The Above

-Twenty-

This is bad. The thought rushed through my head, repeated over and over and over. I raced around the Shadow King, circling her at immense speeds that left afterimages in my wake. Still, it wasn't enough; she saw me, blocking my path with shards of darkness that I was forced to maneuver around.

"Use what I taught you!" she called as I grit my teeth, trying to move around her while still focusing my magic on a particular object. I heated the ground beneath a rock she had set out for me. The change in temperature seemed to create a small convection current underneath it, and I let out a silent cheer. Increasing the heat and cooling down the air under the stone, it began to slightly float with the small wind I had created. "Keep the current going and don't slow down!"

"I'm trying!" I shouted, forcing myself to move faster, the world a blur around me. The rock rose through the air steadily as I pushed it up with a focused gale. It shook as it ascended, now roughly reaching my height.

"Release," she yelled, and I didn't waste a second. With a concentrated push, I forced the stone forward and it flew through the air, heading directly for her head at rapid speeds. "Cease!"

I stopped running, standing still behind her. Before the rock could damage her perfect features, I created a new convection current in front of her, and the small boulder fell the moment it came in contact with the harsh winds.

"Well done," she applauded, turning to face me. I simply looked at her, nodding my head and gasping for air. "You've improved quite a lot after only having trained for a couple weeks. I'd say you could even inherit my throne if you keep doing as well as you have." Her words shocked me, as that form of gain wasn't in my intentions for joining the Guards.

"I'm not doing this to be your heir," I huffed in between breaths, wiping the sweat from my forehead.

"Then what are you doing this for?" Her question was the same one that haunted me at night when I wasn't accompanied by sleep. I answered it for myself, yet each excuse I gave seemed weak and half-hearted.

"I'm doing it to strengthen my ability," I told her. Was power really worth it? I contemplated that every day. Yes, I would tell myself, even when I didn't believe it. Yes, it is. "I'm doing it so that no one can harm me. I'm doing it to protect myself."

She smiled, "You're just like me, Pylia." The way she whispered those words, I wasn't sure if it was meant to be a compliment. "You are excused. Go eat, you've earned it." I grinned at those words and briskly bowed before walking from the room.

The obsidian door shut behind me, and I sighed in relief when the King was out of my sight. I bounded up lantern-lit stairs, delighted at the thought of food. However, when I reached the top of the steps, I was met with an unexpected—and rather unwanted—surprise.

Calyx waltzed through the halls, his fingers brushing against the dark fragments spread across the walls. I froze at the sight of him, my head filled with thousands of thoughts screaming at me to leave, yet my feet stayed rooted. I couldn't move, not as his head turned, not as he caught sight of me and went rigid. I just stayed as he looked at me, his face turning pale in surprise.

"Pylia?" he whispered, a hoarse sound that I missed so much. No, I was meant to avoid him, to hate him! He had no loyalty to his faction, he had killed countless people! Yet it was impossible to despise him when I had done the same things. I just watched as he approached me, his mouth agape as he attempted to say something, though no words spilled from his lips.

"Hello." The simple greeting slipped from me, and I wish I hadn't uttered a word. In a single second, I was wrapped in his arms as he embraced me firmly. His chest shook with almost relieved breaths, and I couldn't help but hug him back. It felt so nice, and I forgot just how much I missed his touch.