Against all odds, Romeo managed to coax Lou out of his self-imposed exile. Now, ninety agonizing minutes later, our car lurched to a halt in front of his Kavita residence. There we stood, the three of us inside his mansion, surrounded by my overflowing luggage like the wreckage of a particularly unorganized yard sale.

I perched precariously on a suitcase, desperately trying to burrow a hole in the ground with my gaze. My cheeks burned with a traitorous blush I couldn't seem to extinguish under the scrutiny of these two Flow-wielding witnesses. Meanwhile, Romeo and Lou, a study in contrasting chaos, rummaged through my belongings with equal parts amusement and bewilderment.

"Bug..." Lou began, holding aloft a bulging sack of spices with an expression that could only be described as 'spice-confused.' "My apologies once again. Compared to the sheer… volume of this luggage, your Flow seems almost manageable." He scratched his head, a gesture that seemed to further his dishevelment.

Romeo, ever the diplomat, chimed in, a hint of suppressed laughter in his voice. "For once, Lou, I find myself inclined to agree. Though..." he trailed off, his eyes landing on a lone, forlorn empty backpack nestled amongst the other items. "Why in the World would your parents pack 3 empty backpacks, Young Lady? Didn't you leave with one already?"

I groaned internally. Seriously, of all the things my parents could have packed to embarrass me in front of fellow Flow users, it had to be random spices, useless bags, even soap!

The unpacking barely finished before Romeo whisked me away to a training ground. Training ground? More like a warrior's paradise nestled within his extravagant mansion. White marble gleamed under the soft lighting, dozens of punching bags stood sentinel, and strange, otherworldly artifacts hummed with unseen energy. This wasn't just a training space; it was an invitation to delve into the heart of Flow mastery.

Lou, ever the stoic observer, wandered through the room, a hand absently brushing his head. His gaze flitted across everything, finally settling on Romeo. "You tested her transfer abilities, right?" he inquired, his voice a low rumble.

Romeo nodded, his hand reaching for a smooth, blue glass sphere. "Transfer was successful, but the exchange failed." He tossed the sphere to me, its weight surprising in my hand.

Lou's chuckle was devoid of humor. "Of course she wouldn't," he muttered, stalking closer to me with Romeo flanking him. "Her circuits are overloaded – no room for Flow exchange."

Overloaded? The word echoed in my head, sending a tremor of fear down my spine. If overload meant circuit destruction and death, why was I still standing here? A desperate question formed on my lips. "Can I ask something?"

Both men inclined their heads. I took a deep breath, my voice trembling slightly. "If I'm truly overloaded, shouldn't I be… in danger?"

Silence stretched between us, thick and heavy. Romeo remained frozen, his gaze flicking between me and Lou. Lou, however, seemed lost in thought, a low hum escaping his lips as he stroked his chin. Finally, he met my eyes, a flicker of something unreadable passing through them.

"Your brain…" he began, his voice a low murmur, "Let's say it's older than your body suggests." His words hung in the air, pregnant with unspoken implications. "In your case, overloaded isn't the danger, Bug. It's simply a way to describe circuits teeming with an extraordinary amount of Flow."

A sliver of relief wormed its way through me, but it was short-lived. Romeo, ever the pragmatist, cut in. "Then the real question becomes," he said, gesturing to the sphere in my hand, "what happens if you try manifesting the Flow into its real form?"

His words sent a jolt through me. Manifest Flow? The very concept felt alien, almost forbidden. Yet, curiosity gnawed at me. "The sphere contains the Flow signature of water," Romeo continued. "Try materializing it. Though, with your overloaded circuits..." He trailed off, leaving the unspoken warning to hang in the air.

So, Flow dictates materialization, huh? Made perfect sense, really. But why the radio silence from Romeo this time? Was it Lou's judging gaze making him clam up? Ah, I see his game now. Romeo wasn't just training me; he was parading me like a World Cup trophy! Not a bad strategy, dear uncle.

I gripped the orb tighter, feeling its coolness seep into my skin. An idea sparked in my head. Absorption was clearly beyond my reach, but what if each element reacted differently to Flow overload? Like... a unique fingerprint? Only one way to find out.

Ignoring the expectant silence from the Flow-wielding peanut gallery, I channeled a surge of Flow into the sphere. It vibrated in my hand, a tremor of impending chaos. A delighted rumble escaped Lou's lips, and even Romeo cracked a rare smile. Maybe I was onto something.

With a dramatic flourish (because why not?), I pushed my Flow a hair further. The sphere pulsed with blinding light, then… POP! Instead of a messy explosion, a wave of cool water erupted from the shattered glass, soaking me from wrist to elbow. I blinked, surprised by the unexpected outcome.

"Well, that was certainly… unexpected," I said, my voice dripping (pun intended) with amusement. Maybe I wasn't just a walking reservoir of Flow after all. Maybe I had a hidden talent for a very specific kind of Flow manipulation. Hihi, I was simply amazing, right? I had all the right to puff my chest!

"Unexpected, indeed," Romeo conceded, a slow nod replacing his initial surprise. Lou, however, wore a wider grin that seemed to stretch from ear to ear. A sense of triumph bubbled within me.

"The usual practice," Romeo continued, adjusting his glasses, "is to absorb the Flow from an object and then manifest it through our own bodies." His words sent a jolt of surprise through me. Absorb it? That never even crossed my mind!

"Seems you had a different approach, Bug," Lou chuckled, his gruff voice softened by amusement. "Overloading the sphere forced the Flow to manifest on its own, bypassing the absorption stage entirely. And to grasp that concept on your own? You're a quick study."

A surge of pride warmed my cheeks. "Actually," I interjected, a mischievous glint in my eyes, "I figured it out two years ago!" Surprise flickered across both their faces, replaced by a flicker of curiosity.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

"Interesting," Romeo murmured, leaning forward. "Explain yourself."

"Remember when you tested my Flow exchange with that stone?" I prompted. Their brows furrowed in recollection. "Instead of exchanging, it just overloaded, right? No Flow transfer, just… a burst of dirt. An excessive amount of it. That's when it hit me: what if the overload caused the Flow signature within the stone to manifest as… well, dirt?" A triumphant grin spread across my face. "Turns out, I was right!"

Lou's chuckle grated on my nerves. He reached out, his hand ruffling my hair in a way that felt more intrusive than playful. I clenched my jaw, forcing a smile as I endured his touch.

"To get that much from your first attempt at Flow exchange?" he said, his voice laced with amusement, or perhaps something else. "You really are something, bug. Maybe I won’t be wasting my time watching you train after all."

Romeo shot Lou a pointed look, silencing his amusement. Lou, with a shrug, withdrew his hand. My uncle sighed, then conjured another water sphere, holding it out to me.

"Let's try something different. Well, not that different," he said, his voice calm. "Focus on Flow exchange with the sphere now. I kind of know the outcome, but it wouldn’t hurt to give it another chance, right?"

Images flickered in my mind, each more outlandish than the last. Forcing my Flow into the sphere? Impossible. Picturing my circuits as a gaping maw? Even less appealing. Frustration bubbled up, threatening to spill over. Taking a deep, centering breath, I closed my eyes and shut out the noise. This wasn't the way.

"I can't do it," I admitted, meeting their gazes. But the defeat in my voice was laced with a newfound defiance. "And frankly," I continued, my voice firming, "I don't think I need to!"

Lou's amusement returned, a glint in his eyes. He ruffled my hair again, a playful gesture that no longer felt so intrusive. This time, I didn't flinch.

"Think you can keep up without borrowing the power of external Flow?" he challenged.

My chin lifted, a surge of confidence washing over me. This wasn't about following their methods. This was about proving myself, surpassing them all. "I will," I declared, my voice echoing in the room. "I will surpass all of you, even without external Flow!" My gaze held a steely glint, a promise of a future powerhouse unlike any they had ever encountered. They may not believe in me now, but I would make them believe.

My declaration hung in the air, thick and heavy. Instead of the expected amusement, Lou's face contorted into a mask of fury. Even Romeo seemed surprised, a flicker of unease crossing his features.

The air crackled with unseen energy. Lou's Flow, that familiar saintly silver aura, erupted from him in a violent surge. It pulsed and flared, expanding until it engulfed the entire training room, an almost tangible manifestation of his raw power.

Romeo, ever the diplomat, stumbled back, overwhelmed by the sheer force of the unleashed Flow. My own legs threatened to buckle, but a primal instinct, honed in a past life I perfectly remembered, kept me rooted to the spot.

"Arrogant Bug!" Lou boomed, his voice echoing within the confines of the Flow-charged room. He stalked towards me, each step resonating with power, his aura intensifying with his every move. "We took you in," he growled, the words laced with a strange undercurrent of something akin to… fear?

"But that doesn't give you the right to belittle us!" His voice rose a notch, his aura crackling with barely contained energy. "Can you honestly claim you'll surpass the Seven Sponsors with such a limitation? Do you truly understand the power you defy?"

There was something in his words, a tremor of uncertainty that sent a shiver down my spine. Was Lou's anger a facade? Could there be more to my inability to exchange Flow than anyone was letting on?

Despite the tremor in my body, despite the primal urge to cower, I forced the words past my dry throat. "I dare," I rasped, my voice surprisingly steady. Defiance ignited in my eyes, a spark that mirrored the intensity of Lou's aura. Romeo whirled on me, his face etched with concern. "I'm not challenging you, Lou," I continued, my voice gaining strength with each word. "I'm stating a fact. I will surpass you, even without manipulating exterior Flow."

The air crackled with a tense silence after my declaration. We locked eyes, an invisible battle of wills. Lou's aura, a shimmering silver cage, pulsed ominously. Seconds stretched into an eternity, my muscles screaming under the oppressive weight. Then, as suddenly as it erupted, the aura vanished.

Relief washed over me so intense I nearly stumbled. In its wake, a burst of unexpected laughter shattered the tension. It was Lou, doubled over with mirth, tears streaming down his face. Romeo and I stared, dumbfounded.

"Ha! Ha! That's the spirit, Bug!" he chortled, wiping his eyes. "Just the kind of fire I was looking for!"

Romeo finally found his voice. "Lou," he said cautiously, "perhaps a gentler approach—"

Lou cut him off with a dismissive wave. "No, Romeo. Let the little bug learn to stand the heat. Besides," he added, a sly glint in his eye, "wouldn't it be interesting to see how far an anomaly like this little firecracker can go?"

His words sent a shiver down my spine. Was there more to his amusement than met the eye? A hidden agenda veiled by boisterous laughter? One thing was certain: Lou's sudden interest in my training was more than a little suspicious.

"Alright, alright," Lou boomed, clapping his hands together. "Enough chit-chat! I finally decided on what my next move should be!”

"Consider yourself lucky, Bug. You just snagged the greatest Flow instructor on this side of the world. Me!"

I blinked, speechless. Romeo, usually the picture of composure, mirrored my expression. Did Lou just... volunteer to train me?

Romeo recovered first, sputtering, "No, no, no! Don't tell me you're serious about this! You can't just claim you'll take care of her training!"

Lou rolled his eyes. "That's exactly what I said, Romeo. Were you napping with your eyes open?"

Romeo practically vibrated with frustration. "I've been waiting for this moment, Lou! Years of planning, and you waltz in and snatch the opportunity right from under my nose? Are you out of your mind?"

Lou sighed dramatically, running a hand through his hair. "Look, Romeo, relax. My methods are far more effective than yours. You can't deny that." He threw in a smug chuckle.

I couldn't take it anymore. These two were arguing over me like I was a potato, not a person with a say in the matter!

"Excuse me, gentlemen!" I interjected, my voice surprisingly steady despite the churning in my stomach. "But wouldn't it be nice to, you know, consider my opinion in all this? I'm the one who needs training, remember?"

Both Lou and Romeo whipped their heads towards me, momentarily stunned into silence. This was my chance. I cleared my throat, ready to assert myself.

"Actually," I began, my voice firm, "before we discuss instructors, I have a few questions about my training plan."

Lou, however, seemed to have other ideas. He barely registered my words, his gaze darting to Romeo. "Um... Romeo," he stammered, pointing at me, "you have a bed ready for the Bug, right?"

Romeo's brow furrowed. "What? Of course she does. We just finished arranging her room. Why are you asking?"

Lou's smirk widened. "Why? What do you mean 'why?'" He turned back to me, his voice dripping with condescension. "Even a prodigy like her can't resist the aura of a Sponsor from the very beginning, you know."

A jolt of anger surged through me. I felt a faint echo of the oppressive aura he'd unleashed earlier, but I'd shrugged it off. Now, however, it slammed into me with full force. My head throbbed, a wave of dizziness washing over me. My legs wobbled, threatening to give way. My eyelids felt like lead weights.

This wasn't right. I thought I withstood his aura. Was it really that much for me?

The world blurred, my vision dimming at the edges. A desperate question formed on my lips, but before I could voice it, darkness claimed me. I slumped to the ground, unconscious. For Lou to pinpoint the exact moment of me falling unconscious, I guess I should have a little more respect for the Sponsors after all!