Panic's talons pierced her skin. Liris couldn't move. Literally, she could not move. She instructed her arm to lift up, it only twitched. The panic tightened its clutches. Breathing, she was breathing, and quickly. Some comfort that was. Trying a leg produced the same result.

Pounding at the door. Would it always be like this? Starting every day with a racket was not something she was looking forward to. Far worse was being unable to move. Her heart raced, what was wrong with her body? Sensation was still there, a few prickles too. Focusing with all her might, she screamed internally for her legs slide out from under the covers.

They complied, though not without protest. A wave of pain crashed into her awareness. The pounding continued. On wooden legs, Liris teetered to the door and cracked it open. Urteli again.

"What am I late for?"

"Are you quite alright Madame? I was growing quite concerned."

"I feel half dead. Just tell me where I need to be and how soon."

"How did you- Of course! Do forgive my infraction, I overstep."

Great, now her head was copying the beating of his fist against the door. Its throbbing seemed to spark shooting pains through her extremities. Urteli's blathering wasn't helping.

"Who and when?"

"Right. You are to join Sema in the training room, post haste. I'm sure you recall the chamber from your initial testing?"

How could she forget. It was a small mercy she had been too tired for nightmares. Always something dreadful she was pushed into doing. That was the last place she wanted to go…besides the training yard. She shuddered in memory triggering another wave.

"All too well. But I have no idea how to get there."

"Not to worry! I'll gladly lead the way."

He was far too chipper. In general, but especially at this early hour. Was it early? In any case, it was an irritating start to her day.

"Very well."

She limped as they walked along. Ignoring the concerned glances from Urteli, Liris mentally braced herself for another shocking series of revelations, or more pain. If she could choose, she would be hard-pressed to determine which would be worse.

"How did you rest Madame?"

"Badly."

"Perhaps give the heated baths a try. They're just round past the second kitchen and down two levels!"

Oh, she'd find them so easily with those instructions. Urteli missed her ire completely. To Liris's eyes, he was practically skipping down the corridor. She tried not to hate him for it, she really did. Now he was nodding to himself in satisfaction of a job done well. All while needles coursed through her veins. It was enough to drive one mad.

By the time they reached the testing chamber, Liris was ready for whatever it contained. Ready was a lie, but relativity had a way of adjusting perceptions. Presumably, she would be free from Urteli. He opened the door for her and waved her through. Hobbling in, she held her breath...yes! Finally, something went right. He had closed it behind her with a lively bow.

It was just as she'd remembered it. The domed ceiling, the recessed area in the middle shaped like a cylinder, even the still air. There was one difference. Behind one of the wooden tables sat a young woman peering over some parchments. She looked up as Liris entered.

"Hello. You must be Liris."

For once, there wasn't an imbalance of knowledge.

"And you're Sema, correct?"

Sema nodded and scooted her chair back.

"That's right. Shall we get started?"

There it was again. So many secrets and assumptions.

"Urteli mentioned your name, but I have no idea why I'm here."

"Oh! I'll explain in a bit more detail then. Just as Ekard will be in charge of your physical training, I'm to help with your ability."

That wasn't reassuring...on so many levels.

"What's wrong with my ability? Is it dangerous?"

"Well it could be, but that's why I'm here!"

A kind smile, what was she hiding? Liris took a moment to study the woman more closely. She was beautiful in a cute way, hair and clothing perfectly arranged to accentuate the green in her eyes. Her outfit was an unusual one. Not quite a dress but certainly not pants either, the hybrid design meshed well with her personality. At least, what Liris could make of it so far. Could she really be this willing to provide assistance? No hidden resentment or haughty airs stalked behind the words?

"Hmm. Why you? If you don't mind me asking?"

"Not at all. Like you, I am also a Unique. One uniquely able to help train other Woken."

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

A smirk accompanied the wordplay...Liris didn't trust it.

"How would your ability be of use?"

Sema's face morphed into crestfallen dismay causing Liris to wince. That had been too harsh?

"Well...it interacts with other Uniques you see. Allows them to focus and better manage their potential. After all, it's hard to figure all of this out on your own. Right?"

"Sure." She sounded nice, but that usually meant the dagger was hidden more carefully. "Have they told you about my...ability?"

The concept was strange, even now. How rapidly life changed and diverted course. Sema glanced down at the parchment, sliding the top sheet aside.

"Some information is here, but major details are lacking."

"Such as?"

"Well...whoever wrote this report left out a lot. Hopefully you can clear up the confusion. First, there are several references to an 'edge'? It's nonsense but they wrote down that it moves and breathes. Can you believe that?"

Sema looked up in amusement...which died a rapid death upon seeing Liris' expression.

"Um...you didn't write this did you? If so, I'm incredibly sorry. It just sounds so..."

"I don't know how. "

Embarrassment became confusion. Tilting her head, Sema leaned forward.

"Sorry? Don't know how to what?"

"To write."

"Oh!"

An awkward silence filled the space, thick enough to be felt. Liris leaned from one foot to the other, still trying to loosen her muscles. It didn't help much, but it was better than Sema's coping mechanism. An annoying tapping rang out as a quill rapped against the table. Liris couldn't take it any longer.

"So… What did you want to know?"

"Right. Could you explain what the edge of stones does in your own words?"

"It slowly moves, in and out. That's why I mentioned the breathing before. It's not something I have any control over."

"I see. And the space around it remains the same? No other changes when it does move?"

"Not that I noticed. But I wasn't exactly focused on every tiny detail."

"It does sound very overwhelming. However, my ability just so happens to perfectly solve this issue."

"How so, exactly?"

"As long as I am using mine, anybody I'm touching is far more aware of...well everything. Think of the most focused you've ever been. It's just beyond that level of concentration. That's why it's so useful for practicing with new abilities. There are often small nuances and quirks that are difficult to naturally discover. The downside is exhaustion and unconsciousness, as I'm sure you've already discovered. But that can be reduced by training, which will be our main goal together after fully exploring your unique ability."

Again with the exhaustion. Had all these sycophants never performed hard labor? Well, in their defense, she could barely crawl across some random stones.

"What are you expecting to find when our abilities mesh?"

"I have no idea! Isn't it exciting?"

Resolutely not. It was just another shortcoming of hers waiting to be revealed. How she hated being a failure. Maybe nothing would happen and she could be sent back to her room. Moping in peace sounded much more pleasant.

"Can we get started then? I'd rather get this over with as soon as possible."

"Sure! Why don't you stand in the center of the circle down there, just to be safe. You never know what might happen! And don't forget to focus on the mouse, poor thing."

Stairs, it was always stairs. Tracing the wall for balance, Liris proceeded down the steps, Sema close behind. Oh right, she had to be in contact for the extra focus to work. The round walls were oppressive, memories of the first test rising, unbidden. Was that only two days prior?

At the bottom there was no wall to brace against. Liris shakily stepped across the stone, coming to a stop on that carved dot in the center. Sema stepped near, just to her left.

"Are you ready?"

"I suppose. Do you really have to touch me?"

"I'm afraid so. Is that...an issue for you?"

"Can I touch your arm instead?"

"Sure! Whenever you're ready."

The sound of deep breathing bounced off the curved walls. 'Come on, you've already done this twice. It'll be easy.' Liris desperately wished that thinking the words would make them true. Alas, it did not. Fear though, was an old friend. This she knew how to fight. Clenching her jaw, she placed a hand near Sema's elbow.

Liris' mind ignited. She could smell the stone, how was that possible? The stench of her body from the ruthless training session. Everything had texture, even the air. Her toes found a hidden seam inside her shoes. Blood pumped through a network of veins under her left hand. Seven strands of hair hung down, brushing her cheek. Focused was an understatement, but she was letting the focus itself distract her.

~,’~,’~,’~,’~,’~,’~

Liris managed to not close her eyes this time. The transition from reality, to, whatever this was, took less than an instant. One moment she was standing in that chamber, the next, on a tiny platform of stones. That was the first thing she noticed. That edge between the void and herself had shrunk considerably. Before, it would have taken four steps until there was nothingness. Now, a single one would bring her to the brink.

It also still moved. Much less than before, but that uncanny shifting of mass was still evident. She was glad of that much. If it shrunk much more than right now, she'd be falling. Liris couldn't tear her eyes away. Her life dangled on a taut string. Locking her knees, she daren't even breathe.

Was this the result of having more focus? Would distraction result in the inverse? The triangle shards came into focus revealing another change. They weren't triangles any longer...mostly. The faces of those strange shapes were arranged the same, but each side was now split into two. Twice the ridges to slice her hands open on. Great.

What else was there to discover? Sema had made it sound like an entire world of possibilities hid behind every shadow in here. Well, there were no shadows. Was that why everything felt so eerie? Liris' mind jumped through memories, searching for any other things she had overlooked. In such an empty place, there wasn't much to see in the first place. Wait, Anrsa had been interested in the speed of things falling. Might as well give it a try.

Liris took a step, forward and to the right. One tiny step. There were still a few inches between the ends of her shoes and the void, even when the edge was at its closest. Gingerly, she picked up one of those spikey shards, did it count as a stone? Tossing it over the edge, she watched it fall more carefully this time. Yes, it was slower than seemed proper.

Picking up another, she leaned out over the edge and let it drop. Definitely slower. It continued falling, quickly being lost from sight amid the swirls and twinkles. A strong feeling arose as she watched it disappear. A calling to follow. In revulsion, Liris contracted her mind.

~,’~,’~,’~,’~,’~,’~

A gasp marked her return, along with a heaviness of the brain. Liris let out that breath she had been holding all this time.

"So there was more to discover. I knew it!"

What? Liris looked to her left, Sema must have taken a step back. But no, the circle was still there, next to the grinning Sema. But that meant...