The distorted figures twisted and flickered in the fractured landscape, their forms barely stable as they hovered like broken shadows pulled from a nightmare. Kai instinctively tried to manifest his Hex, the hilt partially materializing in his hand before Zyren's sharp voice cut him off. "Ah-ah-ah," Zyren chided, his usual laid back tone edged with something solid, almost sinister. "No crutches today, rookie. You're gonna learn to fight without using that oversized letter opener.
Kai clenched his jaw, reluctantly letting his weapon dissolve away as he pulled his hand back. "So what? You want me to punch them to death?" Kai retorted. "You've got temporal energy flowing through yer veins and that's yer takeaway? Step aside Rookie, lemme show you a little something. It's a basic technique all of us can use." Without another word, Zyren lifted his right hand, extending his index finger, as he pointed towards one of the shadowy figures. The shift in the atmosphere was immediate, Zyren's Temporal aura flared up coating him in a flaming scarlet. A faint spark ignited at the tip of his finger, scarlet strands of temporal energy weaving together like threads of light. The energy condensed, growing brighter until if formed a small, glowing sphere, no larger than a ping-pong ball. The energy hummed softly, vibrating with deadly potential.
Then, without warning, Zyren fired. The shot zipped through the air with a sharp whoosh, faster than Kai's eyes could keep up. The bullet struck one of the shadowy figures dead-center and for a heartbeat, nothing happened. Then BOOM, a burst of temporal energy exploded outward, obliterating the figure in a flash of scarlet light, the shockwave rippling through the distorted landscape, warping the already fragile fabric of the Fractured Vale. "What the hell was that?" Kai blinked, stunned. "That," Zyren said, blowing the tip of his finger like a smoking gun, "is called the 'Temporal Pistol'."
Kai gawked at the dissipating smoke, then back at Zyren. "You've gotta be kidding me. That is supposed to be basic? You annihilated that thing with a single blast!" Zyren arched an eyebrow, his lazy and infuriatingly smug grin returning. "Rookie, that was below basic, that was me going easy." Zyren raised his had again. This time, there was to dramatic build up, no careful focus, only a flick of his fingers. The air around his hand exploded with rapid bursts of scarlet light as he fired of bullets at blinding speed. The shots rand out like thunderbolts, each bullet hitting it's mark flawless precision, as scarlet explosions lit up the battle field, the shockwaves causing a miniature earth-quake. Shadows went up in flames, as Zyren stood relaxed, unfazed by the recoil.
At last, Zyren lowered his hand and dusted off his palms. He turned to Kai, his scarlet eyes glowing with mischief and condescension. "Now that, is what I call basic." Kai stared, mouth slightly open. "How..." he muttered, struggling to form words. "How is that basic?" "Don't worry, you'll get the hang of it." Zyren clapped Kai on his shoulder, the impact surprisingly solid. "Now quit gawking. You're up next." Kai's pulse raced as the last echo of Zyren's shots faded into the surreal silence of the distorted landscape. The air felt thick, humming with residual energy. Kai clenched his fists, still stunned by how effortlessly Zyren had reduced the shadowy figures to nothing but scattered particles.
Zyren yawned, stretching his arms behind his head with an exaggerated laziness before flopping down onto a jagged rock. He lounged like he didn't have a care in the world, his silver hair reflecting faint scarlet hues from the lingering energy in the air. "Alright, rookie," Zyren drawled, resting one foot lazily over the other. "Time for your turn. Pay attention this time, cause I won't repeat myself." Kai shot him an annoyed glance but kept his mouth shut, not wanting to give Zyren the satisfaction.
Zyren lazily pointed at Kai's right hand. "You've got temporal energy inside you. It's like a river, constantly flowing. Your job is to control that flow, concentrate it, and shape it." He wiggled his index finger in the air. "Start by channeling that energy to the tip of your finger. Just focus on making it gather there, like forming a drop of water before it falls." Kai raised his hand, fingers slightly trembling, not from fear, but anticipation. He closed his eyes, trying to feel the temporal energy within him. There was a faint pulse, like a distant heartbeat buried under layers of skin. He focused on that sensation, willing the energy to rise, to move.
A faint flicker of blue light sparked at the tip of his index finger, small and unstable. "Good," Zyren said, his voice casual, as if Kai had just managed to tie his shoelaces correctly. "Now restrain it. Don't let it leak out. Hold it there. Think of it like... trapping a fly in a glass. You're the glass and the energy is the fly." Kai gritted his teeth, focusing harder. The flickering light grew slightly more stable, but just as he thought he had it, the energy sputtered and fizzled out. Zyren sighed dramatically. "Well, that's just sad." He didn't even bother sitting up. Kai glared at him, jaw tightening. "I'm trying to learn damn it!"
"Oh, I noticed," Zyren replied with a lazy grin. Then, slowly lifting his hand, he snapped, and the distorted figures lurking in the edges of the fractured realm suddenly surged forward, their twisted forms rippling like ink in water. Kai's heart leapt into his throat. "Are you serious right now?!" "Dead serious," Zyren said, stretching out like he was sunbathing. "Figure it out, rookie. Or you're going to get shredded." Panic surged through Kai as he stumbled back, raising his hand again. He tried to summon the energy like before, but his concentration wavered under the pressure. The energy refused to stabilize, flickering weakly before fading again. The shadowy figures closed in, their forms glitching through space as if reality itself couldn't contain them.
Kai fired off a half-formed shot, it fizzled mid-air, doing nothing. He dodged a swipe, barely rolling out of the way. His frustration grew with each failed attempt, mixing with the burning sting of humiliation. All the while, Zyren lounged on his rock, lazily flicking pebbles into the distorted ground, completely unconcerned. Kai's temper snapped. "Would it kill you to actually help?!" he shouted, spinning to glare at Zyren, before quickly dashing back, narrowly avoiding the claws of a shadow. "Or do you plan to just sit there acting like a smug piece of-"
Zyren cracked one eye open, his scarlet gaze sharp despite his relaxed posture. A slow, knowing smirk crept onto his face. "Finally," he muttered. "There's the fire." Kai froze, panting. Zyren sat up, resting his elbow on his knee. "Stop overthinking it. You're trying too hard to control it like it's some delicate thing. Your energy isn't a fragile ornament, it's raw power. Use that frustration. Focus it. Let it fuel the shot." Something clicked in Kai's mind. He turned back toward the approaching figures, his jaw clenched, anger simmering beneath the surface. But this time, he didn't try to force the energy gently. He let the frustration flow through him, sharp and focused.
Raising his hand, he concentrated on that emotion, channeling the raw surge of temporal energy to his fingertip. It sparked violently, a brilliant azure pulse crackling with intensity. He held it steady, not by suppressing it, but letting ride the wave of his own anger. Locking onto one of the shadowy figures, he released the shot. The bullet of temporal energy shot forward, faster than his previous attempts, striking the figure dead-center. BOOM. A burst of azure light exploded outward, obliterating the shadowy figure in a single blast. Kai's chest heaved, adrenaline still pumping. Zyren gave a slow, satisfied nod, his smirk returning full force.
"See?" he said lazily, leaning back again. "Told you it was basic." Kai stood amidst the fractured expanse, the aftershock of his first successful shot still rippling faintly through the distorted air. His heart pounded, not just from exertion but from the thrill of actually pulling it off. The distorted figures remained, flickering in and out of existence like corrupted echoes, their jagged forms shifting as they regrouped. Zyren's lazy voice floated over from the rock he was sitting on. "Don't just stand there basking in the moment, rookie. Do it again." Kai clenched his fist, then raised his hand once more. The memory of the energy surging through him was fresh, but without the raw spike of anger, it felt harder to summon. Still, he focused, not on frustration this time, but on the pulse of temporal energy flowing within him, like a current beneath the surface of his skin.
A flicker of azure sparked at his fingertip. It wasn't as wild as before, more controlled, though faint. Kai narrowed his eyes, locking onto another shadowy figure darting between floating debris. He fired. The temporal bullet shot out with a sharp snap, missing the target by inches. It struck a jagged chunk of rock suspended in mid-air, exploding in a burst of blue energy that sent fragments scattering into the chaotic void. Zyren clapped slowly, the sarcasm dripping from each lazy smack of his hands. "Impressive. If the goal was to kill that rock, you nailed it." Kai gritted his teeth but refused to snap back. Instead, he focused. His next shot came quicker, another miss, the bullet blazing past the target and detonating harmlessly against an upside-down cliff floating sideways.
"Better," Zyren muttered, leaning back with his arms folded behind his head. "At least you're not hitting the same rock twice." Kai ignored him. He could feel it now, the ebb and flow of his temporal energy. His earlier success had been fueled by raw emotion, but he realized that wasn't sustainable. He needed balance. He took a deep breath, grounding himself amidst the chaos. The fractured landscape seemed to pulse around him, distorted debris floating lazily, gravity bending in unnatural ways. But instead of letting it distract him, Kai let it fade into the background. He focused inward, feeling the pulse of his own energy align with the rhythm of the world around him. This time, when he raised his hand, the energy formed faster, brighter, the azure glow steady and controlled at his fingertip. He locked onto another figure, exhaled slowly, and fired.
The bullet flew true, striking the shadow dead-center. The explosion wasn't as dramatic as his first, but it was precise. Effective. Kai didn't stop. He fired again, he missed but the shot was closer. Another shot, hit. The figure disintegrated in a flash of blue light. Again. Miss. Hit. Hit. Miss. Each shot refined his control. The misses grew fewer, the hits more frequent. His aim sharpened, his energy flow smoother. It wasn't about brute force anymore, it was about harmony, about finding the balance between his will and the raw power within him. After obliterating the last shadowy figure, Kai lowered his hand, panting but with a small, satisfied grin tugging at the corner of his mouth.
Zyren finally sat up, stretching lazily as he hopped off the rock. His scarlet eyes gleamed with faint approval, though his tone remained as infuriatingly casual as ever. "Not bad, not bad at all rookie," he said, sauntering over with his usual relaxed swagger. "Took you long enough, but you're starting to get it." Kai's grin widening despite feeling annoyed. "Yeah... I think I am." Zyren clapped him on the shoulder with surprising strength. "Good. Because next, we're going to crank it up a notch." Kai blinked. "Wait.....what do you mean, next?" Zyren's grin turned downright wicked. "You didn't think we were done, did you?"
The fractured landscape rumbled as new distortions began to form: larger, faster and more aggressive. Kai groaned. "Of course....." Zyren just chuckled. "Welcome to training, rookie."