Chapter 68: Chapter 68: Revelation of Powers Rhian smirked and shifted his weight, letting Iris roll free from their pinned position.
She sprang to her feet in one fluid motion, watching him with narrowed eyes—waiting for an explanation.
But before she could demand answers, a cold shiver raced down her spine as her hands snapped flat against the mat, held there by something unseen rather than exhaustion or hesitation.
Iris’s breath hitched as she glanced down—her own shadow had coiled around her wrists like blackened rope, rooting her in place.
She jerked her arms, muscles straining against the unnatural grip, but the darkness held firm.
Rhian crouched in front of her, tilting his head. "I can control your shadow."
As if on cue, the pressure vanished. Her shadow melted back into its natural shape, lifeless once more beneath the training room lights.
Iris flexed her fingers, throat tight. "...That’s actually a scary ability," she admitted after a beat. "Imagine assassinating someone with that."
Rhian shrugged, but his grin faltered just slightly. ’Not the reaction I expected.’
Iris exhaled sharply, rolling her shoulders as if shaking off the lingering unease.
Then her lips curled—something daring flashing in her eyes. "But you’re not the only one with secrets."
She jerked her chin toward her gym bag near the wall. "Wanna see something only Miss Liane knows?"
Rhian’s pupils slit further in interest.
Iris didn’t wait for his answer.
Rhian stood proudly, watching as Iris fetched a water bottle from her gym bag. His lips curved into a smirk—whatever she planned to show off, he was ready.
Iris unscrewed the cap... then paused. With deliberate slowness, she screwed it back on and extended the bottle toward him. "You open it."
Rhian’s brow furrowed. His slit pupils narrowed as he inspected the container, searching for hidden mechanisms, traps, anything. Just a regular water bottle.
’What’s her game?’
Still suspicious but seeing no immediate threat, he twisted the cap open.
The water erupted in his face with surprising force. A cold shock splashed across his closed eyelids, trickling down his neck.
When he blinked his eyes open, vision momentarily blurred, he found Iris doubled over—shoulders shaking with silent laughter that burst into open cackling.
"You—!" Rhian wiped his face with his forearm.
Still grinning, Iris managed through gasps, "W-what? You said—ha!—you wanted to see—"
Her shadow twitched before she could finish.
A sharp yelp escaped her as the darkened silhouette yanked her legs forward. Iris landed hard on her back, the impact knocking what little air remained from her lungs.
Now it was Rhian’s turn—his laughter rang clear through the training hall.
Iris groaned, rolling onto her side. "Okay... okay... truce?"
"Well it’s not a truce if you’re lying on the ground, is it?" Rhian smirked.
But his expression quickly turned serious. "Anyway. What was your ability, making water volcanos?"
"I can control water."
Rhian blinked. "Why didn’t you use it in the fight back in the portal? Or just now during our spar?"
Iris sighed dramatically, rubbing her back where she’d fallen. "Because I can manipulate, not create."
She could see his confused stare demanding more explanation.
Rolling her eyes, she continued, "I can control existing water, but can’t make my own. Meaning if I want to use it in a fight, I’ll need to carry around a bucket of water or something."
"Haa... that sucks," Rhian snorted.
Iris clicked her tongue in irritation.
"Mmmh but I’ve seen Mysticals use their abilities and create fire from nowhere."
"Well," Iris stretched her arms behind her head, "Miss Liane explained that Mysticals usually have set abilities—with some exceptions. And while I’m not a Mystical, I’m an exception too. I have full control over my affinity."
"Wait, hold up," Rhian held out his hands, "this doesn’t make any sense. I get you mean you have full control, and that’s rare, but I’ve seen Aras use his abilities with full control too. He’s never carried around a bucket of..."
Iris looked at him like he’d just asked why the sky wasn’t green. "...bucket of gravity?"
Rhian coughed into his fist, feeling his face grow warm. Physics had never been his strong suit, and this was definitely not his most brilliant moment.
"Well," Iris continued, mercifully moving past his blunder, "I don’t know if Aras has full control. But to help your poor brain understand—gravity exists everywhere. So you could say he has an unlimited source. Or maybe his abilities are just ’set,’ meaning he doesn’t need a source but lacks creative control over it."
Rhian rubbed his scaled forearm thoughtfully. "So does that mean I have set abilities too...?"
Iris nodded, then gave a half-hearted shrug. "You’re better off asking Miss Liane about that stuff. You can trust her." She stretched her arms overhead with a yawn. "Anyway, I’m wiped. Thanks for the spar."
As she turned to leave, Rhian caught her wrist. "Wait... that wasn’t actually what I wanted to test."
Iris blinked. "What? I thought you just wanted to show off your new shadow tricks."
"Meh, that was just bonus." His slit pupils narrowed with sudden intensity. "I wanted to test something else. You’ve got your... snake form. I’ve got something too."
Her eyebrows shot up as her gaze flicked to the black flat scales patterning his arms like a tattoo. "Wait, are you saying you can—"
"No."
"But maybe you—"
"Nope."
"Could it be—"
"Alright, stop!" Rhian threw up his hands in irritation. "Just let me explain before you guess my entire bloodline into existence."
Rhian stood still, his eyes closed as he focused, willing the transformation to take hold.
SCHWAACK!!
The sound was sharp, almost electric, as two massive wings erupted from his back, unfurling with a grandeur that filled the room. The black scales along his arms shimmered faintly, complementing the dark, almost iridescent feathers of his wings.
Iris stared, her jaw hanging open. "Holy shit," she breathed, her voice barely above a whisper.
Rhian stood there, a proud smile spreading across his face as he flexed the new appendages slightly, feeling their weight and power.
Iris stepped closer, her eyes wide with fascination. Before Rhian could react, her hands reached out, fingers brushing against the soft feathers.
"Hey. Hey, don’t get handsy," he said, stepping back and folding his wings slightly to keep them out of her reach.
But Iris wasn’t deterred. Her eyes sparkled with excitement as she looked up at him. "You have to take me flying," she said, her grin as wide as a child’s on their birthday.
Rhian chuckled, shaking his head at her reaction. It seemed everyone liked flying.