CHAPTER 25: THE THIRD WHEEL IS THE BEST SEAT IN THE HOUSE

The training arena felt like stepping into another dimension. Emi’s eyes widened at the high-tech equipment lining the walls—practice drones, adaptive targets, and holographic scenario generators. She’d visited training facilities before, but nothing this advanced. This was where the elite practiced.

"You booked this?" Emi whispered to Natalia, impressed by her friend’s connections.

Natalia nodded, a confident smile playing on her lips. "Dad’s name opens doors."

Emi caught Satori rolling his eyes behind Natalia’s back. The gesture was subtle enough that Natalia missed it, but it made Emi stifle a giggle. There was something refreshing about his unimpressed attitude toward Natalia’s privilege.

"So how does this ring actually work?" Emi asked, peering at the beautiful artifact on Natalia’s finger. The pale blue gemstone gleamed with an internal light, wisps of frost occasionally trailing from its surface.

"It acts as a psychic heatsink," Natalia explained, her voice taking on that lecturing tone she used when showing off her knowledge. "When I channel my telekinesis through it, the ring stabilizes the energy flow and adds a cryo-elemental property."

"In normal people words?" Emi teased.

Natalia huffed. "It makes my telekinesis cold and adds ice to whatever I grab. And it keeps me from burning out my nervous system when I push hard."

"Like what happened in the Gate," Satori added from where he leaned against the wall.

Natalia shot him a warning look. "Yes. Like what happened in the Gate."

Emi looked between them, sensing an untold story. "What happened in the Gate?"

"She collapsed from Aspect Overload after killing a Nest Mother," Satori said casually. "I had to carry her out."

"You what?" Emi’s jaw dropped. "Nat! You didn’t tell me that part!"

Natalia’s cheeks flushed. "It wasn’t relevant."

"Wasn’t relevant?" Emi threw up her hands. "You collapsed in a Gate and had to be carried out by your stepbrother, and you didn’t think that was worth mentioning when we talked last night?"

"We had other things to discuss," Natalia muttered, avoiding eye contact.

Emi remembered their phone conversation from last night—how distracted Natalia had sounded, how she’d abruptly changed the subject whenever Satori came up. There was definitely something weird going on between them.

"Anyway," Natalia said loudly, clearly wanting to move on, "I need to test the ring’s capabilities before the entrance exams."

She moved to the center of the training floor and pressed a button on her wristband. A dozen training drones detached from their wall mounts and hovered in the air around her.

"Stand back," Natalia commanded.

Emi retreated to where Satori stood, watching with interest.

Natalia closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. When she opened them, they glowed with purple energy. She raised her hands, and the familiar lavender aura of her telekinesis enveloped her fingers.

The effect was immediate. The ring on her finger pulsed with blue light, and a thin mist of frost began to swirl around her hands, merging with her purple telekinetic aura to create a beautiful, ethereal mixture of colors.

With a gesture, Natalia seized all twelve drones simultaneously. Each machine was instantly encased in a thin layer of crystalline frost, the ice crackling as it formed around the metal shells.

"Wow," Emi breathed, genuinely impressed. Natalia had always been powerful, but this was on another level.

Natalia arranged the drones in a complex orbital pattern around herself. They spun in concentric circles, trailing wisps of purple-blue energy. Then, with a thrust of her palm, she sent six drones flying toward the nearest target.

They struck with devastating force, shattering the reinforced practice dummy and sending fragments scattering across the floor. The impact was accompanied by the sound of ice breaking—a sharp, crystalline noise that made Emi jump.

"The frost adds impact force," Natalia explained, glowing with pride. "It’s like coating my projectiles in a layer of weighted armor."

She continued her demonstration, manipulating the remaining drones through increasingly complex patterns. She sent them weaving through obstacle courses, smashing targets, even using one drone to deflect another in mid-air.

Emi clapped enthusiastically after a particularly impressive sequence. "That was amazing, Nat!"

Natalia beamed, clearly in her element. She gathered the six remaining drones into a tight formation and prepared to launch them at a distant target.

"The frost adds mass," Satori commented quietly, just loud enough for Emi to hear. "Your projectiles have more impact, but they’re dropping at twenty meters. You’ll need to adjust your aim for long-range shots."

Emi blinked, looking between Satori and the targets. He was right—the last volley had hit just below center mass on the distant targets.

"Wow, he’s right!" Emi exclaimed, impressed by the tactical observation.

Natalia froze, her concentration breaking momentarily. She glanced back at them, her jaw tightening.

"I’m aware of the physics," she said tersely.

Satori shrugged. "Just an observation."

Turning back to her training, Natalia’s movements became more aggressive. She gathered all the remaining drones into a tight cluster, then began compressing them into a single, massive sphere of telekinetic energy. The frost layer grew thicker, crackling as it built upon itself.

The display was impressive, but Emi noticed Natalia’s hands trembling. The veins on her temples stood out, and her breathing became labored. The ring on her finger pulsed erratically, struggling to regulate the enormous energy flow.

"She’s pushing too hard," Emi whispered.

The massive orb of ice and metal began to wobble. Cracks appeared in the frost layer, and one of the drones made an alarming grinding noise.

"Nat, maybe you should—" Emi started, but Satori was already moving.

He stepped up behind Natalia and placed a firm hand on the small of her back.

"Breathe," he commanded, his voice a low rumble. "Control the output. Don’t let it control you."

Natalia’s body went rigid at his touch, but she didn’t pull away. Her breathing steadied, and the sphere stabilized, the cracks in the ice sealing themselves.

"That’s it," Satori continued, his voice softer now. "Direct the flow. You’re not fighting against it; you’re channeling it."

With newfound control, Natalia guided the frost-covered sphere toward the furthest target. It struck with devastating force, completely obliterating the reinforced dummy and embedding shards of ice in the wall behind it.

The room fell silent except for Natalia’s heavy breathing.

Satori stepped away, his face unreadable. "Good recovery."

Natalia lowered her arms, the purple glow fading from her eyes. Her face was flushed, though whether from exertion or embarrassment, Emi couldn’t tell.

"I didn’t need your help," Natalia said, her voice lacking its usual bite.

"Of course not," Satori replied with a small smile. "Just offering a suggestion."

"That was incredible, Nat!" Emi clapped, trying to dispel the tension. "The ring works perfectly! You’re definitely going to place first in the entrance rankings with that kind of control."

Natalia smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. She glanced at Satori, who had returned to his position against the wall, watching her with those unnervingly perceptive eyes.

"Yeah," she said absently. "It worked better than expected."

"Your form is excellent," Emi continued, "but I noticed your shoulders tensing up near the end. You should try to keep them relaxed to maintain better energy flow." As a healer, Emi was attuned to the physical signs of strain.

"I know how to maintain my form," Natalia snapped, then immediately looked contrite. "Sorry, Emi. I’m just tired."

"No problem!" Emi replied cheerfully, used to Natalia’s occasional sharp edges. "Want me to give you a quick healing boost? Might help with the strain."

"That would be great, actually."

Emi approached Natalia and activated her Aspect. A soft green aura enveloped her hands as she placed them on Natalia’s shoulders. The healing energy flowed through Natalia’s body, soothing inflamed nerves and relaxing tense muscles.

"Better?" Emi asked after a moment.

Natalia rolled her shoulders and nodded. "Much better. Thanks."

"Your healing is impressive," Satori commented, studying Emi with interest. "The aura extends about half a meter from your body. Can you control who it affects within that radius?"

The question caught Emi by surprise. Most people just saw her healing as a convenient tool, not something worthy of tactical analysis.

"I can focus it," she explained, pleased by his interest. "If I’m touching someone directly, I can channel most of the energy to them. But in combat, it’s more of a general field effect for the whole team."

Satori nodded thoughtfully. "Useful for both emergency stabilization and sustained support."

"Exactly!" Emi beamed. "Most people just think ’oh, the healer can patch us up,’ but there’s a lot more strategy involved."

"I can imagine," Satori said. "Proper positioning would be crucial. Too far back, and you’re not helping the front line. Too far forward, and you become a target."

"You have no idea how many times I’ve tried explaining that to our combat instructors," Emi sighed. "They always put healers in the back like we’re made of glass."

Natalia cleared her throat loudly. "If you two are done with your little tactical discussion, I’d like to continue my training."

Emi noticed a flash of annoyance in Natalia’s eyes. Was she jealous of the attention Satori was giving her?

"Sorry, Nat! Go ahead, show us more ice magic!"

Natalia began another sequence with the training drones, but Emi found herself watching Satori instead. He observed Natalia’s movements with analytical precision, occasionally nodding when she executed a particularly effective maneuver.

There was something about him that didn’t add up. The lazy, disgusting stepbrother Natalia had complained about for years couldn’t be this same person—this focused, observant man who spoke about combat tactics with casual expertise.

"You seem to know a lot about combat strategy for someone who just discovered their Aspect," Emi commented quietly.

Satori’s lips quirked into a half-smile. "I’ve been watching Hunter streams for years. Just because I couldn’t do it didn’t mean I wasn’t interested."

"That makes sense," Emi said, though something about his explanation felt incomplete. "And the physical transformation? That’s incredibly impressive."

"Like I said, when I commit to something, I go all in."

"Well, it’s working," Emi grinned. "You look amazing."

"You’re not so bad yourself," Satori replied, his eyes meeting hers with an intensity that made her cheeks warm.

Across the room, one of Natalia’s ice projectiles missed its target completely, embedding itself in the wall with a loud crack.

Emi glanced over to see Natalia glaring at them, her concentration broken. The ring on her finger pulsed with erratic blue light, reflecting the turmoil in her eyes.

Something very interesting was happening between these step-siblings, Emi realized.

And she had front-row seats to the show.