CHAPTER 222: THREADS IN THE DARK [4]

The circular blast of wind tore across the white floor like a spinning blade.

Kyle’s eyes widened. It was too fast.

His palm slammed against the ground.

Mana flared.

Two thick ice walls erupted in front of him, one behind the other. The impact came almost instantly.

But the blast didn’t slow.

It sliced through the ice like paper, shards scattering into glittering dust before it kept coming.

"Damn it," Kyle hissed, lightning already crackling at his calves. Wind swirled up his legs, a twisting cyclone of speed and force.

He launched himself sideways.

The attack passed just two meters away—

Spurt.

Kyle’s shoulder burned. A red bruise was already forming under the combat suit.

He gritted his teeth. Even from that distance, the pressure had bitten into him.

The blast slammed into the far wall. The impact was deafening—

BOOM.

White light flared across the training room. The wall didn’t so much as crack.

Kyle stared, chest heaving, before looking at the one who sent it. Horror spread across his face.

"You trying to kill me?!"

At the center of the room stood Aurelia, black sportswear clinging to her lean frame, her posture utterly relaxed. Her black hair framed blue eyes that held zero concern.

Her brows pinched. "Stop complaining. That was nothing but a weak attack."

"Weak attack, my ass—"

"Language," she cut in sharply.

Kyle’s breath came in heavy draws. Sweat clung to his skin beneath the black academy combat suit.

They were in Aurelia’s private training room. Smooth white walls reinforced with mana. A floor designed to absorb the impact of even Radiant-rank strikes.

It had been weeks since he had not sparred with her.

Not since the Black Gate incident. His days had been swallowed by one thing, trying to control the spirit mana core inside him.

A stubborn, untamed thing. Like a wild animal refusing the leash.

Progress was slow. Zalrielle said it was normal. Kyle still thought he could’ve done better.

Last night, over dinner, she had asked about his training. He’d said it was going fine.

Then she smiled, the kind of smile that didn’t reach her eyes. And told him they would spar in the morning.

That smile had sent a chill down his spine.

Now he wasn’t so sure this was training. It felt like she had a grudge. Which made no sense. He hadn’t done anything to piss her off... had he?

"What are you thinking so hard for? Attack. We don’t have all day."

His eye twitched.

Ignoring the burn in his shoulder, Kyle exhaled. Focused.

"[Lightning Lance]," he muttered softly.

Five spears of blinding lightning materialized around him. They launched forward in the same breath, tearing through the air toward Aurelia.

She didn’t move immediately, only watching.

In her mind.

’He’s casting without a single gesture now.’

His mana flow was smoother. His technique sharper.

The old Kyle would’ve been on the floor already.

Now, his battle IQ, elemental mastery, and mana control were nearly unrecognizable.

Five wind shields snapped into existence before her, small discs rotating fast enough to blur.

The lances struck,

Snap. Crackle. Hiss...

And dissolved into harmless sparks.

But Kyle was already there.

[Lightning Steps].

His body blurred, reappearing right before her.

Zalrielle slashed down in a clean arc.

Aurelia tilted her head just enough for the blade to pass harmlessly by.

Kyle didn’t falter.

His left fist came forward, wrapped in twisting wind.

Aurelia met it with an open palm, redirecting the blow toward the ground.

His fist struck the white floor with a sharp crack, no mark left behind.

Kyle spun with the momentum, his left palm anchoring him to the floor. His leg swept around, a roundhouse wreathed in lightning.

Crackkk—

The speed made the air scream. Aurelia’s grin widened.

Her palm pressed lightly into his exposed stomach

Tap.

For a second, nothing. Then...

"Gah!"

The wind burst from her palm, slamming into him like a cannon.

Kyle’s body folded as he was launched backward.

Still airborne, he twisted, wind magic whipping around him in reverse to slow his flight.

’Crap, did I go overboard?’ Aurelia thought.

Kyle’s fingers snapped midair.

Mana pulsed under the floor. Ice spikes erupted upward at Aurelia’s feet.

Her eyes narrowed slightly. The corners of her lips curled.

’You little monster.’

She swept a hand sideways. The wind howled, shards splintered, exploding into a mist of frost.

He’d planted that spell earlier. When his hand touched the floor.

Kyle hit the wall. But instead of slamming bone-first into stone, he crashed into a shimmering sphere of water.

It rippled like jelly, taking the force and letting him drop to the ground with only a thud.

Aurelia’s brows rose slightly. She was impressed.

She was about to call it there, until she saw his eyes.

He still wanted to fight.

Kyle pushed himself up. His stance wasn’t perfect. His breathing was ragged.

But the look was there, defiance and focus.

Aurelia rolled her shoulders.

"Alright, little brother. Let’s see what else you’ve got."

Kyle moved first.

Lightning exploded beneath his boots, hurling him forward in a flash of blue-white light.

Wind wrapped tight around his blade arm, sharpening the black tachi’s downward arc.

Aurelia didn’t dodge. She stepped in.

Clang!

The shock rattled up his arms, bones shivering from the force.

His eyes widened.

Two fingers.

She’d caught his blade between two fingers.

Before he could pull back, her wrist twisted.

Zalrielle slipped free from his grip, spinning across the polished white floor until it skidded to a stop several meters away.

Kyle didn’t hesitate. His right palm thrust forward.

Water surged, a pressurized jet that roared toward her chest.

She tilted her head. The stream passed harmlessly by, splattering against the far wall in a harmless spray.

Her foot shifted, just a whisper of movement. And the air around Kyle thickened.

’Tch—’

Wind slammed into him from the side. He slid back, boots squealing against the floor.

But his hands were already in motion. Frost spiraled outward, coating the ground between them in jagged ice.

Aurelia glanced down at the creeping frost. Her expression didn’t change.

Kyle’s figure blurred.

[Lightning Steps] carried him across the ice in a heartbeat.

He came low this time, his left leg whipping around in a sweep wreathed in sparks.

Her shin intercepted it with a sharp thock.

Kyle shifted instantly. His other leg came around, this one sharpened with slicing wind.

She took the strike on her palm, redirecting it away. The force cracked the air, but her stance never broke.

Kyle landed light on one foot, twisting with the momentum. Water swirled around his fist before freezing solid. He drove the icy gauntlet toward her ribs.

Her hand came up, catching his wrist mid-swing. The ice shattered between her fingers.

Kyle’s teeth clenched. His free hand came forward in the same instant, palm glowing bright..

Bzzzt!

Lightning erupted point-blank.

Wind flared around her, dissipating the electricity before it could bite. She shoved his wrist aside, forcing him back.

Kyle hit the ground with both palms, channeling mana straight into the floor.

The floor beneath Aurelia erupted, thick ice pillars burst upward, forcing her to step back for the first time.

Her lips curled into a small grin.

"Better."

Kyle was already moving, sliding in from the side with Zalrielle reclaimed in his grip.

Lightning sparked along the black blade’s edge as he swung in a brutal horizontal arc.

Her arm blurred...

Clang!

...the tachi stopped dead against her forearm. Not a scratch.

Kyle pushed harder, muscles straining. She didn’t budge.

Then the wind exploded outward. The force flung him back like a leaf in a storm.

He twisted midair, righting himself with a gust of wind magic, and landed in a crouch.

His breathing was heavier now, chest rising and falling in quick bursts.

’She hadn’t taken a single step out of place.’

Every block, every parry. It was controlled, precise, and without effort.

But he still pushed forward.

Water gathered at his feet, freezing instantly. He kicked off the slick surface, the burst of wind under him propelling him like a missile.

Zalrielle slashed down, lightning howled along its edge.

This time she didn’t catch it.

She sidestepped, letting the strike carve harmlessly into the floor.

Kyle didn’t stop. He spun with the miss, his off-hand flicking forward.

A razor-thin blade of ice shot toward her throat.

She leaned back just enough to let it pass, her hair catching the faint spray of frost.

Her palm came forward before he could recover,

Thud!

....catching him square in the chest.

The force sent him skidding back across the floor, boots digging grooves into the ice he’d made earlier. His lungs burned, the taste of metal sharp in his mouth.

Still... he didn’t stop.

One more push.

Kyle slammed his foot down, mana surged.

Ice spikes erupted behind her, cutting off her retreat.

He lunged, every element he could muster wrapping around him.

Wind sharpening his speed, lightning crackling down Zalrielle’s edge, water forming a mist that froze into fine needles around his path.

For the first time, Aurelia’s brows lifted a fraction.

She brought her hand up, wind surged outward in a dome.

The moment his attack touched it, the entire spellwork shattered in a storm of sparks and shards.

The blast of air knocked him off his feet.

Kyle hit the ground hard, rolled, and started to push himself up.

Got halfway.

The world tilted. His arms buckled.

And he collapsed face-first on the floor.

.....

Aurelia stood there for a moment. The wind around her dying down to a whisper.

She sighed softly, walking over to where he lay. His breathing was uneven but steady.

Her gaze lingered on him for a long moment.

He’d improved... more than she’d expected.

His transitions between elements were sharper, faster.

His instincts in a fight had grown deadly.

’Was he already treading into early Expert mastery rank territory... ?’

It was terrifying.

And she was proud.

But beneath that pride was something else. Worry.

He still hadn’t told her everything about that dungeon. She could feel it.

There were holes in his story, gaps he avoided.

One day, she’d drag the truth out of him.

For now, she crouched beside him, brushing a few damp strands of hair from his forehead.

"I’m proud of you" she murmured, a faint smile on her lips.

——————