The Fall of Mangiatorvi

14: Assimulating

He scoffed again, casually flipping his perfectly tousled side-swept hair out of his eyes with a tilt of his head. "This asshole is going to teach you everything. When I am done with you, you will be a warrior."

"Whatever."

"What element are you?"

"Water, sometimes ice," Gemma mumbled into her legs as she wrapped her arms around her knees.

Luca pulled a stick remote, the size of his hand, out of his back pocket and pulled the sides to expand into a large metal circle. He input a variety of data into the screen. The ground immediately beneath their bodies began to rise. The diameter of the circles were just barely large enough to sit on. The circles rose, and Gemma watched with fascination as the room began to fill with water and the ceiling exposed the sky. Gemma was now on the equivalent of an isolated lilypad in the center of an outdoor pool.

Luca sat down in his own circle. "Close your eyes. Do not think, simply feel the different emotions that pass by you and wait for the right one."

"How do I know which is the right one?"

"You just will."

"What?"

Luca let out a frustrated sigh. "You need to give yourself to the nature around you. Open yourself to your emotions and let them take control of your element."

Gemma continued to stare at him, hopelessly confused.

Luca rubbed his forehead with frustration. "How do you know your element is water?"

"Because I flood my apartment when I have nightmares."

"What are the nightmares about?"

"It's always the same nightmare," Gemma said. She watched the ripples dance as she ran her fingers across the cool water. "It's crowded, and I'm being chased. I'm screaming, but no one will help me."
"Who is chasing you?"

"I don't know." She shrugged. "Then I fall. I can't breathe, it feels like I'm dying but right before I suffocate I always wake up."

"Well if your element was unlocked by fear then you would have struck back when I attacked."

"I guess." Gemma looked up at Luca. "What is your element unlocked by?"

"Resentment."

✄┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈

A couple of textbooks and poorly taken notes spanned the high top dining table of Gemma's dorm room. She groaned as she flipped through her journal and collapsed across her books. She was only taking a few general classes. It was concerning that those classes were already destroying her on the first week. Gemma felt the same hopelessness she did in high school, but worse because at least in high school none of the other students cared.

Her thoughts drifted back to the training session she just finished with Daniel. A small smile overtook her face. Within three sessions she learned to hold the form of her energy ball and even mold it into other shapes. Today they began levitating small objects. She was excited to show Naomi her new party trick in person, although the woman was thrilled to see it over the holophone last night. To Gemma's relief, Jamal's goons were no longer tailing her. It gave Gemma some peace of mind amongst all the chaos.

Daniel was a surprisingly patient and methodical mentor. He had clear cut goals and expectations for her each session, and unlike her other mentor, he did not pressure her to immediately succeed. She took great satisfaction from his pride in her, despite his efforts to hide it. Daniel deflected all personal questions with ease, and those he could not deflect he simply ignored. He was all business during their sessions, keeping his distance mentally, emotionally, and physically.