The moment Shivay stepped out of the training hall, the atmosphere of the academy felt different—not because it had changed, but because his perception of it had. Earlier, everything had seemed vast, unfamiliar, and layered with hidden complexity. Now, that complexity no longer felt overwhelming. It felt structured. Understandable. Not fully—not yet—but enough to recognize that nothing here existed without purpose. Every building, every training ground, every interaction carried intent. And intent, when understood, could be used.
Students moved around him in small groups, some discussing their training with visible frustration, others comparing progress with a mix of pride and insecurity. A few walked silently, clearly deep in thought, replaying their own attempts to make sense of what they had experienced. Shivay didn't join any of them. He moved alone, his pace unhurried, his gaze steady as he observed without appearing to.
"…Most of them are still stuck at the surface," he noted internally. Their movements, their expressions, even the way they talked about the training—it all pointed to the same limitation. They were trying to control something they didn't understand. And until that changed, their progress would remain inconsistent.
"Walking off already?"
The voice came from behind.
Kabir.
Shivay didn't stop immediately. He let the distance close naturally before turning slightly. "You follow everyone, or just people you find interesting?"
Kabir smirked faintly as he matched his pace. "Only the ones worth paying attention to."
There was no arrogance in his tone this time.
Just honesty.
That alone made the interaction different.
"You figured it out faster than most," Kabir continued, his gaze briefly scanning Shivay before returning forward. "Not completely… but enough to stand out."
Shivay didn't deny it.
But he didn't acknowledge it either.
"Observation again?" he replied calmly.
Kabir exhaled lightly. "At this point, it's confirmation."
A brief silence followed, not awkward, but deliberate.
Then Kabir stopped walking.
"Let's test it."
Shivay paused.
Turned.
"…Test what?"
Kabir's eyes sharpened slightly.
"Whether that understanding of yours actually works outside controlled practice."
There was no hostility.
No visible aggression.
But the intent was clear.
A challenge.
Students nearby began to notice the shift in tone, their attention slowly drifting toward the two of them. No one stepped in. No one interrupted. In a place like this, such interactions weren't unusual. If anything, they were expected.
Shivay studied Kabir for a moment.
Not his posture.
Not his stance.
But his intent.
"…He's not acting on impulse," Shivay concluded internally. "He wants to measure."
That made sense.
Because Shivay wanted the same thing.
"Fine," Shivay said.
No hesitation.
The space around them cleared slightly as a few students instinctively stepped back, creating an unspoken boundary. The ground beneath them wasn't marked as a sparring area, but it didn't matter. Control didn't depend on location.
Kabir moved first.
Not aggressively.
Not recklessly.
Controlled.
He took a step forward, his breathing steady, his focus narrowing as he extended his awareness outward. The energy around him shifted subtly—not explosively, but noticeably. A thin current formed near his right hand, unstable at first, but quickly stabilizing as he adjusted.
"…Not bad," Shivay noted.
Kabir didn't rush the attack.
Instead, he guided the current forward, testing its responsiveness, refining its direction.
Then—
He released it.
The energy shot forward, not as a wild burst, but as a controlled strike aimed directly at Shivay's position.
Not lethal.
Not overwhelming.
But precise.
Shivay didn't move immediately.
Instead—
He focused.
Not on the incoming attack.
But on its origin.
The current was connected.
Linked.
"…Surface flow," he identified instantly.
Which meant—
He didn't need to block it.
He needed to disrupt it.
A slight shift in his awareness.
A controlled adjustment.
And the moment the energy reached within range—
It destabilized.
Not completely.
But enough.
The strike veered off slightly, losing its direct trajectory before dissipating harmlessly to the side.
A murmur spread through the watching students.
"…He didn't dodge."
"…He redirected it."
Kabir's eyes narrowed.
"…So that's how you're doing it."
Not guesswork anymore.
Understanding.
This time, he didn't hold back.
He stepped forward again, his control sharper, his intent clearer. Multiple currents formed this time, thinner but faster, each one guided with more precision than before.
"Let's see you handle this."
The attacks came in sequence.
Not random.
Layered.
Shivay's focus deepened.
He didn't react to each one individually.
He traced them.
Back.
To their source.
Kabir.
"…Connection point," Shivay realized.
Instead of dispersing the attacks—
He shifted the source.
A precise interference.
A controlled disruption.
And in that instant—
All three currents lost stability simultaneously.
They didn't just miss.
They collapsed.
The air settled.
Silence followed.
Kabir stopped.
Not because he couldn't continue.
But because—
He understood.
"…You're not fighting the attack," he said slowly.
"You're interfering with the control behind it."
Shivay met his gaze.
"That's where it starts."
A pause.
Then—
Kabir exhaled.
A faint smile appeared.
"…Yeah."
"No point continuing."
There was no frustration in his voice.
No ego.
Just acceptance.
Because the difference was clear.
Not in power.
But in approach.
The surrounding students slowly dispersed, the brief tension dissolving into quiet discussion. Some looked impressed. Others confused. A few clearly tried to understand what they had just seen.
Shivay turned to leave.
But before he could take more than a step—
A presence stopped him.
Not physically.
But perceptively.
Meher.
She stood a short distance away, her gaze fixed on him—not curious, not impressed, but… certain.
"You understood it."
Her voice was calm.
Flat.
Shivay turned toward her.
"…Part of it."
Meher's eyes didn't shift.
"More than most."
A brief silence followed.
Then she added—
"Don't rely on it too much."
Shivay's expression didn't change.
"…Why?"
Meher's gaze sharpened slightly.
"Because once someone understands what you're doing…"
A pause.
"…they'll stop giving you a source to interfere with."
That—
That mattered.
Shivay didn't respond immediately.
Because she was right.
Control at the source only worked—
If there was access to the source.
"…Adapt again," he thought.
Meher turned away.
Conversation over.
Just like that.
But the impact—
Remained.
Shivay stood there for a moment longer.
His thoughts no longer scattered.
But focused.
Layered.
"If one method exists…"
"…others will too."
His gaze steadied.
Calm.
Sharp.
"…Then I'll learn them all."