Haze and I spent hours training our presences and getting used to the sensations and emotions our presences created within us. Once our cores were exhausted and we felt like ourselves again, I turned to Guru Shi’en and said, “Master Shi’en, I just realized something that I should’ve realized at the beginning of our training.”

“Oh, what might that be?” Guru Shi’en asked, raising an eyebrow.

“We’ve cycled all our cores before, but we’ve never felt our presences spill out like that, let alone feel those emotions. So, why are we able to now?” I asked.

Guru Shi’en tapped the side of his nose with a sly grin, “Ah, now that’s a good question. The difference between then and now is intent. When you cycled all your cores, you had no intent of making your presence known to everyone, so it didn’t have the same effect as now. But when you cycle all your cores in a fight and have a specific target in mind your presence is known only to you and the person you are fighting, and when that person matches your presence with theirs while doing the same thing, the presences cancel each other out. Does that answer your question?”

I nodded, and then Haze asked, “What if one person has more power than another when matching presences?” her voice sounded hoarse, as though she was dehydrated.

“Then the person with the more prominent presence would win, and their target would feel the immense weight of their power,” Guru Shi’en answered, then clapped his hands with a loud snap, “I do believe it is time for us to end the training for today. You two did quite well. Go, get some food, relax, play some games, sleep. I’m sure tomorrow is another day of training with your team, and you will need your energy for that.”

“Yes, Master Shi’en,” Haze and I said in unison as we stood and bowed to him before turning to leave.

After a few steps, I noticed that Guru Shi’en didn’t stand and follow. I raised an eyebrow at this and asked, “Are you coming, Master?”

Guru Shi’en pulled his staff onto his lap and looked at it sorrowfully before saying, “I will in a moment. My old legs aren’t what they were long ago.”

A pang of worry knotted itself in my gut, but I decided not to push the subject, “O-okay, Master Shi’en. Have a good rest of your day.”

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

“I will, young Zeana,” Guru Shi’en said with a smile and a wave.

I turned and began walking again, noticing Haze had stopped to wait for me, clearly hearing the conversation and saying nothing as we exited the room. Once we stood on the other side of the door, Haze mumbled to herself, “That was concerning.”

“Hmm, what is?” I asked.

Haze blinked and looked back to the door, “Master Shi’en has never complained about his old age, or felt old before. Moreover, he didn’t leave before us. Something doesn’t feel right.”

“What should we do?” I asked, worry building in my chest.

“Nothing,” Haze answered as she began to descend the stairs, “He’ll ask for help when he needs it.” I bit my lower lip and nodded, following her down the stairs. She was right. There was nothing we could do but wait for him to ask us for help. I just hope he won’t be stubborn and will ask for help, whatever that might be.

***

“Psst, psst, psst, psst.” That night, someone whispered, tickling the fluff in my right ear with the air they blew out. I groaned and rolled over, trying to sleep peacefully. “Psst, psst, psst, psst.” A moment later, someone whispered in my other ear. I flicked my ear unconsciously as I rolled over again. “Zeana. Wake up.” I heard the same person whisper, and I finally opened my eyes to see I was nose to nose with Cami.

I slowly blinked a few times and sighed, “What do you want?” I asked in the same whispered tone.

“Let’s go out tonight,” Cami said with a hopeful smile.

I slowly blinked a few more times and said, “No.”

“Please?”

“No.”

“Pleeeaaase?”

“No.”

“Please, please—”

“No.”

“—please, please, please—”

“No!”

“—please, please, please, please—”

“You’re not going to stop asking, are you?

“—please, please, please, nope, please, please, please—”

I groaned as Cami continuously said please before I relented, knowing only one way out of it, “Ffffffiiiiinnnnne.”

“—please, YES!” Cami exclaimed, still whispering. Then she sat up and hopped lightly down from my bed.

I also sat up after a moment and heard Cami already out the door. I climbed out of bed and put on my plain T-shirt and cargo shorts. Once I finished getting dressed, Yuki jumped down from my bed onto my shoulders. I scratched behind her ear blearily as I walked to the door.

As I touched the door nob, Haze’s voice startled me, “Make sure she doesn’t get in trouble.”

“Yeah, yeah, I won’t let her,” I yawned as I opened the door and stepped out into the hall. Closing the door, I noticed Cami, Xiao, Jax, and a very grumpy Shiro just down the hall waiting for me. I quickly walked to them, not wanting to keep them waiting any longer.

“About time you got out here!” Shiro said, sounding as grumpy as he looked.

I yawned again, “Yeah, well, I still have to wake up myself.”

“Oh, you don’t have to worry about that!” As she walked down the hall, Cami said, “Where we’re going, you’ll be able to wake up very quickly.” Then she disappeared down the stairs as we began following her.

***