The morning sun broke over the academy's towering spires, casting long shadows across the training grounds where the students were already busy preparing for the day's lessons. The early hours were a time for self-practice, and the noise of clashing weapons, grunts, and the occasional burst of energy filled the air as students honed their abilities. Today, Riko and Aiden had another round of training to refine their powers, but they both had different goals in mind.
Aiden was already out on the field, standing tall and focused, his eyes fixed on the space in front of him. He was practicing his Black Hole Creation, and today, he wanted to push the limits. His goal wasn't just to create one black hole at a time; he wanted to learn how to activate multiple holes at once and control them like a true battlefield commander. Riko had been watching him work for the past few minutes, and he could tell Aiden was completely absorbed in his task.
Aiden stood with his feet shoulder-width apart, his expression intense, his arms stretched out in front of him. He closed his eyes for a moment, concentrating, and within seconds, a swirling black mass appeared in front of him, crackling with energy. A tiny black hole was growing, pulling in nearby debris and bending the air around it.
"Focus, Aiden," Riko murmured from the sidelines, knowing his friend would hear him. He was starting to get the hang of his Phase Locking, but even he understood that Aiden's powers required a different kind of concentration—one that was far more destructive.
Aiden's eyes snapped open, and a small grin appeared on his face as the first black hole stabilized in front of him. "I've got it, but I need more," he muttered to himself.
With that, Aiden raised his arms again, and this time, two more black holes formed beside the first. He spread his hands out wide, commanding the holes to hover in place. The gravitational pull of the three black holes was strong, bending the air and making it feel like the atmosphere itself was shifting. The ground beneath him cracked slightly, and debris began to swirl around him as the holes started to rotate.
"This is insane..." Aiden whispered under his breath, the excitement in his voice clear. He'd never been able to create more than one at a time, and now, with three black holes floating around him, it felt like a whole new level of power. But he wasn't done yet. He quickly began to focus his thoughts, trying to manipulate the holes, making them orbit around him, staying in perfect alignment with each other. The holes fluctuated, pulling and pushing at the space around them, testing Aiden's control.
Riko watched from a distance, impressed by his friend's progress. He'd never seen Aiden work this hard before, but he could see the effort it took to maintain those black holes. There was a reason Aiden had always been determined to master his powers—he wanted to be able to protect others. But, of course, that came with its own set of challenges.
Aiden grunted, his focus wavering for just a second. That was all it took. One of the black holes wobbled and began pulling the others out of alignment. The three swirling masses of darkness collided, and the resulting explosion of energy sent Aiden flying backward, his body tumbling through the air before he hit the ground with a loud thud.
"Ow…" Aiden groaned as he pushed himself up, brushing dirt from his clothes. "Okay, that didn't go as planned."
Riko jogged over to him, a small grin tugging at his lips. "Yeah, I noticed." He offered Aiden a hand to help him up, but Aiden waved it off, getting to his feet on his own.
"It's fine, just a little setback," Aiden said, dusting himself off. "I just need more practice."
Riko raised an eyebrow, looking at the still-hovering black holes. "You're pushing yourself hard. Maybe it's better to break it down one step at a time?"
Aiden shook his head. "I'm not backing down. I've got to be able to control them at once. I can't risk losing control during a real fight."
Riko sighed, but there was an understanding in his eyes. Aiden's drive was relentless, and while it could be exhausting at times, it was also what pushed him to become stronger.
"I'll keep an eye on you," Riko said. "But you know you're going to burn out if you keep going at this pace."
Aiden nodded, though he didn't seem convinced. "Maybe. But there's no way I'm letting my powers be unpredictable."
Before Riko could respond, he heard a familiar voice call out to them. "Hey, you two! Looks like we've got company."
Riko turned to see a few of their classmates approaching. Most of them were in different training regimens, but they were all part of the same academy. As they approached, Riko noticed that they looked just as serious as Aiden. The feeling of competition in the air was palpable—this was no ordinary school.
One of their classmates, Kai, was the first to speak up. "What's up, Aiden? Testing out those black holes again?"
Aiden grinned. "Yeah, just trying to figure out how to use more than one at once. It's not going as smoothly as I hoped, but I'll get there."
Kai raised an eyebrow, looking at the black holes swirling around. "I'd say you're already there. But... careful. If you're not careful, you'll be swallowing up the whole field."
"Wouldn't be the worst thing," Aiden said with a laugh, though his tone was a little more tense than usual.
Riko observed them both, sensing the unspoken tension in the air. There was always some rivalry between the students. Some were more direct in showing it than others, but he could tell that Aiden's stubborn determination to improve would only intensify as he faced others who were also striving to be the best.
"Aiden, let's cool it for today," Riko suggested, his voice gentle but firm. "You've made good progress. We can always try again tomorrow."
Aiden hesitated, clearly not satisfied with the idea of leaving his work unfinished. But after a moment, he relented with a nod. "Fine, fine. I'll back off for now. But tomorrow, I'm getting these black holes under control."
As the group continued their conversations, Riko couldn't shake the feeling that the path ahead was only going to get tougher. The academy was filled with strong and determined individuals, each with their own ambitions. But Riko wasn't just here to keep up—he was here to refine his powers, grow stronger, and eventually face whatever challenges awaited him.
And he knew that, just like Aiden, he couldn't afford to slow down.