POOF
Nothing. Absolutely nothing happens. I stand there, arms still stretched out. Koichi stares at me, blinking in disbelief.
"Well, that was… power – less "
My face heats up instantly, and I lower my arms, flustered. "I – it's just… warming up! You can't expect perfection right away!"
Koichi chuckles. "Sureee warming up. Let's go with that. But don't worry I'll keep this a secret for now."
[The voice inside your head holds their laugh]
I exhale in relief but glare at him and at the same time cursed at my head.
"Like I need you to keep this a secret"
Before he can retort, the temple bell rings in the distance, signaling the next activity.
"Looks like it's time to go back. Don't go saying you're a supernova, alright?" Koichi spoke as he walks off, leaving me behind.
Evening falls quickly, and I made my way to the dining hall with Lylia. We settle into a quieter corner of the hall. Lylia pokes her meal, glancing at me with a knowing smirk.
"You've been weirdly quiet. Let me guess, you're sulking about being a low-tier again?"
I rolled my eyes. "No… I'm just thinking about stuffs"
Before Lylia can tease further, the room quiets slightly as Exian and a group of high-ranking priests enter. Lylia notices my glance in his direction and nudges me playfully.
"You're staring" she whispered.
"No, I'm not!" I hissed back.
Then high-rank trainees enter the hall, among them is Kai Koichi and he waves to someone across the hall.
Lylia raised an eyebrow. "Great. The show-offs are here."
I nod absently, my gaze going back to my food. But I can't help overhear someone's conversation.
"…heard someone discovered a skill today. Wonder who it was?"
My heart skips a beat and Lylia notices. "what's with that look? You know something?"
I shook my head. "No! Of course not! Why would I – "
Before I can finish, Koichi spoke. "Hey supernova!"
My eyes widen in panic as several heads turn our way.
"Supernova? What?" Lylia looked at me confused.
"I don't know. He's not referring to me anyway!" I replied
Koichi chuckles before minding his own business. After dinner ends, we made our way to the exit. Just as we're about to head to our chambers, a sister approaches me.
"Iris, you're needed on the balcony. Someone is waiting for you."
I blinked, confused. "Wait, me? Who?"
The sister didn't give much detail, simply gesturing for me to follow. I look at Lylia, who seems suspicious.
"Do you have any idea who could it be?" she asked.
"No, I don't even know what's going on" I replied startled.
Lylia crossed her arms. "Then why does it sound so mysterious? Are you sneaking around with someone?"
I groaned. "Don't make it weird, of course not! It's probably some kind of punishment for me being a mess today."
Lylia smirked. "If you're in trouble, I'm coming with you"
I shook my head. "It's fine. It's mine to deal with."
I gave her a reassuring smile before following the sister down the hallway. As I step onto the balcony, the cool evening breeze brushes against my skin. I glance around, expecting to see who called for me but my gaze lands on a figure standing at the edge of the balcony.
It's Exian.
His long black hair sways gently in the wind. His dark eyes – sharp, almost intense – seem to hold the weight of the night itself, like they could see into the very depths of your soul. For a moment, I stood frozen, unsure of what to say or do.
"You've been summoned." He spoke calmly, almost ethereal without looking at me.
I frowned, looking confused. "Summoned? By who?"
Exian finally turns to look, his expression unreadable. The shadows play across his features, making it hard to tell where the darkness begins and ends.
With a suble smile, he replied. "By me."