The Prodigy Read online

  “There’s another exercise coming up, and I was wondering if you’d be willing to train me.”

  “Another exercise, this soon?”

  “Yeah, it’s a special one. The top five of our class are going to be paired up with the bottom five of the class above us. It’s part of a new program the teachers implemented to determine if upperclassmen will be placed on probation or not.”

  “Hm...I see... So you’re one of the top five in your class then, right?”

  “Yeah.” I nod. “Mr. Hoover didn’t flat out say it, but if he’s requesting my participation, then that’s what it means.”

  “Hey, that’s not too bad. Good on you. You’ve come a long way from when you first started, am I right?”

  “Yeah. It’s kind of crazy, but yeah, the students we’re going to go up against are all supposed to be better than us according to the data they pulled. Our performance can help out our portfolio, and I really don’t want to lose if it’ll stick with me like that. I mean, from a realistic standpoint, it’s almost like we’re expected to lose...and I don’t want to go down without a fight.”

  “Hm...the difference between first and second years in the advanced class can be steep, but that’s not to say that it’s impossible. Granted, we don’t know who you’re up against, but powers develop at different rates. Training and experience help facilitate growth, but there are a lot of factors involved. If I had to guess, I’d wager that overall, you guys should be just about equal...potentially. I can’t be sure, but for them to select you guys, there has to be some sort of challenge involved, and also a risk that the upperclassmen can fail. By no means are you guys supposed to be an easy win. That’s not how Crown works.”

  “So, you’ll train me?”

  “Yup. Sure will. I told you that I’d be around for a while. Did you forget? As long as we train in the morning, we should be fine, barring that I don’t get a new assignment anytime soon. Hmph. I thought I’d be getting a little break from you, but I guess we’re back at it.”

  “Ha. Yup. You’re stuck with me for a little while longer.”

  “All right.” Mr. Ferris clasps his hands together. “Let’s go under and get the ball rolling, shall we? I already know what we need to work on—your trump card—Flux Form.”

  “I agree.”

  “You haven’t used it since you’ve recovered, correct?”

  “Correct. I did use it to get out of a tight spot when I was fighting against myself... I know you told me not to use it unless I absolutely had to, and I did, and it worked out.”

  “I figured as much. Almost all of your spirit was drained when I found you, and I knew the stakes were high. It was a risky move, but it was what the situation called for, so I didn’t press it.”

  “Yeah...” I was never able to master my flux form through training with Mr. Ferris, but I did learn how to access it whenever I needed to. As it stands, the tradeoff is too great to be practical. Using my flux form enhances my combat ability, but it puts a tremendous strain on my energy and stamina. It’s like I’m firing on all cylinders, constantly. I can’t hold it for long...not at my current level. I burn through my energy too quickly, and my flames become riskier to use. Hopefully with Mr. Ferris’s help, I can learn how to better manage the stress and control it.

  “Okay, let’s get started, yeah? We have a lot of ground to cover and only a month to do it.” I sit down in front of Mr. Ferris and allow him to use his ability on me, linking our minds. When I open my eyes, I see that I’m back in our joint mental plane. “Perfect. Okay, so we’ve already learned how to access the form, but now what we need to do is learn how to control it,” he says while pacing the dimension. “The stress it puts on your system buries its effectiveness, so at the moment, short bursts of effort are optimal...hmm... Yeah, we have a long way to go. You working on Flux Form while I was teaching you the kite style was a smart move, but we barely got any progress done on both. We have the basics on one, and practically nothing on the other. You only know the fundamentals of my style, which I feel can help you prepare for any situation. A great offense is a strong defense, plus, the openings you create will make your flux form even greater, should you choose to use it.”

  “So are we going to work on the kite style or Flux Form, I’m confused.”

  “We’re going to be building on what you did before—we’re going to be learning both. I want you to fight me while maintaining Flux Form.”

  “Fight you in...Flux Form?”

  “Yes.” Mr. Ferris stops his pacing and aligns himself with me. “I want you to fight me in that form while trying your best to utilize the kite style... I don’t expect you to maintain it long, so we’ll go in intervals to build up your tolerance to the stress it puts on your body. Using Flux Form should allow you to keep up with me better, but I won’t stop just because you’re exhausted. It sounds rough, but fighting while exhausted will teach you how to conserve your energy, and it’ll make your movements tighter. You’ll also get a better gauge on how your body reacts to your form while in combat... How does that sound?”

  “Scary, but I’m willing to try. It’s better than getting beat up in the real world.”

  “Just barely.” Mr. Ferris winks. “I won’t go as easy on you as I’ve gone before, but if it makes you feel any better, I won’t be trying to kill you.”

  “Gee, thanks,” I say and sink down into my battle stance.

  “Hmph. Don’t sweat it. Now activate your flux form...I can’t wait to see what you got.”

  “Okay...here it goes.” I close my eyes, center my thoughts, and search my spirit, identifying every ounce of power within my body. Then, I envision my energy growing more violent, expanding as it floods my system. I tense my muscles and the ground begins to shake, I don’t pay it any mind, but instead focus on drawing deeper from my source. I dive down into my core, the source of it all, and see an amethyst flame supplying energy to my extremities. I push harder, and the flame begins to surge. I hold that intensity and push again, stretching well past the bounds of comfort, and the energy from my inner flame bursts.

  The strain is instant...the warmth of my energy coupled with the undeniable stress it brings upon arrival.

  Flux Form.

  I open my eyes, taking note of my energy bleeding off from me and into the atmosphere, partly because of the realm we’re in, but also because of the level of energy that my body is putting to use.

  “You ready?” Mr. Ferris asks.

  “Yeah,” I respond, stress evident in my voice.

  “Then here I come!” Mr. Hoover pushes off the ground and rushes my way, closing the distance before I can even react to him in my enhanced form. So, this is his speed when he’s actually trying? He leads with a cross, and I dodge it. I follow up with a punch of my own, but before I can connect, he rams his knee into my gut, causing my vision to blur. I turn my palms outward to fire my energy, but he quickly lowers his center of gravity and sweeps my legs.

  I switch tactics and fire my energy while falling, using one hand to capitalize on Mr. Ferris’s vulnerability and the other to recover by doing a handspring. When my flames dissipate, I immediately notice that Mr. Ferris isn’t in the blast radius. In that split-second window, not only did he see through my attack, but he was quick enough to get out of harm’s way without me realizing.

  “You’re thinking too much about your next move and not about your opponent!”

  He’s behind me? Ho—

  I whip my body around, delivering a spinning backfist, and Mr. Ferris blocks it completely with his forearm. I feed more energy into my flux form, causing the ravenous flames around me to lash against him. He acknowledges them, but he doesn’t flinch. Instead, he quickly shifts his weight to create an opening and drives his elbow upward, striking my chin. Another force drives my face to the side—his fist—and I desperately fire another wave of energy in an attempt to give me some room to breathe. “Concentrate, Aiden!” He slips underneath the wave, and I immediately follow up with a w
ide-ranged burst of my flame from my other hand to catch him. As Mr. Ferris approaches, I notice the glint in his eyes change, and his speed increases yet again. Before my flames can fully project, he delivers a sidekick that shoots me across our joint dimension, the dark flames from my energy still present on his clothing. I tumble across the air, but land on my feet while pressing my hand into the ground. Once my body stabilizes, I channel my flames and condense them into an orb, ignoring the rapidly mounting fatigue building up throughout my body. I yell as I sling it his way at top speed, but he dodges it with no effort at all. I fire another and he does it again, all while walking calmly. I fall forward and press my hands into the ground, struggling to bring air into my lungs. The veil of fire covering my body, rapidly thinning with every passing breath. I’m at my limit. “That’s enough,” Mr. Ferris calls out as he makes his way towards me.

  I power down, releasing my form.

  “I didn’t...even...land...a hit,” I rasp.

  “If you did, I wouldn’t be a great teacher then, would I?” He laughs. “I wanted to see what you can do, and I think I’m starting to get an idea.” Even while trying my hardest, I still wasn’t able to lay a finger on him. It’s like the first day we met all over again. Just how strong is he, and how much is he holding back?

  “After you catch your breath, we’ll go at it again. I know it’s tough, but if we’re going to make your flux form practical, we have to get your body use to sustaining it in battle...even if only for a few seconds. That’s all you’ll really need to turn the tide. Every second counts.”

  “Yeah.” I nod, still struggling to amass air into my lungs. “Yeah...I get it.”

  “Good. Let’s run it again. Think of this as progression to your spirit training,” he says while I struggle to my feet. “It’s hell now, but you’re nowhere close to maximizing your potential, Aiden. Just continue to push forward... Ready?”

  “Okay.” I sink into my battle stance and activate my flux form, ignoring the hollow sensation echoing throughout my core and filtering through my extremities. I’ll hold it for as long as I can, and then, I’ll hold it some more.

  It’s like Mr. Ferris said—every second counts.

  “Hmph. That’s the spirit. Way to go.” He charges at me, and the second round begins. My form flickers after blocking his first attack, but I stabilize it enough to counter. A sharp pain shoots throughout my body, and my extremities go numb. Mr. Ferris’s fist twists against my gut while I’m completely stunned, denying my body oxygen. “Don’t get blindsided by your own efforts.” He removes his fist, and I fall to my knees, my flame dissipating and becoming one with our linked plane. “Take a moment to gather your strength and then we go again. Focus. I know you’re under a lot of stress in that form, but the principle hasn’t changed from what I taught you before. Manage your energy. Breathe. Flow. You’ve gotten stronger, but don’t be reckless.”

  “...Right...”

  We go two more rounds. The rests are getting shorter, and the damage he’s inflicting on me is beginning to add up.

  “Aiden, you ready to go again?”

  “Yeah, just give me a moment,” I say from the ground while looking up towards the sky.

  “...Actually...that’s enough for today. I don’t want to push you too far on your first day. You’re still getting used to the way your body reacts to it, and we’re not even sure how you’ll feel after the fact. Rest up, and go to class. I’ll see you tomorrow. Same spot.” I raise my thumb into the air.

  “Yeah... See you then.”

  Mr. Ferris squats over me and taps me on the forehead, releasing me from his ability, and when I open my eyes, I notice that I have a slight headache and that I’m dizzy.

  “How ya feeling?”

  “Tired.” I stand up from the ground and brush my hands against my pants. “Tired, but I’m glad that we’ve made progress.”

  “Well, that’s good. Just be careful today, yeah? If anything funny happens, let someone know. No need in playing hero, okay? Stay safe and be smart.”

  “Will do.”

  After our session ends, I go back to my dorm and catch up on sleep to replenish my energy. When I wake up, it’s business as usual. Tyler’s playing his game before class, and I wait for Summer outside.

  “Hey.” She approaches me with her hands in the pockets of her school blazer. “Everything good?”

  “Yup,” she responds. “Clarissa’s fine, if that’s what you’re asking.” I move from the wall of my dorm building and begin to head out towards the main walkway.

  “I wasn’t, but that works too... Do you know what you’re doing for that program yet, training wise? You’re going to be training with Clarissa, right?”

  “Dunno,” she answers succinctly. “She still isn’t really feeling it, but it’s whatever. I’m not really worried. I think she’s just balancing a lot of crap right now and doesn’t want to be bothered.”

  “You don’t think it has something to do with me though, do you? I mean, she sorta spiraled a bit after everything with Von.”

  “I know...I know...I talked to her about it yesterday, and I don’t think it’s that. I mean, maybe a little...okay...a lot. Ugh. A considerable amount. Von raged-out because he thought his career here was jeopardized. Granted, he was on Dox, and his mind was warped, but still, in a way, the students we’re going to be up against are in the same scenario. I can see how she doesn’t want to take part in it. If we demolish them, it’s not like we send them home, but it could lead to them being put on probation. The hotseat. What if they seek revenge or something?”

  “I don’t think they’d do that.”

  “I don’t either, but I’m just saying. It’s not entirely out the window, considering it’s happened before with Von...and all of that is still kind of fresh. You can’t tell me that you’ve never thought of it like that.”

  “Oh no, I have. I definitely have, but I think the way the program is being designed accounts for that. We’re not necessarily the deciding factor, and the teachers will know who’s involved. They’ll know who to watch and what to look out for. Besides, even if they’re on probation, it doesn’t mean that they’re gone. It’s not like they broke a campus rule or anything. They just need to get their grades up. Students get on probation all the time.”

  “I guess, if you want to look at it that way.” She shrugs.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Nothing...it’s just that something like that can really mess you up. Make you doubt yourself; you know?”

  “Summer, about that...”

  “Yeah?”

  “I wanted to tell you earlier, but I was afraid of what would happen if I did. I wasn’t completely honest with you, but I realize now that I shouldn’t have hid it from you to begin with.”

  “Huh?” She stops and I pivot my body to face her, nervous for how I’m going to say what I want to say next. “What do you mean, Aiden? Is something wrong? You’re okay, right?”

  “Yeah, I’m fine...now, but there was a time where I wasn’t. I was having night terrors, Summer. Horrible dreams of Von killing me...killing you...killing everyone. It messed me up so bad that it was starting to affect my powers.”

  “Are you serious? Was that why you stopped participating in class?”

  “Yeah. I thought that my powers were broken, but what really happened was that I somehow put up a mental block that prevented me from using my abilities. I had no say in the matter. My body did it, subconsciously, for self-preservation... With Von and everything that happened, I didn’t want you or anyone else to be worried about me. It was crazy...everyone in the class and around campus was treating me like I was some sort of hero, but I couldn’t even really use my abilities anymore. I felt like a fraud for the longest time. It felt horrible keeping it from everyone, but I was afraid. I didn’t want anyone to worry about me or treat me differently. I was just starting to settle in at Crown, and I didn’t want to lose that.”

  “So, you suffered in silen
ce?” Summer asks earnestly. “With all of us around you? Everyday?”

  “Yeah...” I hang my head down after I respond. “You’re my best friend, Summer, and I didn’t want you to worry about me. I feel like that’s all you ever do. At the infirmary, you—”

  “So, you kept it all a secret just to spare my feelings?” she asks and points to her chest. “Did you think that would change anything? I know I couldn’t have restored your powers, but I could have helped, just like when you were at the infirmary. I couldn’t make you better, but I was still there for you, don’t you get it?” she confesses, her eyes beginning to fill with tears. “You’re not an outcast anymore, or a loner, or any of that stuff. I was your friend before you even knew how to control your powers!”

  “I know...”

  “You can lie to the teachers and to everyone else, I don’t care, but don’t lie to me, okay? We’re supposed—Gah! I knew something was wrong, and I was worried sick, so your plan sucked.”

  “Summer...”

  “I gave you your space hoping that you’d come around and tell me what was going on, but you never did. I thought...I thought that I did something wrong and that you were beginning to push me away. How’s that for honesty?” She sniffles.

  “No. I’d never—you didn’t do anything wrong, Summer, I—”

  “Well, thanks. I know that now. Clearly.” She wipes the tears from her eyes with her palms. “Now you got me getting all emotional right before class. Ugh, you’re so garbage, Aiden.” She sniffles and I move in closer, but she shifts her body away from me. “How’d you get your powers back?”

  “I ended up telling Mr. Hoover about what happened on my first day back. He pulled a few strings and got me connected to a graduate of the academy, Harvey Ferris. He was the one who helped me recover. His ability makes it possible to implant his consciousness into another person. When he does this, their minds link, and a new inner dimension of sorts is created. In the mornings before class, I trained with him in this new dimension. I had an energy imbalance of some sort. My powers were always triggered through stress and trauma. When Von nearly killed me, my body finally had enough. Mr. Ferris’s ability allowed for me to go into my subconscious and confront my traumas as well as an entity that represented all of my fears, personified.”