Zephyr Academy: Eclipsed Fates

Chapter Seven: The Basics

Youngeun panted as she leaned against the ropes. She turned to watch the other students fight, furrowing her eyebrows.

"Is that Y/n?"

Jihoon stepped next to her, "Yep, looks like it. And it seems he's sparring with an upperclassman."

"He said he was gonna do homework..." Youngeun mumbled.

"Are you jealous?" the boy teased. "Maybe it's his girlfriend."

Youngeun scoffed, tossing her towel outside the ring. "I'm not."

Jihoon stepped back with a smug grin. He placed his water bottle at the edge of the boundary before taking his stance once more. "Did I strike a nerve?"

Y/n slipped between Yujin's fists, delivering a solid hook to her jaw. He stepped back in with a feint punch; as Yujin fell for the fake, he kicked the side of her knee, toppling her to the ground.

"You leave yourself too open," Y/n huffed.

Yujin wiped the blood from her lips, nodding. She reset her posture before throwing a kick to Y/n's head. In response, Y/n ducked under, sweeping the puppy off her feet in the same motion.

"You're also too impatient."

"Argh!!" Yujin rubbed her head in frustration, "You're even better than Taeyang sunbae!"

"I'm the one who taught him," Y/n chuckled. He glanced toward one of the many clocks in the building. "Do you want to switch? You can start teaching me."

"Sure."

The pair moved down the stairs, past the large arena of the first floor, and onto the adjacent field. Unlike the enclosed space of the training grounds, the field presented a calmer atmosphere. Trees swayed in the distance, singing a chorus of nature with the wind conducting, and groups of students scattered in clusters along the green plane. In spite of his previous experiences, Y/n felt as though he belonged on campus.

Yujin sat down, gesturing to her lap, "Lay down."

"On your lap...?"

"Eung. It'll help me teach you," she explained.

Reluctantly, Y/n placed his head on the puppy's thighs. He closed his eyes per her directions. In the back of his mind, faint thumps kept the tempo of his pulse. It grew faster and faster as he thought about his position, skipping upon the touch of her finger on his forehead.

"Everything starts here," Yujin began. "When you use your arts, you have to envision its shape; then the effect. As the two increase in complexity, your aetherial level and skill also have to as well. So while you might be able to envision an intricate art, that doesn't mean you'll be able to manifest it."

Yujin paused, "Do you mind if I unbutton your shirt?"

"Uh... Go ahead," Y/n trailed. Though part of him humored the idea of things taking a turn, he trusted the upperclassman to act appropriately.

One by one, Yujin unbuttoned Y/n's undershirt from the bottom-up until she reached the top of his navel. She pressed the pad of her index finger against his stomach, giggling.

"Nice abs~"

"Th-Thank you," Y/n blushed.

Yujin ran her hand over the boy's toned muscles before pressing her finger at the base of his stomach—just above his pants.

"A majority of your aether will be from here to..." She ran her finger to his sternum, radiating chills through his skin. "Here. You can think of this place as your battery. Like your blood, it spreads throughout your body in your channels. Whenever you want to use any of your arts, you have to deliberately send your aether to where you want it."