I almost didn't," Asher admitted, stepping into the moonlight. The old greenhouse loomed behind them, its glass panels casting fractured shadows across the ground. "But I have questions. And I'm tired of pretending."
Kira nodded, understanding flickering across her features. "Follow me. There's something I want to show you first."
They entered the greenhouse through a side door that barely hung on its rusted hinges. Inside, the air felt different – charged somehow, like the moment before a storm. Broken pots and withered plants created a maze of shadows, but Kira navigated through them with practiced ease.
"I discovered this place during my first month here," she explained, leading him to a cleared space in the center. "The energy readings are... unusual. Makes it perfect for practice without detection."
She turned to face him, her expression serious. "Before we go any further, I need to know – that surge in the training room, it wasn't just raw power, was it? There was something else."
Asher hesitated. The sword of Avarest seemed to pulse stronger, almost urging him to speak. "How did you..."
"Because I felt it," she said quietly. "Not just the energy spike everyone else noticed. Something... older. Ancient, almost. Like it was calling to something in me."
She held out her hand, and suddenly the air around them shifted. Tiny motes of light began to gather, swirling around her fingers in patterns that looked nothing like the standard energy manipulation techniques they learned in class. They formed intricate symbols that seemed familiar somehow, though Asher couldn't place why.
"I've always been able to do this," she continued. "But I've never known why. Or what it means. Until I felt that surge from you, and suddenly..." She closed her hand, and the lights vanished. "Suddenly I didn't feel so alone anymore."
Asher's throat felt dry. "The academy... they can't know about this."
"No," she agreed. "They can't. But we need to understand it. And I think..." she paused, studying his face, "I think we're meant to figure it out together."
The sword of Avarest pulsed so strongly now that Asher could barely focus on anything else. Without conscious thought, his hand moved to his chest, where the pendant containing the sealed sword lay hidden beneath his shirt.
Kira's eyes widened. "You have something," she whispered. "Something that calls to the ancient energies, just like my abilities do."
Asher took a deep breath. After weeks of secrecy, after countless nights of solitary training and careful restraint, he made his decision. Slowly, he pulled out the pendant. "Its nothing" he said.
Okay...let's start with something basic," Kira suggested, moving to the center of the cleared space. "Just energy manifestation. No holds barred." She took a defensive stance, one they'd learned in class but with subtle modifications that spoke of private practice.
Asher positioned himself opposite her, careful to maintain the practiced restraint he'd perfected over months. The pendant lay cold against his chest, a constant reminder of what he needed to keep hidden.
Kira moved first. The air around her hands shimmered before erupting into intricate patterns of light, far more complex than anything taught in their regular classes. The energy wove itself into geometric shapes, each pulsing with a different intensity. She sent them spinning toward Asher in a graceful but deadly dance.
Impressive, Asher thought, as he called upon just enough of his power to match her display. He channeled energy into a defensive barrier, deliberately letting it flicker slightly – a calculated imperfection to mask his true control.
Their energies clashed in the greenhouse's center, creating a spectacular display of light and power. Kira's abilities were remarkable; her energy formations showed an intuitive understanding of ancient patterns that most students couldn't even comprehend. She moved with fluid grace, each gesture precise and purposeful.
But Asher could feel the vast reservoir of his own power humming beneath the surface, carefully restrained. He matched her pace, move for move, never revealing more than necessary. When she launched a particularly complex attack – a spiral of energy that split into multiple trajectories – he allowed himself to stumble slightly, making his counter-defense appear more desperate than it was.
"You're holding back," Kira said suddenly, lowering her hands. Sweat beaded on her forehead from the exertion.
"So are you," Asher replied carefully, though he knew her restraint was far different from his own. She was pushing her limits, while he was deliberately staying well beneath his.
"Fair enough." She smiled, wiping her brow. "But that was more power than you've ever shown in class. You're better than you let on."
Asher shrugged noncommittally, watching as she began another sequence. Her energy manifested in beautiful, complex patterns that spoke of countless hours of secret practice. She was significantly more powerful than their classmates, and her control was exceptional. In any normal circumstance, she would be considered prodigious.
But as he matched her movements with carefully measured responses, Asher knew he was witnessing only a fraction of what these abilities could truly achieve. His own power thrummed beneath the surface, vast and ancient, waiting to be fully unleashed.
"Your turn to attack," Kira called out, setting her stance.
Asher began weaving energy patterns similar to hers, deliberately incorporating small flaws and hesitations. He had to appear to be learning, improving gradually. Too perfect a mirror of her techniques would raise suspicions.
As they continued training, Asher carefully cataloged everything about her abilities – the unique way she wove her energy, the ancient patterns she unconsciously incorporated, her impressive but limited power reserves. All while ensuring she saw only what he wanted her to see: a peer at roughly her level, someone learning to push past artificial limitations.
The night had been long and eventful, but it finally came to an end at 4:50 am. Everyone said their goodbyes and went to their rooms, exhausted from the excitement.
But Kira and Asher couldn't sleep. They lay in bed, thinking about the night's events and all the things that had happened. Their minds were racing, and they couldn't wind down.
In the morning, Kira got up and took a refreshing shower. She felt tired and sluggish, so she decided to wear comfortable clothes. She put on a pair of faded jeans, a black top, and her favorite Converse shoes.
She tied her hair up in a messy bun and put on some dangling earrings that sparkled in the morning light. After a quick glance in the mirror, she rushed out of her room, ready to start the day.
Despite the lack of sleep, Kira felt a sense of excitement and anticipation. She wondered what the day would bring and what new adventures awaited her. With a spring in her step and a smile on her face, she headed out to meet whatever the day had in store.