Theo's POV
The noise of the academy faded the further I walked.
Training grounds.
Classrooms.
Voices.
All of it slowly disappeared behind me.
Until there was nothing left but silence.
The back area of the academy was empty—rarely used, overgrown in places, with cracked stone paths and quiet corners no one bothered to visit.
Perfect.
I stopped near a worn stone wall and leaned against it slightly.
Pain flared in my chest.
My shoulder throbbed again.
"…Still not fully healed."
The infirmary treatment helped.
But not enough.
Not for what I needed.
I exhaled slowly and looked down at my hand.
Water formed weakly above my palm.
Unstable.
Incomplete.
Not enough.
My mind drifted.
Back to last night.
I sat alone in the dorm room.
The lights dim.
The academy quiet.
Everyone else asleep.
But I wasn't.
A book rested open in front of me.
Old.
Worn.
Its pages slightly faded.
Water Healing Theory.
I turned a page carefully.
"Water magic is not limited to external manipulation…"
"At higher levels, it can interact with the body itself…"
"Flow, not force, is the key…"
I frowned slightly.
Flow.
Not force.
That went against how I had been using it.
Compression.
Pressure.
Impact.
That was how I fought.
But this…
Was different.
I lifted my hand slowly.
Water formed again.
Gentler this time.
Softer.
Instead of forcing it—
I let it move.
It wavered slightly.
Unstable.
Then collapsed.
"…Still needs work."
I leaned back slightly.
Staring at the ceiling.
If I can't even heal properly…
I'll never keep up.
My eyes returned to the book.
Determined.
Present.
I opened my eyes slowly.
The memory faded.
The pain didn't.
But something else remained.
Understanding.
I lifted my hand again.
Water formed above my palm.
This time—
I didn't force it.
Didn't compress it.
Didn't control it aggressively.
I let it move.
Flow.
Slow.
Natural.
The water shifted gently, like a small current responding to something unseen.
I guided it carefully toward my injured shoulder.
The moment it touched—
A strange sensation spread through my body.
Cool.
Calm.
But unstable.
The water flickered slightly.
Like it could collapse at any moment.
I focused.
Carefully.
Don't force it.
Guide it.
The water spread across my shoulder.
Then—
A faint glow.
The pain dulled slightly.
Not gone.
But reduced.
I exhaled slowly.
"…It's working."
But barely.
The water trembled.
Then broke apart.
Falling away.
I clenched my hand slightly.
"…Incomplete."
Still—
I moved my shoulder again.
The sharp pain from before had lessened.
Not healed.
But enough.
Enough to move better.
Enough to fight better.
I shifted my stance slightly.
Tested my movement.
Faster.
Smoother.
More stable.
A small improvement.
But real.
I looked at my hand again.
Water formed once more.
Still unstable.
Still imperfect.
But no longer useless.
A faint smile crossed my face.
"…This is just the beginning."
A soft breeze passed through the empty area.
Quiet.
Undisturbed.
No one saw what just happened.
No one knew.
But that didn't matter.
Because while everyone else was watching my fights…
They weren't seeing this.
The part that mattered most.
The part that would change everything.
I closed my hand, letting the water disappear.
Then turned back toward the academy.
My steps were lighter now.
More controlled.
More precise.
If I can fight…
And heal…
Then I won't fall behind again.
Because next time—
When I stand in that arena again—
I won't just survive.
I'll win.