Training Partners

Looking at the mix of reactions around the room, Jace waved off those who looked concerned. "We're good," he reassured them before shifting the conversation forward.

"There are a couple of things I've been thinking about," he continued, gathering their attention. "First, I suggest we partner up while training. That way, we can maximize our time in the mana rooms without drawing too much attention."

He glanced around the table, making sure they were following.

"If we try to monopolize the mana rooms, the other teams are definitely going to take issue with it. The last thing we need is unnecessary conflict before the next contest."

The group nodded in agreement. It made sense, drawing too much attention might tip others off to what they were really using the rooms for.

Ethan smirked, stretching his back. "So don't be too obvious about it. Simple enough."

Felix adjusted his glasses. "Pairing up also makes sense from a safety perspective. If someone passes out or loses control, the other person can step in."

Jace exhaled, leaning back slightly. "Exactly." He tapped his fingers against the table. "Also," he added with a shudder, "I recommend only doing it at the end of the day. Your bodies are going to be pretty beat up afterward."

A shiver passed through the group as they imagined how they would feel after pushing their limits repeatedly. Even Aurora's expression faltered for a moment, a slight grimace slipping onto her face.

"Luckily, we're used to wrecking our bodies," Lyra said, giving a smirk, though there was something sad behind it.

Jace nodded before continuing, "Also, the next morning. Your body is going to be super stiff and sore. So make sure to go for a run, it'll help loosen everything up."

Astra groaned dramatically. "You're telling me that after suffering through this, I have to wake up and go running? My legs are going to hate me." She let her head fall back against her chair in protest.

"Your legs will hate you more if you don't," Jace chuckled. "Trust me, I thought relaxing was the right answer at first. Then my body got so stiff I could barely move. Running is the much better option.

Orion stretched his arms. "Well, that settles it then. We have a plan. And since we have an odd number of people participating, I'll go solo."

Jace turned to look at him, "are you sure?"

"Yeah I want to explore more about my magic while doing it," Orion said, brushing him off. "So I'll run it solo."

Jace nodded, not pushing the matter further.

"Alright then," Lyra spoke up. "Who's pairing up?"

Aster raised her hand. "My brother and I will be a pair." Elias nodded in confirmation.

Ethan glanced around. "What about guys and girls?"

Aurora, however, shook her head. "That's not going to work," she said.

The others turned to look at her.

"One of the traits of my magic is that it consumes weaker magic that's in close proximity," Aurora explained. "So unless you have a higher mana capacity than me, you won't be able to recharge properly around me."

Lyra thought about it for a second before giving Aurora a knowing look. "Let me guess… Jace is the only one who has a higher capacity than you?"

Aurora nodded. "Of those participating, yes."

Jace raised an eyebrow. Aurora didn't say things by accident. If she was implying that someone else in their group had a mana capacity high enough to compete with him… that meant one of the three sitting this out was stronger than he thought.

His mind immediately ran through the possibilities. Selene? Felix? Lucian?

None of them had ever seemed to be hiding that kind of power. But now, he wasn't so sure.

He decided to push the thoughts aside for now, focusing back onto their conversation.

"So that means Aurora and I are pair two, with Ethan and Lyra as the third pair. That work for everyone?" He glanced around, waiting for any objections.

Ethan grinned. "Team twins, team leaders, and team gods. Makes sense to me." He held out a hand toward Lyra for a high five.

Lyra paused, eyeing him with an amused but skeptical look. "Okay, but why are we 'team gods'?"

Ethan's grin widened like he had been waiting for this question. "Well, everyone's already calling me Zeus," he said proudly. "And with your crazy speed, you remind me of Artemis. The way you hunt your opponents down during duels? It's terrifying."

Lyra blinked. "You're trying to give me a nickname? You're ridiculous." Shaking her head, but she still returned the high five.

Ethan laughed out loud. "Number one, I did give you a nickname. Number two, I prefer legendary." 

His words caused the group to break into smiles and laughter