The training room was thick with the silence of failure. Henry sat on the floor, breathless, the borrowed spark of light long since faded from his hands. The brief moment of triumph was gone, replaced by the crushing reality of his dependency.
"This is painful to watch," Tsukuyomi's voice echoed in his mind, dripping with theatrical boredom. "Relying on my prude sister for every little flicker. It's undignified."
Suddenly, an idea seemed to strike the moon goddess. A genuine, constructive idea, which was in itself a terrifying prospect. She materialized beside Henry, a thoughtful, plotting look on her face. In her hands, a simple, unadorned silver chain appeared. Hanging from it was a smooth, grey stone, cool to the touch and seemingly devoid of any power.
"I had an idea," she announced, dangling the necklace. "This is a relic from an old, forgotten clan. A group of fools who served both the Solari and Lunari. This stone has the unique ability to absorb and store magical energy." Tsukuyomi hands it to Helia.
She took the pendant in her hand and focused. A sliver of her own vast, cold power flowed into the stone. Then, to Henry's surprise, a tiny, radiant sun bloomed within the grey stone, a warm, golden light pulsing gently from its core.
Helia offered it to him. "Wear it. It should fix your dependency for now. It will act as a guide, a resonant source for your own light. I'll make sure to power it more when you drain it all."
Hesitantly, Henry took the necklace. The stone was warm now. He fastened it around his neck, and as it settled against his skin, he could feel a small, steady light flowing over him. It was different than Helia's touch. It was calmer, more stable, and somehow, it felt more his.
Helia watched the exchange, her eyes narrowed with suspicion but also curiosity. She created a small, stable orb of light and let it float in front of Henry. "Try again. I want you to throw a similar light energy into it."
Henry nodded. He closed his eyes and concentrated. He could feel the gentle thrum of the pendant against his chest, a constant, guiding song. He reached for his own light, and this time, it didn't feel so frightened. It responded to the call, drawing on the pattern from the necklace. A ball of light started to mold itself in his hands, growing brighter and more stable with each passing second. When it was complete, a perfect sphere of his own energy, he opened his eyes and threw it.
The two orbs collided and, instead of exploding, simply vanished in a soft, silent flash of light, perfectly neutralizing each other.
Helia allowed herself another rare, small smile. "This should work for now." Her expression then turned serious. "Did you check the calendar for this week?"
Henry shook his head.
She sighed. "There will be a duel demonstration with another class. It's a mandatory assessment to check on student abilities and to form teams for small expeditions outside the academy walls."
Henry's stomach plummeted. Expeditions? Duels? He would surely lose. But then a small, guilty wave of relief washed over him. At least he wouldn't have to fight Lyra and suffer that humiliation again.
A familiar, cold voice echoed in the back of his mind. A fight? That's all I needed. A chance to show some of these weaklings who's the boss around here. The mental smirk was practically audible.
As if on cue, Tsukuyomi appeared at Henry's side, draping an arm over his shoulder. "That should be interesting," she purred. "But if you lose any battle, my dear Henry, I swear I'm going to teach you a lesson. A very... personal lesson~" She was blushing slightly, her gaze raking him up and down with an owner's eye.
"You will not," Helia cut in, her own face turning red with anger, knowing her sister's true intentions all too well.
As Henry and Helia walked through the academy halls later, a mountain of a boy with bulging muscles and a boisterous attitude blocked their path.
"Oh, so you're the boy everyone's talking about," he boomed. "I'm Ganriki." He looked Henry up and down. "Everyone told me you were strong, but you look weak as hell." He laughed, then his eyes fell on Helia and he paled slightly. "Uh, sorry Ms. Helia, it was just a joke."
Helia just looked at him, her serious expression making him sweat. Scared he had hit a nerve, Ganriki quickly turned back to Henry.
"Our classes will probably fight together! I'm going to show you what true strength looks like!" To demonstrate, he focused intently on his hand, and a tiny pebble on the floor beside his foot trembled slightly. Beaming with pride, he swaggered away.
Henry watched him go, the weight of the day pressing down on him. He looked at Helia, his voice quiet and laced with a familiar sadness.
"Everyone here seems to roast me."