How long has this been happening?"

"Since the academy on Athelas." Mira picked up her glasses and put them on—the familiar gesture seemed to ground her, sharpening her features back into their usual composed mask. "It got worse after I pushed hard during the Sector 3 exams. I thought it would stabilize, but..."

"But it didn’t."

"No."

Kael studied her signature more carefully. The clash points were concentrated in her core—the central dantian where mana was stored and circulated. Every time fire and ice met, they cancelled each other out partially, but the residue was corrosive. Like acid eating through pipes.

"Why didn’t you go to the medical wing?"

"I did." Mira’s voice was flat. "They told me dual elementals like fire and ice are rare and their condition is poorly understood. They gave me painkillers and suggested I avoid using both elements simultaneously."

"Well, that’s a bullocks since it greatly reduces your combat effectiveness."

"I know."

Kael was quiet for a moment.

"I’ve seen you fight. Gravity, lightning, shadow—three distinct abilities channeled through the same body without any apparent internal damage." She looked at him. "Whatever you’re doing differently, I need to understand it."

Kael leaned back against the bench.

"It’s not the same thing. My abilities are separate systems—gravity is my bloodline, lightning is an awakening, shadow is acquired. They don’t interact internally the way your elements do."

"Then how—"

"But the principle might be similar." He held up a hand. "May I?"

Mira hesitated.

Then she extended her bleeding fingers.

Kael’s hands wrapped around her wrists. His palms were warm.

He closed his eyes.

Gravity manipulation activated as he pushed his awareness into Mira’s arms, following the paths of her meridians, mapping the flow of her mana. The fire element was aggressive—hot, expansive, pushing outward. The ice element was reactive—cold, contractive, pulling inward. Where they met, they destroyed each other.

"You’re fighting yourself," Kael murmured.

"What?"

"Your elements. You’re treating them as opposing forces. Fire expands, ice contracts—so you push fire out and pull ice in, and they collide in the middle." He opened his eyes.

"How else am I supposed to—"

Kael’s gravity shifted.

Mira gasped.

Inside her body, he was separating the elementsby gently redirecting their flow. Fire moved through her upper meridians. Ice moved through her lower meridians. The collision points vanished.

"That’s..." Mira’s eyes widened. "That feels..."

"Like a circuit," Kael said. "Electricity doesn’t flow through a single wire and crash into itself. It flows in a loop. Hot out, cold back. Expansion and contraction working together, not against each other."

He adjusted his gravity again—subtle, precise, showing her the pathway. Fire rose through her spine, spread through her arms, reached her fingertips. Ice descended through her chest, flowed through her legs, pooled in her core. Two separate loops. Two distinct channels. No collision points.

"The problem isn’t your elements," Kael said. "The problem is you’ve been running them through the same pipe. You need two pipes."

Mira stared at him.

Her signature was stabilizing—the chaotic clashing fading, replaced by a smooth, ordered circulation that looked almost textbook perfect. The bleeding from her fingertips slowed. Stopped.

He released her wrists.

The gravity manipulation faded. Mira’s circulation continued on its own—fire through the upper loop, ice through the lower, no clashes, no bleeding.

"Maintain that pattern," Kael said. "When you channel fire, keep ice circulating in the lower loop as a stabilizer. When you channel ice, keep fire circulating above. They’ll reinforce each other instead of destroying each other."

Mira flexed her fingers.

"No pain," she whispered. "I haven’t felt my fingers without pain in months."

"Well that’s good. Now, you owe me,"

She looked at him.

"Well, you’re not what I expected," she said.

"What did you expect?"

"An arrogant womanizer who got lucky with good genetics." A small smile tugged at her lips.

"Men, my reputation really precedes me."

"Someone who actually understands how things work. Who can look at a problem and see the solution instead of just throwing power at it." She tilted her head. "It’s attractive."

Kael raised an eyebrow.

"Careful, four eyes. People might think you’re developing a crush."

Mira’s smile faltered—just for a moment. A faint flush crept up her neck.

"I’m merely acknowledging intellectual competence."

"Of course."

"I have a boyfriend."

"I didn’t ask."

Mira opened her mouth to respond—

"Mira."

The voice came from across the training yard.

Mason Croft approached.

He was tall—taller than Kael by a few inches—with the sculpted features and easy smile of someone who’d never worried about anything in his life. Dark hair swept back from a high forehead. Blue eyes that sparkled with calculated charm.

Speak of the devil, Mira thought

Rank 3 on the leaderboard. Foundation Establishment Rank 6. Second son of the Croft family—a minor noble house with military backing.

He and Kael had never spoken even though they were both from sector 3.

Until now.

Mason’s arm wrapped around Mira’s shoulder with a casual and possessive form.

"There you are. Been looking everywhere for you."

"I was training," Mira said. Her voice had shifted.

"Alone with him?" Mason’s gaze flicked to Kael. "Didn’t realize you two were close."

"We’re not," Mira said. "He helped me with a cultivation issue. That’s all."

"A cultivation issue." Mason’s smile widened. "How generous of him."

"Something I can help you with?" Kael asked.

"Yeah." Mason pulled Mira closer. "You can stay away from my girlfriend."

He leaned down and kissed her.

When they separated, Mason turned back to Kael with a triumphant smirk.

"Anything else?"

Kael raised his right hand.

Extended his middle finger.

"Fuck you."

Mason’s smirk vanished. His blue eyes went cold.

"Real mature, Vorn."

"I thought so."

Mira tugged at Mason’s arm. "Let’s go."

"One second—"

"Mason. Now."

Something in her tone made him pause.

"Fine." He shot Kael one last glare. "See you around, Vorn."

They walked away.

Mason’s arm stayed wrapped around Mira’s shoulder. His hand lingered at the curve of her neck. His body language screamed mine in a language that anyone could read.

Kael watched them go.

Mira glanced back over her shoulder as Mason was saying something in her ear—probably something petty, probably something about Kael—but she wasn’t listening.

Her eyes met Kael’s as he winked.

Mira’s lips twitched.

Then she turned forward and let Mason lead her away, disappearing around the corner of the training yard.

Kael sat alone on the bench.

He looked at the blood still staining the stone where Mira had been sitting.

Interesting.

He stood, brushed off his uniform, and headed back to his room.

The barrier rune wasn’t going to finish itself.