Ezra leaned back on his elbows, his legs stretched out lazily in front of him. His pristine white hair caught the flickering light of the fire, a stark contrast to the mischievous grin on his face. He'd been watching Shirley brood in silence for what felt like hours, and the tension was starting to bore him.
"You know, if you're planning on glaring at that fire all night, I can go find something more exciting to do," Ezra said, breaking the silence with a playful drawl.
Shirley didn't look at him, his eyes fixed on the flames. "You done runnin' your mouth, or do I need to give you somethin' else to focus on?"
Ezra chuckled, unbothered by the threat. "I'd say yes, but you're not really my type." He sat up, resting his chin on his hand. "Unless you've got a softer side I haven't seen yet. Maybe a secret hobby? Knitting? Poetry?"
Shirley finally glanced his way, his expression flat. "You're lucky you've got a knack for healing, kid. Otherwise, I'd've left you in a ditch days ago."
"Yeah, yeah," Ezra said, waving him off. "You keep saying that, but we both know I'm the most exciting thing to happen to your grumpy life in years."
Shirley sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Resonance," he said abruptly, clearly trying to change the subject.
Ezra's grin widened. "Ah, now we're getting somewhere. What about it? You finally gonna teach me something useful? Maybe show me how to make people's clothes fall off with a snap of my fingers?"
Shirley's glare sharpened, but he didn't take the bait. "You really think this is a game?"
Ezra shrugged, unfazed. "If it's not, then you're explaining it wrong. Go on, teach me, oh wise and brooding one."
Shirley shook his head but continued, his tone steady. "Resonance isn't a trick or a weapon you pull out when it's convenient. It's deeper than that. It's a rhythm—a pulse inside you, tied to everything around you. Air, earth, fire, people. All of it."
Ezra tilted his head, pretending to be thoughtful. "So, what you're saying is, I'm already connected to everything? That explains why people can't seem to take their eyes off me."
Shirley ignored the comment. "When you unlock your resonance," he said, "it's like opening a door. But just because it's open doesn't mean you know how to walk through it without stumbling. You have to learn to feel it, match your rhythm with the world's, shape it without letting it shape you."
Ezra sat up straight, his grin softening slightly. "Alright, now you've got my attention. So it's like… controlling the vibes of the world? I'm good with vibes."
Shirley snorted, shaking his head. "It's more than that. It's everything. It's how I can sense something without seeing it—shifts in the air, vibrations in stone. It's how you healed me when you had no idea what you were doing. Resonance isn't just power. It's part of you."
Ezra leaned back again, his grin returning.
"So basically, I'm already amazing, and resonance is just catching up to me. Got it."
Shirley gave him a long, unamused look. "You really can't take anything seriously, can you?"
"Sure I can," Ezra said easily. "Just not when you're trying to scare me with all this 'dangerous power' talk. I mean, have you seen me? I'm practically glowing already. Resonance seems to like me just fine."
Shirley sighed again but continued, his tone growing more serious. "Resonance takes shape based on who you are. That's why you and I don't use it the same way, even if we're both tapping into the same thing. When you fight, when you heal, even when you try to feel the world around you—it's all tied to who you are. But it's not something you learn overnight. It's something you live with, something you become."
Ezra nodded slowly, for once not making a joke. "Fair enough. So, are there others like me out there? You know, ridiculously good-looking and full of untapped potential?"
Shirley's gaze flicked to the fire, his expression turning thoughtful. "There are. More than I could count. Those who mere humans couldn't come close to, their auras overwhelming to even the strongest."
"How old are you now? Fourteen?" Shirley asked, his brow raising slightly.
"Fifteen," Ezra said, scratching his head thoughtfully. "I think. Hard to keep track when you're this busy being amazing."
"Kids your age are meant to go through Resonance Amplitude Evaluations—RAE—as soon as they turn sixteen," Shirley said, his tone matter-of-fact.
Ezra's grin slipped into a bitter smirk. "Only if you're in the higher or middle districts. Maybe district four, if you're lucky."
The weight of the words settled over the flickering firelight. RAE. The Resonance Amplitude Evaluation. It was supposed to be the gateway—a chance for kids like Ezra to break free from the chains of poverty, to rise above their circumstances and escape places like District Five.
But that wasn't the reality.
"In my entire life in District Five, I've only heard of one person who took the RAE and actually passed," Ezra said quietly, his voice losing its usual playful edge. "A kid a couple of years older than me. Quiet guy, kept to himself. But when he passed? Gone. Just… gone. Like smoke in the wind. Didn't even look back."
His silver-blue eyes stared into the dying fire, the glow reflecting faintly in their depths.
"They sent him to Novice Resonance Academy. That's where the 'chosen ones' go, right? The kids who actually make it. They learn to wield their resonance properly, to fight, to heal, to… whatever it is they do. Meanwhile, the rest of us just… survive."
Shirley didn't say anything. He just watched Ezra, his sharp gray eyes softer now, though no less intense.
" But honestly," Ezra continued, his voice dropping slightly, "I don't have any grand desires in life. No noble dreams or lofty goals. I don't care about some academy or saving the world or whatever. Maybe just… eat more meat. Who knew cooked meat actually tastes good?"
Shirley raised an eyebrow, his stoic expression cracking with the faintest trace of bewilderment. "Wait… you've been eating it raw this whole time?"
Ezra shrugged, his face deadpan. "Yeah. Not like I was supposed to know it had to be cooked. Meat is meat, and food is food."
For a moment, there was silence. Then Shirley let out a low, exasperated sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Kid… that's not . You're literally asking death to take you at this point "
Ezra stretched his arms over his head with a content sigh. "Still, next time, I'll stick to cooked meat. Preferably something that doesn't try to eat me back first."