My eyes eased open, breaking the first truly dreamless sleep I’d had in… well, far too long. Thea lay beside me, her breathing soft and steady, each exhale a quiet rhythm I dared not disturb.
Sharpening my senses, I picked up other patterns of calm respiration nearby—several sleepers sharing the same tranquil cadence, their breaths weaving together, still lingering in the air. Turning my head, I took in the frond-woven roof above, its layered leaves braced by long, even lengths of wood.
The next few days would be packed, and the thought alone stirred a low hum of tension beneath the calm. Lessons to teach. A rematch with Mei. Another match of my own to prepare for. And, of course, my personal refinement.
There was Fire Force training to continue. Body Refinement through flame and, alongside that, more Precursor Energy capture. Not to mention testing Serith’s method for resisting the Great Ancestor’s, or rather, Kazriel’s lingering influence. Too much on my mind for so early a waking… perhaps that was why I felt myself shifting restlessly.
Beside me, Thea stirred. Her eyes fluttered open, lashes catching the dim light before meeting mine. She scooted closer, resting her head against my chest with a quiet giggle.
“What?” I asked, a playful grin slipping through my voice.
“Nothing,” she sighed softly. “Weird dream.”
She didn’t elaborate, and I didn’t press her. Instead, we let the silence embrace us, the quiet weight of comfort filling the small dome.
“Wonder what time it is,” she murmured, tilting her chin upward.
That was the flaw of this earthen dome—no windows, no light to mark the passing hours. But time hardly mattered anymore anyway. Still, I preferred waking to the morning sun.
“Want to get up?” I offered, though there was little sincerity in it.
Either she missed the hint or ignored it entirely. With a stretch and a slow roll of her shoulders, Thea sat up, arms reaching toward the roof before relaxing again.
I followed her lead, looping my arms around her waist and resting my chin on her shoulder.
“You’re clingy,” she teased, pushing me off with deliberate gentleness.
I stretched as well, giving her space. “Yep. Better get used to it.”
I couldn’t see her face, but I could feel her eye roll like a ripple in the air. She leaned back, pressed a quick kiss to my chin, then rose to her feet, bending to touch her toes twice before straightening. “Let’s go out. It’s rude to keep our guests waiting, especially when time isn’t in abundance.”
I didn’t argue. Rising beside her, I followed her outside, and the sight that met us drew a small breath from my chest.
“Guess we slept through the day,” Thea said, her gaze tracing the evening sky.
I nodded, forcing my eyes away from the faintly glowing horizon. “It’s honestly getting hard to keep track of time. Maybe we should try setting some kind of schedule.”
She shrugged, heading toward the familiar shoreline. “It’ll just get ruined once training starts again. Better to take things as they come.”
As we walked, I found myself wondering if anyone was even down by the shore. “Why head there anyway?” I asked, half suspecting she knew something I didn’t.
“For a swim,” she replied, deadpan, as if the answer were self-evident.
I narrowed my eyes. “Thought you didn’t want to keep our guests waiting.”
She mirrored my expression perfectly. “I already checked. Vel and the girl are there. Her father and that woman too. Everyone’s swimming.”
“Well,” I protested, “you could’ve led with that.”
She nodded, unbothered. “Of course. But it’s less fun that way. Less mysterious.”
I wasn’t sure how swimming qualified as mysterious, but I decided not to argue. Instead, a smaller, more pressing task came to mind.
WYREM! I shouted inwardly at the worm coiled deep within my Inner Realm.
A startled cry echoed from Luna, jarred awake by the sudden mental roar, but Wyrem stayed silent.
Why. Did. You. Do. That? The rose’s voice pulsed through my mind, every word striking like a slow, deliberate thud.
It’s a thing we do, right? I justified weakly.
Her vines tightened around my arm, once, twice, until the pressure numbed the limb.
Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.
Right, sorry. Last time, I swear, I hissed through gritted teeth, the pins of numbness prickling beneath my skin.
Liar, Luna scolded, her tone sharp enough to sting. It’s time to wake up teacher, she commanded, her voice firm as she roused the dragon-claiming parasite.
Moments later, Wyrem’s voice slithered through my head with pompous delight: That was far more civilized. See, Peter? That is how one awakens another! My apprentice truly proves herself worthy of learning under a creature as magnificent as I!
I brushed past his usual flattery, sounding even more boastful than normal, which was saying something.
Yeah, sure. We’re back, but I’m not near the snake right now. What did you want?
I asked, steering him back to the point.Just touch him and enter that place again—the one where all three of us were connected! he declared, his tone swelling with manic pride. I finally have something he cannot refuse! He will bow—
I cut him off before the tirade could spiral further, surging Beast Force through the bond. Luna could handle him instead.
“Done?” Thea’s voice reached me, calm but curious. She’d sensed my internal conversation.
“Yes,” I nodded, forcing a neutral tone. “Should we speed up?”
“Do you want to?” she countered, reading me as easily as ever.
I nudged her shoulder with a crooked smile. “Figured you’d be excited to teach about Force, is all. You’re actually good at it.”
To my surprise, her face dimmed, a shadow passing over her expression. “You don’t have to do that,” she murmured. “You keep doing it. Even after…”
I frowned, caught off guard by the shift. “Sorry…”
The chirping of insects filled the silence that followed, faint and rhythmic. Then, unable to ignore the weight in her tone, I asked, “What do you mean?”
She stopped walking. “First it was about strength. I told you before too… You are strong. But this too?” Her voice cracked faintly. “Stop putting yourself down!”
Realizing what she meant, I lifted my hands in surrender. “I was only jo—”
“It’s only a joke if you don’t mean it!” she snapped, voice rising like a spark catching flame. “You’re not stupid. You’re not weak. And hearing you say it all the time—” her breath hitched, “I don’t like it. It’s not good for you. You don’t have to keep comparing yourself to everyone else.”
Her voice softened at the end, trembling with sincerity.
I stood there, wide-eyed. The outburst striking hard. My heart thudded in my chest, not from anger, but from sheer surprise. I just stared, caught in shock as her breathing slowly steadied.
“You changed my life,” she said quietly, gaze fixed downward. “To me, you’re amazing. I want you—need you—to know that.”
“Y—yeah, I know.” My voice wavered. Guess I can say what I want about self-deprecating humor, but constant use, and comparing myself… Well, she had a strong point. That wasn’t hard to admit.
Her fingers were still wrapped around mine, and I squeezed gently, urging her to meet my eyes. “I’ve never seen you that upset.”
“We don’t really get mad at each other,” she murmured.
“I’m not mad,” I said softly, stepping closer. “Really.”
She finally looked up, her eyes glassy but composed. “You’re a good teacher.”
I smiled faintly. “Thank you.”
“I feel dumb,” she muttered, leaning against me, her voice small. “It’s weird now. I’m weird.”
Probably not the right moment to say join the club, huh? What was I supposed to say to that? My mind scrambled—Crap. Um. Uh—
“You’re weird too,” she murmured, bumping her forehead against my chest several times in light, rhythmic taps.
“I like weird,” I finally replied, seizing the moment to ease the tension. “And I love you.”
“Me too,” she whispered, tilting her face up. “I love you t—”
“This is where you go for a kiss,” a voice intruded, low and smug, right against my ear. The words sent a jolt through my entire body like a spark of static.
My head snapped toward the sound, and met an entirely unthreatening bush. “Sei?!”
…
…
“No?”
“We’re having a moment!” I shouted, my voice carrying real frustration.
“And you’re doing great,” he replied easily, completely unfazed. “Well… you could use a touch more charm.” He straightened up from behind the shrub, brushing off leaves. “Also, I was barely sneaking around. You two really should be more aware of your surroundings.”
Breathe in. Out. Just breathe.
Grinding my teeth, I managed, “Why are you spying on us?” I aimed for calm, though the effort wasn’t real. Thea, thankfully, found it all too funny, soft chuckles cutting through my irritation before it could boil over.
“I’d hardly call it spying,” Sei said, gesturing vaguely around us. “I can hear everything on the island.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Without focusing?”
He didn’t answer, instead, pivoting smoothly toward the shore, dodging the question like it had never been asked. “Mei wants to talk to you,” he said casually. “She and the little one are getting along quite well.”
The bastard was treating our lives like entertainment. Like some kind of drama.
Before I could retort, Thea placed a gentle hand against my chest, giving me a soft push. “Let’s go,” she said, her voice lighter now. “I want to see Velea. She said she had something to show you.”
Truthfully, I wanted to see how far my student had come. In retrospect, we’d spent more time apart as teacher and pupil than together. It was time to change that. If she’d completed her foundation, she could finally move on to Spiritual Refinement, and maybe even accompany us to the second island.
It would be good to know where everyone stood now. I imagined most, aside from Lyra, had already completed the Harmonic Foundation. It only take a few days to create. Strange how fast that time had passed.
Discovery and creation was far slower than learning what was already there.
“Alright,” I sighed, rolling my shoulders. “Let’s speed up.”
A spark split the air, and a faint crackle of thunder sounded. Then we moved, the world blurring as Thea and I surged forward in tandem, leaving the peeping man behind.
The rush of wind filled my ears. Then the scent of salt, the rhythm of crashing waves, and the sound of water.