The Loner Read online

  “Yes, sir.” I nod. “I understand.”

  “On a less ominous note, I do want you to focus on developing a baseline of control. I noticed that when you spoke, your flames began to lose substance. Focus on wielding your abilities in a way that comes naturally to you and without stress.”

  “How?”

  “Practice. Focus on maintaining your flame until it becomes second nature.”

  “Got it. Yeah, I’ll do that.”

  “I have no doubt that you will, Aiden. You’re a quick study. You’ve managed to keep up with the other students without having powers, but now that you do, I expect great things from you.”

  “I won’t let you down, sir.”

  After discussing my powers a bit more, Mr. Hoover began to talk about a myriad of other things involving the category and what to expect from his class, moving forward. I managed to catch most of it, but the majority of my mental bandwidth found itself dissecting the origins of my flame, and that stuck with me for the majority of the day.

  Did Mr. Hoover know exactly how my powers showed up the first time? He may know the gist of it, but does he really know? Uncle Erwin wasn’t clear about his connections, but I was sure to not question him once it became evident that it wasn’t up for discussion. He wasn’t aggressive or anything, but it was clear that he was dodging some of the questions that I asked him. I get it now, at least to an extent. He was probably doing it to protect me...to make sure that I didn’t know too much so that I could make it in the academy with no questions asked. It’s been commonsense during introductions to not mention killing two people as an origin story. Even if it’s for self-defense. People look at you funny. No matter how you cut it, you’re still a killer. Doesn’t matter if it was for survival or if you just felt like doing it. The reasoning may be different, but the outcome is still the same. There’s one less person on the planet because of something you did. What if I hurt other people as a baby? What if I hurt my parents?

  “What up, loser?” Summer teases.

  “Not now, Summer, I’m thinking.” Summer walks past me and quickly spins on her heel. Her hair blows over her face as she walks backwards, so she tucks her loose strands behind her ear and bites her lip as she flashes a mischievous grin.

  “Just so you know, the café’s that way?”

  “You don’t think I know that? Trust me, I know how to get food. I’ve been here long enough. If I didn’t, I’d be dead by now.”

  “Wait, don’t tell me... Old man Hoover ripped you a new one? Don’t take it personal. He did it to me, too. It’s just how they roll over here. They want the best from the best, or something like that.”

  “Actually, Mr. Hoover didn’t rip anything. He actually said I did really good.”

  “So why are you in such a slump? You’re walking around like... You know what? Never mind. I won’t say it. One time, I actually said something before in a situation like this and I was right.”

  “It’s nothing too bad. It’s just that now that I have these powers, I have to use them.”

  “Right, so, you’re heading to the gym...”

  “I have to if I want to keep up. I’m still behind.”

  “If you say so... Just don’t kill yourself from working too hard.”

  “Never that,” I muse.

  “Adios.” Summer changes directions and leaves me to my own devices...the gym. I’d thought of contacting my roommate for some advice, but I figured he wouldn’t have much to offer. It’d just be a waste of time. Our powers are completely different, and if I’m going to master them, I have to learn them. Every facet. Every little thing that makes them work.

  “Yeah, see you around.”

  Not long after that, I make it to the entrance of the gym and swipe my ID once I arrive at the front desk. The front desk worker gives me an empty stare once the kiosk registers my input. “Do you know what you need?” he asks.

  “I’d like a room.”

  “Okay.” The student worker sighs. “You know how long you’re going to be?”

  “Just put me down for two hours... I can come back and renew it if there isn’t a waiting list, right?”

  “Yup, but we close at ten...so...yeah.”

  “...It’s not going to be a problem.”

  “It’s whatever,” he says as he hands me back my card. “I get paid either way...but someone will kick you out if you overstay. You’re going to be on the second floor to the left. Fourth room.”

  “Got it. Thanks.”

  I walk past the low gate once I gain access and head towards the stairwell for the 2nd floor, passing the weight room and courts where some of the students are playing basketball. On the second floor, there’s an elevated track that runs along the circumference of the basketball courts, giving a birds-eye view. It’s better than looking from behind plexiglass. Just about every room in here is outfitted with it except for the individual training rooms. Everything else is kept in the public eye, I guess for our own safety. With all of the different abilities that come into play here, I can only imagine how crazy things can get as far as accidents go.

  “Never thought I’d see you here.” What? I start to turn away from the glass, my mind frozen from the sound of that voice. It’s the last person I’d thought I’d see here, but at the same time, it couldn’t be anybody else. “Trying to get some training in?” Kaci smiles, her question still lingering in the air.

  “Y-yeah...I...just a bit. Not too much. There are some things I want to try out with my powers.” I manage to form complete sentences around her, but seeing her outside of her uniform...in a sports bra and leggings...isn’t something that I was expecting. Crap. Don’t stare, don’t stare, don’t stare, don’t—

  “Well, you came to the right place. I’m sure whatever you’re trying to learn will come easy to you. You seem to pick up on things pretty quickly.” Kaci wipes her face with her towel, breaking our line of sight for only a moment, but that moment was all I needed for a shred of peace. It’s nerve-wracking, keeping eye contact with her. Is she judging me? Can she tell I have a crush on her? A bunch of guys do...I don’t want to seem like just another creep. What if she already thinks I am one?

  “Kaci, I...” My mind draws a blank. I was going to ask her something. Something neutral to show that I’m not weird, but that’s clearly not the case right now. Come on, Aiden. Think.

  “Yeah?” She stares at me blankly, curious and perplexed.

  “Did I...when I...when we fought, did I blast through your barrier?” I manage to force out.

  “Yeah, you did...but it was a lucky shot. I underestimated you. It won’t happen again. I know what to expect now that your powers are in play,” she adds. There’s a sense of competitiveness to her words. I wasn’t expecting that kind of reaction at all from her. Summer, definitely, but Kaci? Then again, I’ve never really spoken to her. I really don’t even know who she is. “I’ll get you next time.”

  Either way, I can’t just stare at her, speechless. I’ve got to say something. Anything.

  “You can try, but that’s why I’m here.”

  “To grow stronger...yeah. Same. Good luck to you out there. I hope you get your powers under control.”

  She knows my limits? How? Lucky guess?

  Kaci walks past me without saying another word, confident and self-assured in what had just gone down—whatever that was. Was she testing me? Talking to me as a fellow student? Challenging me? Was it a mix of all three? There’s no surefire way to be certain, but even still, nothing’s changed. Summer said a lot of things last night, but one thing still rings true. My powers have caught the attention of my classmates.

  The powerless has somehow come into power. Me. The outcast. Which means now I have to show them that I deserve to be here just like everyone else in my class. I need to get better... I need to show them that I’m strong...that I belong.

  I open up the door to my training room, a burning sense of determination flaring up in my gut, stronger than before. The sky-blue room i
s virtually empty, a giant cube, but I know it’s because the settings to the room have been cleared. I cycle through the options listed on the control panel until I find the option to dispense the training dummies. I select one, and wait for it to slowly emerge from the false floor in the center of the room. During orientation, they told us about the different things we could do here, but I need to get a handle on the basics before I try to venture into the more difficult methods at my disposal.

  The fact of the matter is, I can’t use my powers without concentrating...severely. So much so that I begin to lose strength when I walk, talk, or do any other action. The other students in my class have their abilities fully under their control as a second nature. If I want to hang with them, I’ve got to do the same thing. I have to learn the basics if I want to be able to control my flames. As much as I hate Tristen, I could have killed him when we fought. That was never the plan. If Kaci wasn’t there to soften the blow, who knows what could have happened. I broke through her barrier and she didn’t mention anything about my powers eating hers, so she did manage to slow it down, somewhat. Even if it was only a tiny bit. It was enough to take out some of the force, and for that I’m grateful. I don’t want to be in that sort of predicament ever again, and for that, I need to have mastery over this...thing...this power...this curse. Whatever it is. I don’t know how everyone can take them so lightly. Most of us can kill a person without even trying. It’s a huge weight to carry.

  But I have to master them nonetheless. I don’t want anymore blood on my hands.

  I close my eyes and begin to draw from the source of my powers, pulling on my emotions until I feel my flames form in my hands. Once I’m sure that it’s there, I open my eyes and focus on the black flame, acknowledging it in its raging blaze. I try bending the flames to my will, concentrating it into a more uniform structure, and then push more power into it, causing it to grow in a quick burst.

  Good.

  Beads of sweat begin to form just below my hairline and I start to feel my muscles start to strain as I continue to feed my energy into the flame at a heightened amount. I push further, and the flame grows in tandem with my will, all the while taxing my body to the same degree. I concentrate on the feeling—the flow of energy within my body and hold the flames at this level of intensity for a minute or so before trying to push even further. I try it, and when I do, the flame lashes out sporadically, just before a numbness shoots across my arm and my power fades.

  So that’s my limit.

  I take a deep breath and try again, this time, focusing on maintaining the flame at a sustainable amount. In a shorter time, my powers emerge again and I hold another dark flame in my hand. The stress is there, but it’s doable. If I can compare it to anything, it’s almost like holding a small weight in your hand, but keeping your arm bent at a ninety-degree angle. The weight isn’t a direct stressor, it’s easy to lift, but holding the weight in a fixed position eventually takes its toll.

  I have to start somewhere though, and the more I use my power, the easier it’ll get to maintain it.

  I close my eyes once more, ignoring the sweat beginning to run down the contours of my face. I then visualize the path of my energy stemming from my core, fueling my actions. I extend my other hand out in front of me at a ninety-degree angle and try to pull a second stream of energy from my core to spark a second flame. I don’t even have to open my eyes to feel the first flame weaken as the second one begins to grow. I push through the imbalance until I feel the pull of the second flame grow to a formidable size. After that, I focus on balancing the intensity of the two masses of energy in my hands, and maintaining them for as long as I can.

  Unfortunately, as long as I can only turns out being less than five minutes. I call off the flames and lower my hands in exhaustion, sweat freely flowing from my pores as I gasp for air, my hands gripping my knees. My powers work differently than the other students. The energy I produce is like a flame, but it isn’t quite the same as the other pyros. Whenever they summon their flames, it isn’t nearly as draining. All of us are pulling from the same energy source—our bodies—so why is mine so difficult to utilize and sustain? When using your powers, I was taught that everyone has a limit, one that only grows with experience and training. The source of our powers isn’t infinite. Just like everything else, our powers can grow weaker with fatigue. I won’t be able to compete with the rest of the class if I can barely manage to maintain my flame.

  I raise both my hands up to their previous angle, and give rise to my abilities, my eyes firmly set on the clock. The flames roar through, and I eventually max out again, but this time I manage to go a few seconds longer. Mr. Hoover wanted me to practice activating and relinquishing my flames... I didn’t realize how taxing it would be, but that’s only because I never used them for an extended amount of time. In reality, what he wanted me to do was to get used to the strain that summoning the energy takes on my body by using baby steps. We’re doing the same thing, really. The only difference is that I’m not taking baby steps. I’m diving in head-first. It’s the only way.

  After taking some time to gather my strength, I go another round, and another, and another. I keep going, fighting for every second that I’m able to sustain the dark flames, until I fall to my knees from exhaustion. I lean forward and balance my weight on my hands, desperate to will myself to get to my feet. I’ve been training for a little less than an hour, and it already feels like I won’t have enough strength to walk back to my dorm.

  Is that what Mr. Hoover warned me about? Did he know the cost of using an ability like mine too quickly? I need to change my approach. Holding the flames won’t do anything by themselves. I need to unlock the true nature of my abilities. I...I don’t even know what I can do yet.

  After I catch my breath, I stand to my feet and summon another flame in my dominant hand, my eyes set on the training dummy in front of me. The dummies at the facility are made to withstand the use of powers, so I shouldn’t have to hold back. If I remember correctly, they’re each outfitted with an assortment of sensors underneath their armor to monitor an array of different stats. Temperature, force, speed...the list goes on...everything suited to meet the needs of the students when it comes to measuring where they stand and what they need to do to improve. I’m too exhausted to try an all-out assault on it, but there’s something I can do.

  I didn’t expect to tire out this quickly, but I guess it can’t be helped. It’ll only make my stamina better in the long run.

  The day I killed my attackers and the day my powers showed up again have two things in common. I used my powers, but the way I used them was different. During the first incident, I was able to use my flame as a projectile of sorts, and it consumed them. A splash of fire that grew into a raging inferno. With Tristen, it was more like a flare...a pulse of energy that forced him back and did extensive damage to whatever came in its path. It was enough to smash through Kaci’s barrier, and not even Summer was able to do that. Mr. Hoover said it was almost like I ate through her forcefield, but even if that’s not the case, one thing remains true. In time, I should be able to control the density and the manner that I send out my flame. There are levels to this...clearly. I scratched the surface, twice now, on accident, but there’s still a lot more left to uncover until I can stand there on my own merit. Beginner’s luck or sudden awakenings won’t save me forever. I need to be able to access the full range of my powers at will or else I’ll never succeed. Doing this is only the first step.

  I raise my palm to the dummy, point it dead center, and visualize shooting my energy directly at his core before tensing my muscles. The energy gathered in my hand flares, and I strain harder, trying my hardest to bend the flames to my will. Spurts of violet and black lash out in front of me, licking the air, but the range isn’t anything close to what I had hoped.

  I’m missing something, but what?

  I double down on my efforts and grip my wrist with my right hand. I plant my feet and begin to funnel more of my
energy into the flame.

  Okay. You can do this, Aiden. You have to.

  I continue to feed the flame, pushing past my comfort zone, exerting myself beyond the level of flames that I focused on when I used both hands. As my knees buckle, the flame rages on, but it’s still nested between my fingers.

  Shoot! Come on! I tense harder, ignoring my body’s desperate plea for mercy. I can feel the muscles in my forearm and bicep tightening...cramping...from being maxed out, but I still hold the flame with the support of my other arm. I scream as I force out more of my energy and then, without warning, the flame explodes. I manage to keep my grounding, but I lose all feeling in my left arm.

  Not a second later, my head begins to swirl and I fall to the floor, my world taking on the color of my darkest flames.

  Chapter 7

  “Three minutes until next session starts. Please ensure that all of your belongings are secured, and the room is cleaned,” an automated voice booms from the speakers overhead, causing my eyes to shoot open.

  Three minutes? So that means I—

  "For a second there, I thought you were dead." I push my body off from the ground and turn to see Summer towering over me, arms folded and unamused.

  “Summer? How did you get in here?” I ask after wiping the sweat from the side of my face. It’s a bit hazy, but I remember it. I passed out while trying to mold my energy into a projectile.

  “I asked.” She shrugged. “The dude at the front desk was super helpful.”

  “I don't think they’re allowed to let you—you know what? Never mind. Why are you here?”