Finally, I've managed to gain some control over my superhuman strength. But whenever I watch Rya move with that incredible agility, my confidence crumbles.

  The sun burns fiercely and my arms can barely hold the weight of the sword. A drop of sweat stings my eye.

  “Pay attention!”

  She closes the distance in an instant and the air whistles as her blade comes within a hair of striking me. I barely register the movement of the sword.

  I nearly trip as I try to step back. I manage to block her attack, but only just—the force of the blow shoves me backward like a charging bull.

  “Shit!” I spit.

  My chest inflates like a balloon, desperately trying to pull in oxygen. I end up sitting on the grass, wrist throbbing, hands cramped and numb.

  Rya hardly looks winded.

  “Want to take a break?” she asks, giving me a half-smile.

  “Please…”

  The breeze brushes against my overheated face. It cools me a little.

  I thought the hardest part of this training would be controlling this strength. I was wrong.

  If I can’t even hold my own in a friendly spar with her, how the hell am I supposed to face a monster?

  At first Rya moved so fast she practically vanished from sight. By the time I realized it, she was already behind me, sweeping my ankles and dropping me like a sack of potatoes. It wasn’t easy to start reading her movements, but even now the result is the same—I keep eating dirt.

  After pulling a canteen from the saddlebags, she walks over. The water washes the desert taste out of my throat.

  “I hate swords,” I mutter, frowning.

  The weapon lands on the ground with a dull thud, kicking up little clouds of dust.

  “Don’t say that,” Rya says, sitting beside me. “You’re just starting to learn. Soon you’ll get the hang of it.”

  My body has cooled down and now my muscles feel even heavier. I wipe the sweat from my forehead with the sleeve of my shirt.

  “Aren’t there any other weapons I could use?”

  “The sword is the most basic weapon of all,” she clears her throat. “If you can’t learn to use it, mastering anything else will be impossible.”

  Her tone is stern. She presses her lips together and narrows her eyes.

  Even so, it wouldn’t hurt to try something else. But I can already guess how she’d react if I started insisting.

  “By the way,” she adds, “one bad habit you have is closing your eyes sometimes when you defend.”

  “Really? I hadn’t noticed.”

  “It’ll go away with time. But you need to get used to taking hits.”

  I’m not sure I want to become a masochist.

  I ask her to tell me about other weapons. Reluctantly, she gives me a quick rundown of their strengths and weaknesses, but the more I hear, the more discouraged I become.

  There has to be a way to fight without memorizing an entire fencing manual.

  “If you don’t want to use a sword,” she clarifies, “you could use a hammer. Though—” Rya covers her mouth with her fingers, stifling a laugh, “—it has a bad reputation as a weapon for brutes.”

  A vein pulses on my forehead.

  “For brutes? Why?”

  “You don’t need technique. You just swing hard at your target and that’s it. Although…” she looks up, thoughtful, “you’d need to carry a shield to protect yourself, and that also requires some knowledge.”

  I let out a long sigh and lie back on the grass. I stare at the clouds drifting by, weighing my options.

  Fighting using only mana might be an option, but I have no idea how effective it would be.

  My temples throb from thinking so hard.

  The wind tousles a few strands of my hair. Annoyed, I brush them out of my face. Maybe I should cut it a bit.

  I rub my thumb across my fingertips—dirty with dust and sweat. I’m even starting to get calluses.

  “Hey…”

  “Yeah?” Rya stretches her back.

  “What if I fought bare-handed?”

  She looks at me carefully and blinks. Very slowly.

  I keep talking, but she turns her gaze away.

  “Ethan, no,” she shakes her head. “A lot of things could go very wrong if you fight like that.”

  “If I learn to use my energy properly, maybe I’d stand a chance.”

  Rya stands up and brushes the dust off her clothes. She stays quiet for a long moment. She just gives me her back.

  “Has anyone ever told you you’re really stubborn?” She crosses her arms. “I can teach you the basics of mana usage, nothing more. If you want to specialize, you’ll have to experiment on your own or find a Channeler.”

  I stay silent and look down. I want to argue, but that would only create tension between us.

  “Can we keep going?” I ask, standing up.

  “Alright.”

  Rya takes her stance. She raises her arms and readies her sword.

  I step back a few paces from her, but my weapon stays on the ground.

  I spread my feet and raise my hands to face level. She looks at me, confused.

  “What are you doing?” she raises an eyebrow.

  “Proving my point,” I huff.

  “Seriously…” Her shoulders slump.

  Despite my words, I have no idea how to continue. She looks so still, like a statue. And that makes me nervous.

  I’m not going to turn this into some crude street brawl.

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  I gesture forward, fill my chest until no more air fits, and charge.

  The ground under my feet explodes as I lunge and throw an almost blind punch. The wind stings my eyes.

  My fist slams against metal with a resounding clang. Thank god the blade is dull.

  “How’s that?” I ask through gritted teeth.

  I keep pressing forward and her weapon wavers.

  “Not bad…” she tries to laugh. “You actually surprised me.”

  She pushes me back. The moment my feet touch the ground again, I charge once more. Harder. Faster.

  She backs against a tree and guards with her sword. I can’t tell if my hits are doing anything. The metal vibrates again and again until my knuckles burn.

  She stays on the defensive. When I catch a small smile on her lips, my heart skips.

  My knee drives into her chest and the impact lifts her off the ground. Her armor is harder than I expected. Rya lands on her feet without staggering.

  Sweat keeps dripping from my chin.

  “So…?” I say, trying to catch my breath.

  She doesn’t answer. She just stands there on the grass. The wind moves her coppery hair.

  “Very good,” she nods. “Really. But you’re forgetting something.”

  Her figure blurs and vanishes. When I blink, her nose is almost touching mine. I try to defend, raising my arms. Her strike is so powerful I feel something break.

  My smile vanishes as her blow drives the air out of me. My knees give way.

  “If I do this, you’re out of commission,” she explains dryly. “That’s why you can’t rely only on your limbs to fight.”

  “Fuck!!”

  My muscles lock up and I can’t close my hand. The bone burns.

  Rya plants her sword in the ground and her shadow blocks the sun.

  “If you want to keep going with this, I won’t stop you,” she says after a moment. “But it’s a suicidal style…”

  “Yeah… noted,” I groan, rolling on the ground.

  She hands me a small crystal vial. When I drink it, the pain fades, but I feel even more exhausted than before.

  I thought that after this she wouldn’t complain about my decision anymore.

  We resume training, but my performance is nowhere near what it was. If earlier I swung the sword like a kid waving a stick, now I can barely lift it. Even though I wanted to stick to my fists, her look made me change my mind.

  ◇◇◇

  The sun has dropped and the moon has taken its place. I say goodbye to Rya and she disappears into the crowd riding her mare. Her smile stays stuck in my head long after she’s gone.

  My stomach growls like a predator and I quicken my pace toward my room. The air freezes my lungs with every breath and the clouds overhead are so dark and thick they look ready to collapse at any moment.

  This lamp lights up much better than the last one, but when I told Eleanor what happened to the one she gave me, she got a little upset. Good thing I didn’t blurt out that I slept with Rya.

  I leave the dark streets behind and step through the inn’s doors. The lobby is full of other guests and hunters. A chandelier on the ceiling bathes the area in warm light.

  The floorboards no longer creak when I climb the stairs and the handrail feels smooth and clean to the touch.

  When I enter my room, the air no longer smells of stale sweat. I try to stop grinning like an idiot, but I can’t.

  “Finally!” I mutter to myself.

  I close the door behind me and set the lamp on the table. When I reach the bed, I collapse onto the mattress. It’s so soft and cool—and, best of all, no fleas.

  I’m incredibly glad I left that dump. Thank God I’ve made progress these past few weeks. But if I’m not careful, I’ll fall again. And I’m afraid it’ll hit much harder next time.

  I interrupt my rest and head back to the lobby. After paying a couple of coins for a hot bath and delicious food, I return and slip between the sheets.

  It’s started raining—hard. The roar of water against the roof tiles and the rattling window make it impossible to think clearly. I hope the glass holds.

  “If I teach you how to use mana, it will only be the basics.”

  Those words keep gnawing at my mind. I guess Rya can’t be an expert at everything. No one is.

  But I want to learn. Right now.

  Having superhuman strength is fine, but the first time I saw that energy flowing from her hands… an obsession was born inside me.

  I scratch my temple and stare blankly at the ceiling. Lightning flashes across the glass.

  If that energy is a manifestation of my power, what do I need to do to manipulate it? I blink several times, searching for an answer.

  Maybe I need to step back a little to move forward…

  I throw off the sheets and stand. The floor is ice-cold, but not enough to stop me.

  “I need to remember that sensation,” I say out loud.

  I raise my arms to shoulder height and spread my fingers. When I close my eyes, the world around me goes quiet.

  I breathe slowly and feel my blood warming beneath my skin. I can sense it moving—from the tips of my toes all the way to the strands of my hair.

  I still have it. Good.

  “Now what?” I exhale.

  I watch my limbs pulse. Maybe I just need to let it out…

  I curl my fingers and dig my nails into my palms. I squeeze until I can almost imagine my skin bleeding.

  A spark. Just half a second, but I’m sure I saw it.

  It’s warm and cold at the same time.

  “Yes… Yes!”

  I hold my breath and don’t blink. A stupid grin spreads across my face, but it doesn’t last.

  I close my eyes again and concentrate. The urge is stronger now, pushing me. If my stance were bad, I would have fallen.

  My vision blurs for a second. I stagger and drop to my knees.

  The air leaves me and I sweat like a roasted chicken. It feels like running a marathon without stopping—why?

  My heart keeps slamming against my ribs.

  I swallow hard and run a hand through my hair. I look up.

  “Now!” I shout.

  My palms face the floor. I want to do it again. Stronger. I hope I don’t die.

  God, give me strength! I plead silently.

  I grit my teeth until it hurts. My energy builds again.

  My feet lift off the ground. Before I realize it, my forehead smashes into the ceiling beam and I crash down hard.

  “What the fuck…!”

  It hurts. Way too much. I slam my fist against the floor over and over to vent, but the pain doesn’t stop. From downstairs I can faintly hear someone reacting to the noise.

  Soon someone knocks on my door.

  “Are you okay? Sir?”

  I bite my tongue.

  “Yeah…!” A choked cough escapes. “Everything’s fine. Don’t worry.”

  I stay lying there, barely able to move. I don’t think I’ll forget this day. But that’s enough for tonight.

  ◇◇◇

  My sleep was interrupted by intrusive fantasies about using mana. The head injury didn’t help either. There are too many things I want to do once I control this energy. And after last night’s experience, today I want to try again.

  If my body allows it.

  I woke up this morning feeling like I slept wrapped in bags of cement. While walking to work, I felt out of place.

  Inside the restaurant it was no different. Customers arrived and with great effort I went to their tables to take orders, but shortly after I would forget what they asked for.

  Now the place is even fuller and my eye sockets burn when sunlight pours through the windows.

  “Ethan, please take this plate to that table over there,” Eleanor says. “Also, cover for me a few minutes. I’m going to help Eugine in the kitchen.”

  I nod and the blood in my head swirls.

  “Coming right up…”

  When my coworker hands me the plate, she walks behind the counter and disappears through the door. I grip the edges of the dish tightly so it doesn’t slip.

  I scan the room, looking for the indicated table. I don’t remember which one it is.

  I stand there frozen for several seconds like an idiot. I mean the standing-still-doing-nothing part.

  A man raises his arm and waves at me.

  I walk over.

  “Good morning,” he smiles. “I think this is mine.”

  “Yeah.” I return the smile. “I got a bit lost.”

  More customers start calling me. With heavy steps I approach to take their orders. One wants smoked sausages and boiled potatoes; another a bowl of porridge; a group of friends wants beef ribs.

  I repeat the orders in my head, but when I reach the serving window, my mind goes blank.

  There’s so much smoke in the kitchen I can barely see Eugine and Eleanor moving around. I don’t know how they’re not suffocating.

  “I need…” I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to remember. “Sausages, ribs and… sigh… lentils.”

  I sit on a stool, waiting for the order to be ready. Even though the sun is shining brightly, I feel a little cold.

  “Do I have a cold…?” I whisper to myself.

  The food is ready, but when I stand and see the pile of plates, I pause. If I tried to carry everything at once, I’d definitely make a mess.

  Finally it’s break time. Not everything went well. I had to return the lentil dish because that wasn’t what the customer ordered.

  A harsh scolding from Eugine was inevitable after that mistake.

  Damn it.

  “Ethan…”

  My head feels heavy and breathing is a little difficult. I wish I could go back to bed and sleep.

  “Ethan…?” A slender hand touches my shoulder. “Are you okay?”

  I straighten my back and my spine cracks. I turn to see Eleanor.

  “Yeah, yeah… Just tired,” I yawn. “Why?”

  “You haven’t eaten anything,” her gaze drops to my food. “And you’re sweating a lot.”

  When I wipe my forehead, my fingers come away soaked.

  “I didn’t notice. I thought it was cold.”

  Her brows drop and the light in her pupils dims a little. I don’t like seeing her like that.

  “Don’t worry. I should be fine by tomorrow,” I say, holding back a cough.

  “You sure?”

  I nod slowly.

  I force myself to eat something to ease her concern. But my throat rejects the food and when I try to wash it down, the beer tastes like grass.

  “Hey!”

  Her small shout startles me.

  “You have a really ugly bump,” she puts her hand on my head. “How did you get that?”

  I gently move her palm away. It still hurts.

  “Don’t worry. I just tripped into a post…” I look away. “I’ll put some ice on it later.”

  Even though I have no idea where I’d get ice.

  “You should see a doctor,” Eleanor purses her lip. “Something could happen to you.”

  I stand up quickly. The air crushes me.

  “Everything’s fine. Don’t worry,” I spread my arms. “See?”

  I don’t have money for a doctor. It would definitely cost me an arm and a leg.

  I’m still barely scraping by and I have other things to take care of. I wanted to take better care of myself to avoid this. But I couldn’t.

  She stands and brings her face close to mine. I feel her breath.

  She places her hand on my skin again, gently.

  “At least you don’t have a fever,” she murmurs.

  I both love and hate how worried she gets about me.

  “Hey…” Eleanor sits again and smiles. “Sorry for prying, but if you feel bad tomorrow, it’s okay to take the day off. Don’t worry—I can tell Eugine if you want.”

  I sigh and sink back into my chair. The weight of my body overwhelms me.

  Arguing would just be a waste of time. Besides, I don’t want to keep talking. My head hurts.

  I won’t train today. I’d pass out if I tried. I just hope I’m better tomorrow. If they dock me a day’s pay, I’d be screwed.

  “By the way,” she tilts her head and smiles, “you have really pretty blue eyes. I hadn’t noticed before.”

  I swallow hard and the air escapes me.

  I don’t understand why she said that. My eyes are black.