Talent or Curse?

The next day came as I descended the froststone staircase, my fingers brushing the icy rail. The shadows within me stirred, restless, as if they sensed what lay ahead.

It wasn't the cold that gnawed at me, it hadn't been, not since I'd awakened my magic. The froststone, the sharp bite of Frostfang's air… it was nothing compared to the death magic that thrummed under my skin. That kind of cold never left.

When I stepped into the arena, there he was, lounging against one of the rune-carved walls like he owned the place. His silver eyes flicked toward me the instant I walked in, gleaming with a familiar, insufferable smugness.

"Ah, look who finally showed up," Lothar said, pushing off the froststone wall with a lazy stretch. "What's wrong, Ali? Lose your nerve halfway down the stairs?"

"Don't flatter yourself," I replied, crossing the room calmly. "I figured I'd give you a moment to mentally prepare for the unstoppable force that is Ali Noctis."

"Oh, a force of nature now, huh?" he smirked, striding toward the center of the arena with a swagger so exaggerated I almost rolled my eyes. "Guess I'll have to take this a little more seriously. Can't underestimate a natural disaster, after all."

I let the shadows stir at my feet, curling faintly around my boots. "You sure you're ready? I'd hate to ruin your reputation before breakfast."

Lothar stopped in the center of the arena and planted his hands on his hips. "Big words for someone who's still nursing their bruised ego from yesterday. Careful, you might actually convince me to try this time."

I matched his grin with one of my own, letting my hands rest loosely at my sides. "So? What fresh hell have you got for me today, oh wise and merciful teacher?"

"Fresh hell," Lothar repeated with a theatrical sigh, drawing his rune-carved sword with a smooth flourish. The blade shimmered faintly, the runes along its edge glowing softly, almost alive. "Kid, you don't even know the meaning of the word yet. But don't worry, I'll educate you."

"Here's the deal." He started flipping the silver coin in his hand, the same one he'd used the other day. Watching it spin through the air made my stomach tighten. "We're kicking things up a notch. Today, you're multitasking: dodging, attacking, defending, and yes, catching the coin. All at the same time."

"That's ridiculous," I said flatly. "You want me to dodge your sword, send shadows at you without missing, and still keep an eye on that stupid coin?"

"Exactly," he grinned, his stance casual but his silver eyes sharp. "Life's chaotic, Ali. If you can't juggle everything at once, you're just waiting to get killed. This? This is me being nice."

"Nice doesn't seem like the right word," I muttered

The coin flashed in the air, spinning lazily like it had all the time in the world. My chest tightened. I reached for it, shadows twisting upward in sync with my hand, but Lothar's blade was faster. 

Steel gleamed and sliced through the air where my fingers had been a heartbeat ago, forcing me to yank them back. 

"You didn't even let me get ready," I snapped, stumbling back as my shadows coiled sluggishly around me, slower than I needed them to be. 

"Real fights don't wait for you to say ready, kid," Lothar shot back. His grin was sharp, mocking, and infuriating. "Now shut up and move." 

His sword struck again, a diagonal slash so fast I barely tracked it. The shadows surged on instinct, forming a barrier between us, but the magic was sluggish under the strain. His blade slammed into the shield, the force of the blow rippling through my chest. I staggered as shadow tendrils lashed out wildly, striking froststone and empty air. 

"Come on, Ali. That all you've got?" His voice was maddeningly cheerful. A flash of silver spun through the air, his stupid coin again, and my eyes twitched toward it before I could stop myself. 

He went low this time, his blade sweeping toward my legs. I jumped back, froststone biting into my boots as I scrambled for balance. My shadows lashed for his knees, twisting and snapping like snakes, but he sidestepped effortlessly. 

"You're too predictable, kid," he taunted, spinning the coin between his fingers before tossing it higher. 

"Stop talking," I growled. My jaw tightened as I forced the shadows to split into three tendrils darting at him from different angles. 

"Better," Lothar muttered. His silver eyes narrowed as his blade deflected two attacks in sharp, effortless arcs. The third tendril snapped low toward his legs. Finally. 

But he twisted smoothly, his cloak billowing as he dodged, already stepping inside my guard. 

The coin flashed again, catching my eye at the worst possible moment. My gaze snapped upward, desperate, and the silver clinked against the floor before I realized I had fallen for his bait. 

"Missed it again," Lothar chided as his sword swept toward my shoulder. 

I twisted sharply, throwing up a shaky barrier just in time. The blow rattled through my body, and the shadow shield faltered. The tendrils quivered, sluggish and unsteady. I could feel the strain. Keeping them moving, defending, attacking, thinking. It wasn't just hard, it was impossible. 

The shadows flickered as though they felt my hesitation, their edges blurring and losing sharpness. When Lothar stepped closer, I almost stumbled again under the unrelenting pressure. 

"Focus," I hissed through gritted teeth, but the shadows didn't listen. They lashed out blindly, slamming into the wall behind him. 

"Sloppy," he called out as his blade arced toward my side. "Letting them run the show, are we?" 

I threw myself backward, froststone scraping my palms as I hit the ground hard. For a second, I thought I might not get back up. 

"Get it together, Ali," his voice snapped, colder now. "In a real fight, those shadows of yours will get you killed. Or worse, they'll take someone else down with you." 

His words hit harder than his strikes, settling in my chest like a stone. My hands curled into fists as I pushed myself upright, every muscle protesting. He was right. 

The shadows weren't just faltering. They were slipping. They moved because they wanted to, not because I told them to. And what would happen if they decided to stop? 

I didn't have time to dwell on the question. Lothar didn't give me the chance. 

"You're slowing down," he said, his tone growing sharper. "Think faster, move smarter, or don't. It's up to you." 

His next strike came high, a sharp diagonal slash aimed at my torso. This time, I moved forward instead of back, twisting just enough to avoid the blade. I forced the shadows to respond, coiling them into a single spear that blocked his follow-up strike with a crack of force. 

"Finally," Lothar murmured. His grin widened as he deflected the spear with a quick twist of his blade. 

He stepped back, but not fast enough. A second tendril whipped low, snapping toward his legs faster than he could retreat. For the first time, his stance faltered, and he grunted as he gave ground. 

The coin flashed in the air again. 

This time, I didn't hesitate. The shadows curled upward as though they knew what to do. They caught the coin midair, wrapping around it tightly before placing it in my waiting hand. The cold metal pressed into my palm, and I exhaled, chest heaving. 

Lothar lowered his sword and stared at me for a beat. His expression was impossible to read, but his voice softened, just barely. "Not bad. You still think too much, and you look like you're about to collapse, but at least it doesn't feel like I'm babysitting anymore. That's progress." 

"Gee, thanks," I muttered, forcing my back straight despite the burning ache in my muscles. The coin was cool and solid against my palm, a small but hard-won victory. 

"What? You want a parade?" His smirk returned as he pocketed his sword with an effortless flick. "Don't get too comfortable, though. That was just the warm-up." 

I blinked at him. "Wait. That was the warm-up?" 

"Yep." He slung his cloak over one shoulder and glanced back at me as he strolled to the exit. "Real training starts tomorrow. Eat a big breakfast, Ali. You're finally going to need it." 

With a hum that was almost too casual for someone who had just run me into the ground, he disappeared, leaving me alone in the arena.

I stood there for a long moment, letting the adrenaline seep out of my system as the shadows coiled faintly around my boots, quieter now but still lingering. My chest still heaved, my muscles burned, and yet, I couldn't help it.

I laughed.

It wasn't relief or triumph. It was bitter, absurd, and uncontrollable. "Is this really a talent?" I muttered to no one, shaking my head. "Because it feels like a curse."

Lothar's words echoed in my mind: In a real fight, those shadows of yours will get you killed. That thought alone should've left me furious, but all I could do was laugh harder. Frustration mixed with disbelief at him, at myself, at everything. The shadows shifted again, brushing lightly against my boots, and for a moment, it felt like they were mocking me too.

I stared at the coin in my palm, letting my laughter fade into soft, bitter silence. "Warm-up," I muttered, pocketing it with a humorless snort. "He's actually insane."

Still grinning faintly despite myself, I turned toward the froststone stairs. My fingers brushed the icy rail as I climbed, my breath steadying. A curse huh, even if it's a curse, I'll learn to wield it anyway.