The weapons were pitch-black, possessing an unnatural density made possible by his ability, Heavy Metal, which granted him control over all metals. This wasn't simple magic; Dwayne had the highest recorded control among students his age. He could forge complex structures just by visualizing them. The only absolute condition binding his power was his own intellect—to manifest a metal, he had to completely understand its fundamental atomic structure. The dark, light-swallowing sheen of the spears suggested he had synthesized something incredibly dangerous.
Dwayne locked eyes with Ashylene. In response, she didn't flinch. She merely shifted her weight, leaning forward into a relaxed but predatory stance, perfectly primed for whatever he was about to throw at her.
They didn't move. They just stared. The silence stretched on so long that, for a fleeting, ridiculous second, a thought crossed my mind: Are they into each other?
But the heavy, suffocating atmosphere in the room immediately shattered that illusion. It was obvious they weren't flirting—they were dissecting one another. They were silently assessing every micro-expression, every shift in posture, and feeling out the violent flow of each other's energy.
Standing on the sidelines, I was painfully aware that I was the weakest one in the room. I didn't have the sensory skills to measure their strength precisely. But I didn't need them. The pressure rolling off them was enough, and even to my untrained senses, the difference in their energy output was unmistakable.
Dwayne's energy felt sharp and calculated, but the weight of Ashylene's presence was deeper. Heavier. Even before the first strike was thrown, I could feel it in my bones.
Ashylene had the edge.
Dwayne launched the two metal spears, sending them whistling through the air straight at Ashylene. She didn't flinch. A brazen smirk touched her lips as she dashed headlong toward the incoming projectiles.
Dwayne's smile mirrored hers. In a blur of sheer, blistering speed, he vanished, reappearing high above her in the blink of an eye. Eight more iron spears materialized in the air around him. With a flick of his wrist, he sent them raining down, ruthlessly targeting every conceivable blind spot—her left, right, back, front, and directly above. It was a perfect, inescapable cage designed to completely shut down her movement if she tried to dodge.
Summoning one final spear into his own grip, Dwayne dove down after the volley, charging in for the kill.
As the spears closed in on her, Ashylene stopped dead in her tracks. She simply stood there, waiting for the impact.
Is it… is it over? I thought, my breath catching in my throat.
Vrooooo.
A low, vibrating thrum fractured the air. In that split second, I saw that same smirk Ashylene had been carrying remained on her face.
Wait, why is she still smiling? I panicked, my eyes darting to Dwayne charging towards her.
Then, something happened that I had only ever seen once before: the spears began to change color, glowing a slow, cherry red as they approached her. The closer they got, the more the solid metal liquefied. At that exact moment, the molten slag seemed to hit an invisible wall, and all of it dispersed into a harmless shower of sparks in a single instant.
"Dwayne! What the hell is that?!" I screamed, the words ripping from my throat. "Bro, she just mel—"
My warning was cut short as Ashylene suddenly pivoted.
She turned to face Dwayne, taking a step with her right foot in front of her left and leaning in, still carrying her smile.
Dwayne gritted his teeth, his muscles coiling as he brought the spear down in the hardest swing I had ever seen him execute. A blow like that would instantly kill me—it would probably kill even some of the strongest fighters at the school—and he was casually doing it to her.
"I win, Dwayne," her voice echoed.
At the exact moment Dwayne's swing connected... it passed clean through her body.
Slowly, agonizingly slowly, the figure shimmered.
My eyes widened.
No.
That wasn't her.
An afterimage.
"What—?"
THUD.
A split second later, a violent wave of energy swept through the training room. I squeezed my eyes shut against the force of the gale.
"It seems I win."
The voice wasn't Dwayne's.
It was hers.
Whoever she was, she had just effortlessly dismantled someone who had held the rank of 5th for four years straight.
I saw Dwayne lying motionlessly on the floor. Panic spiked in my chest, and I sprinted over to him, dropping to my knees. "Damn, bro… never thought you'd lose this bad," I muttered, my hands trembling uncontrollably.
"Hey, bro… wake up!" I shouted, and suddenly felt a hand on my shoulder.
"Ah, look, I think I kinda overdid it and he passed out," Ashylene said. She smiled at me, scratching the back of her head and closing her eyes, looking genuinely guilty.
"Ahhh," I said out loud, stammering.
"It's completely fine, he's ok. I just hit him a little too hard, he'll be good in a few minutes," she added.
I looked from her calm face to Dwayne. "For someone who claims it's my choice to be weak, you are quite strong," I said, hauling Dwayne's arm over my shoulder, well aware that my voice was shaking.
"Ohhh," she paused, raising her right hand and staring into her palm, then back at me. "You think I am strong?"
She shook her head, scooping up her track jacket. "Trust me, I am not strong. Well, from your perspective, yes. Everyone has someone stronger who they look up to and want to become—somewhat like you admiring my strength. And the same goes for me. In my perspective, I am not as strong as my goal. I don't know if that makes sense to you."
She slung her jacket over her shoulder. "I am sorry for that again. Tell him that," she added, and began to walk away.
"Agh, Dwayne," I muttered under my breath, since obviously he wasn't listening. "I always tell you to pick your fights wisely… you knew her and kept trying to fight anyway."
"Ah, almost forgot."
The girl stopped suddenly before walking out the door. She glanced back over her shoulder. "You, why do you act like that?" she asked me.
I froze. "What do you mean?" I asked, awkwardly shifting Dwayne's position as he slipped a bit off my shoulders.
Her eyes narrowed. "I don't know why you are hiding it, but I will stay out of your business."
And with that, she disappeared.
What does she mean? The thought popped into my head, a cold dread pooling in my stomach.
I couldn't dwell on it. I hauled my friend up, seeing he was still breathing though unconscious, and half-carried him down the long corridors to the medical wing. When I finally pushed the doors open, the nurses on duty gasped, dropping their clipboards. Seeing the school's untouchable Rank 5 dragged in like a broken ragdoll was a sight absolutely no one was prepared for.
"What happened?" the nurse asked, already moving toward Dwayne.
"He got hurt. Ashylene beat him."
The nurse stopped for a moment and looked at me.
"She beat him?"
I nodded, dropping heavily into one of the plastic chairs. "Yeah."
She let out a tired sigh as she began tending to Dwayne. "Why on earth would he pick a fight with someone like her?"
"He's strong," I said, watching Dwayne. "He wanted to challenge her."
"Of course he did." She shook her head. "That boy has too much confidence for his own good."
I glanced at her. "She's really that strong?"
The nurse gave me a knowing look. "Ashylene is currently the strongest prodigy her family has produced. Her ability lets her manipulate electromagnetic forces."
"Electromagnetic forces?"
"Yes." She carefully wrapped a bandage around Dwayne's head. "Which gives her considerable control over things like metal and electricity. There are limitations, of course, but..."
She glanced down at Dwayne.
"...you've just seen what happens when someone underestimates those limitations."
I stared at her for a moment.
"Does she have some special eyes or something?"
The nurse raised an eyebrow. "Special eyes?"
"Yeah. I mean..." I rubbed the back of my neck. "The way she dodged everything. And the way she melted those spears before they even touched her. I've never seen anything like that."
A faint smile touched the nurse's lips.
"No. Nothing like that."
She finished securing the bandage and reached for another piece of medical equipment.
"Her ability is called Electromagnetic Void."
I blinked.
"Electromagnetic Void?"
"It's complicated." She sighed. "And honestly, I don't have time to give you the entire explanation right now. I'll explain it to you another time."
"Oh."
My eyes drifted back toward Dwayne.
"Is he okay?"
"He'll live."
I looked at her.
She gave me a reassuring nod.
"He's unconscious, but there's nothing life-threatening. Give him a few minutes. I expect him to wake up in about fifteen minutes."
"Fifteen?"
"Give or take."
I glanced toward the clock.
"I'll come back around the time we're about to go home." I stood from the chair. "He'll be awake by then, right?"
"He should be."
"Alright."
I looked back at Dwayne one last time.
"Thank you very much. I'll be back soon."
The nurse nodded as she lifted the silver medical tray filled with vials.
"Just make sure you don't let him challenge anyone else on your way back."
I stepped out of the room, pulling the heavy door shut behind me. The moment the latch clicked, the weak, worried expression I always wore melted off my face.
Wait… she's for real?
Is it possible she saw how my energy paths work?
I glanced back toward the clinic doors, a faint smile touching my lips. Well… I guess you got what you deserved, Dwayne. You were talking a little too much.
"Ashylene, huh…" I murmured to the empty hallway. "This is interesting. Did she notice something no one else in this school ever did?"
For the first time in a long while, I wasn't thinking about Jane.
I was thinking about Ashylene.
Not because of anything romantic.
She had seen something.
Something no one else in this school had ever noticed.
My energy paths.
I had spent years making sure no one discovered the truth about me. If Ashylene had actually seen through my act, then this wasn't a fight I could simply walk away from.
A small grin crept across my face.
"Ashylene, huh..."
Interesting.
Whatever she had seen, I intended to find out.
Because whatever Ashylene had seen...
I couldn't let her see any more.