The thought of helping meant nothing if I couldn’t first learn to absorb, train, and eventually teach the process of Extraction and Animora. My head was crowded with questions: How did the abilities truly function for those born with the gift? How did the machines compensate for those without it, giving them a way to harness Animora?
We had already been gone a while, though I suspected there was still time left. And despite this little charade of “equal exchange,” the girl and I both seemed far less concerned with guarding secrets than with prying out more knowledge.
Still, she wasn’t going to offer up the crucial part first. No, she wanted the same thing I did. I could sense it in the rhythm of our talk, in the sharp glint of her questions. A way to grow. To discover. Maybe she’d explain it more systematically, given her culture’s obsession with records and documentation, but Synthia had already said it. Mei was an inventor, a discoverer at heart.
“What’s your level in teaching Extraction?” I asked, shifting the conversation from theory to practice.
She didn’t flinch, didn’t blink in surprise. Her eyes stayed steady, lips curling into the faintest smile in confirmation of what I’d already suspected.
“I can teach the basics,” she said calmly, her voice even. “What about you? With Force?”
I glanced at Synthia, who had remained unusually quiet through most of the exchange. “Almost anyone can teach the basics. As for my advanced path… More guidance would certainly help.”
There was no need to lie. If Synthia wanted, she could easily teach Mei herself. And from what I’d seen of their bond, Mei wouldn’t force it out of her.
“Then?” Mei prompted, tilting her head.
“We teach each other,” I said, extending my hand, palm open. “Trade information. Share the pitfalls, the common mistakes, so neither of us stagnates. And if you ever come to my home, I’ll teach you everything I’ve learned, so long as you promise the same.”
She reached out, clasped my hand. “Deal.”
We released, but lingered—staring at each other as if waiting for the next move, silence stretching taut. Only when Synthia groaned did the tension break.
“Mei, you teach him first,” she suggested, his tone backing me up. “Even if he refused later, which I doubt, I’d guide you.”
Mei pursed her lips, thoughtful, then let her fingers trail through the grass. She plucked a flower delicately from its stem, roots intact from the precision of her motion. “Alright,” she murmured, before turning her attention toward her friend. “But I’ll teach you first.”
I shifted toward Synthia, giving her my full focus.
You think I can use this power too?
Luna’s voice brushed the inside of my mind as Mei motioned for Synthia to take hold of the flower, now faintly glowing with an orange light.Not sure yet, I admitted. But if it’s tied to willpower, to the essence of consciousness, then I don’t see why you couldn’t. Anything alive—anything with life-force, should be capable.
“Close your eyes,” Mei cooed, soft but certain. Synthia obeyed.
“Let stray thoughts fade. Don’t focus on the power you’ve already built. Focus only on this. On the touch. The connection you share with this small plant.”
Her voice carried a rhythm, practiced and smooth. This wasn’t the first time she’d explained the method. She had taught others before, refined her own way of leading someone into this strange power.
“Allow only that and my voice,” she continued, her words flowing like a steady current. “Let nothing else exist. And after… only the common thread between you and the living thing you hold. Life.”
I wondered, briefly, whether her emphasis on isolation was part of a standard practice or something tailored for us specifically. Synthia and I were already attuned to a different kind of energy, one that poured in from the world itself. Would that make this process harder, or simply different?
The three of us fell into silence, the kind that presses against the skin. Mei slowly released her fingers from the glowing flower, leaving it resting in Synthia’s palm. Synthia remained still, arm extended, the bloom cradled with such precision it seemed like part of her.
“If you feel its pulse,” Mei said softly, “and your own, aligned and present within it, then you’ve already begun. Let your rhythm rise, louder in your own world. The rest will come. It will sharpen over time, like a blade honed through repetition.”
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
She turned to me then, her voice fading but her presence still bright.
I blinked, caught off guard by the depth of her instruction. “Is it really that simple?”
Mei gave a small shrug, her expression unreadable. “Depends on the person. I think you two will find it difficult, and I’ll probably struggle with your methods. But if you’re good at distinction—separating threads of energy—then the process will probably be easier.”
The words sent a pleasant shudder through me. It seemed that the only talent I had, lay in that matter there. Though I still suspected that my knowledge in the basics of science or creation had greatly helped me in sensing the different varieties of Force, but I still held some hope that I was more exceptional in something than others were.
“I’ve heard that sensing Force can take hours… or happen instantly,” I offered, scooting closer to her. “Let me show you what it feels like to have it pass through you. After that, you’ll be able to explore it on your own.”
It reminded me, in a way, of Extraction. But unlike Animora—something that often required machines or augmentations without talent, Force felt more… accessible. Like anyone could grasp it, if only they knew where to reach. Not everyone would master it, sure. But access? That felt universal.
“You’re really okay with that?” she asked, her voice small, uncertain. She looked up at me through lashes that flickered with a hint of doubt. The question revealed her age more than anything else had, but since Synthia had already said what the plan was, I guess she was uncomfortable with proceeding otherwise.
Without first teaching me.
“I won’t tell on you,” I teased, twirling my finger in a slow spiral. “Now, turn around and close your eyes. It’ll just be a moment.”
She obeyed, hesitant at first, but willing. I placed my left hand gently on her back, careful, summoning only the faintest threads of power to my fingertips. The energy passed into her in a quiet surge, and she softly gasped. But then she stilled, breathing even.
And that’s when the thought hit me.
Griffith was confused by my ability to create ice and explosions, but the dogs… And Velea: both of them were the same. Learning through me to sense Force. The small trickle of energy continued through me into Mei as I considered further.
Was Vel just suited to that particular element… But then why ice instead of water? And right now, my primary Force is the explosive iteration of Fire, so—Oh no.
I yanked my hand away, panic detonating in my chest.
Mei gasped again, sharper this time.
She turned, eyes wide and sparkling, her face alight with awe. “That—that was amazing, Peter.”
Was that the first time she’d said my name?
“The level of power I felt was incredible. Violent, but… contained. It was…” She struggled for words, her gaze distant. “Like heat? But it felt unlike anything I’ve ever known.”
Natural Force had felt almost euphoric when Thea first introduced me to it. A rush of power wrapped in comforting warmth. That memory still lingered like a sunlit breeze in my bones, but this… this left me uneasy.
“It felt hot? Or warm?” I pressed, trying to make sense of her reaction.
Mei shook her head. “No, hot isn’t right.”
A small wave of relief eased my tension until she continued.
“Warm even less so,” she added, resting her chin in her palm, elbow propped against her thigh. Her words slid into me like a splinter. “Maybe it’s—”
“Explosive?” I offered, my voice tight, barely a whisper.
Her gaze snapped to mine—blue and violet flaring like stars in ignition. “Exactly! Leave it to the expert, I guess.” She beamed, nodding as if proud of her own statement.
I think I just turned a twelve-year-old into a bomb.
Wyrem stirred, responding to my internal panic with maddening calm. Excellent strategy. Now just teach her to use the power, and she’ll lose the match herself.
Truly ruthless, Peter, Luna chimed in, her voice laced with perverse delight. Humans never cease to amaze me. We could poison her now too, if you want!
You sound way too happy about that. I thought you liked her, I shot back.
Then, after a beat, her tone shifted, dulled like tarnished metal. You know, for someone who insists they’re hilarious, your ability to sense humor is questionable.
Maybe I was a terrible role model for comedy… No. Impossible. She’s just bad at it.
“So, what’s next?” Mei asked, already leaning forward, all traces of hesitation gone. Her excitement practically vibrated in the air.
I tried to slow my breathing. Tried to talk myself down. She’d felt my explosive energy Force. That didn’t mean she’d absorb it in the same form. Right? Force wasn’t that easily imprinted. She wouldn’t become a mirror of me just from one contact.
That would be ridiculous.
“Peter?” she called again, pulling me back from spiraling.
“We need to convince Amei or Serith to let you come with me,” I said, thinking out loud. “Or for me to stay here, after the match.” I hesitated. “I… may have made a mistake.”
Her smile faltered, lips parting in quiet disappointment. “You regret teaching me?”
“What? No,” I said quickly, sharper than I meant. “I just—” I sighed, dragging a hand through my hair. “Screw it. I’ll beat you anyway.”
I lifted a finger, summoned a spark, and let it detonate. Not a flicker, not a whisper of power. A proper burst, enough to snap my arm back with recoil.
“What I showed you… that kind of Force can seriously harm you,” I said, meeting her eyes. “Without Body Refinement or some kind of stabilizing method, it could tear you apart.”
…
Her smile returned, wider than before. The light in her eyes had become something radiant, something blazing.
“Awesome.”