Kira gestured to the training area around them, her voice carrying a soothing tone. "Twinkle, fire isn't just about physical control, it's about channeling your emotions. Let your feelings guide your power," she said, her words flowing with a calming rhythm. In her mind, she still wondered why she had chosen to teach him, but something about him made her want to help.
Lennox's brow furrowed with uncertainty as he tried to grasp the concept. "Okay... so, the emotions I felt, like excitement while controlling my fire... that's why?" He realized that in his bloodline core, he had never felt the need to control his emotions to command the fire. This idea was new to him.
Kira's eyes held a knowing glint as she began to explain. "Yes... think of your emotions as a vessel for your power. Strong feelings such as passion, anger, or even excitement can fuel your control over your bloodline abilities," she said, her words resonating with wisdom born from experience.
"When I'm at my most emotional," Kira continued, her voice filled with conviction, "I can shape shadows with precision, almost as if my feelings become one with the element itself. Emotions connect us to our bloodlines on a profound level." As she spoke, she extended her hand, and dark veins on her skin glowed, releasing a wisp of shadowy energy. With a swift motion, she pointed her hand forward, and a dark shadow arrow shot out at incredible speed, slamming into the ground and branching out into a web of shadows.
Lennox nodded, surprised by the destructive beauty of her attack. Intrigued by Kira's insight, he closed his eyes, recalling moments when his emotions had surged times of passion, moments of frustration, memories of past anger at the way others had treated him. It was a new perspective, one that opened up a realm of understanding he hadn't considered before.
Visualizing those emotions, particularly the happiness from his childhood, a warmth began to stir within Lennox. Slowly, he extended his palms once more, summoning the flames with a focused intent. The air around him seemed to shiver, and this time, the flames appeared, but they were different controlled, obedient to his will, yet still in need of further control.
Kira's soft applause filled the air as Lennox's progress became evident. "You're doing great, Lennox. You're channeling your emotions into your fire. Keep doing it, and you'll have even greater control."
With a mixture of astonishment and pride, Lennox watched as his flames danced and swayed in rhythm with his emotions. Whenever the flames seemed on the verge of losing control, he took a deep breath, recalling a happy memory, and regained control over the fire.
Then, applause punctuated the air. "Clap! Clap!"
Lennox and Kira turned, both surprised, as the sound of clapping approached them. "Good, good! You're the one who conjured the most astonishing fire," a voice exclaimed in amazement, the speaker gradually coming into view.
Lennox and Kira exchanged a look of wonder before slowly turning toward the direction of the voice. There, they spotted a beautiful 5'10" woman whose hair cascaded in vibrant hues reminiscent of flickering flames. The top layers were a deep, molten red, resembling the intensity of smoldering embers, transitioning into brilliant oranges and golds as they flowed downward. Nexus veins were visible within her hair. She had an athletic build with a well-defined D-Cup figure and a few scars on her right forearms but her left was covered by a floating cloth coming down from around her neck dressed in a black tight jacket and pants.
Curiosity piqued, Lennox asked, "Who are you?" He hadn't seen the woman before, but then again, he hadn't interacted much within the academy. On Kira's face, there was a knowing expression, hinting that she might be aware of the woman.
"I'm a mentor at the academy, name's Nadia," she replied, scanning both Lennox and Kira's bodies as if searching for something specific.
"Hello, Mentor Nadia. I'm Lennox," he responded respectfully. He wondered why a mentor was seeking him out, especially since he had heard that mentors typically aided students with special bloodlines.
Nadia continued, her confidence evident, "I've noticed your unique fire. I believe that with my training, you could become as strong as me, or perhaps even stronger." Internally, she thought, 'But first, I need to assess your potential.'
Lennox and Kira were taken aback by Nadia's statement. It seemed impossible for a mentor to teach someone with a normal bloodline. "Well, thank you for the opportunity, but I have a normal bloodline," Lennox said, disappointment coloring his voice.
"You don't have to worry about that," Nadia continued, her tone assured. She turned her attention to Kira, saying, "Thanks for teaching a couple of things, Kira, but you can leave now." Her words were decisive, signaling that she intended to take charge of Lennox's training.
Kira simply nodded at Nadia and walked away, understanding that Nadia was going to take over Twinkle's training personally. Lennox had been about to continue talking to her, feeling like he had finally found someone to connect with, but noticed Kira's nod and respected her decision.
Furrowing his brow, Lennox turned back to Nadia. "Why did she have to leave?" he asked in annoyance, disappointed that their conversation had been cut short when he felt he had finally found a friend in Kira.
"Sorry for that, I didn't know," Nadia apologized sincerely. "I'm the only fire mentor that could teach you. The others wouldn't want to," she explained.
Lennox understood the situation. Apart from regular classes, no other instructor or mentor had approached him before. "Well... thank you, Mentor Nadia," he said, appreciating her apology and keen to learn from her.
"But... is it true that you can control fire?" Lennox asked, genuinely curious. He had felt the heat around Nadia as she approached, but he thought it might be from another heat-based bloodline.
Nadia responded with a slight smile. With a chuckle and a snap of her fingers, flames danced at her fingertips, responding to her will with the grace and precision of a seasoned performer. Sparks trailed behind her hand like comets, leaving streaks of ephemeral light in her wake.
Lennox felt a glimmer of trust in Nadia, seeing her control over fire. "I see. I'll be grateful if you can teach me," he said, his gratitude evident.
"Okay, so how about we start off small?" Nadia suggested. "Kira mentioned you've learned some basics. Let's build on that," she said, her tone encouraging.
"But I'm surprised she decided to talk with you," Nadia added in a mysterious tone, wondering about Kira's unexpected involvement.
"Huh... What do you mean?" Lennox asked, confused by Nadia's implication that there might be something wrong with Kira approaching him.
"Well, from what I know, ever since she joined the academy, she usually keeps to herself. Besides, her Nyctosurge bloodline is of a higher tier," Nadia explained, her tone thoughtful. Inside her mind, she wondered, 'Maybe she felt that you could understand her since your eyes are dark, but that doesn't make sense. There are other dark bloodlines in the academy too.'
Lennox didn't fully comprehend the concept of bloodline tiers, so he set aside that thought for the moment. He pondered why Kira approached him if she typically kept to herself; she seemed very friendly and approachable.
"Don't dwell on it. Now, try making a fireball by using your mind," Nadia instructed, her demeanor shifting into a more serious, mentor-like tone."But this time use your mind because as you know the mind controls the emotions'
'Ok if I think about what emotion or the past it should bring out that emotion,' Lennox thought, preparing himself.
Extending his palm, he focused on controlling his nexus energy, guiding it along the line toward his palm. The vein glowed azure, and a small azure flame appeared a couple of inches above his palm. "Ha, I did it!" he exclaimed in happiness, but in his excitement, he lost control. The flame expanded rapidly, almost burning his face before he managed to quickly cut off his energy, extinguishing the flame. He frowned, realizing he still had a lot to learn.
"Ugh," Lennox sighed, taking a deep breath, his face lined with fear from the close call. Nadia observed him intently. "Try again, until you get it right. You control the flames; they don't control you," she instructed, her tone firm but encouraging. "Focus... channel the emotion within you, then feel the flame rise."
Lennox extended his palm once more. As the energy flowed to his hand, the small azure flame appeared. "Steady... I just need a controlled burst, not an inferno. Don't get too excited and happy," he reminded himself, the flame fluctuating in size as he repeated the process.
"Know this, power without control is dangerous as a wildfire," Nadia cautioned, her mentor-like tone underlining the importance of his learning.
Nadia watched with keen interest as Lennox's determined azure flame flickered between larger and smaller sizes. Eventually, after numerous attempts, he managed to control it well enough to form a stable fireball. Nadia sensed that what she had perceived as a mystery in his flame was undoubtedly real.
"Ugh," Lennox sighed, fatigue etched across his face. "I did it," he said, his hand resting on his knee. Every time he conjured a fireball, it drained his stamina, leaving him on the verge of exhaustion.
Looking up at Nadia, he commented, "I noticed that each flame dances uniquely, like they each have a personality."
Nadia walked over to Lennox, patting his shoulder appreciatively. "You've taken the first step by recognizing its dual nature anger and calm," she acknowledged, genuinely impressed. 'You really do have a special connection to fire,' she thought to herself.
"Lennox, take off your jacket and turn around," Nadia instructed suddenly, catching him off guard. He hesitated momentarily, but his trust in her as a mentor prevailed. He removed his jacket, exposing his well-built body, and turned around, albeit cautiously.
Approaching him, Nadia's hand glowed with red nexus energy. She ran her finger down his spine, causing him to shiver. Just as he was about to question her actions, she said, "I'm examining your strength line."
Lennox was puzzled. "What's that?" he asked, genuinely intrigued.
"There are millions, even billions, of small light dots on everyone's strength line to indicate their power," Nadia explained. As she ran her hand down his spine, she saw 55 light dots glimmering.
As Nadia withdrew her hand, Lennox looked at her, curiosity piqued. "Well..." he prompted, awaiting her explanation.
"In simpler terms, out of 100 points, you have 55 in strength, denoted by a dot that represents Power Level-G, which is the Gifted above avagera human. Nadia mentioned this casually, but secretly, she was very excited. "This is because you're almost at the peak human level, which is rank 7 for a human in terms of speed, strength, mind capabilities and others," she explained.
Lennox, feeling curious, asked, "If I'm almost at peak human, does that mean there's no more room for growth?" He was worried that reaching peak human condition would mean his powers would stop growing, and he would remain the same.
Nadia reassured him, "No, that's not the case. You can surpass the peak human level, depending on your race and how much nexus energy enters your nexus core but there other way to get stronger and surpass it.'"