Nailah stood before Ayao, her expression sharp with determination. The morning air carried the scent of metal and dust as Ayao crossed her arms and studied her.

  "Today, you’re going to learn how to control your Vistra," Ayao stated plainly.

  She reached behind her and retrieved a metal plate, holding it up so Nailah could see.

  "First, I want you to hit this plate," Ayao instructed. "But don’t break it."

  Nailah smirked, brimming with confidence. "That’s easy."

  Ayao’s expression remained unreadable as she added. "I want you to leave an imprint on it," she clarified. "You’ve got three hours, then we move on."

  Nailah’s confidence wavered. She now realized the complexity of this exercise.

  Then, Ayao pointed at Dorothy. "You’ll train with Dorothy," Ayao said.

  Nailah’s brow furrowed. "What?"

  Ayao leaned in slightly, lowering her voice. "I’ll warn you. She’s very strict."

  As Ayao turned away, Nailah muttered under her breath, "As if you weren’t…"

  Ayao suddenly stopped, her back still turned. "Did you say something?"

  Nailah quickly straightened. "No, nothing."

  Dorothy held the plate steady as Nailah reared back her fist. With a swift strike, she slammed her hand against the metal.

  The plate shattered instantly.

  Nailah clicked her tongue in frustration.

  Dorothy, unfazed, smiled warmly. "It’s alright! Let’s try again!"

  Nailah felt a bead of sweat roll down her temple. What is that sadistic woman even talking about? Dorothy is so nice!

  But as she continued, plate after plate shattered under her strikes. Dorothy’s pleasant demeanor remained—until it didn’t.

  A vein pulsed on her forehead.

  Without warning, she lifted a plate and smacked Nailah square in the face.

  "This is how you do it!" Dorothy declared, holding up the plate, now imprinted with Nailah’s shocked expression.

  This woman is crazy! Nailah screamed internally, clutching her throbbing face.

  Hours passed, and by the time they were finished, broken plates lay scattered around them. Several plates, however, bore imprints of Nailah’s various expressions of pain and surprise.

  Ayao observed the results with a smirk. "Impressive work, Dorothy. These could easily pass as art. We might even sell them at a good price."

  Nailah scowled. "Don’t you dare!"

  Dorothy beamed. "Thank you, Boss!"

  Ayao waved dismissively. "Enough playtime. We’re moving on."

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  Nailah exhaled in relief. "Gladly!"

  Ayao led Nailah to a simple wooden chair.

  "For this exercise, I want you to balance on the backrest," Ayao said.

  Nailah blinked. "Wait… not the seat? The back? That’s impossible."

  She attempted it anyway. Within seconds, she tipped over, landing hard on the ground.

  The process repeated itself for hours, dust covering her clothes as she fell over and over again. Meanwhile, Ayao lounged in a chair beneath a parasol, casually checking her polywatch.

  "Time’s up! Let’s move on to the last one," she announced.

  Nailah, still sprawled on the ground, groaned. "Finally."

  Ayao gestured towards Bremuda, who flashed a playful peace sign.

  "For this exercise, you’ll chase Bremuda and touch her," Ayao explained.

  Bremuda grinned. "That’ll be fun! I’ll even put weights on!"

  Ayao continued. "But while you’re chasing Bremuda, Sakichi will throw rocks at you. At any time. From anywhere. And you’ll have to dodge them all."

  Nailah’s stomach sank.

  In the heart of a small town, Nailah sprinted after Bremuda, who glanced back with a teasing smile.

  "You’ll never catch me at this pace!" Bremuda called over her shoulder.

  Nailah pushed herself forward, closing the gap. Just as she was about to reach out, a projectile struck her in the head.

  She stumbled, flipping backward, but managed to recover and keep running.

  Nailah narrowed her eyes, scanning her surroundings. The attack came from that direction… I should keep an eye on it for a few seconds.

  The moment she turned forward again, she realized Bremuda had vanished.

  "How could she just disapp—" Thunk!

  Another rock struck her square in the forehead.

  "Ow!" Nailah yelped.

  A few days later

  Sweat dripped down Nailah’s temple as she clenched her fist. With one final, decisive strike, she slammed her hand against the plate.

  Dorothy lifted it, revealing a perfect imprint of Nailah’s fist. She grinned and gave a thumbs up. "You made it!"

  Nailah’s eyes lit up. "Yes!!"

  She balanced effortlessly on the chair’s backrest.

  She darted through the town, dodging every projectile Sakichi hurled at her while keeping up with Bremuda. Together, they streaked through the city—darting through narrow alleys, racing up walls, and soaring across rooftops. Their movements fluid like bolts of wind through the trees.

  Ayao observed, arms crossed. "Seems like you’re ready to go into the atomic realm."

  Nailah turned to her. "How do I get there?"

  "Through meditation."

  Nailah sat cross-legged, closing her eyes. Ayao’s voice guided her.

  "Listen, kid. Focus your Vistra in your brain."

  Inside her body, her Vistra pulsed, collecting within her mind.

  "Now, connect with nature."

  Suddenly, she found herself elsewhere.

  Nailah floated in a strange, ethereal space, her form translucent, weightless. Atoms surrounded her looking like stars dancing in endless motion.

  Among them, she saw particles pulsing with the same hue as her aura, drawn toward her like kindred spirits. They merged with her, flowing into her very being. But then, an atom unlike the others approached, glowing with a vibrant, unfamiliar color.

  Before she could fully grasp its meaning, a surge of atoms rushed toward her. As the two contrasting particles met, a torrent of energy flooded her.

  A deep, otherworldly voice echoed in the void.

  "Here’s your ability…"

  A sudden force repelled her, sending her hurtling backward. Then,

  Her eyes snapped open as she returned to reality.

  Nailah sat frozen, still reeling from the experience. She slowly lifted her hand, watching it tremble before curling her fingers into a fist. A slow, confident smile spread across her lips.

  "I have it," she murmured. "I’ve learned the Arcane Arts."

  Ayao, still lounging in her chair, smirked. "Welcome back."

  Her expression turned curious. "So… what’s your ability?"

  Nailah’s smile widened. "It’s…"