Comet's Embrace

Having just been dismissed from the final day of the Academy, Crystal found herself feeling uneasy. The absence of Marauders in the room had stirred a quiet anxiety within her. On any other day, she might have dismissed such a thing, but today was different. Today was meant to bring critical revelations about the Tournament. And yet, no one from the Marauder contingent had appeared.

Her thoughts churned as Aira grasped her hand, tugging her toward the training grounds. Crystal allowed herself to be led, her concerns temporarily shoved aside as she began to train with her friends. Then, her eyes caught Sorn, standing at the center of the grounds, looking adrift as he exchanged words with Toren.

Her steps quickened. Seeing him filled her with a pang of guilt that had lingered ever since Sorn's trial before the Council. Crystal had assured him he would've been safe by staying around her hut. His capture had been a consequence of her failure, and her inability to help him out in the trial.

She had come to trust Sorn completely, his sincerity convincing her on that day the two first met. But she feared now that the trust was not mutual. Worse, she feared he might resent her for her misstep.

Yet when she approached, the look of recognition that lit Sorn's face was a balm to her soul. It was a reaction she had not anticipated but welcomed all the same. Whatever doubts she had carried, they melted away in that instant as she greeted the boy.

Her attention shifted to her betrothed. Even from a distance, it was clear that Toren had been taunting Sorn. Crystal knew her fiancé well enough to see through his games. The pride of the Dancing Blade was in his element whenever there was someone he could talk down to.

And despite Toren being the one to capture Sorn, Crystal felt no anger toward him. It was an action from him that she expected, and thus she couldn't blame him.

Still, she noted with some satisfaction the way Toren's carefully measured composure slipped when he noticed her approach. His frosty breath caught for just a moment, and he cast one final glance at Sorn before stepping forward.

"I look forward to seeing you soon," Toren said.

Then, with an exaggerated bow, he knelt before Crystal. She sighed softly, extending her arm with a practiced grace. Toren leaned forward, pressing his lips to the back of her hand in a gesture of respect.

"Your Majesty," he murmured.

When he rose, his smirk returned, the fleeting crack in his mask sealed once more. With a sharp gesture, he signaled for Neville and Jason to follow, and the three Dancing Blades disappeared to the other side of the grounds.

·:*¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨*:·

Sorn found himself impressed by the ease with which Crystal had dismissed Toren. The Dancing Blade heir had slunk away with just the sight of her.

The tension left Sorn's shoulders, and his attention shifted to the two figures lingering at a respectful distance behind Crystal. The pair stood close together, their posture mirroring each other's. They were both slight of frame and looked quite alike, with only a few distinguishable features. One girl wore her hair in high, sharp pigtails, her expression set in a compassionless glare. The other, with a bob of sparkling blue hair, seemed to balance the other girl's intensity with a detached curiosity. Together, they appeared to Sorn as quite the odd pair.

Crystal gestured toward them with a small smile. "These girls are very close friends of mine. Aria and Aira, twins from the Dancing Blade clan," she said.

Sorn's initial intrigue soured at the mention of their clan. His thoughts flicked back to Oden's words about the Dancing Blade—a clan that walked the line between the feuding Spears and Marauders, pledging no allegiance but ever maneuvering for advantage. They were neutral, perhaps, in name, but Sorn's dealings with Toren had left him skeptical. That first conflict in which Toren drew blood with a single ruthless strike was etched into Sorn's memory, and now, anything tied to the Dancing Blade came with a bitter taste.

Still, he allowed himself to nod politely. If Crystal trusted these two, then he would put faith in that. "Hey, I'm Sorn," he said.

The girl with the pigtails narrowed her eyes further, her glare darkening to something just short of a scowl. Sorn noticed her judgment, though he had no idea what he had done to earn her displeasure. Her sister, meanwhile, remained quiet but nudged Crystal gently, her gaze lingering on him with interest, and the two locked eyes for a moment too long.

"She wants to see your power," Crystal explained.

Sorn blinked at the request. "Ah, okay." He wasn't aware of the Emerald Wisps being common knowledge, but he supposed if even just one person ran their mouth, the entire Fortress would learn. Sorn glanced at the bob-haired twin, wondering why she hadn't spoken up herself. Shyness, perhaps? Whatever the case, he decided the reason was irrelevant. If showing his abilities would satisfy their curiosity, and perhaps smooth the unease in the air, he saw no harm in it.

Taking a steadying breath, Sorn closed his eyes and reached inward, seeking the familiar spark of his Emerald Wisps—

"It appears you have finally been able to reach me."

Sorn found himself immobilized, every one of his muscles was locked in place. The sky above was a surreal shade of spring green, dotted with floating fragments of beige rubble of different sizes drifting aimlessly. It took him a moment to realize he stood upon one such fragment himself. The entire realm exuded a sense of mystique, with bright wisps dancing in the air, shifting in patterns reminiscent of his abilities.

Before him sat a solitary figure, cross-legged and facing away. Short white hair spiked from the back of the man's head. He wore a robe adorned with three stacked triangles with an eye positioned at the center. It was a symbol that quite literally felt seared into Sorn's very soul. Though the man had not turned, Sorn was certain the earlier voice had emanated from him, resonating within his being rather than through his ears.

"It seems you do not recognize me. That's a shame." The voice carried a feigned melancholy, yet it stirred a memory within Sorn. He recalled hearing it during Toren's attack, the moment he first activated his Emerald Wisps. "That was you?" Sorn attempted to speak, but his mouth refused to move; the two were communicating with their souls.

"Indeed it was. And I commend you. I did not think you would take control of your power as quickly as you did. Should you continue, you may reach the desired state far more quickly."

"Desired state?" Sorn inquired.

"Do not fret over small matters. Do not ask me questions. You will refrain from being a bother to me. You still have some way to go before you can fully capitalize on this power I have gifted you. But remember, you are but a vessel to output what I desire. You do not understand this right now. Perhaps you never will. Regardless, I look forward to seeing if you can meet my expectations."

Questions swirled in Sorn's mind, but even communication had been stripped away. The mysterious figure remained silent for a moment, allowing Sorn to languish in his state of catatonia.

"Well, goodbye, Sorn."

And then, abruptly, he was back in reality.

·:*¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨*:·

Sorn's vision blurred as he struggled to regain himself. The world around him slowly came into focus, revealing Crystal's face inches from his own, her eyes full of panic. She gripped his shoulders, shaking him violently as she called his name. Behind her, Aira's worry was palpable, and even Aria's usual glare had softened into an expression of concern and curiosity.

As Sorn's senses returned, he became acutely aware of the wisps encircling him. They writhed and twisted, their hues darkening to deep greens before reverting to their original shade. The air crackled with their energy, thicker and more volatile than ever before.

"What happened to you?" Crystal's voice was a rapid stream of questions. "The moment those green things appeared, your eyes went wild, and your body started convulsing. You were completely unresponsive." Her words mirrored the confusion in Sorn's mind. Fragments of the surreal encounter with the strange man flitted through his thoughts, but when he attempted to speak of it, a strange force stifled his words.

"I can't have you saying that, Sorn. You must continue being a good, quiet boy for me."

The voice echoed in his mind, and Sorn found himself unable to articulate anything about the experience.

Aria's sharp tone cut through the tension. "Is it supposed to be doing that?" She gestured towards the erratic wisps with a look of distaste.

Sorn concentrated, attempting to will the wisps away, but they remained stubbornly active. "I can't seem to turn it off," he admitted.

Aria's scowl deepened. "You can't even control your ability? That's a level of incompetence I never thought I'd witness."

"Calm down, Aria," Crystal interjected. The reprimand caused Aria to avert her gaze, though her displeasure was still evident. Turning back to Sorn, Crystal's eyes gleamed with a unique intensity. It was an expression Sorn had only seen once before. It was in the cave, where Crystal excitedly spoke of Keilan's sacrifice.

"Perhaps your power needs to be worn down," she suggested, stepping back and spreading her arms wide. There were a few meters between both of them now, and her smile grew wide. "Come at me."

Sorn hesitated. "I'm not sure about this..."

Crystal wasn't fazed at all. "If you won't make the first move—" She lunged forward, her feet leaving the ground as she delivered a swift kick to Sorn's face, sending him sprawling into a snowdrift.

Groaning, Sorn pushed himself up, surprised at the minimal pain from the blow. The bruise on his forehead throbbed, but familiar energy coursed through him with a new intensity, invigorating his senses. He looked up to see Crystal bouncing lightly on her feet. She was like a ball of pure excitement.

"Well? Ready to try now?"

Resigned, Sorn dashed forward without a reply. The Emerald Wisps propelled him with unprecedented speed. "Just don't blame me if you get hurt!" he shouted.

Crystal sidestepped his attack effortlessly, grabbing his arm and using his momentum to flip him back into the snow. She aimed a stomp at his chest, but Sorn rolled away just in time, springing to his feet and pivoting to deliver a kick aimed at her head. Crystal raised her arm to block, absorbing the impact but stepping back several paces. She shook her arm, a smile playing on her lips.

"I felt that," she said, her breath coming in visible puffs.

Sorn's focus sharpened his soul, his essence, his entire being honing in on the singular goal: defeating the opponent before him. He crouched low, the wisps around him intensifying.

A sudden, sharp pain struck his side. The attack was intangible. Before he could react, a boot connected with his skull, snapping his head back and dispelling the wisps. Above him stood Keilan, his face a mask of fury. "You dare spar with my sister with the intent to kill in your eyes?"

Crystal rushed forward, placing a hand on her brother's shoulder. "Keilan, stop."

Keilan turned back towards Crystal, throwing her hand off. "And what do you think you were doing? You couldn't have picked a worse candidate to duel. Do you intend to die before the Tournament even starts?"

Despite Keilan's angry outburst, Crystal remained calm in her response. "He didn't have a chance of killing me. And it isn't your business who I choose to battle. Why are you even here?"

Keilan hesitated at the change of subject, causing the tension to ease slightly. "There's something I wanted to tell you."

As the siblings conversed in hushed tones, Sorn remained on the ground, his body aching from the confrontation. His thoughts drifted back to that strange man he had encountered earlier. He tried to focus, but his exhaustion was overwhelming. He just knew that if he wanted to be angry, he should direct those emotions to that man. He was doing something to him, and Sorn didn't have his autonomy being infringed upon.

A shadow fell across his face, and he looked up to see an upside-down face. Short hair hanging down and soft facial features allowed Sorn to deduce that this was Aira. But before he could speak, Aria walked up, immediately pulling her twin sister back. "Don't get too close to the outsider," she warned in a harsh tone.

Sorn forced himself into a sitting position, wincing as he did so. He glanced at Aira, offering a weak smile. "I'm okay. Just a bit bruised."

Aria's eyes narrowed. "She can't speak, and I don't have anything to say to you. You might as well keep quiet."

Sorn nodded, choosing to take the hint. He turned his attention back to Keilan and Crystal, who were still deep in conversation. As interesting as it seemed, he couldn't be bothered to try and eavesdrop.

"Hey! Sorn, you look like a mess!"

The familiar voice cut through the haze of his thoughts, and Sorn looked up to see Oden approaching, a grin on his face. Relief washed over him. He had never before been so happy to see the Marauder. The only sane person within these forsaken Fortress walls.