Chapter 53: Through Innocent Eyes
Kali Woods bounced on her toes as she walked beside Agent Talia Reed, trying to match her long strides, holding her notebook tightly against her chest. The hallways of the Academy were familiar and comforting to her, their smooth, white walls and bright lights stretching on in perfect uniformity. They made her comfortable—these halls, the training rooms, the familiar faces of staff and agents.
“Are we going to see Claire today?” Kali asked, excitement bubbling in her voice.
Talia glanced down at her, offering a warm smile. “Yes, we’re heading to training with Claire.”
Kali’s face lit up. Training with Claire Langley was always her favorite part of the day whenever it happened. Claire was different from most of the other people at the Academy. She was like Agent Reed! She wasn’t cold or distant like some of the scientists and doctors. Claire always seemed to care about how Kali was doing, which made their time together feel special.
“Great!” Kali said, practically skipping down the hallway. “I’ve been practicing with my flames. I think I’ve gotten a lot better at controlling them!”
Talia smiled softly but didn’t say much, guiding Kali down the winding halls until they arrived at the training room. To Kali, the Academy was vast and full of interesting places. Every hallway was a new path, every room had something exciting in it. And today was no different.
As they entered the large, open space of the training room, the cool air rushed over them. The wide, white space seemed to hum with energy, and Claire was already there, standing by the equipment, preparing for their session.
“Hey, Claire!” Kali called out as she hurried over, her smile bright and open.
Claire turned and gave her a soft nod, her calm presence grounding Kali. “Hey, Kali. Ready to get started?”
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Kali nodded eagerly, the flames at her fingertips already sparking to life. “Yeah! I’ve been working on keeping them smaller, you know? So I don’t burn everything anymore.”
Claire chuckled lightly. “That’s good. Today, we’ll work on coordination. You’ll focus on your flames while I manipulate sound. Let’s see how you handle a little distraction.”
Kali’s face lit up with excitement. She loved the idea of being able to control her powers better. Claire’s ability to manipulate sound fascinated her—how she could control something invisible yet powerful. And the way Claire explained everything made it fun. It wasn’t like the doctors or scientists who just watched her and wrote things down. Claire made training feel like an adventure.
“Okay!” Kali said, already summoning a small flame into her palm, watching it flicker. “Let’s do it!”
As they began their training session, Claire moved gracefully around her, her hands lifting as the vibrations of sound filled the air. Kali could feel the gentle hum of it, the way it resonated in the space, and she focused on keeping her flames steady. She loved the warmth of the fire in her hands, how it responded to her emotions, growing stronger when she got excited and softer when she concentrated.
But Claire’s calm voice kept her focused. “Steady,” Claire instructed. “Control it—don’t let it control you.”
Kali nodded, her brow furrowing as she focused on the rhythm of the sound waves. She was determined to impress Claire today, to show her how much she’d improved. The flames danced and shifted, but she held them steady, her eyes alight with determination.
As they continued to practice, a question started to form in the back of Kali’s mind. It was something she’d been thinking about for a while, but she wasn’t sure why. It was just… curiosity. She’d heard people talk about it now and then, and it made her wonder.
“Claire?” Kali asked between breaths, her focus still on the flame in her hand.
“Hmm?” Claire responded, her voice calm and even, guiding the sound waves around them.
“What’s it like outside?” Kali asked, her voice innocent, her curiosity bubbling up. “Outside the Academy, I mean.”
Claire hesitated for just a second, her gaze flicking over to Kali with a hint of something—maybe surprise? But her voice remained as calm as ever when she answered. “Outside? Why do you ask?”
Kali shrugged, keeping her eyes on her flame as it flickered. “I don’t know. I’ve just been thinking about it. It sounds… interesting. I’ve never been anywhere but here, so I wonder what it’s like.”
For a moment, Claire didn’t say anything, her focus shifting back to her own manipulation of sound. “It’s different,” she said eventually, her voice careful but gentle. “But the Academy is where we belong. We’re here to train and to get stronger.”
Kali nodded, taking Claire’s words in stride. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. I just think it would be cool to see what’s out there one day.”
Claire smiled softly, though there was something in her eyes that Kali couldn’t quite place. “Maybe one day.”
Kali beamed at the thought and turned her attention back to her training. Claire was probably right. It was better to focus on what was in front of her. The Academy was home, after all. And even though she didn’t know much about the world beyond it, she knew this was where she was meant to be. At least, that’s what she believed.