Chapter 44: A Day Like Any Other

The academy’s sleek, minimalist halls hummed with the faint sound of boots against the polished floor as Rory and Dana walked to their next class. It was just another day, like countless others, spent perfecting their control over their powers.

“You think we’ll be doing the usual today?” Dana asked, adjusting the strap of her bag over her shoulder. Her tone was casual, like they were talking about the weather.

Rory shrugged, flexing his fingers slightly. The muscles in his arms tensed as he rolled his shoulders, a faint reminder of the raw power that coursed through his veins. “Probably. Refinement drills, maybe some control exercises. You know how it goes.”

For Rory, controlling his super strength had become second nature, but there was always more to learn. The Academy was strict about precision. Just because he could lift a car didn’t mean he should go around crushing everything in sight. Control was the name of the game here.

Their training room was already half-full when they arrived. The air was filled with a mix of energy—students warming up, chatting quietly with one another, while a few instructors prepared for the session. The room itself was equipped with reinforced training equipment to accommodate students like Rory, who could easily destroy a normal setup without thinking twice.

Rory and Dana moved to their usual spots, exchanging a few nods with their classmates. The instructors weren’t being heavy-handed today; it was clear that this was just another standard session.

“Pair up,” one of the instructors called out as she strode into the room, a clipboard in hand. “We’re going to start with basic drills. Work on your control, and remember—precision over power.”

Rory found his usual partner, a quiet student named Alan, while Dana teamed up with her friend, Leah. The group spread out, and soon, the training began.

Rory’s task for the day was a simple one: lifting heavy objects with care. In front of him sat a series of weighted blocks, each one marked with a different weight—some light, some much heavier than what a normal human could lift. The goal wasn’t just brute strength; it was precision. He needed to be able to apply just enough force to move each block without damaging it. It was trickier than it sounded, especially when all you wanted to do was lift and throw.

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“Nice and easy,” Rory muttered to himself as he bent down to pick up the first block, focusing on keeping his movements smooth. He lifted it with no problem, setting it down gently on the other side of the mat.

Beside him, Alan worked on his own tasks, but Rory didn’t pay much attention. He was focused on making sure he didn’t let his strength get the best of him. Too much force, and he could accidentally crush the block—or worse, send it flying across the room. He had to focus on maintaining control, even when his instincts told him to let loose.

Dana, on the other hand, was working on manipulating light. She concentrated, her brow furrowed, as she bent the light around her into a shimmering arc. The air around her seemed to glow slightly, refracting the light she controlled. It was a dazzling ability, and when she was fully focused, she could make it look almost effortless.

“Nice,” Leah said, giving Dana a nod of approval. “You’re getting faster at that.”

Dana smirked, brushing off the compliment with a shrug. “Thanks. I’ve been practicing.”

Rory glanced over at them between his lifts, feeling a small pang of envy at how easily Dana seemed to master her powers. Not that he was slacking—he’d come a long way too. Still, the careful, delicate control Dana had over light seemed miles away from the sheer force he had to manage.

The instructors moved around the room, observing, offering occasional feedback. The mood was light, almost casual, compared to the heavier, more intense sessions they’d had in the past. It felt like just another day of training—no hidden threats, no mysteries lurking in the corners.

“Hey,” Dana said during a brief break between drills, coming over to where Rory was taking a swig from his water bottle. “I was still thinking about Claire’s powers… That was something.”

Rory wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and nodded. “Yeah, kind of hard to miss her. She’s quiet though, isn’t she?”

“Yeah, but you’d probably be quiet too if you were a Class 4,” Dana said with a wry grin. “Everyone always talks about her, but no one really knows much. Like, I’ve seen her around a few times, but she’s… I don’t know, different.”

Rory nodded thoughtfully. It was true—there were always whispers about the Class 4 students. They were rare, even here at the Academy. Respected, sure, but also feared. Claire Langley, with her reputation, always seemed just out of reach, a mystery wrapped in all that power.

“Guess she doesn’t need to talk much,” Rory said with a chuckle. “Her powers do the talking.”

Dana rolled her eyes but smiled. “Right. Sound manipulation or something, right? I wonder how she even trains that.”

“Carefully, I bet,” Rory replied, glancing around the room before they were called back to their exercises. “But yeah, she’s definitely not the type to show off.”

“Unlike some people,” Dana muttered, eyeing a few of their more flashy classmates who were practicing further down the room.

Rory just laughed and shook his head as they got back to work. The rest of the session went by as expected—nothing really out of the ordinary, just more drills and corrections from the instructors. For most of them, this was life at the Academy—a constant balance between learning to control their powers and avoiding drawing too much attention.

As the session wound down and the students began filing out of the training room, Rory and Dana lingered near the door, chatting casually about their plans for later. It was just an average day, another class, another round of practice.