Chapter Thirty: Threads of Envy

Lira sat on the pallet—watching Roderic Vane meditate in silence, his presence a quiet storm in the small confines of her quarters. His thick frame still as stone, legs crossed, hands resting on his knees. His breath flowed steady—chest rising and falling in a slow, deliberate rhythm—hazel eyes closed, qi swirling within him, a ceaseless pulse she couldn't see but felt, a hum that vibrated faintly against her own newly surged energy. She pulled the blanket over her lap—her pussy still wet, a lingering heat from their encounter pulsing faintly—her hazel eyes tracing him, a mix of awe and something sharper flickering in her gaze.

She admired him—his strength, his quiet power, the way his qi seemed endless, a well that never ran dry even as every other cultivator she'd seen staggered, burnt out from the masked attackers' assault. His Middle Initiate qi, had burned through foes in the battle, a spark she'd felt flare in their intimacy, surging her own qi to new heights. Her fingers brushed her tan thigh—skin prickling as she felt it, a flame kindled within her core, steady and strong, a rise she couldn't explain but cherished. Yet beneath the admiration, a certainty coiled—tight, unyielding. I can't keep him, she thought, hazel eyes narrowing, lips pressing into a thin line. He was a flame—wild, unbound—and soon, others would see it too, girls drawn to his strength, his grin, the quiet allure she'd tasted first. I'll have to fight for him—claw for his attention, she mused, a pang of envy twisting in her chest, her qi pulsing with a possessive edge, her tan hands clenching the blanket as she watched, knowing the storm of competition loomed.

Roderic stirred—his meditation ending, hazel eyes fluttering open, glinting with a calm focus as he exhaled, a faint shimmer of qi dissipating around him. The relic in his core pulsed—a steady hum, its power endless but its yield from their night smaller than before, a subtle rise in his fire and spirit, not the leap he'd once felt. He turned to her—grinning faintly, voice low. "Done—feeling good?"

Lira nodded—tan skin glowing, hazel eyes meeting his, her qi thrumming stronger, a flame flickering higher since their union. "Yeah—better than good," she said, voice soft but steady, shifting to sit straighter, blanket slipping slightly. "You?"

"Same," he said, grin widening—his qi endless, no fatigue dragging him, the relic's gift a secret keeping him sharp. He slid closer—straw crunching—placing a hand on her tan shoulder, warmth radiating from his touch. "Sit—let me show you something."

She obeyed—tan legs crossing as she settled, hazel eyes curious, her tunic still off, bare skin prickling under his gaze. He knelt beside her—hands gentle but firm—adjusting her posture, straightening her back, guiding her arms to rest palms-up on her knees. "Breathe—like this," he said, voice steady, inhaling deep, chest swelling, exhaling slow—a rhythm she mimicked, her breaths syncing with his, qi stirring in her core, a flame she felt but couldn't yet shape.

"Focus it—here," he said, pressing a hand to her chest, just below her collarbone—tan skin warm under his fingers, her pulse quickening as qi flared, a tingling rush threading through her meridians. "Pull it up—let it flow." His voice was calm, guiding—his own qi humming, endless, a relic's power he didn't name, its Shattered Veil origins a mystery pulsing beneath.

Lira closed her eyes—breaths deepening, qi rising—a flame flickering brighter, spreading through her chest, down her arms, a steady burn she hadn't known before. "It's… moving," she murmured, voice soft, hazel eyes fluttering open, glinting with wonder. "Stronger—how?"

"You've got talent," he said, grinning—lying smoothly, hand lingering on her chest before pulling back. "Always did—just didn't know it. Needed a nudge." His words were a balm—hiding the truth, the relic's dual cultivation surge that had sparked her growth, a secret he kept as his qi hummed, endless and unshaken.

She beamed—tan face lighting up, hazel eyes wide with pride. "Really? Thought it was just… luck." Her qi flared—a tangible rush, her pussy still wet from their night, a lingering pulse echoing the strength blooming within, her tan skin prickling as she felt it, a flame she could almost grasp.

"Nah—talent," he assured, voice warm—lying to bolster her, his own qi steady, the relic's smaller gain a puzzle he pondered silently. Not enough—need more, he thought—her surge clear, his muted—eyes glinting as he watched her meditate, qi flowing, a flame kindled by their union, his mind drifting to new sparks, new flesh.

Lira sank deeper—breaths steady, qi swirling—a flame threading through her meridians, her tan hands steady on her knees, hazel eyes closed as she followed his pointers, unaware of his lie, her strength a gift she claimed as her own.

She continued to meditate.....sat cross-legged on the pallet—tan skin flushed, chestnut hair spilling over her shoulders, her bare form glowing faintly as she meditated, qi swirling within her like a flame stoked by Roderic's guidance. Her hazel eyes were closed, breaths deep and steady, the surge in her qi a tangible heat threading through her meridians—a gift she attributed to talent he'd assured her she always had, his lie masking the relic's dual cultivation spark. 

She exhaled—qi settling—hazel eyes fluttering open, a grin breaking across her tan face. "It's real—stronger," she said, voice soft with wonder, hands unclenching from her knees. "Thanks—your pointers worked."

"Anytime," he grinned, voice low—lying smoothly about her innate talent, the relic's surge a secret humming beneath his words. "You're getting it—keep going." His hand brushed her tan shoulder—warmth lingering—before he stood, straw crunching under his boots. "Gotta head back—rest up."

"Stay a bit?" she asked, hazel eyes glinting, but he shook his head—his qi endless, thoughts shifting.

"Next time," he said, pulling his robe on—red fabric settling over his sun-browned frame—leaving her quarters with a final grin, the door thudding shut behind him. Night cloaked the academy—silent save for the faint hum of distant qi—and he sneaked back to his quarters, boots scuffing stone, dodging the weary patrols of seniors still tense from the attack. Slipping into his dorm—straw pallet bare—he shed his robe, collapsing onto it, straw rustling as he sank into sleep, qi pulsing steady, no fatigue weighing him, the relic's endless flow a stark contrast to the burnt-out survivors nursing their wounds.

Morning broke—Roderic rose, qi humming, no ache in his bones, the relic's power a quiet flame as he dressed—red robe torn but worn with pride—heading to fire class, boots thudding stone. The academy buzzed—cleaners swept bloodied steps, brooms rasping as they cleared debris, builders hammered nails into splintered wood, their mallets thudding rhythmically. Training had sharpened—novices drilled qi with focused grunts, adepts sparred with clashing blades, seniors honed moves against unseen foes—all preparing for future assaults, their faces pale, qi dim from exhaustion, a weariness Roderic didn't share.

At fire class—red-robed novices gathered—Roderic joined Barnaby Quill and Theobald Finch, their robes stained from battle, qi faint but sparking as they faced the instructor, a grizzled adept in green, his voice a growl. "Line up—attacks'll come again. Fire's your weapon—burn hotter, strike faster."

Roderic stood—qi endless—hands flexing as he summoned fire, a crimson blaze flaring from his palms, spirit threading gold to sharpen his focus. He aimed at a target—flames blasting with a roar, stone charring black, heat rippling as qi pulsed, the relic's power a steady hum. Barnaby grinned—pale blue eyes glinting—wind qi swirling faintly as he tossed a weak gust, voice hoarse. "You're chipper—didn't even flinch in that fight."

"Kept going," Roderic shrugged—relic's gift unspoken—fire flaring again, qi endless, striking with precision, thoughts drifting to Lira's surge, his own plateau, and the battles ahead.

Theo—gray eyes steady—fired a tight burst, qi flickering, his voice low. "Rest of us nearly dropped—you're something else."

"Just training," Roderic grinned—lying smoothly—fire qi blasting once more, the relic's endless flow a secret as the academy steeled itself, his mind

on fire and future fights.