Marlos

Happy Birthday

While Mal and Evie shared a quiet, healing moment in their dorm, Carlos and Jay found themselves in the sprawling royal training grounds, bathed in the gentle morning light. Ben, already sweating despite the early hour, was struggling with a new set of enchanted dummies, their magical defenses proving more resilient than anticipated.

"These things are tougher than a dragon's hide!" Ben grunted, adjusting his grip on a practice sword as one of the dummies deflected his blow with an almost sentient force. "I swear, Fairy Godmother keeps making them stronger every year."

Jay, ever the athlete, grinned, already warmed up and looking for a challenge. "Maybe you just need a better technique, Your Majesty," he teased, effortlessly dodging a dummy's retaliatory swing. He moved with a fluid grace, his movements honed by years of agility and quick thinking on the Isle.

Carlos, however, approached the situation with a different perspective. He watched Ben's struggle, not just with the physical challenge, but with the frustration building in his friend's eyes. The recent surge in his own divine power, the heightened awareness of energy, allowed him to perceive the enchantments on the dummies in a new light. He saw the intricate magical weaves, the points of reinforcement, the subtle weaknesses.

"It's not just about strength, Ben," Carlos said, his voice thoughtful. "They're designed to absorb impact. You need to find the resonance points, the places where the magic is weakest."

Ben paused, wiping sweat from his brow. "Resonance points? What are you talking about?"

Carlos stepped forward, his hands subtly glowing with a faint, almost imperceptible golden aura. He didn't touch the dummy, but he extended his palm towards it, focusing his intent. He felt the hum of its enchantment, the subtle vibrations of its magical core.

"Like this," he murmured. He made a small, precise gesture, and a focused pulse of golden energy, barely visible to the naked eye, struck a specific point on the dummy's chest. The dummy didn't just deflect the blow; it shuddered violently, its magical defenses flickering, and then it collapsed, its enchantment temporarily disrupted.

Ben stared, his jaw dropping. "Whoa! What was that? I've been trying to take that one down for an hour!"

Jay, who had been about to launch his own attack on a different dummy, stopped mid-stride, his eyes wide. He'd heard Carlos's explanation of his powers, but seeing it in action, so precise and controlled, was another thing entirely.

Carlos shrugged, a slight flush rising on his cheeks. "Just... finding the weak spots. My powers are... evolving. I can sense magical energies differently now." He didn't elaborate on the full extent of his divine abilities, not yet. He knew Ben would have a million questions, and they needed to discuss it more thoroughly later, with Mal and Evie.

Jay, recovering quickly, clapped Carlos on the shoulder. "Well, if you can do that, maybe you can help me with this one!" He pointed to another dummy, one that was particularly aggressive.

Carlos nodded, a small smile playing on his lips. It felt good to use his power for something constructive, something helpful, even if it was just taking down training dummies. He and Jay worked together, Jay using his brute strength and agility to distract the dummies, while Carlos used his newfound sensitivity to magic to find their vulnerabilities, subtly disrupting their enchantments.

Ben watched them, a thoughtful expression on his face. He knew his friends were extraordinary, but Carlos's display of power was something else entirely. It was a clear sign that the world, and their place in it, was changing in profound ways. The conversation about their future, about their roles as leaders, suddenly felt more urgent, more real than ever before.