Chapter 204: The Black Core [2]
Kyle blinked at the glowing numbers on his mana band. The pale blue digits burned into his tired eyes.
[7:09 AM]
’Great. I still have one and half hour to take a little nap.’
He let out a dry chuckle. But it quickly turned into a wince as pain flared in his side. The muscles under his ribs felt like they’d been twisted and wrung out.
With a groan, he pushed himself up from the cold training room floor. His palms slipped on the sweat-slick tiles, nearly sending him crashing back down.
It took two tries, but he finally made it to his feet.
Across the room. Zalrielle sat silently in her feline form, her golden eyes locked on him.
Usually, she would’ve already jumped onto his shoulder, her claws poking through his jacket as she got comfortable.
But now, she just watched him. Her tail flicked back and forth. Nervous, or maybe worried.
Kyle narrowed his eyes, trying to focus through the fog of exhaustion.
"Wait," he rasped. His throat was dry, his voice scratchy like he’d swallowed sand.
"You said you need mana to transform. Do you have your own soul core or something?"