Nyxara
—Same Day, Ajei Training Room—
After my morning nap in Lux's office, then a session of light yoga and conversation with Aspen, doing knife drills with Keir turned out to be the right move. I finally got the chance to use the wraithwoven blade, Azrail had gifted me. Its main purpose is for self-defense, so we agreed this would be a good opportunity to become familiar with handling it.
We started slow while increasing the speed of the drills in increments. When I ducked below a swing from Keir, I was thankful for Lima securing my hair into a bun. Keir kept pushing me to go faster as he tested my reflexes. "Stop holding back, dragonfly. You wanted to be pushed to your limits, so I'm pushing. I think you can go a little faster."
I tried to meet his expectations, but it felt like I was just taking more pokes and cuts. Sweat and blood blurring my vision. Breaths coming faster. Yet I kept trying to block each strike. "What are you doing, Nyx? I can sense it." Punch. Kick. Keir knocked the blade out of my hand, then threw his blade aside.
"You are right on the edge of manifesting an ability. Stop trying to analyze. Just react as your instincts tell you." Roundhouse kicked. Flipped over his shoulder.
"Your eyes tell me you are on the cusp of a breakthrough. Come on, Nyx. Move faster. Breakthrough to Ember 4. NOW!" Keir's fist glowed. He pulled back his fist to strike me. I only had two blinks to react. My frustration peaked, and suddenly time slowed and the world shifted. I watched Keir's punch in slow motion. I stepped to the side one step, raising my fist to punch him in the face. My own fist now glowing in a weave of lights.
The world sped again, and Keir moved enough that only his nose got clipped. Keir immediately kicked at me just when I experienced the same time dilation and world shifting. I paid more attention this time, noticing how for this brief second I viewed the world through a hazy, distorted veil. My intent anchors my destination, but at this time, I can only move a step in this veil in any direction. Not a step more.
Keir kept pushing the drills faster and faster until finally I called a stop. He relented, letting me collapse on the ground. I lay curled up on the mats until Keir helped me up, then pushed me towards the attached washroom.
For reasons my brain could not compute, Venus was in there. She wordlessly undressed, then put me on a bench under a warm shower of water. I just let it run over me for a while before I held out my hand, hoping Venus understood my need. A bar of soap and a washcloth were placed in my hand.
I give her a thumbs up. Internally I feel I should feel embarrassed that this is the second time Venus has seen me like this but I'm too exhausted and my gut tells me it's okay to trust her support. It took a while to wash away the blood, sweat, tears, and what I can now see to be essence toxin. A lot of essence toxin. "Ummm…Venus?" I asked, confused about how there was this much essence toxin, but I don't particularly feel like I went through my usual spiral to push this kind of alignment and flare-up aftermath.
"Yes, little sister? Are you curious about all the essence toxin that was expelled?" I heard Venus's voice just on the other side of the shower door. "Yea…this isn't the usual series of events to get this result."
"Well, we won't know for sure without Aspen checking you over, but we suspect that you leveling up to Ember 4 helped push alignment, and your flare-up was likely suppressed since you were so intentionally focused on leveling up and solidifying your new movement ability. Once you finish cleaning up, Keir wants to talk about this. Lima said you have a change of clothes in your bag, so I placed it right here on top of the toilet. Meet you outside when you are done."
I listened to Venus leave the bathroom. "Huh. So I leveled up and increased my sync ratio. I didn't even have a bad flare-up this time." I quickly finished my shower and got dressed.
Out in the main training room, I watched Venus do some kind of intense gymnastics routine with a whip. Once she was done, I clapped, impressed that my nerdy scientist of a future sister-in-law was very limber and deadly. "Oh, big sis. Must you tempt me even more to steal you from my brute of a brother? I will cherish you forever, I promise." I dramatically held her hand with pleading eyes.
"Oh, you must forsake such thoughts, little sister. Your brother keeps me dicked down so well that I'm too busy to have an affair worthy of your temptation with you. Did you know he said that I'm only allowed lovers who can be lovers with him? The audacity of this Alpha." She fainted in my arms, and we held each other, fake crying until Keir threatened to shoot us with ice water.
We stopped acting immediately since Keir was choosing violence today. I wasn't ready for war games with Keir yet. I already had my Alpha dominance lesson for the day. Thank you. "So now that we are done play acting let's sit on the patio and talk." With a hand on Venus's waist, he guided us to a table with some refreshments.
Keir spoke while Venus and I filled our plates and cups. If I wasn't so active every day with the amount of food I put away daily, I would be huge. Aspen told me I was actually still not at the ideal weight and should eat more. He hasn't pushed me to eat more yet because he figured once I start putting on more muscle, I'll reach the weight I should be.
"First, I would like to congratulate you on going up a level. You have been stagnant for a while now, so this is certainly wonderful. I will let Mrs. June know so she can prepare a celebratory treat for you. We will have a big dinner for you when you ascend to Veil." We raised our cups in toast to my accomplishment. I was proud of myself and less annoyed with Keir since he helped me push through to the next level.
"Venus mentioned that I cultivated a movement ability. Do you know which one?" I asked, popping a whole mini sandwich into my mouth. "You used Astral essence to slip between astral planes. So it is a plane walking skill. It wasn't for more than a step, but it helped you react and block faster. Your continuous use of the ability as I pushed you consolidated it, so you should more easily be able to use and improve it over time. Do you need help coming up with a name for this ability?"
I chewed on a few pastries as I thought about what felt like the correct name. A name surfaced from the harmony of my secondary core, Veil Step. "I will call it Veil Step. Keep it simple and easy to visualize." Keir gave me an okay gesture with a smile. "If that works for you, then perfect. Since this is your first ability, I will give you advice on how to improve it." Keir leaned forward with strong intent in his eyes.
"First, you figure out the current limits of your ability, then you push those limits by shaping it to do what you want it to do. Each time you use it, you show it with intentions of how you want it to work now and in the future. Your essence will shape it, and one day it will do one more thing you want it to do. Over time, it can become exactly as you envision it as long as you keep shaping it, no matter how long it takes." Keir accepts a cup of lemonade and a plate of cookies from Venus, then sits back in the loveseat with her.
He lets me think on what he said for a while. I eventually have a question I want answered. "What is the difference between abilities and techniques?"
"Good question. Abilities are personal, natural manifestations of your cultivation path. You will just suddenly be able to do something that is like fruit from your cultivation efforts. While techniques are something you are taught. You could have been taught a technique that does the same thing that your ability Veil Step does, but it wouldn't feel like your own unless you worked hard to upgrade it to an ability. Yes, techniques you learn from someone else can be upgraded to an ability if you work to shape them into something that resonates with you."
No matter how Venus tried to add more snacks to my plate, I redirected every attempt. I don't want to ruin my appetite for lunch. "Makes sense. So I've done really well in not only leveling up but also gaining two Astral abilities. I guess Lux was right that I'm progressing really well."
I was pulling out my phone to text Zen when I heard Keir clear his throat. Looking up, both Keir and Venus had their heads tilted curiously. "What do you mean two Astral abilities? Did you know that once you either learn another Astral technique or manifest another Astral ability, you will be able to declare yourself an Astral witch since you will have 3 skills in that affinity?"
Uh oh. I forgot Aspen had said to keep the dreamwalking ability between us for now. I slowly stood up and started making my way back inside to grab my bag. Dang it. I'm so used to them sharing everything about me with each other. Before I could reach my bag, Keir was in front of me, and Venus was still at the table giggling.
"Oh dear, Little Dragon Queen. You aren't trying to skip out on answering your brother's important questions, are you?" He had my bag in one hand, and he gently but firmly escorted me back to the table where Venus was waiting. Once I was seated, Keir sat down across from me and just stared at me with a dopey yet creepy smile.
"So tell me, little sister, what secrets have you been keeping?"
With a glance at Venus as a last-ditch effort, which she just shook her head at, I sighed as I considered where to begin. "Well, I found out I have the ability to Dreamwalk yesterday when I woke up from a series of dreams…"