'd like that."
Suddenly, Kaelen stopped. His body went rigid, his eyes narrowing as he looked past me.
I looked at him, confused. "Kaelen?"
Before he could answer, a fist flew at him from the side: fast, brutal, and aimed at his jaw.
Kaelen reacted without thinking. He raised his forearm, blocking the strike with a sharp thwack. The impact sent a shockwave through the air. He didn't hesitate, immediately countering with a low sweep, but the figure jumped back, dodging the attack with acrobatic ease.
The figure landed gracefully a few meters away, dust kicking up around their boots.
Kaelen straightened up, his expression hardening. "Zarethis?"
Zarethis stood there, her dark elven ears twitching, a sharp, predatory grin on her face. She cracked her knuckles, the sound echoing in the quiet field.
"It's been a while since we 'talked'," Zarethis purred, her eyes gleaming with challenge. "How about we have a duel? For old times' sake?"
Kaelen looked at her, his stance relaxed but ready. Then, he glanced back at me.
Kaelen turned back to Zarethis, his shoulders dropping slightly. "I pass."
Zarethis blinked, her grin faltering. "What?"
"I don't feel like it," Kaelen said simply.
He turned his back on her, walking over to me. He gently took my arm, guiding me to walk with him away from the training field.
"Let's go, Bell."
I looked over my shoulder as we walked. Zarethis stood frozen, her mouth slightly open in shock. She watched us leave, her gaze fixed on Kaelen's back.
Then, her eyes shifted to me, and for a moment, she saw it.
Kaelen wasn't just walking beside me; he was looking down at me with a softness in his eyes: a fondness she had never seen from him before. It wasn't the fierce, competitive glare he gave her, nor the cold indifference he showed most people. It was warm, protective, and gentle.
She remembered the Kaelen from a month ago, the one who fought with ferocious intensity, who lived for the thrill of the clash.
Has he gone soft? she thought, a strange annoyance twisting in her chest.
Meanwhile, as we walked away from the field, I looked up at Kaelen, my brow furrowed.
"Why didn't you fight her?" I asked. "I know you wanted to. I could feel it."
Kaelen looked down at me, his expression softening again. "I didn't want to miss our tutor session together. A spar with Zarethis would have taken too long, and I'd be too tired to focus on the diagrams."
I felt my face heat up again. "We could have had a shorter session if you wanted..."
Kaelen shook his head, smiling. "No. I want to give it my full attention."
I sighed, though I was secretly pleased. "You're stubborn."
"Look who's talking," he teased.
We walked in silence for a moment, the sun warming our backs. I looked at the path ahead, a new idea forming in my mind.
"Hey, Kaelen," I said, looking up at him. "Do you want to go on a quest together?"
Kaelen looked surprised. "A quest?"
"Yeah. Since it's both our first times, I think it would be fun. We could earn some mana crystals and practice our magic in a real environment."
Kaelen nodded slowly, considering it. "That sounds like a good idea. But quests usually require a party of four members for safety protocols."
I nodded, tapping my chin. "Right. We have Elara; I can ask her to join us. But who else...?"
We both fell silent, thinking of potential candidates.
Kaelen suddenly stopped. He looked back toward the training field we had just left.
I followed his gaze. In the distance, Zarethis was still standing there, kicking at the dirt, her ears drooping as she grumbled to herself. She looked dejected.
Kaelen took a deep breath and cupped his hands around his mouth.
"HEY, ZAR!" he yelled, his voice carrying across the field.
Zarethis's head snapped up, her dark ears perking straight up.
"IF YOU JOIN OUR QUEST SQUAD," Kaelen shouted, "I'LL FIGHT YOU!"
The silence that followed was heavy. Then, Zarethis's eyes lit up, sparkling with stars. The gloom vanished from her face instantly.
"REALLY?!" she screamed back, her voice filled with pure joy.
She didn't wait for a second answer. She sprinted toward us, her legs pumping hard, a wide, triumphant grin on her face.
Kaelen and I both stared, surprised by her sudden shift in attitude.
She skidded to a halt in front of us, grabbing Kaelen's hand and shaking it vigorously. "Deal! It's a deal! I'll join your quest squad!"
Kaelen looked at me, a helpless shrug on his face. I looked at Zarethis, who was practically vibrating with excitement, and then back at Kaelen.
I couldn't help but laugh. "Looks like our first quest together is going to be interesting."
Zarethis pumped Kaelen's hand harder. "You bet it is! When do we leave?"
Kaelen sighed, but there was a smile hidden behind it. "Tomorrow. Meet us at the quest board at noon."
"Perfect!" Zarethis released his hand and did a small, happy spin. "I'm going to go prepare right now!"
She took off running again, leaving a cloud of dust in her wake.