Arcane Academia

Chapter 15

"Goddammit!" I cry after 7 hours of trying.
My flame merely drops to the floor into dust. My palms singe and blister.
The purpling thing my eyes did is now non existent. All I see it red frustration.
I drop to the glass floor, leaning on the wall.
I look at the clock, its 2.30 am. Zandar and Ethane left hours ago.
My target just glares at me, the red paint taunting me. After today's rather emotional session, I lost all my focus.
I haven't eaten or slept.
I pound the glass wall, focus Rei.
Dropping my face into my knees, I sigh.
"Well, who doesn't love sleep deprivation, " a voice says behind me making me jump out of my skin.
I pounce to my feet and throw my fists up.
"Chill , it's me," Ethane says giving me a fist bump.
"Should've guessed the smell," I say dropping back to the ground.
"You know there's no gain in lack of sleep," he says.
I shrug. He's right though, mistreating yourself,  very bad.
"Your one to talk," I say,"not really sleepwalking are you."
I sigh, leaning my head against the glass wall, exhaustion weighing my eyes.
"You need a change of perspective Aze," Ethane says.
I open my eyes to see his outstretched hand.
I grab it and hoist myself up, too exhausted to question.
"This way," he says giving me my jacket.
He opens the door and we're outside, the night breeze chilly against my skin.
I put on my jacket and follow the dude into the night. Oddly enough, I trust the jackass.
And I'm sleep deprived.

We journey to the back of the Academy towers and take the steep stairway on the outside.
By the time we reach the roof, I'm panting.
"Another cardio??" I ask pushing my hair out of my face.
He grins and leads me to the edge of the wall.
I gasp, we're in the tallest tower in the academy.
The view's breathtaking.  The whole academy and beyond. The mountains, the lakes, everything almost painted out. Torches illuminate the head of each tower , giving the darkness a touch of art.
"Damn," I say.
"Not even the best part," Ethane says beckoning. He turns and starts CLIMBING the wall.
"I like my neck fixed," I say
"Before sunrise Aze, " he says turning  to me.
Cursing I grab a piece of the stone wall and hoist my foot, grabbing one stone after the other. Not to brag, I'm an amazing rock climber.
After climbing for nearly five minutes I pause, there's no more pointed, protruding bricks. The bricks are more flat.
I turn to Ethane, bemused.
"Now the fun," he says his blue eyes glinting in the night. Literally. His Arcane's activated.
He raises a hand and grabs the next slab of the wall, electric fire lighting his palm and sticking it to the wall. And then just continues climbing. Almost glued to the wall.
I just watch till he stops and turns
"What if I wasn't bitten by a radioactive spider?" I ask a yawn crawling up.
"You wanna reach the roof, fire away," he says and keeps climbing.
"Jackass," I say sighing.
Taking a deep breath I raise my hand off the stone I was holding on to and with a sigh I try releasing a flame, nothing.
Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuugh.
Ok, focus.
Dig deep. I close my eyes and reach into all my day's frustration. With an exhausted cry, I open my eyes.
A purple flame floats over my palm.
I smirk.
"Told you," Ethane says.

I flip him off and place a palm on the wall and let go of all the support I had on my other hand and feet.
I'm sticking on the wall with just one hand, almost floating. And its enlightening. How??
Adrenaline rushing,  I grab the wall flames burning and race up the tower, a grin in my face.
I race past Ethane and reach the top of the tower, exhilarated. At the top is tiled roof, sloping down. I stand atop the roof and give a yell of joy. My powers thrive through my skin.
With a smirk I drop against the roof, leaning on the tiles, soaking in the view of the lake against the moonlight.
"So this is how you found me?" I ask as Ethane joins me on the roof.
"What?"
"That day when the Darwin the shit attacked me, you were here," I ask doing the math.
" Yes, " he says sitting next to me," besides I could not, not hear it, thought a cat was dying," he says.
"Amusing," I say.
Silence.

"Thanks spiderman," I say," for today's lesson."
"I keep my word," he says.
I stare into the darkness of the night, the wind howling.
"I was four," he says.
Eh?
"What?"
"You asked today how old I was when I found out my powers, " he says
"Ah," I say," so this was before-"
"I was adopted, yes,anyway," he says hastily, "we should get down, trainings at 7AM tomorrow."
"Sure," I say too exhausted to pry further,"skydiving?"
"Better, " he says sitting on the edge before yeeting himself off the roof.
Tf??
I look down to see him slide down the tower like it's a dang water slide.
I sigh.
Lighting my palms I sit on the edge and grab the wall, it's a long way down, yet somehow the height thrills me.
I take a deep breath and release myself off the edge, hands gripping on the wall. I slide down.

Euphoric, the only word to describe the thrill.  Breeze whipping the knot from my hair, making it fly wildly behind me.
"Whoo," I cry landing gracefully.

And then drop to the balcony ledge, my fingers gripping the low wall, fatigue finally hitting in. I lean against the railings, a sense of ease filling me. Joy I hadn't quite tasted in a while.

We watch the view.
"Since we're sharing, I just wanted to add, I never hated you, I think a part of me just didn't want to take the blame for my brother's death," I say finally getting stuff off my chest.
"Rei,  it's not your fault, " he says looking me right in the eye.
"I know," I say a bit of frustration in my sentence," why didn't you tell me all these years?"
I don't really comprehend what he replied after as my eyes slide shut and I feel sleep consume me. I drop to the floor.
"Hey! REI,  wake up" Ethane says shaking my shoulders.
"Jackash," I say sleep weighing my eyes.
I'm lifted off the ground. I try to shove but my hand's asleep.
I smirk," if I didn't feel like shit, I'd punch you in the face."
" I know," he says.
" Son of a bitch," I mumble as he rushes down the flights of stairs.
On the final step I jolt awake.
"Put me down," I say.
He places me on the ground.
I stumble against the wall, my hair covering my eyes.
I lean against a pillar, my head drooping.
Why am I so MF DRUNK.
With a sigh Ethane swoops me again, placing my arm over his shoulder.
I don't complain too much, its freezing and there's some warmth in his arms.
..

Holy shit, I've truly lost it.

I hear a door open.
"Boop," I say tapping his nose as he places a blanket on my shoulder.
Everything goes black.
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