Chapter 39 - Futuresight

  The training field was bustling with students, all of them preparing for their own lessons, sparring with each other, or practicing their spells. But Kaelin stood apart from the crowd, feeling the weight of expectation pressing down on her chest.

  Today, she was going to begin learning something entirely new – a skill which Aric had mentioned a few times before, yet her knowledge was too lacking to try figuring it out herself. Futuresight.

  The concept had been explained to her in vague terms, being able to see the future, a slight edge in combat, the ability to anticipate movements before they happened. She had heard about it from the Aric, but the way he spoke of it made it sound more like a myth than a skill.

  Still, she was here, and she had to make it work. There was no room for failure. She had learned that lesson long ago.

  Kaelin’s gaze flickered around the training field, where students worked in their respective pairs. Zephyr and Lena were in the far corner, their movements synchronized as they practiced their spells.

  Zephyr, ever the skilled tri-affinity mage, wove his Time magic with effortless grace, performing skills and weaving patterns she had never even heard of. Lena, with her commanding control over Nature magic, complemented him perfectly. They had always made a formidable pair.

  Kaelin could feel the distance growing between her and them, a space that was less about physical separation and more about skill. Zephyr’s effortless precision and Lena’s steady focus were becoming increasingly out of her reach.

  It wasn’t that they didn’t include her – they did – but lately, Kaelin couldn’t shake the feeling that they didn’t really need her. It was a feeling she had buried, trying to ignore it, but it was there. She pushed it aside, forcing herself to focus on the task at hand.

  “Kaelin,” came the voice of Aric, breaking through her thoughts. She hadn’t realized how far away her mind had wandered, but now he stood before her, eyes sharp and expectant.

  Kaelin blinked, trying to steady her nerves. This was it. Futuresight. The one skill that could level the playing field. The one that could make her more than just The Killer, or The Third Wheel. She didn’t want to disappoint him.

  “You ready?” Aric asked, his tone not unkind, but his gaze calculating.

  Kaelin nodded, pulling her focus back into the present. "Yeah, I'm ready."

  Aric studied her for a moment, his lips barely curving into a smile. “Alright then. First, I’m going to walk you through the basics.

  Futuresight isn’t about controlling time itself; it’s about sensing it – feeling it. You need to become attuned to the smallest shifts in the fabric of time. It’s not something you force, it’s something you allow.”

  Kaelin frowned, unsure how to even begin. “So… I’m supposed to feel time? How does that even work?”

  Aric’s expression softened, though only slightly. “Think of it like listening to the wind or feeling the pull of the earth beneath your feet.

  Time is a constant, but it shifts. You need to sense the moments before they come. It’s a subtle feeling, but once you can connect with it, it becomes instinctive.”

  Kaelin nodded, though it was hard to wrap her head around the idea. She had always understood magic as something tangible, it all happened naturally. But this? This was different. This was something more abstract.

  “Start by closing your eyes,” Aric instructed, crossing his arms and stepping back. “Take a few deep breaths and try to clear your mind. Let everything around you fade into the background. Just focus on the now. Focus on the moment.”

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  Kaelin obeyed, inhaling deeply as she shut her eyes. The noises of the training field, the rustle of leaves, the low murmur of students talking, the distant clink of metal, they all faded as she concentrated on her breath. The feeling of the air moving around her, the steady beat of her heart, the ground beneath her feet. Everything was still. Everything was constant.

  But as the seconds ticked by, Kaelin began to grow restless. She tried to focus harder, to pull on some unseen thread of time, but nothing came. Nothing shifted. Her mind raced, trying to grasp something that wasn’t there.

  “Focus,” Aric’s voice cut through her thoughts again, sharper now. “You’re straining too much. Futuresight isn’t about forcing it. You can’t control it. It’s about sensing the movement of time, opening the path for it to come to you.”

  Kaelin’s chest tightened. She had to get this. She had to get this. But all she could feel was the deepening frustration settling into her gut, twisting and gnawing at her patience.

  She tried again, reaching out with her mind, trying to feel the slight shifts, the almost imperceptible movements of the future. But it was like trying to catch a breath in the wind, every time she thought she had it, it slipped away.

  Minutes passed. The world around her didn’t change. The pressure on her shoulders only grew heavier.

  “Alright, enough,” Aric said at last, his tone not unkind but firm. “You’re trying too hard. You need to let go. Futuresight is not a battle to be won through force. It’s a dance with time, a quiet connection.”

  Kaelin opened her eyes, frustration evident on her face. “I don’t get it. I’m doing what you said. I’m trying to feel it. But nothing’s happening.”

  Aric’s eyes softened, though his expression remained neutral. “It will take time. These things don’t come quickly. You need to trust the process. Futuresight is a rare gift. Not everyone can master it, but if you can, it will be invaluable. I believe in you.”

  Kaelin clenched her fists. She didn’t want to be the one who failed. She couldn’t let that happen. Not here, not now.

  Before she could respond, a voice cut through the air, cold and commanding.

  “I’m here, Aric.”

  Kaelin turned to see Kana standing a few feet away, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. She had arrived late, but that was nothing new. Kana always had a way of making an entrance, her presence demanding attention without saying a word. Her posture was tense, her eyes locked on Kaelin with something unreadable in her gaze.

  Aric nodded toward Kana, his eyes flicking between her and Kaelin. “Ah, good. Kana. You’re just in time. You’ll be working with Kaelin on this.”

  Kaelin’s stomach sank. She hadn’t expected Kana to be her partner in this exercise, and given the history between them, it wasn’t a partnership she was thrilled about. The tension between them had only grown since the Thread Trials – since Kaelin had killed Kana’s best friend, Daniel.

  It wasn’t that Kaelin had meant to do it. In the heat of the battle, she didn’t even remember it happening, she awoke, and realised from its aftermath.

  But that didn’t change the fact that Kana blamed her. And Kaelin couldn’t blame her. She had taken something from Kana that could never be replaced.

  “I’m not here to hold your hand, Kaelin,” Kana said, her voice colder than usual. “So don’t expect me to go easy on you.”

  Kaelin forced herself to meet her eyes, doing her best not to flinch under the weight of Kana’s icy stare. “I don’t need you to go easy on me.”

  The words came out sharper than she intended, but Kana didn’t flinch. She just gave a small, almost imperceptible nod and stepped forward.

  “Alright then,” Aric said, sensing the unspoken tension. “Kaelin, you’ll need to focus. Kana, guide her through it. I hope you understand, I brought Kana here since she is your partner for the exam, is she not?”

  “Yea… she is.

  Kaelin closed her eyes again, trying to steady her breath. The world seemed to stretch and grow quiet around her as she tried to calm her mind. It wasn’t about controlling time, not really. It was about feeling it. Feeling the shift, the moments before they happened.

  For a brief moment, something flickered – a shift in the air, a faint pull of something that wasn’t quite there yet. It was too brief, too subtle to grasp fully. But it was something.

  “Focus,” Aric’s voice cut through the silence. “Try again.”

  Kaelin nodded, forcing herself to concentrate. But the more she tried, the further the sensation seemed to slip away. It was like chasing a shadow that always stayed one step ahead.

  Her stomach twisted with frustration, and she felt the weight of her failure pressing down harder with each passing second.

  “Don’t strain so much,” Aric said quietly, watching her closely. “You’re trying too hard. Relax into it.”

  Kaelin clenched her jaw, trying to find the balance. The feeling of time slipping away, always just out of her reach, was maddening.

  She tried again, closing her eyes and pushing away the frustration. She let herself relax. Let the future come to her.

  For a moment, the world seemed to hold its breath.

  And then, just as quickly, it was gone.

  She opened her eyes, her chest tight, the feeling of failure settling in her stomach. There was still so much she didn’t understand. Still so much she couldn’t do.

  But she wouldn’t give up. Not yet.