Awkwardly, Felix greeted the silver-haired woman sat near his door, “Ah hi, Isabelle.”

“H-hi, ahem, hi there. How long have you been awake?” Isabelle asked as she got up and replaced the flowers in the vase.

“About an hour ago. So you must’ve been the one who left these flowers.”

“It was actually Nero, he visited yesterday while you were still asleep. I wanted to visit sooner, but Maria was around, and… to be honest, she scares me.”

“She does tend to do that. I appreciate the thought.”

“I’m glad. Do you like them? They’re asters. I thought you would like them since...”

“Since it’s in my name?”

“Now that I think about it, it’s a little tacky, isn’t it? I-I think they’re alright, your eyes remind me of flowers, after all.” She twirled her hair with an embarrassed smile.

“It’s fine. But I’m surprised you’re alone.”

“I actually came here with Nero, but he went to the lobby. He told me not to disturb him while he’s busy watching.”

“So then, why did the two of you come here?”

“We came here to formally thank you for the help. We were probably still green and ill-prepared to deal with such a mission.”

“…Speaking of ill-prepared… I actually saw one of Jackal’s Fangs.”

“Yeah. Maria’s report did mention that, though the details are messy and all over the place. Are you sure it was one of them?”

Felix placed his hand on his throat, “Considering how dangerous they were… I have no doubt that he was the real deal.”

“Well, I’m glad you survived.”

He then shrugged his arms and jested, “I’m glad I didn’t get to meet another Lewis.”

Isabelle’s then scratched her head and spoke, “Um, about that.”

“No.” His eyes widened.

“I don’t want to be the bearer of bad news, but…”

“No…”

“Lewis Shaw broke out.”

“Bollocks! Again?”

“… As expected of a master escape artist.” She answered with passing interest.

Felix let out a sharp, annoyed glare as she gave the criminal praise.

“R-right. He’s still dangerous and should be put behind bars.” Isabelle quickly tried to amend her thoughtless comment.

The blue-eyed man sighed, stood up and pulled the pen out of the wall. He then handed it to her as he said to her, “You told me that you’d show me what it means… to be an esper?”

“Ah, that… I did say that, but you’re still recovering, so it’s probably not the best time right now.”

“I see, but… can you at least show me?” He said as he sat back down.

“That’s not…” She tried to keep her gaze away, but she keeps glancing back to his persistent stare.

“Okay, but I’ll have you know I’m not exactly the best teacher.” She answered with a glimmer in her crimson eyes.

She sat next to him, and put the pen in his hands, “Now, show me a demonstration first.”

Felix took a deep breath.

A memory slipped in as he tried once more, one with coffee, where Luna sat before him over on a wooden desk. Her ember-lit eyes looked like they shimmered in the cold snow.

With a fire-like haze, orange and burning, yet transparent, she lifted up a clover necklace without ever touching it.

“It’s a fire that doesn’t burn, it’s a force that lets you bend objects to your will. One day, when you’re able, I’ll teach it to you.” Luna placed her hand on his head.

“A force that bends objects to your will.” He mumbled out loud as the pen started to glow in his hand.

Isabelle, who sat inches away, gazed in awe at the light that flowed from his palms.

“Your aura is… overflowing…”

“So aura is what it’s called?”

Felix watched as the bright blue flames slowly morph into a ball of light that around the pen, but without even noticing, his right hand appeared to have been caught in the fire.

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

She noticed his face contort into discomfort, uncertain of what to make of it.

His hand was instantly swallowed up, and a gasp escapes his chest, “Hah—!”

“Felix, are you okay?” Isabelle yelled out.

“My hand… my hand—!” With a panicked voice, he cried as his hand slowly crumble into ash.

“Why, what’s wrong with your hand?!”

He began to hyperventilate as he watched the flames eat away at the cinders.

White ash slowly cluttered the air, and his hand disappeared from sight, replaced by an azure flame that was shaped exactly like it.

A sharp sting radiated through his wrists, but he could not feel the heat or trickle of the energy, and watched as the flames slowly dissipated into nothing.

He closed his eyes and “—It’s gone! My hand is gone!”

“Calm down, calm down.” The pen fell to the ground as she grabbed his hands, “Your hands are still here, see?”

The burning blue orb dissipated, and Felix slowly opened his eyes as he felt her palm tightly squeeze his.

“It’s right here, see?” Standing right in front of him, she gave a reassuring smile as she held his hand.

His haggard breaths steadied, and his panicked expression slowly returned to normal. Felix let go of her hand and looked at them.

“Did um, did something happen?” Isabelle looked as he wiped the sweat off his face, “That is… If you don’t mind me asking.”

“They had...” Felix gulped, “They had some sort of weapon. A bright stream of light that… destroyed my hand.”

He tightened his fist, only for Isabelle to grab it, “Don’t worry, it’s here. You’re alright. It’s alright.”

Felix slowly lifted his head, “Isabelle… Thank you.”

“Ah— Sorry about that…” She suddenly lifted her hands from his own with a flushed face.

“Ah, a-anyways, I need to find a way to properly explain it… mhmm… It’s like, it’s sort of um, in a way, the light we emit is sorta like water, but at the same time it’s like fire.” She said with a flustered expression, as she was stringing together her messy explanation.

“That’s confusing.” Felix fiddled with the pen in response.

“Sorry, it’s was a little difficult, but I think I got it. It’s something more you feel rather than explain.” She twirled her hair.

Still confused, Felix replied, “I see…”

“I would love to show you, but…” She took the pen from Felix’s hands, her eyes shined with a piercing crimson.

Her body started to radiate as crystal-like crimson flames wrapped around her body. The pen between her hands started rapidly turning and spinning, dancing to the red pathways forming in it.

The room nearly instantly turned red – the air became thick as an oppressive sensation began to flow out of her.

A deep rumble filled the room: The bed began to rattle, and the decorum started to quiver. Felix felt the grip of gravity letting go, as if the air itself was pushing him up, down, and side to side. Like he was being gently pulled towards every direction.

Her body began to crackle in crimson electricity.

But as it started to slowly form a sphere of red around her, she stopped.

“It’s weird, it feels like I’m touching the whole room.” She mumbled out as she took the pen, her face flushed red, “…I wish I could teach you, but I’m not able to control it yet.”

“I see…”

“Yeah, sorry… I think that the best way to learn is by having the Black Hound teach you.”

Almost instinctively, Felix responded, “Who?”

“Eh?” She gave a startled face, “David Soldier? The top one?”

“Oh, right. Him.”

“Did… you not know?”

“Of course, I know… It’s just easier to pretend he doesn’t exist.” He turned away his gaze.

“Did… did something happen? Between you and him?”

“No. It’s nothing.”

“Please be direct with me. I don’t want to be messed around with.” She pouted.

“Force of habit. It’s something I’d rather not talk about.”

“Oh, okay. Sorry for prying…” She replied awkwardly.

The conversation came to a halt as an uncomfortable atmosphere surrounded the two. Neither of them could open their mouths, as they could not find the right words to continue the conversation, or even break the awkward silence.

Five seconds awkwardly pass, and Felix clutched the necklace under his shirt, feeling the leaves on the metal clover.

He mustered his strength to remove the tension, and spoke his thoughts.

“… My mentor taught me what she could. She told me that the basis of all of this was movement. But she never actually taught me what it was like. How it worked, how it “felt.” I wasn’t able to use it on command, and teaching me theories would have amounted to nothing if I couldn’t experience it myself… so I wanna learn how to do this as soon as I could.”

She tilted her head and remembered the conversation she overheard from Maria and the Chief.

“So in other words, he blames David for his mentor’s disappearance?”

The memory of Maria’s cold stare flashed in Isabelle’s head. She gave him a smile and replied, “I’ll be glad to help you when I figure it out.”

“Right.” He smugly scoffed, he then took hold of the pen and muttered, “Let me try it again.”

“I think it’s better to rest.”

“Just one more try…”

He insisted as he eagerly tried it again, turning into a projectile that flew through the opening door. Only to be caught in the hand of a familiar figure.

“Your smile is really creepy. Stop it, stop being happy.” Maria walked into the room with a dissonance between her indifferent expression and her annoyed tone.

“Oh, hey Marie.” Felix waved innocently as his closest friend entered the room.

“Ah.. I—” Isabelle’s heart started weighing her down with every beat.

“Sigh, I was gone for twenty minutes and you’re already getting swept off your feet by some vampire wannabe.” Maria tossed the pen back to the silver-haired girl, who awkwardly caught it.

“Huh?” Felix shrugged his arms calmly.

Isabelle stood up, “Vampire wanna— What’s that supposed to mean?”

Maria pouted and glared at the silver-haired girl, “Shut it. Your very existence threatens my position as main heroine.”

She then walked into towards him, ignoring Isabelle entirely as she placed a cup of coffee beside Felix. She then grabbed him by the chin and leaned in with a stern expression, “If you keep hanging out with her, I might just end up becoming a bad guy.” She threatened.

Felix placed his hand on Maria’s head, and rubbed it gently. “You brought me coffee. How could you possibly be a bad guy?” He said with a warm smile.

Maria’s face immediately turned beet-red, and her gaze lowered to the ground with a flustered expression. “That’s a low bar for morality, dummy...” She remarked.

Isabelle’s stared with confusion as she thought to herself, “Did I just become a third wheel?”

He then lifted up his hand and mumbled, “Ah… m-my bad. It’s just something Luna used to do.”

She crossed her arms, “I-it’s fine… Anyways, we were supposed to be sent for our new mission, but…”

The scent of smoke emanated from the air as the chief stood beside the door, cigarette in hand, “But seeing as you’re still recovering, I’m sending Maria out on her own for now. Besides, you still haven’t written your side of the report. So tell me, Felix Aster. How was your first failure?”

“You don’t have to rub it in…” He sighed.

She leaned in and asked, “Then tell me, how did it feel facing a Jackal’s Fang?”

Felix’s hands clenched above his knees. His head lowered as he tensed up, “… Exciting.”

“Oh? Good answer.” The chief responded, her eyes could be seen through her orange-tinted glasses, her expression a wry grin. “It’s time for you to train for real.”

~