"WAKE UP, CADET! NOW ISN'T THE TIME TO BE TAKING A NAP!"
The shout jolted Talon back to full awareness. Unlike last time, though, he knew exactly where he was, and the surge of energy from his recent awakening flooded his senses, sharp and controlled.
He smiled, 'The challenge. Right.'
The memory was vivid, but so was the newfound energy coursing through his veins. He'd made sure to rein it in before stepping through the lobby's door, masking it from any potential sensors or suspicions.... Not that he knew if those even existed, but it's never a bad thing to be cautious.
But now, in the sparring ring, he'd have to keep that control tight. He couldn't reveal just how drastically he'd changed.
He looked around from the floor mat, instantly spotting Jason and Alice in the crowd, concern etched across their faces. Talon couldn't help but smile when he saw them; it was a relief to see everything just as it had been before everything went down.
Instructor Barkley's voice cut through the crowd again, clearly expecting him to stay down. "Are you able to conti-"
Before he could finish, Talon was already on his feet, stance steady and unwavering. "Yes, sir! I can continue!"
Barkley's eyes narrowed slightly. Any other cadet would be in the medbay by now, but Talon's resilience was unnaturally strong, he did not even get knocked out which would have lost him the match.
The instructor kept a steady eye on Talon as he shrugged and resumed the match.
"Alright! That's two to zero in favor of Cadet Rylen! Match point, you may begin!"
Talon settled into his stance, feeling the weight of his power humming beneath his skin, his senses sharper than ever. He had no time to relish in the strength his awakening had given him; the events that had thrown him into this loop left him little room for contemplation.
Yet, now that he was here, Talon was hyper-aware of everything. Rylen's stance, his breathing, the subtle shift in his posture.
It was as if time slowed, giving Talon the clarity to see each moment unfold. It felt exhilarating, yet he knew he couldn't show it, not here and certainly not yet.
Rylen wore his usual smug grin as he approached, his stance cocky and sure. He edged forward, staying light on his feet, his weight shifting with the careful balance of the Acadamy standard stance.
"You can't beat me, Talon," Rylen sneered. "Why don't you just forfeit?"
Talon almost smirked, but he kept his expression controlled. 'Everything's just… slower. I'm faster. Better. Stronger.'
He stayed calm, eyes steady on his opponent as Rylen inched closer to him.
His opponent threw a testing jab. Talon resisted the urge to dodge effortlessly, instead feigning a slight retreat to keep things looking natural. Rylen misinterpreted it as hesitation and smirked, advancing with a new low kick, which quickly turned into a question mark kick aimed for the head.
To anyone else, the kick would have come fast, unpredictable, a blur of movement. But Talon saw it all as if choreographed. Slipping in rather than away, he slid under the kick with his left arm, grabbing it tightly, then swept Rylen's back leg from under him in a blur of speed with his right leg.
Rylen crashed backwards to the ground with a loud thud, and before he could even process what happened, Talon's fist came down and connected with his face, the sound echoing across the sparring ground.
CRACK
A collective gasp rippled through the crowd as cadets winced, the harsh impact of Talon's punch loud enough to make even the toughest of them feel it.
Barkley's brow furrowed, his eyes flickering with something beyond mild surprise. "Cadet Rylen, can you continue?!" he shouted out of formality, but Rylen remained still, breathing shallowly as blood trickled from his nose.
He was out cold. With a clearly broken nose to go with it.
Instructor Barkley's expression hardened, and he motioned to Instructor Mira. "Instructor Mira, get Cadet Rylen to the medical bay immediately." He turned back to Talon, who stood over his downed opponent, steady but feeling a flicker of alarm beneath the surface.
"Winner, Cadet Graves keeps his place in the ranking."
'Shit… that was way harder than I meant to hit him, and I even held back a lot. I need to get this under control…'
But Talon could not help but smile a little, "Hehe… Revenge is mine," he whispered under his breathe, clearly satisfied.
That was the first time he had beaten Rylen in over 2 years.
With a steady breath to regain control, Talon stepped out of the ring, heading over to Jason and Alice, both of whom were staring with wide eyes.
"Since when were you able to do… well, that?!" Jason blurted, his grin broad and impressed.
Talon scratched his head, trying to look casual. "Ha, well, let's call it a lucky shot," he said, feeling a bit awkward but glad his friends didn't seem to question it too deeply.
Alice crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow at him. "Lucky shot or not, that was intense. You've been holding back on us, haven't you?"
Talon laughed, managing to shake off some of the tension. "Guess I have a few tricks left."
They continued to chat and joke as they watched the other matches around them. Talon joined in, but in the back of his mind, he felt the hum of energy still thrumming beneath his skin, raw and untamed. He'd nearly let it get the better of him back there, and he knew he had to learn control, and fast.
'This. Feels. Awesome.'
He decided he'd spend the evening training on his own, somewhere quiet where he could test his limits without risking another outburst.
As much as he enjoyed showing off a little to his friends, he couldn't afford any more close calls, not when he'd just gotten back.
The sparring matches continued, but Talon's focus drifted, planning out his next steps. He'd start with the basics, speed and precision, drills he could do on his own to ground himself in this new power. Practicing alone would also give him time to explore how his energy responded to movement and control.
Besides, after tomorrow, where he would try and fake the awakening ceremony, he would be free to go all out anyways if he succeeded.
After a few more matches, he glanced at his friends, who were still excitedly talking about the fight. Jason was animated, demonstrating exaggerated moves, and Alice's usual calm demeanor was lit up with laughter. Talon took in the scene, relieved to be back with them, with everything as it was before.
'Let's do it right this time.'