The Impossible Shot

"Now, now, no need to be so gloomy," the teacher crooned, his voice dripping with mock sweetness. "It won't be that difficult."

He paused, scanning the area with an exaggerated, thoughtful expression before his eyes lit up with a malicious glint.

"Your target will be… hmm." His smile twisted into something cruel as he pointed beyond the training ground. "That tree over there. You see those apples? Shoot one down."

The entire class turned, following the direction of his finger. A collective gasp rippled through the students.

The tree was far—ridiculously far. It stood at the edge of the training grounds, its thin branches barely visible against the backdrop of the forest. The apples? They were nothing more than faint red specks to most of the students, almost impossible to distinguish with the naked eye.

Ezra's mouth fell open in disbelief. There's no way, he thought. The distance alone was unreasonable, even for someone with perfect vision.

But Silas?

Silas remained perfectly still, his expression unreadable as he fixed his uncovered eye on the distant tree, its dark green hue sharp and unwavering . The other remained concealed behind a gold mask, intricately designed with delicate engravings that caught the sunlight, swirling patterns that seemed alive . 

He tilted his head slightly, as if listening to something only he could hear. The bow rested easily in his hands, as if it belonged there.

The teacher's grin widened, his amusement obvious. "What's wrong, pretty boy? Need me to move it closer?" His voice oozed mockery, drawing a few uncomfortable snickers from the crowd.

But Silas didn't respond.

He simply lifted the bow, smooth and effortless, as if he'd done it a thousand times before. His fingers moved with precision, finding the arrow without hesitation, nocking it in place.

The entire class held its breath.

Ezra watched, heart pounding, as Silas drew the string back, his posture relaxed but perfectly aligned. It was impossible. He couldn't even see the apple.

And then—without a sound—Silas released.

The arrow whistled through the air, slicing across the training ground in a blur.

A beat of silence.

Then—

Thwack.

The apple, barely visible moments before, exploded into pieces, falling from the tree in a shower of red.

The training ground went dead silent.

Ezra's eyes widened, his breath catching in his throat.

'No way.'

The teacher's smug grin faltered, his eyes narrowing as if trying to comprehend what just happened. For a moment, he looked like he wanted to say something—anything—but no words came out.

Silas lowered the bow, his expression as indifferent as ever. "Next time," he murmured, his voice low but cutting through the silence, "choose a smaller target."

And with that, he turned, walking back to his spot as if nothing had happened.

The training ground was abuzz with whispers, students exchanging stunned glances but no one dared laugh now, the tension hanging thick in the air. Ezra watched in quiet satisfaction, a slow grin spreading across his face. He'd always known Silas had more to him than he let on—now, it was clear.

Just then, Asli arrived, panting heavily. His clothes were drenched in sweat, his blindfold slipping dangerously from his face as he struggled to catch his breath.

"My favorite student, what a pleasure to join us," the teacher said with mock enthusiasm, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Asli physically recoiled, a disgusted look spreading across his face. The teacher, unfazed, swung an arm across his shoulder, parading him to the front of the room like a prize.

"I was just going to choose some students, but you arrived at the right time," the teacher continued, his grin widening. "I was looking for you, you know, but didn't see your handsome face in the crowd. Vox made you run around the school, huh?"

"Yes," Asli answered curtly, trying to distance himself from the teacher, but the man held on, his grip firm.

"Don't worry, I'll go easy on you. Just go over there and stand for me," the teacher said, dismissing him with a wave of his hand.

Asli didn't respond but reluctantly moved to the designated spot. 

The teacher turned his attention to Ezra, who had been silently watching from the side.

"You, come up here," the teacher called, his tone switching to one of command. "Take the bow."

Ezra stood up slowly, his stomach tight with nerves. He grabbed the bow, feeling its unfamiliar weight in his hand. He had never used one before, and the thought of trying in front of everyone made his palms sweat.

"You only have three chances to hit the target," the teacher said, his eyes gleaming with cruel amusement. Ezra scanned the area for the target, but all he saw was Asli, standing in the sun, his posture tense. There was a dummy behind him

"But… the target is behind him," Ezra said, confusion evident in his voice.

The teacher turned toward him, smirking. "Exactly. You have to hit the target without hitting your partner. Think you can do that?"