The dust settled slowly around them, fragments of silence filling the dojo as Odette caught her breath, her pulse steadying after the chaotic rush of energy.
She was still in Ken's arms, the warmth of his steady grip grounding her. As her giggles quieted, she glanced up, meeting his gaze with a spark of amusement in her eyes. His face was tinged with pink, his expression a mix of awe and awkwardness.
After a moment, she tapped his shoulder gently. "Okay... you can let me go now."
Ken stammered, his cheeks darkening as he pulled his hands back quickly, almost tripping over himself as he took a step away. "Oh! Right, yeah, sorry..." He rubbed the back of his neck, glancing around as if the walls might somehow absorb his embarrassment.
Odette gave him a grin, her face still flushed with the exhilaration of what had just happened. She brushed a stray strand of vibrant red hair from her face, feeling a slight thrum of energy lingering beneath her skin.
For the first time, she felt a taste of what her powers could be, but the faint memory of that skull-like mask and the floating sensation left her both thrilled and uneasy.
They both turned to face the dojo, taking in the sight of the space. The polished wooden floors were now scuffed and cracked, thin trails of smoke curling up from the areas where her energy had sparked. The walls had faint marks, and a few of the mats were disheveled, almost as if a gust of wind had rushed through, leaving chaos in its wake.
Ken began to panic, his gaze darting over the lightly damaged training space. "I—I'm so sorry," he muttered, his voice tinged with worry. "This is my fault! I shouldn't have told you to meditate. What if your grandma sees this? She's going to be so mad!"
Odette waved a hand, her voice calm, reassuring. "Hey, don't worry. This isn't your fault. I'm the one who went along with it, right?" She offered him a gentle smile. "Besides, Grandma Mo's cool. She'll understand."
But as if conjured by the very mention of her name, a soft but commanding throat-clearing sounded from the doorway. Both Odette and Ken froze, turning slowly toward the entrance, where Mana Monroè stood, arms folded, her gaze sharp and unwavering.
Her eyes flickered from Odette to Ken, a question clear in her expression as she took in the scene.
Ken let out a small yelp, instinctively stepping closer to Odette and gripping her arm lightly, his hand trembling. His face flushed a deeper shade of red, and he stammered, clearly flustered by her grandmother's sudden arrival.
