A heavy stillness hung over the palace grounds.
For the past week, time had seemed suspended. Shiebe's days followed the same rhythm—short, wordless moments with Maz, glimpses of Julius in the halls, and the kind of quiet that didn't feel peaceful, but expectant. They were all waiting. For what, none of them could say.
Today, the air felt different. Movement was coming.
Shiebe arrived at the training garden late, as usual.
Shiebe: "My bad…"
Eros didn't comment on his tardiness, only gave a slight nod.
Eros: (calmly) "Let's begin."
The tension in the space was unmistakable. Maz avoided Mona's gaze, and she mirrored the gesture. Whatever had driven the distance between them remained unspoken, but the air between them crackled with unease.
Shiebe's eyes moved across the group. No one smiled. No one joked. Something was shifting.
Eros: "Today, I want each of you to explain your Syreum. This isn't a test. I want your understanding, not a perfect answer."
Silence.
It stretched long enough that even the breeze through the trees felt too loud.
Eros: (with a raised brow) "Anyone?"
Shiebe sighed and rubbed the back of his neck.
Shiebe: "I guess I'll go…"
He stepped forward, words slow and uncertain.
Shiebe: "My Syreum lets me create orbs. They explode. The more power I use, the bigger they get. But... that's about it. I don't really get it."
The admission tasted bitter. He glanced at Eros, hoping for some kind of validation. He got none.
His Syreum always felt incomplete, like holding a puzzle with half the pieces missing. Worse, there was that voice—the woman's voice—echoing from a memory he didn't understand. It lingered on the edge of every use of his power. Was she part of it? Or something else entirely?
Eros: "Next."
Julius raised a hand tentatively.
Julius: "My Syreum lets me copy others... if I understand them well enough."
Shiebe blinked. That was new.
Shiebe: "Whoa."
Julius: (blushing slightly) "It's harder than it sounds. I still haven't figured out how to use it well."
Eros: "Copying is a gift and a risk. Know the difference."
As Julius stepped back, Shiebe stared at him, surprised. He had assumed Julius's quiet nature meant his power was simple. But it was anything but.
Mona: "I'll go."
Her voice was even, controlled. Shiebe turned his attention quickly, doing his best not to look too interested.
Mona: "I can block someone's Syreum by making contact. Directly, or through anything I'm holding."
That was terrifying in its simplicity. Clean. Effective. Final.
Shiebe envied how clearly the others understood themselves.
Maz: (gruffly) "Mine's electricity. I can summon it. Become it, if I push hard enough."
Eros: (nodding) "You're all beginning to grasp the basics. But understanding your Syreum isn't enough. You have to live with it. Own it."
He looked at each of them in turn.
Eros: "You want to reach Henokai Academy?"
Shiebe: "Yeah…"
Julius nodded. Mona was silent. Maz said nothing.
Shiebe's heart beat a little harder.
Eros: (raising a book and quill) "Then it's time to test your strength. One-on-one."
Shiebe stiffened.
Eros: "Winners will be ranked. The weakest will train twice as hard."
Silence. Even the birds seemed to stop singing.
Eros: (flipping through pages) "This isn't about brute force. It's about control. Precision. Intent."
He looked up.
Eros: "First match: Shiebe versus Julius."
Shiebe froze.
Julius: (with a nervous laugh) "Guess I get to show off."
Shiebe: (grinning weakly) "Yeah, lucky me…"
They stepped into the sparring ring. The earth beneath their feet was dry, cracked from past training sessions. Shiebe flexed his fingers. The familiar pressure built in his palms—the forming of orbs, buzzing with unstable energy.
Eros: "Begin."
Shiebe moved first, launching three orbs with sharp precision. Julius dove to the side, barely dodging. One grazed him—just enough to leave a scorch mark on his shirt.
Julius: (breathless) "What the—?"
Shiebe wasn't done. Another orb flew toward him.
This time, Julius didn't dodge. He focused. Energy surged around him—an unstable mimic of Shiebe's orb.
Julius: (grinning) "I get it now."
He threw the copied orb. It hit the ground behind Shiebe, erupting with familiar force.
Shiebe: "No way…"
It was rough, messy. But it worked.
Julius had copied his Syreum.
Shiebe clenched his fists. Panic gave way to adrenaline.
Shiebe: "Fine. Let's see if you can keep up."
Four orbs materialized—three behind his shoulders, one massive orb crackling in front of him.
Shiebe: "This one's different."
He hurled the first three in a zigzag pattern, distractions. The fourth followed, heavy and slow but full of raw power.
Julius danced around the first two, deflected the third with a weaker copy, and barely avoided the fourth—redirecting it with a jolt of mimicked energy. It exploded near the edge of the training field.
Dust filled the air.
Julius coughed, blinking through the haze.
Julius: "It's like trying to rewrite a book after only reading the cover…"
Shiebe smirked.
Shiebe: "You weren't supposed to do that…"
Julius: "Told you. I just need the basics."
Shiebe charged.
He tossed two small orbs—left, right—then lunged with a third aimed straight at Julius's chest.
Shiebe: "Let's see how well you copy without an explanation!"
The first orb missed. The second clipped Julius's arm. The third—
A flash of light. A crack of force.
Julius dropped, winded, but not down.
Both boys stared at each other across the ring—breathing hard, hearts pounding.
For the first time, Shiebe didn't feel lost in his power. Not entirely. There was more to uncover. But right now, he had found something that felt like clarity.
Shiebe: (to himself) "I'm not just chasing understanding. I'm chasing myself."
The dust finally settled.
Julius: "You… held back…"
Shiebe stood over him, breathing a little heavy now too, but his face was unreadable.
Shiebe: "I said I was gonna try my best. I didn't say I wanted to break you."
A beat passed. Then he extended a hand down to Julius.
Shiebe: "Not bad, copycat."
Julius blinked—then laughed, taking the hand and pulling himself up.
Their match was done—for now.
[Winner: Shiebe Zackaria]
The sound of footsteps echoed lightly in the garden as Eros approached, the book and quill still in his hands. He hadn't said a word the entire match, just watching with that same calm, unreadable expression. But now, as the dust began to settle and the tension thinned, he finally stopped a few paces away from the two.
He flipped a page in the book with one hand, gently tapping the quill against the margin.
Eros: "…Interesting."
His eyes moved between Shiebe and Julius—lingering a little longer on Julius, who was brushing himself off, then flicking briefly to the still-simmering energy around Shiebe's hands.
Eros: "Julius… you understood just enough to replicate something dangerous. That takes guts. But guts don't win fights."
He jotted something down.
Eros: "And Shiebe…"
Shiebe looked up, expectant.
Eros gave him a slight nod—not a smile, but something close.
Eros: "Your control is… lacking. But your instincts are sharp. You knew when to press and when to pull back."
He paused, tapping the quill once more against the page.
Eros: "Shiebe wins."
Shiebe didn't gloat. He just gave a small breath—half relief, half disbelief.
Eros turned, already scribbling more notes.
Eros: "Next match… Maz vs Mona."
Without missing a beat, he moved to the edge of the garden again, folding his arms with the book tucked beneath one elbow. His face stayed calm, but there was a faint look in his eyes now—like this was the part he had been waiting for all along.