Vhrenine could not believe her eyes. Her mouth was wide open at the sight before her.
She had been passing by when she heard loud and thunderous hits at the Inferno Faction training room.
She had watched the entire battle between Dremont and Nyx.
What the hell was that? Has he been hiding those abilities all this while?! He was so fast I barely saw his movements. No...it's not that he's that powerful is he?
Vhrenine walked away from eavesdropping on the two and brain stormed as she walked back to her dorm.
"Hey, Vhrenine!" Kaleb waved at her from across the bridge that connected the training area from the residential quarters.
"Kaleb," Vhrenine's collar replied him. She walked over to meet him.
"Where did you go? I've been waiting for you here," Kaleb asked.
"Master Ragnar asked for me."
"Oh? What for?"
"It's about my powers."
"What about them?"
"You don't suppose I'm actually going to tell you that now, are you?"
"Ah I see, tactful as ever. Though your face... I'll like to ask you what made you take on such expression."
"What're you talking about?"
"You look like you've been scared off any sort of confidence in you."
"Fuck off. You don't know what you're saying."
Except he did. Vhrenine had been so comfortable with Nyx because they were roommates and for got the fact that he took could be a huge threat to her if they were matched up.
She had never seen him as that before though. But after witnessing that battle, she wasn't so sure if she'd win if she fought him.
"What about Nyx, anyway?" Kaleb asked, letting go of his worry. "We're meant to speak about what we've gathered tonight you know."
All members of room 143 had planned to tell each other about any other person's abilities that they knew except their own. That way they could help each other to pass with information about the other possible opponents without giving information about themselves.
It was smart because it protected them as well.
"Yeah," Vhrenine answered. "I'm sure he's on his way."
Vhrenine really liked Kaleb. He was one of the few who cared about others and saw the examination as an avenue to grow and help others, and not a competition of the strong and weak like others saw it.
It's probably why he's going to fail this exam too. Vhrenine thought.
"Kaleb." Vhrenine looked into his eyes.
"Yeah?" He kept eye contact with her.
"Do you know Nyx's abilities?"
"What? No. We swore not to divulge that information to each—"
"You will not lie to me."
Vhrenine's real voice came out distinct and clear and even without stutter or distortion.
Kaleb paused. His head felt light for a bit before coming back to normal.
"Nah," he smiled. "I don't know his powers. When did you learn how to speak so fluently?"
"Therapy," Vhrenine smiled as the sound came from her collar this time. "Come on, we should head back to the dorm. It's getting late."
***
Kinetic Redirection?
"What does that even mean?" Nyx asked Dremont.
"Think abotut it, Nyx. You only felt that strength and power after you were hit in every scenario; the bison, the arrow, my attacks and then Amberys.
"At first I thought you were absorbing the aether because of the way it sticks to you. But it's the force you're absorbing because if you did absorb aether you'd be able to use it.
"Essentially, you're redirecting that kinetic energy from the person back to the person through yourself. You're channelling the force you were dealt with to retaliate. That'll increase you're overall speed, reaction time, and force."
"If that's it then why does aether loom around my body?" Nyx asked with grin waiting to break out on his face.
"Aether follows essence; essence houses force. In turn, aether goes wherever the force is directed to. Just like I can cover myself with aether and bring it all to my palm because I want to hit you. The force from my palm forces the aether there."
"So you're saying..."
"That's your ability. And it makes sense. Haven't you always wanted the power to retaliate all these years? Your ability gives you that power."
"But the power isn't mine."
"True, the power doesn't belong to you. But if you can learn how to store that power and then add yours to it, that's when it'll truly become your own."
Nyx looked at his palm. "I can't believe this... After all these years, I finally have an ability... It feels."
"Unreal?"
"Yeah!" Tear began to fall from Nyx's eyes. "I feel like I'm someone else, like all this isn't happening to me."
"That's because you're someone else now. You're not so different but you've changed."
Nyx smiled widely wiping the tears from his eyes.
"Now use your power to retaliate to win." Dremont sighed. "You should rest up. The exam is in three days. Don't exert yourself physically for any reason. Instead, I want you to think about your battle strategy, though I'd recommend you counter more than you attack."
"Yes ma'am!"
The feeling in Fate Bender's heart could not be described in words, for he felt overwhelmed altogether. But the hard truth was still yet to swallow.
For in the coming days he would realise he wasn't the only one who changed.