Sparks of Magic, Sparks of Doubt
With a throbbing headache, Ksenia opened her eyes, her face twisted in a grimace. As if unaccustomed to the pouring sunlight, she shielded her eyes with her hand. Everything was a blur past her final memory of sharing drinks with Lilia the night before.
"Eonni, are you awake?" With a worried voice, Hayeon sat by her side. In Hayeon's hands was a steaming mug of honey water. Seeing her sweet, caring figure, Ksenia's tense expression softened slightly.
"Ugh... Hayeon... My head feels like it's splitting open." Ksenia took the honey water Hayeon offered and took a sip. As the sweet, warm liquid slid down her throat, her throbbing headache seemed to subside a little.
"Yesterday... did I really fall asleep as soon as I got back to the room?"
"Yes, Eonni. You must have been incredibly exhausted. The moment you walked in, you collapsed right on top of me... and fell fast asleep." Hayeon pouted slightly, recalling the sheer anticlimax of the previous night.
Ksenia stroked her cheek with an apologetic expression. "I'm sorry, Hayeon. It was supposed to be our special time together... and I ruined it. But it's strange. There's no way I should have gotten this drunk off just that much." A sharp glint of suspicion flickered in Ksenia's eyes. Hayeon felt her heart drop.
"M-Maybe it's because you haven't had a drink in so long? You were on edge the entire time we were in the dungeon! When you're tired, the alcohol hits you way harder!" Hayeon stammered, desperately trying to sound nonchalant as she changed the subject. I can't let her find out. If she does, Eonni might end up fighting with Lilia-eonni.
"I suppose..." Ksenia still looked doubtful, but seeing Hayeon's worried face, she didn't press any further. Instead, she pulled Hayeon into her arms and hugged her tight. "As expected, my Hayeon is the only one who truly cares about me."
Held in Ksenia's embrace, listening to the steady beat of her heart, Hayeon felt a pang of guilt but thought to herself, Eonni, I'm sorry. But what happened last night... I don't regret it.
"Eonni, lunch has already passed."
"What? It's already that late?" Ksenia stood up in surprise. Hayeon handed her a set of clean clothes and said, "Hurry up and wash. Lilia-eonni is supposed to teach me how to counter magic today, so I need to head to the training grounds."
"Magic training?" Ksenia groaned as she made her way to the bathroom. Hayeon let out a sigh of relief as she watched her go. Thank goodness. She didn't suspect anything, right?
That afternoon, at the training grounds on the outskirts of the city. Hayeon stood with her new shield strapped tightly to her arm, her face a mask of pure tension. Opposite her stood Lilia, arms crossed, looking down at her with an analytical gaze. Ksenia, nursing her hangover with a hand pressed to her forehead, sat on a bench at the edge of the field, watching them.
"Now that you've learned about mana through your body, it's time to teach you how to sense and dodge it. Studying magic theory at a desk is utterly useless. You have to experience it firsthand to get a real feel for it."
"...What? You mean I'm actually going to get hit?" Hayeon's eyes went wide as she asked. Her voice was laced with sheer, disbelief-filled horror.
"To be precise, it's 'evasion training.' Don't worry. I'll shoot gently so you won't die. Probably?" Lilia flashed a mischievous, almost devilish grin as a small flame flickered to life at her fingertips. The blazing ember danced atop her pale hand. "Now, for your first lesson! Basic Flame Shot!"
Whoosh! A small but incredibly swift sphere of fire hurtled toward Hayeon. She threw herself to the side, rolling across the dirt to dodge, but the searing heat of the passing flame scorched her cheek. In an instant, she was covered in sand from head to toe.
"Nice! You've got decent dodging instincts. Next up, two in a row, okay?"
"Wait, let me catch my breath...! I'm not mentally prepared yet!" But instead of answering, Lilia unleashed two sharp ice shards in rapid succession. Hayeon shrieked, throwing her body out of the way once more. Clang! A stray fragment of ice struck her training shield, ringing out with a sharp metallic echo.
"Don't just focus on blindly dodging. Try to read the flow of mana. Before any spell is cast, the mana around the caster shifts ever so slightly. You have to feel that with your skin, not your eyes. Just like the mana you felt yesterday." At Lilia's teasing remark, Hayeon's face flushed bright red.
"Eonni, that's way easier said than done! It feels like you're just trying to kill me!" Hayeon cried out in protest. Watching from the sidelines, Ksenia clutched her stomach, laughing. "Lilia has always been a bit extreme. Don't worry, she won't actually kill you."
Hayeon grit her teeth and lowered her stance. "Alright. Next is a linear lightning spell. This one should be easier to dodge. Once you know the direction it's deploying, just feel the mana and read its trajectory." Flash! Hayeon instinctively dropped to her knees, flattening herself against the ground. A bolt of blue lightning crackled right over her back, making every hair on her body stand on end.
"Excellent. Your reaction time on that one was fast," Lilia said, finally lowering her hand. "Spells have simpler patterns than you'd think. Fire, ice, lightning... most of them are highly standardized. The real challenge lies in their overwhelming speed and the unpredictable combinations between different spells. You have to get used to that sensation."
Drenched in sweat, Hayeon panted heavily and nodded. "So... you want me to get used to this feeling... this feeling of near-death."
"Exactly." Right then, a lazy, confident voice drifted over from behind them. It was Gold Sun. "My, my. Aren't you being a bit too rough on our cute little rabbit, Lilia?" He had approached without them noticing, watching Hayeon's training with an amused expression.
"You won't improve by just blindly dodging like that. You need to read the mage's gaze, their hand gestures, and the preparatory movements of their mana. Come here, little lady. Let me personally show you how it's done." Gold Sun lightly patted Lilia's shoulder as he stepped toward Hayeon. Standing right behind her, he began to adjust her posture.
"Now, don't tense up your shoulders like that. Relax, and move fluidly like water. Feel the opponent's mana with your entire body. Alright, try again, Lilia."
Lilia fired another flame shot. Following Gold Sun's advice, Hayeon relaxed her body and focused entirely on the flow of mana. Miraculously, she found herself dodging the attack far more smoothly than before.
"See? Much better, right? You've got talent, little lady." Along with his praise, Gold Sun slyly wrapped his arm around Hayeon's waist. Hayeon flushed at his practiced touch, but she couldn't deny that his instruction was incredibly effective.
Watching this unfold, Ksenia's brow twitched. Rising from the bench, she marched over to them. "Gold Sun. That's enough. Take your hands off Hayeon." Her voice was low and icy.
"Are you jealous, Ksenia? I'm just giving her a few pointers. Lilia's methods are a bit too rough, you see. What if our little lady gets hurt?" Gold Sun chuckled in response, but under Ksenia's freezing glare, he finally withdrew his hands.
"I take care of my own. Save your concern for Lilia." At Ksenia's blatant display of possessiveness, Gold Sun chuckled in amusement and stepped back. And so, Lilia's grueling magic training continued throughout the entire afternoon.
That evening, utterly exhausted from the previous night's wild antics and the day's brutal training, Hayeon collapsed onto the bed and fell into a deep sleep the moment her head hit the pillow. Ksenia gently stroked Hayeon's hair, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead.
What on earth happened while I was away? You're changing bit by bit, Hayeon. But... I suppose that change isn't necessarily a bad thing. Ksenia watched the sleeping girl with a complex swirl of emotions. No one could tell what kind of flower the tiny seed of suspicion planted in her heart would eventually bloom into.
Meanwhile, in Lilia's room. Gold Sun had his arms wrapped around Lilia's waist, pressing deep kisses against the nape of her neck. "Your rabbit is a remarkably fast learner. Not just with her magical senses, but also with her knack for captivating men," Gold Sun murmured softly.
Cradled in his embrace, Lilia snorted softly. "My rabbit? Isn't she our Hayeon? Serena-eonni seemed incredibly satisfied last night, and you looked like you were thoroughly enjoying yourself too."
"Ho, putting it like that, are we? Her charm lies in how she performs such depraved acts so effortlessly with that innocent face of hers. Ksenia is being too greedy; a gem like that is far too precious for just one person to monopolize. She needs to become everyone's darling and learn how to be loved by all."
Lilia smiled at his words, pressing her lips against his. "Don't get too greedy, Gold Sun. That child is special. But right now, she's tightly bound by the shackles known as Ksenia. That pure devotion and loyalty are what make her shine, but at the same time, they're what keep her locked away."
Gold Sun scooped Lilia up in his arms and walked toward the bed. "Isn't it our job to break those shackles? Ksenia's jealousy..." He whispered with a chuckle. "When that day comes, she will shatter those chains herself and leap right into our arms." Lilia laughed softly, wrapping her arms around his neck as they leaned back onto the bed, lost in a deep kiss.