Paragon

Hisui Incursion [10]

PARAGON

Hisui Incursion Arc [10]

Chapter 62 : Incarnation of Violence

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The stars above glittered like sparkling sand on an endless expanse of black velvet. Sabrina let herself become entranced by them as she lay within her bedroll. The coals of their cookfire smoldered within their circle, its heat and light slowly ebbing away.

"So pretty," Yura murmured next to her. She was still sitting up, her neck completely slack as she stared up at the sky.

"Can't you see the stars from the Sanctuary?" Sabrina whispered.

"Not like this." She turned to face Sabrina, and the stars reflected in her dark eyes. "They're even prettier in my hometown. I promise."

Sabrina smiled, though in the darkness, she was sure Yura couldn't see her. "I believe you."

Yura pulled back her blanket and slipped into her bedroll. "I'll show them to you! Do you like the stars, miss?"

Sabrina looked back up at the sky. The stars clustered in parts, creating a sweeping gradient of purple and blue. But not all stars were the same. Some shined brighter than the others and sat alone, alexandrites and diamonds embedded in the blackness. She'd never seen anything like this in Saffron City, and the sky above Paragon Island simply couldn't compare.

Her own amethyst eyes, flecked with gold and silver, shimmered. "The stars are beautiful...but I prefer the sun."

"The sun?" Yura whispered. "How come?"

Sabrina opened her mouth and she felt her cheeks heat up. "Ah...i-it's sort of silly. I...just like it."

"You're weird, miss!" Yura rolled around in her bedroll until the blanket was wrapped tightly around her, and she faced Sabrina again. "I like the stars because it reminds me of my home!"

Home... Even in the darkness, Sabrina could see Yura's eyes glitter with longing and love. She glanced away, and her hand instinctively drifted to her gauntlets, like they always did when she got anxious. Though now, she only had one. "Let's go to sleep now, Yura. We have to be up early tomorrow."

"Good night, miss!"

After a moment, Sabrina replied. "Good night."

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"Hold your power within. Summon as much of it as you can, but don't let it leak out."

Ash trembled, and his entire body tensed up. Static electricity dripped from his outstretched arms and ran off his body like mist.

"You're leaking, Ash."

Riley sat atop a boulder observing Ash as he trained by the lakeside.

"I'm...not...trying...to!" Ash bit out. His muscles throbbed as he tried to tighten his control over his power and sweat dripped down his temples. He grit his teeth and grunted, yet the tremendous strain didn't abate in the slightest.

"As of now, your mind hasn't yet realized what you're truly capable of. You're still subconsciously trying to protect your body by limiting your output. The fastest way to shatter that barrier is by forcing your body to contend with greater power."

Ash's every bone felt like they were a tap away from cracking so Riley's lecture only grated on him as he strained to contain the electricity within. Not to mention, it sounded eerily similar to what Cynthia had told him before he joined Paragon. He felt like he was being electrocuted, with only the pain missing. Every cell in his body seemed to cry out for it to stop, but according to Riley, this was necessary to take him to the next step. Or rather, to get him off the step he was currently on. Actually attaining the next level of power would require even more training.