Chapter 13 : Daunting Shadows
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She stared at her hands.
A sigh flew from her lips, stolen by the late night air. She studied the back of her hand and how her blue veins ran down her milky skin. Flipping it over, her eyes streamed down the cracks in her palms–lines that separated into numerous paths.
Suyin lifted her hand as if high-fiving the stars. She twirled her hand, luring shadows into her fingers. When solitary in the main outdoor training area, she felt most free to use her powers. No one judged her existence. No one could see her except the shadows. She could almost hear their tranquil whispers.
"Meow"
Suyin flinched. The shadows vanished in a blink of an eye. Suyin whipped her head to the ground, viewing an all too familiar black cat fairy. "You again?"
The cat blinked before it sat down, licking its paw.
Suyin rested her hands on her hips. "And where did you come from? You disappeared the other day." The cat remained quiet with its eyes shut, continuing to clean its paw. Suyin crouched down, and she extended her hand to pet its little head. Its ears automatically folded at her touch, wings freezing for a moment, and it revealed its marble eyes.
Before Suyin could speak more, she caught a streak of light in the corner of her eye. Suyin looked up to the sky, following the hint of dimming light. Her brow furrowed. What is that– where is it coming from?
Suyin bent back to her height, observing the last bit of glow before it faded into darkness. She strolled out of the enclosed training area. After observing the peace of the outdoors, she resumed following the direction of the light. The cat fairy shadowed her.
Suyin walked down the dirt path for a while until arriving at the third training area. The training floor floated above a pond, scattered by numerous lily pads across the clear surface. The pond reflected the stars as well as the sudden burst of golden light.
Suyin took careful steps closer, hiding behind a lantern stand. She laid her eyes on Yang Jungwon, who secretly trained on the floors by himself. His movements were swift and precise. Sunstone blasted from his bare palms, illuminating the night shadows. Ambition stirred in his eyes, beaming as he executed his throws.
"No wonder why I hadn't bumped into him... he's been doing his extra training here instead," She whispered to herself.
She scrutinized his motions, sinking into the intriguing view. He carried power through his actions, yet his shoulders sagged at moments, revealing his tiredness. His sweat soaked his bangs, and it slithered down his neck. Once he thrust his fist, he blew out a heavy breath. He stumbled backward against a pole. The back of his hand swiped against his forehead. He plopped to the ground, and he leaned his head back.
A loud gasp escaped Suyin as the cat fairy suddenly pawed at her leg. She had forgotten the little creature had followed her. Before Jungwon could catch her, she instinctively clenched her hand into a fist. Jungwon's eyes shot through her like a bullet...but he resumed relaxing after.
Huh? She glanced down upon herself, speechless. Immediate questions swarmed her head like a bee hive. She realized that darkness had consumed her body entirely. She unclenched her fist with hesitance, remarking how shadows peeled off her skin like a sheet of thick smoke.
"Yah, is someone there?"
Suyin picked up her head, clenching her fist. She vanished into what seemed like nothing. When in reality, she sailed amongst the shadows.
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The Next Day
Wonchul sauntered around the main outdoor training area. "You will be using your powers for today's drills. It's about time that you start practicing your powers on others."
"Master Wonchul, are we going to use our weapons??" Niki asked, raising his hand high.
"No."
Niki's shoulder slumped forward. "What– but why? We already know how to use our powers. We're professionals."
"There's a lot you don't know about, child."
Niki groaned, "honestly, is it because she's here? Do we have to wait for her to catch up? It'll take years for her to get on our level–"
Niki earned a smack to his head. The old man tapped his wooden fan against Niki's hair. "Watch your mouth, boy," Wonchul warned, narrowing his eyes, "there is always room for improvement, including for the best. When I joined the previous Eight Warriors, I only knew how to slow down time for myself...but I eventually learned how to slow down time for the team."
Niki darted his eyes away from Suyin who had frozen up.
"Find patience and compassion, child. Experiment with new ways to use your powers, discover new techniques," Wonchul added, and he lifted his fan off of Niki's raven hair. "Today, you will be choosing your partners. Go."
"I call Jungwon!" Jay immediately shouted, and the two high-fived, claiming each other.
Heeseung collected Sunghoon as his partner. Niki ruffled Sunoo's pink hair, and they walked off. Left with no one to turn to, Suyin faced a boy who failed to collect a partner other than her.
"Uh...let's start, I guess," Jake said, rubbing his nape.
The other boys had already begun. Electricity crackled between Niki's fingers while flowers bloomed from Sunoo's hands like Spring had flourished the season. Sunghoon's feet skated across the floors as if this were an ice rink; winds swirled into the sky by Heeseung's movement. Flames blazed across Jay's skin, and shining crystals bloomed into existence by the call of Jungwon's hands.
Wow's escaped the fellow members as they were able to witness Jungwon's abilities once again. Who could blame them? After all, crystal manipulators were rare. And wherever his crystals went, they reflected even the skinniest sliver of light.
Suyin gulped down the sudden lump in her throat. She needed to at least show a decent amount of her powers in front of these trained nobles.
Her eyes followed Jake's graceful arms. They flowed upwards like a pair of wings, summoning streaks of water on command. Suyin bit the inside of her cheek as her breaths shortened. Her chest tightened as if she stood at the edge of a tall cliff.
After a few moments, Suyin finally gathered the courage to move, and she faced her palms out. It appeared as if nothing happened, but the shadows stalked across the grounds like sick creatures, searching for their wielder. They gradually swirled into a pool on the concrete, whispering into Suyin's ears. Chilling air entered her open mouth, and she took one step back. The darkness soared into the air, swirling around until a large orb had been formed. It was her biggest one yet.
On the edge of her vision, Suyin noticed how everyone had stopped to watch. She panicked. Fear drove through her heart, penetrating every inch of her confidence. As a growing whirlpool crashed inside Suyin's stomach, unknowing tears pooled in her eyes. Without any intention, her hands splayed out of their fists. The black orb exploded at once, conquering the vibrant blue sky.
Suyin shrieked. The darkness blasted Suyin to the ground, scraping her elbows. Her power obscured her vision, blocking her view of light. Betrayal struck her heart–her powers frightened her. She groaned as her body fell cold, numb–a lingering pain clenching her heart and veins.
The shadows eventually wreathed into the high sky, unveiling the people standing at a distance from her. A quiet gasp hitched in her throat. Jungwon had gathered up everyone at the opposite end, including Master Wonchul. He held his hands in the air, guarding everyone with a towering obsidian shield. As Jungwon dropped his arms, his shield faded off. He instantly met eyes with the Shadow wielder.
Suyin blinked her teary eyes away. Despite her body begging for rest, she glanced at the shadows under the roof. She ran off, and she clenched her hand.
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i'm so sorry, but i forgot to thank you guys for 2k reads!! i only remembered after i published the last chapter and it was too late. thank you to my commenters, and my silent readers as well, for enjoying this book!🥺💞💕💓
how are we feeling?? do we like the story and characters?? (my personal favorite is master wonchul DDJSNSJ i love mentor characters)