I barely registered the sound of laughter and excited chatter drifting from the courtyard as the other students of Empyrean Academy went about their daily lives.
It had been two days since Nathaniel shut me out. I needed to stop thinking about that jerk-face and just appreciate walking to class through the picturesque academy grounds, which were alive with color, from the vibrant flowers in the gardens to the lush green grass that rolled between each path. The light of the sun peeking through the branches of ancient trees dappled the winding pathways with shadows. A cool breeze ruffled the hem of my skirt.
“Hey, Evangeline,” a male voice called out.
I turned to see Alan jogging up to me with a friendly smile.
“Hi, Alan,” I replied. “How are you?”
“Good, good.”
“What’s up?” I asked since Alan and I didn’t talk one-on-one often.
“Celine insisted that I find out more about why Nathaniel went to the Chancellor’s office the other day.”
I nodded. Sweet Celine. Dean and Celine had both tried to dig deeper on my behalf but got nowhere with him.
“I finally talked to Nathaniel today,” Alan continued. “His parents wanted to pull him out of the academy. After the attack, they were worried it was too dangerous. But the Chancellor convinced them to let Nathaniel stay as long as the academy allowed his parents to provide extra security.”
“What?” I blinked, confusion stopping me in my tracks. “So, his visit to the office really had nothing to do with me.” This left me with more questions than answers. “Then, why is he mad at me?”
Alan shifted his weight and shrugged. “No idea.”
I groaned. “Why can’t he just tell me?”
“You know how he is. He keeps everything bottled up inside.”
I hesitated, unsure if I should burden him with my tangled emotions. “It’s just… I don’t know what’s going on between Nathaniel and me. Sometimes he seems like he’s opening up, but then he shuts down again.”
“Nathaniel’s always been difficult to understand,” he admitted. “But I think he cares about you, even if he doesn’t admit it.”
“Really?” The idea that Nathaniel actually cared about me sent a flutter through my heart. Alan had a longer history with Nathaniel than anyone else, so his opinion carried more weight than most.
“Definitely. I’ve never seen him act the way he does around you. He’s just… guarded, you know?”
“Doesn’t make it any easier.” I sighed, leaning back against the cold stones of a planter.
“Maybe you just need to give him time. You can’t expect him to change overnight.”
I nodded.
“Anyway, I thought you’d want to know.” Alan turned to leave.
“Thanks. I appreciate it.”
Why was this so complicated? Oh, right. Because Nathaniel was complicated. Why did I have to pick Nathaniel?
I sighed and pushed aside my heartache to hurry to the gym for Ability Training. As I changed into my gym uniform, I thought back to how helpless I’d felt when I couldn’t use my powers during the evil spirit attack. I could have died if Nathaniel hadn’t been there to save me.
Never again.
If Nathaniel wanted distance, he could have it. I needed to focus on my training.
As before, we formed a line along the wall, and Professor Lee called on us one by one to attack the practice target. When it was my turn, I stepped forward with hesitation, but I was determined to try my best. Granted, my personal best up until then was eking out a baby snowflake.
Professor Lee gave me an intense look. “Let’s see if you have it in you today,” she said gruffly.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, thinking about the people that meant so much to me: my family, Celine, our friends, and Nathaniel. Each of their faces vividly formed in my mind. I wanted to protect them. All of them. I wasn’t going to watch another person die in front of me again.
Suddenly, an energy coursed through my veins like never before. As it reached my heart, it stopped like it needed direction. Fire, I thought, and every nerve in my body came alive as the energy surged through me. An intense heat licked my face as brilliant yellow-orange flames roared from my hands, twisting and racing toward the target in front of me. A raging inferno engulfed the target, leaving nothing behind but the charred smell of burnt wood and smoke.
Cheers erupted around me. I had finally hit my first target! I looked down at my hands in disbelief. I did it.
Even Professor Lee gave me a respectable slow clap. “It would appear that you have finally figured out how to access your powers. Remember this moment so you can do it again.”
I nodded as my heart swelled with pride. For the first time, I truly believed I might be able to control these powers and do something meaningful with them.
I sat down in economics, pulling out my notebook as students filed into the room. My heart skipped a beat when Nathaniel walked in, his dark eyes scanning the room before settling into the seat next to mine.
“Hey, Nathaniel,” I said, trying to sound casual. “How’s your day been?”
“Fine,” he answered bluntly, not even glancing at me.
Economics was the worst. It had been two weeks now, and I desperately wanted to know what was going on in his mind, but he continued to act like this—guarded, distant, as if there was some invisible barrier between us that only he could see.
None of our friends were in this class, so he didn’t have to pretend. I didn’t understand why he kept choosing to sit next to me when he clearly wanted nothing to do with me. As I released an inward sigh, frustration and anger simmered beneath my skin. Why did he have to be like this? And why couldn’t I just ignore him? Why was it that the more difficult he became, the more I wanted him? As I looked at his profile, another emotion crept into my heart—sympathy. Was he hurting? Did he feel like he couldn’t talk to anyone? If so, he must feel so alone.
“Nathaniel?” I asked.
“What?” he responded, slightly annoyed.
Without thinking, I reached for him. My own fear of rejection was replaced by worry for him. I placed my hand over his. “I don’t know what’s wrong, but I want you to know that I’m here to listen when you’re ready.”
He gazed at me in confusion, so I gave him a reassuring smile. He stared at my hand atop his own in panic, before yanking his hand out from beneath mine as if it had been burned. It didn’t faze me, though. I expected nothing less.
The professor droned on about supply and demand as I stole glances at Nathaniel. His jaw muscles strained as he stared straight ahead. What was he thinking about? Maybe me? Don’t be stupid, Eva.
“Can you stop staring at me?” Nathaniel growled under his breath, still looking forward.
My cheeks burned. “I wasn’t staring at you,” I lied.
He scoffed and gave me a side-eyed glance. “Right.”
I bit my lip, turning my attention to the front of the class. But now I could feel the heat of Nathaniel’s gaze on me, and my skin tingled in response. What was with this guy? One minute he snarled at me for staring. The next, he was setting me on fire with his eyes.
When the professor dismissed us, students began gathering their things. I risked another glance at Nathaniel, but he was already bounding up the stairs toward the exit.
Sighing, I packed up my bag. Why did he have to be so infuriating? If he kept playing these games, I didn’t know how much more I could take. Next time, I had half a mind to wait until he sat down first and sit on the opposite side of the room. But who was I kidding? I loved being next to him, feeling the heat from his body on my arm. I shuddered thinking about it.
As I walked up the stairs to leave the lecture hall, my foot caught on the edge of a step. I stumbled backward, my books tumbling to the steps below me. In the second that followed, I imagined myself crashing down after them. It was probably fifty steps down, and I wondered how long I’d have to be in the Healing Center for them to fix a broken leg or arm.
But I gasped as an invisible force caught my back, holding me in place long enough for me to regain my balance. I recognized the translucent gold sparks of Nathaniel’s energy shield.
Once I steadied myself, my head snapped to the top of the stairs. Nathaniel stood scowling down at me with his hand out to project his powers. As soon as he put his hand down, the shield behind me disappeared. His back straightened, and he turned on his heel, hurrying out the door.
“Nathaniel, wait,” I called, but he didn’t wait. He was gone.
I gathered my books off the floor, a flush creeping over my cheeks.
Nathaniel caught me.
He had been watching me even though I thought he had already left. A tiny smile spread across my face. He cared about me. He must.
Every day after my classes, I headed to the gym. Although a few others had stayed behind for extra practice, it was mostly empty. We had plenty of space to train on our own without getting in each other’s way.
After setting up practice targets around me, I took a deep breath, calling the ice and fire within. With one powerful thrust, an icy blast shot from my hands and abruptly morphed into a plume of scorching flames. I whirled around like the wind, syncing the movements of my body in tandem with my abilities. I flicked between fire and ice seamlessly, using the strength of each to propel me faster and harder against the practice targets. Sharp darts of perspiration rolled down my face as I weaved and dodged phantom attacks that only existed in my mind. I summoned larger and more potent barrages of flame and ice, sending them through the air in dizzying spirals until they demolished the targets.
My breath came in ragged gasps like my lungs were about to burst. When I could no longer stand, I extinguished my powers. My chest heaved as I sank to the floor, but a smile tugged at my lips. I could feel myself getting faster and stronger.
Slowly but surely, I could summon and dismiss the fire and ice within me in the space of a heartbeat. I threw myself into combat training with renewed determination, spending every morning and evening either training with my powers or honing my combat skills until my muscles burned, and then I kept going a little longer.
With instruction from Professor Jenkins, the Combat teacher, I learned how to anticipate my opponents’ movements and counter them, how to dodge and strike in a single fluid motion, and how to use the lightness of my body to move swiftly. I practiced my punches, kicks, blocks, stabs, and dodges as if it were a rhythmic dance.
As my classmates sparred in class, I treated it as a new lesson and studied them carefully, being mindful of the techniques they used, understanding their mistakes, and planning my own moves carefully. So, when it was my turn, I knew the purpose and strength of every blow and counterstrike I made.
After weeks of practice and learning new techniques, I was finally starting to feel confident in my abilities. I trained hard, perfecting my fighting techniques and sparring with other students in class. With every day that passed, I felt myself getting better and better at fighting.
I sparred with a second-year student in Professor Jenkins’ class. Although she had been training longer than me, I gave her a good fight, having practiced my moves and techniques over and over again until they were second nature to me. She was stronger and more experienced, but I was faster. She showed no mercy and kept coming at me with powerful punches and kicks, but I kept up with her movements and managed to dodge or block them. Every time she attempted an attack, I countered it with my own strike, using the momentum of her movement against her.
Our sparring session lasted for about ten minutes until Professor Jenkins finally called it a draw. Breathless, we shook hands, and she grinned at me, eyes alight with respect, and said, “Great match. Keep it up.”
The feeling of accomplishment was indescribable—not just from holding my own against a second-year student but also from seeing how far I’d come. It made all those hours of training seem worth it, that they would pay off in the end.
The doors of the gym creaked open, rousing me from my thoughts. I twisted around, hoping to see Nathaniel. But it was only one of the maintenance workers peeking in. Disappointment flickered through me, and I berated myself for caring. Nathaniel wanted me to keep my distance. I would respect his wishes, even if it felt like someone was ripping out my heart. He didn’t know what I was capable of now. But I didn’t need him to. I wasn’t doing this for him. I knew what I could do, and that was enough.
As I pushed myself up from the ground, my muscles burned with exhaustion, and every joint in my body was on fire. Even the slightest motion was an effort, and every inch of my skin tingled with fatigue. My limbs dragged like lead weights along the ground. My skin was slick with sweat, and heat radiated off of me in waves.
I rose on shaky legs and left the gym. The path back to my dorm was lonely, the shadows clinging to me as night fell. But I walked with my head high, knowing I was becoming who I needed to be.
