With a hard blink, she gradually opened her eyes, relieved to find herself back on the familiar concrete ground. It was a comforting sight that elicited a sigh of relief, signaling the end of her harrowing experience.
Turning around, Tess caught sight of Zack's feet retreating before lifting her gaze to meet his face. His head tilted to one side, his eyes squinting as if struggling to focus on something distant. In a soft, whisper-like tone, he uttered her name,"Tee." His voice was infused with a soothing calmness that washed away her lingering tension. It reminded her of where she was and grounded her in the present.
Pushing herself upright, Tess noticed Zino's proximity, struggling to lift a sword and extend it towards her. "You dropped this," Zino informed her, concern etched on her face.
Tess realized it was indeed her own sword that had slipped from her grip. In that moment, she felt the numbness in her hands receding, replaced by a disconcerting sensation of countless minuscule movements, particularly in her right hand. Despite this unsettling feeling, the warmth that emanated from their genuine concern touched her deeply.
"Thanks," she expressed her gratitude to Zino, a genuine smile gracing her lips as she glanced at Zack.
These moments of support and care served as a reminder for Tess to keep her dark secret concealed. If people knew she was a Syb-victim their concern would likely dissipate, replaced by pity or even the hope that she didn't get back up.
"You should sharpen your sword, as Lanse told us," Zino advised Tess.
"What?" Tess blurted out in confusion. "Sharpen?"
Turning her gaze behind her, Tess noticed both Lanse and Szedra by the concrete structure, vigorously rubbing something against the base of their swords. Zack and Zino joined her as they made their way towards the two of them.
Without wasting a moment, Zack and Zino each grabbed one of the removable bricks placed around the circular edge of the structure. Two bricks were already missing, revealing an abrasive side underneath each.
The glimmering shine emanating from Lanse's sword caught Tess's attention, and as she moved closer, she caught sight of her own face reflected in its mirror-like surface. Lanse noticed her approaching and looked up, his smirk dripping with mock surprise.
"You? I thought you were dead," he taunted, tilting his sword to offer her a better view of her reflection. "Like what you see? Next time, you should try sharpening it before embarrassing yourself."
Tess grabbed one of the seemingly decorative bricks herself to inspect it. An annoyed twitch appeared at the corner of her lips before she questioned, "Who told you these were here?"
Zack provided a simple one-word answer. "Lanse."
The mention of that jerk's name triggered an intense urge within Tess to punch a wall. Refusing to even glance in Lanse's direction, she channeled her anger into her actions, using it as fuel to begin sharpening her sword.
How on earth did he know about this? She didn't dare ask him, fearing that if she heard his voice speaking to her again, she might succumb to the temptation of doing something regrettable.
After thirty minutes of meticulous sharpening, the edges of their swords glistened like brand-new utensils. Zack plucked a strand of hair from his head and carefully brushed it against the edge of his sword. Judging by his approving nod, it split the hair effortlessly.
As a united front, they positioned themselves in front of their respective columns. They had agreed to strike their columns simultaneously. Tess wrestled with the notion of holding back while she observed the others exerting themselves to the point of almost breaking their arms. However, she dismissed the idea, confident that this time it would work. Besides, she had no intention of appearing as a deceitful individual.
Szedra initiated the countdown, her voice echoing through the room. From five to one, anticipation filled the air, and as one, they swung their swords with all their might, directing their combined force towards the metal columns.
This time, the vibrations did not reverberate painfully through Tess's hand. Instead, she felt the energy flow from the sword and release into the metal column. The weight of her sword caused it to slide out of the small dent it created and down the length of the column until it struck the ground. Although the dent was small, no larger than a nail clipping, it was visible. This encouraged Tess to tighten her grip on the sword's handle and deliver another powerful blow.
There was no room for halfway measures. Tess was determined to go three-quarters of the way, aiming to astonish Sensei and steal the spotlight from Lanse. After all, he wouldn't be so special once she was done.
"Done!" Zino exclaimed, being the last to reach the halfway mark in her column.
At the utterance of that word, the others dropped their swords as if they were poisonous and collapsed onto their knees. They had made a pact not to cease until they were certain they had all completed their task. Exhaustion and satisfaction mingled in the air, their shared accomplishment evident.
Zack muttered something under his breath about Zino's columns not being halfway through, but it was as if his words were lost in the wind. The others chose to ignore his comment, not caring for such trivial matters at that moment.
For Tess, time seemed to crawl at a snail's pace from that point onward. It felt like hours had passed as they made their way back to their living complex. Each step was a struggle, their breaths shallow and labored. Waves of pain coursed through their arms, forcing them to pause in the hallways, leaning against the walls to catch their breath and gather their depleted strength. Simple tasks that were once effortless now seemed insurmountable.
They resembled zombies, their movements slow and unsteady. In that state, Tess couldn't help but be relieved that Sensei had left them when he did. She couldn't fathom what he would have said about their condition at that moment, and she had no desire to find out.
Finally, they reached the kitchen, but the pain in their fingers made it clear that cooking was out of the question. Zino, like the others, struggled to move her fingers without experiencing a jolt of agony. It was evident that she wouldn't be preparing a meal, and no one else had the capability to do so either.
The idea of popping popcorn from the cupboards seemed to be the brainchild of Lanse. Zino would never consider consuming something so ordinary for the second most important meal of the day. Lanse tossed the bag into the microwave, input the minutes, and they all gathered around, eagerly anticipating the explosive outcome.
Tess observed Zack walking off with the hot bag cradled under his arms, steam billowing from it. It appeared scorching to the touch, a testament to the intensity of the microwave's heat.
After handing Szedra the next bag, Tess positioned herself directly in front of Lanse, practically under his nose. As he passed the next bag to Zino, it became painfully clear that he was intentionally avoiding her, leaving the two of them alone in the kitchen, waiting for the next batch to heat up.
Their eyes danced everywhere but at each other, both engaged in a silent standoff, their unspoken tension palpable in the air. The only sounds that punctuated the silence were the popping kernels and the humming of the oven, amplifying the weight of the atmosphere in the room.
Tess couldn't shake off the realization that both she and Lanse were the only ones who had managed to make significant progress in cutting through their columns. It irked her to no end, feeling as if he had somehow intercepted her thoughts and deliberately sabotaged her plans.
When Lanse opened the oven door and retrieved the freshly popped bag of popcorn, Tess's train of thought screeched to a halt. She watched as he briskly walked past her, clutching the bag, and exited the kitchen. In that moment, she balled her hands into tight fists and gritted her teeth in frustration.
Stealing his spotlight was no longer enough. Now, she was fueled by a burning determination to burn it down!