Chapter 126: Might’s Path
"Had to," Faye replied, her breath quickening. "Can’t keep dodging forever."
They clashed again, a dance of light and sound. Kikaru’s beams wove intricate patterns—flashes to blind, solids to strike—while her time-slowing ability gave her split-second edges, letting her sidestep Faye’s waves with uncanny grace. Faye’s singing grew bolder, her Ikona generating small, tangible objects—discs, spikes, barriers—that she hurled or used to shield herself. One disc grazed Kikaru’s arm, drawing a thin line of red. Kikaru hissed but didn’t slow, retaliating with a beam that shattered Faye’s next barrier and sent her stumbling.
Minutes stretched, both panting, their energy fraying at the edges. Faye’s voice wavered, her last note forming a weak shield that cracked under Kikaru’s final beam. Kikaru raised a hand, calling it off. "Enough," she said, wiping sweat from her forehead. "Good work."
Faye nodded, chest heaving. "You too. I’m... getting the hang of it."
Elias stepped forward, clapping lightly. "That was impressive. You’re both stronger than yesterday."
Kikaru met his gaze, her expression hard. "We have to be."
The cafeteria buzzed with its usual chaos—shard users and military personnel jostling for trays, voices overlapping in a dull roar. Elias grabbed a plate of something vaguely resembling stew and scanned the room. His eyes landed on Asurik Gusmen, sitting alone at a corner table, his lean frame hunched over a tray he barely touched. His dark hair fell into his eyes, and his expression was unreadable, a mask of calm that didn’t quite reach his posture.
Elias hesitated, then made his way over. "Mind if I sit?"
Asurik glanced up, his hazel eyes sharp but not hostile. "Go ahead."
Elias settled across from him, poking at his food. "You’ve been quiet today. Something on your mind?"
Asurik’s lips twitched into a half-smile, more reflex than warmth. "Just thinking. About the system, the shards, the way this place runs. Feels like we’re all pieces on someone else’s board."