God’s Cube

The morning air was slowly turning chilly as the months went by. It was now the start of December, exactly 3 months after Thesi had entered the Academy. The first semester was running to a close and he was once more at the training fields, this time for Applied Combat Tactics. Here, it wasn't just raw physical ability that was called into question but rather the ability to think and strategize during real-time combat. It had been very demanding as a class, and for Thesi, it proved to be an extreme task to not overshoot his strength or speed. If he wished to not turn any heads, the rule was simple. He had to hold back.

"Alright, today we're working on sword engagements today. While it may no longer be the weapon of choice for many, it forces you to think about your intention with every movement you make. What you want to feel here is balance, when to press and when to draw back. The best fighters aren't the strongest. They're the smartest. You have got to control the flow of the battle, not let your emotions or instincts take over. For fairness I'll ask the Red's to create a group to my right, the rest stay to my left.”

This classe’s instructor, a tall lean man by the name of Lyros yelled, as they congregated out onto the field.

Pairs of students squared off against one another, the wooden swords clashing as they made their salvo of different techniques in combat. Augusto, as usual, dominated his sparring partner, and his movements were quick and articulate. His speed was impressive, even for a Red, and his stamina granted him the facility to outlast most of his opponents.

Thesi, however, engaged in a fight against himself every time he stepped out into the field. Today, he was matched with a wiry girl, Lyra, who moved as elegantly as a dancer, her strikes swift, her footwork perfect, still, she was just a Blue, and Thesi could see openings that he could take advantage of if he truly let loose.

But he couldn't. Not without raising suspicion. Some of these openings were so tiny that it'd be impossible for a non physically enhanced to take advantage of. 

Lyra sprang forward, her sword flashing toward the side of Thesi. He parried with ease, but as he shifted his foot to get out of the way of her next blow, his toe caught on a loose stone and sent him off-balance. For an instant, he got confused, and let go of a wild strike without control, his sword flashing against hers with a ringing crack. The power of the impact sent Lyra backward. Her eyes widened in surprise as her weapon was knocked from her hand.

"Whoa, where did that come from?"

She breathed, staring at him. Thesi froze, his heart pounding in his chest. Too much. He had hit too hard, hopefully no one had realized the extent of his strength increase.

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to—"

Still, Thesi's voice sounded a bit shocked with the situation, but his sentence was interrupted when Lyra shook her head, a grin spreading across her face. 

"No need to apologize. That was impressive. I didn't think you had that kind of strength in you."

These shrugged his shoulders, forcing a laugh to try and shake the tension from his shoulders. 

"Guess I got lucky with the angle." 

he said, hoping that would be enough to cover for his slip-up. Lyra chuckled, rubbing her wrist where the force of the clash had sent a small shock through her arm. 

"Well, whatever it was, it worked. You should try that again sometime. You might surprise more than just me."

She bent for her fallen sword, but Thesi couldn't shake the sense of unease gnawing at him. He'd been sloppy, too sloppy. One little mistake and he'd brought too much attention to himself. He could feel Lyros's eyes on him from across the field, assessing, and it took all his willpower not to look back at the instructor.

"Alright, time to take a break! Good job out there, all. Save feedback for after the rest of you are done with drills."

Lyros said as he signaled the class. The students started to disperse, some reaching for water or sitting down on the benches lining the edge of the field. Thesi reached for a towel in his bag and slicked the sweat off his brow, looking around for his friends. A familiar voice caught his attention.

"That was an interesting match." 

Eira said, walking up with a calm, smooth stride. She wasn't very active in the class, combat wasn't one of her main suits, but she said she had taken it to learn more from how Reds fought, in case that ever came in handy. He had noticed her before, hanging back and watching in silence, but unlike the other Yellow's of his year, she was always easy around others, as if the weight of her trial didn't burden her. Yet every time their paths crossed, something in her gaze lingered longer on him than on others, a kind of unspoken understanding that Thesi didn't know what to make of it.

"Interesting?" You mean my almost embarrassing fall?"

Thesi asked, managing a small smile.Eira smirked, the corner of her lips curling upwards in such a way that she seemed almost amused. 

"No, I meant the recovery. There was something about the way you moved right after. It felt. different."

Thesi's heart gave a slight jolt, though he kept his face neutral. 

"Different how?”

She did not answer immediately, but instead watched him, and while she looked at him, Thesi's eyes couldn't quite escape the sight of her silver veins running down her neck. It always struck him more than those of the other Yellows. 

"Just different, I have seen many different styles of combat, but you, you seem to hold back when you fight. That hit felt a bit more like your potential"

She said finally, her voice softer now, almost as if she were talking to herself. Thesi's stomach twisted, but he forced a casual shrug. 

"Maybe I'm just not as confident as some of the others."

"Maybe." 

Eira agreed, though there was something in her tone that suggested she didn't quite believe him. They stood that way for a moment, an easy silence falling between them. The chill of December was starting to set in, but it wasn't unpleasant. The training fields, with the towering Academy buildings behind them and the sharp bite of cold air, suddenly felt smaller, as if they were standing alone in a world outside the confines of their lives as students.

"Are you going to go for the Yellow Cube?" 

Eira asked her voice softer now, curiosity fluttering behind the words. Thesi's heart got stuck mid-beat. She couldn't know, she didn't know about his intentions. But he also hadn't hidden his interest in that particular cube so the question didn't come from nowere. 

"I haven't decided yet…” 

Thesi lied, he already knew that was all he could attempt anyways, but seeming sure now would just cause more suspicion. He was about to ask if she intended on going for a second Cube, but before Thesi could ask, Lyros called the class back to attention. Eira nodded slightly in farewell and started walking towards the group. 

"Thesi!"

He turned to see Vasko jogging up to him.

"What's with the look? You're usually a lot more on edge after sparring."

Thesi blinked, his expression had softened a lot during his interaction with Eira, he tried to snap himself out of his thoughts. 

"I'm fine, I just lost concentration.”

Vasko didn't look wholly convinced, but let it go. 

"Well, you almost sent Lyra flying. That was impressive, were you holding back this whole time?”

"That wasn't intentional, I just. slipped."

Thesi muttered. Vasko chuckled and clapped Thesi on the shoulder. 

"Better watch out, or people will start thinking you're hiding some secret powers."

Thesi forced a laugh in return, but Vasko's joke came closer to the truth than he realized.

The rest of the training session was a blur, but what lingered ominously in his mind was a growing feeling that the world around him began to close in. Eira's words still echoed in his mind, the subtle observation that he was holding back, and Samir's pointed comment last night that he felt more like the Headmaster than them.