Path of the Unmentioned: The Missing Piece-Chapter 28: Elements Unbound [1]

The private training ground was eerily quiet at 5 AM, broken only by the sharp crack of lightning and the sickening thud of a body hitting stone—again.

Kyle groaned as he peeled himself off the wall for what felt like the hundredth time that morning.

His back screamed, his ribs throbbed, and his pride? Shattered into tiny, humiliated pieces.

"Get up," Aurelia said, rolling her shoulders like she was warming up for a stroll, not a brutal sparring session.

Not a single hair out of place. Not a drop of sweat.

Kyle wheezed, pushing himself onto his knees. "Why... did I ask for this again?"

***

(The Night Before)

Kyle had found Aurelia hunched over her desk, glaring at a stack of papers like they had personally offended her.

"You want me to train you?" She didn't even look up, scribbling something with enough force to tear the paper.

"I'm your sister, not your personal instructor."

Kyle plopped into the chair across from her grinning. "Come on, you are the Gale Witch. Who better to learn from?"

Aurelia sighed, finally setting down her pen. "Kyle, I don't have time to—"

"You owe me" he interrupted.

"For all those times I cooked for you when you were 'too busy' to move from the couch."

A muscle twitched in Aurelia's jaw. "That was one time."

"Five."

"Three."

"Four and a half, and you know I'm rounding up," Kyle said, crossing his arms.

"Train me, or..." He paused dramatically. "I'll ask Instructor Seraphina instead."

Aurelia's head snapped up, her eyes narrowing.

"Absolutely not." The pen in her hand snapped in half.

Kyle hid a smirk. He had hit a nerve.

Everyone knew about the... complicated relationship between his sister and the pink-haired instructor. Some said it was rivalry. Others called it friendship.

The truth was probably somewhere in between.

"You wouldn't dare" Aurelia hissed.

Kyle leaned back in his chair, the picture of innocence.

"Wouldn't I? She did offer to help me with lightning techniques just last week. Said something about how it's a shame that no one's properly training me..."

Aurelia's eye twitched. "That pink-haired pest wouldn't know proper training if it—" She cut herself off, taking a deep breath.

When she spoke again, her voice was dangerously calm.

"Fine. Training grounds. 5 AM. Don't be late."

Kyle grinned. "Wouldn't miss it."

Aurelia muttered something under her breath that sounded suspiciously like "..will kill Seraphina first..." as she stormed out of the room.

***

(Present, 5:00 AM)

Kyle lunged, lightning crackling around his fists. He aimed a sharp jab at Aurelia's ribs—

She sidestepped like he was moving through syrup.

"Too linear," she chided, catching his wrist and flipping him onto his back. Thud.

Kyle coughed, the impact driving the air from his lungs. "Okay, okay, new plan—"

Smack! Her foot hooked under his shoulder, rolling him like a ragdoll.

"Stop thinking" Aurelia said, dancing just out of reach. "You're hesitating."

"Pathetic." She stepped back, arms crossed. "You telegraph your moves like a bad stage play."

"Wham!"

Kyle hit the ground hard, the breath knocked out of him. He groaned, rolling onto his knees.

"You didn't even try to block."

"Why would I?" She smirked. "You're not fast enough to hit me."

"You are... enjoying this... way too much."

Aurelia smirked. "Maybe a little."

Growling, Kyle pushed himself up, lightning flaring brighter around his arms and body. Okay, faster this time.

He feinted left, then twisted right, aiming a sweeping kick at her legs—

Aurelia vanished.

A hand clamped onto the back of his collar.

"Too slow."

Crash! Face-first into the dirt.

Kyle spat out a mouthful of soil. "Ugh. Tastes like... failure."

Aurelia dusted off her hands. "You're relying too much on your element. Lightning enhances speed, but it doesn't replace the skills."

Kyle wiped his mouth, glaring. "Yeah, well it's hard to focus on technique when you're throwing me around like a training dummy."

Aurelia's smirk widened. "Welcome to real combat, little brother."

***

He dashed forward, zigzagging unpredictably, then ducked at the last second, aiming a sweeping kick at her legs—

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Aurelia hopped over it like she was skipping rope.

Before Kyle could blink, her foot lightly tapped his chin.

"Bonk."

Not hard enough to hurt, just hard enough to make him feel like an idiot.

Kyle groaned, flopping onto his back. "I hate you."

Aurelia crouched beside him, poking his forehead. "No, you don't. You asked for this, remember?"

Lying in the dirt, Kyle wheezed, "I think... I regret my life choices."

Aurelia hauled him up by the collar. "Good. That means you're learning."

She flicked his forehead. "Again."

For the next 30 minutes, Kyle had tried everything.

Straight punches? Aurelia dodged.

Kicks? She caught his leg and flipped him onto his back.

A lightning-charged tackle? She stepped aside and let him faceplant into the dirt.

By the thirtieth time he hit the ground, Kyle's pride was as bruised as his ribs.

This isn't working.

He exhaled sharply, then moved.

Lightning surged through his muscles, his fist shooting forward like a bolt—

Aurelia caught his wrist.

Kyle's eyes widened. 'What—?!'

Then she spun, flipping him over her shoulder.

"Baam!"

Kyle slammed into the training ground wall, the impact rattling his bones. He slid to the ground, groaning.

Aurelia crossed her arms. "Better. But still predictable."

"Come on," he snapped, sparks flying as he blocked a jab—only for Aurelia to twist and elbow him in the ribs. "Ow! What even was that?!"

"Physics." She kicked his legs out from under him. "And patience. You are forcing it."

Kyle hit the ground hard. His vision swam. Lightning flickered weakly around his fingers.

'Screw patience.'

He lunged again—but this time, when Aurelia went to counter, something changed.

A burst of cold erupted from Kyle's palm.

"CRACK!"

Frost spiraled up Aurelia's forearm. She flinched—the first reaction she had shown all morning.

Silence.

Kyle froze, realization dawning. 'Wait. Ice? I didn't mean to—'

Aurelia stared at the ice clinging to her sleeve, then at Kyle. Her voice was dangerously calm.

"...Kyle."

"Since when," Aurelia said slowly, "do you have ice affinity?"

Kyle's stomach dropped.

'Oh.'

'Oh no.'

***