Tides of Dominion

The sun had begun its slow descent beyond the city's horizon, casting long, golden shadows across the training grounds. The sea breeze carried with it the distant cries of gulls, mingling with the murmurs of the other students as they dispersed for the evening.

Kaien remained seated on the worn stone steps at the edge of the courtyard, his elbows resting on his knees, fingers lightly tracing the fabric of his training tunic. His breathing was steady—controlled. His pulse no longer raced as it had earlier when he had realized just how much he had changed.

The power he had gained.

It was still there, humming beneath his skin, too perfectly attuned to him.

A power that should not have been his.

A power he had stolen.

Yet, the more he tried to feel discomfort at the thought, the more he found himself... accepting it.

No.

Not just accepting it.

Wanting more.

He exhaled slowly, as if trying to push the thought away, but it lingered, coiling itself in his mind like a whispering tide that refused to recede.

Across the courtyard, Lyra sat alone beneath the shade of an old stone archway, absentmindedly tracing small shapes in the dirt with her finger. The setting sun caught in her pale silver hair, giving it an almost ethereal glow.

She was watching him.

Kaien met her gaze.

She hesitated, then quickly looked away.

It hadn't been there before—this distance between them.

She had been the one to follow him since Sevryn, the one to stand beside him even when she had nothing left. They had survived together, endured together.

But now...

Something had changed.

Kaien could feel it.

And he knew she could feel it too.

He pushed himself up from the steps and crossed the courtyard, each step slow, deliberate. Lyra's fingers stopped moving in the dirt as he approached.

He sat down beside her.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Then, in a voice barely above a whisper, she asked,

"Does it feel different?"

Kaien didn't need to ask what she meant.

He looked down at his hands, flexing his fingers. Even now, he could sense the tide flowing through them more freely, more powerfully. It no longer hesitated, no longer resisted—it simply obeyed.

He could lie.

He could tell her that nothing had changed, that everything was as it had always been.

But Lyra would see through it.

So instead, he told the truth.

"Yes."

She exhaled softly, as if she had been holding her breath.

Kaien turned to look at her. "Do I seem... different to you?"

She hesitated, her fingers curling slightly against the dirt. Then, after a long moment, she nodded.

"It's not just your strength," she murmured. "It's you. The way you move, the way you look at things, the way you react. It's like... you've always known how to do these things, but only now you're realizing it."

Her voice was careful, almost cautious.

Kaien stared at her, although she was just a child, she was extremely sensitive to things happening around her, Kaien felt something tighten in his chest.

She wasn't wrong.

And that terrified him.

The silence stretched between them, heavy and unspoken.

But before either of them could say more, a voice echoed across the courtyard.

"Kaien."

He turned.

Master Aedric stood at the edge of the training hall, his expression as unreadable as ever, but his stance... different.

There was something there—something calculating in the way he regarded Kaien.

"Come."

Kaien rose to his feet. Lyra hesitated, as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, she remained silent.

Kaien followed Aedric into the training hall, the heavy wooden doors closing behind them with a soft thud.

The room was dimly lit, the torches casting flickering shadows along the walls. The scent of aged parchment, worn leather, and sea salt filled the air.

Aedric did not speak at first. He walked slowly, deliberately, as if measuring his words before allowing them to take form.

Finally, he stopped near one of the wooden training dummies, resting a hand on it.

"You are strong."

Kaien remained silent.

"You were strong before," Aedric continued, his fingers lightly tapping the wood, "but not like this."

Kaien's heartbeat was slow, controlled.

Aedric turned, his piercing gaze locking onto Kaien's.

"Where did this come from?"

The question was simple. Direct.

Kaien's mind raced through possible answers, but he knew that the old master would recognize a lie.

So he gave the only answer he could.

"I don't know."

It wasn't entirely false.

He hadn't understood what had happened to him. He still didn't.

Aedric studied him for a long moment.

Then, without warning, he moved.

Kaien barely had time to react before the old master struck.

A test.

A sudden attack, meant to gauge his reaction.

And Kaien moved.

Effortlessly.

Perfectly.

His body flowed like water, his movements not just faster but more refined, more efficient.

It was as if he could predict Aedric's motions before they even happened.

He dodged. Countered.

And stopped himself before his hand reached Aedric's throat.

Silence.

Aedric did not move. He did not even flinch.

His gaze remained locked onto Kaien's.

Then, after a long moment, the old master smiled.

It was a rare thing, almost unnatural on his otherwise stern face.

"That," he said quietly, "was not the same boy I was training until a week ago."

Kaien's breath was steady. His heartbeat did not quicken.

He did not deny it.

Because it was the truth.

Aedric exhaled through his nose, running a hand through his graying hair.

"You have changed. Maybe more than what I expected."

Kaien did not respond.

The old master regarded him carefully, then finally took a step back.

"I do not know what has happened to you," he admitted, "but I know power when I see it."

He turned, walking toward the far end of the hall. His voice carried softly in the flickering torchlight.

"And power always comes with a price."

Kaien said nothing.

Aedric glanced back over his shoulder.

"You will train harder from now on."

Kaien nodded.

"Go," Aedric said. "Rest. Tomorrow will be different."

Kaien bowed slightly, then turned, walking toward the doors.

As he stepped out into the cool night air, the weight of master Aedric's words settled over him like a tide pulling him toward the depths.

Power always comes with a price.

Kaien clenched his fists.

And deep within him, the stolen tide pulsed.

A whisper.

A hunger.

And Kaien did not know if he had the strength to resist it should his Negative Current surge again.