ShadowBound: The Need For Power-Chapter 594: Not So Good

With Liam, Asher, and Charlotte already waiting at the clearing, the rest of their peers began to arrive one by one. Some emerged from the treeline at a jog, others stumbled in at a slower pace, and a few practically dragged themselves forward, legs heavy and movements sluggish. Eventually, the last of them arrived, and the entire first-year class was gathered in the clearing once more. Nearly all of them wore clear evidence of how brutal the course had been—clothes stained with mud, boots caked in grime, hair matted and faces streaked with dirt and sweat.

As they stood there, the difference in condition was obvious. Some students had already managed to steady their breathing, hands on hips or resting on their knees as they recovered. Others were still hunched over, chests rising and falling sharply as they fought to catch their breath, exhaustion written plainly across their faces.

Moments later, a portal shimmered into existence directly in front of the students. Sir Kaelen stepped through first, his posture straight and composed, followed closely by his fellow instructor. The instant they appeared, the scattered murmurs died down. Every student’s attention snapped toward them without hesitation, their bodies instinctively straightening.

"As usual," Kaelen began, his calm voice carrying easily through the clearing as his eyes swept over the assembled first-years, "you’ve managed to earn my respect once again. You all were able to finish this course in less than one hundred and fifty minutes, which is quite impressive."

The students remained silent, listening closely, waiting for him to continue.

"Among you," Kaelen went on evenly, "three managed to complete the course in under sixty minutes. And amongst those three, one managed to complete it in under fifty minutes." His gaze slowly moved across the group, settling first on Liam, then shifting to Asher, and finally coming to rest on Charlotte.

"Those three tackled this course exceptionally well," he added, his tone measured, "and for that, they earned those finishing times."

At that, many of the students turned their heads, stealing glances toward Liam, Asher, and Charlotte. Some looks were sharp with envy, others carried irritation at seeing familiar names once again standing at the top. A few, however, barely reacted at all, indifferent to the rankings and far more focused on their own fatigue.

"Now," Kaelen said, his voice firm as he reclaimed everyone’s attention, "the myst restriction has been removed. Recover yourselves and get in line. Today’s actual training commences in two minutes. Be quick." 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

The moment he finished speaking, the change was immediate. Students reached inward almost instinctively, accessing their myst once more. Energy flowed back into tired limbs as they used it to restore their strength, dull aches fading as vitality returned. Some even pushed their myst further, giving themselves brief boosts that left them standing taller and looking far more energized than they had just moments before.

As the last traces of exhaustion were shaken off, the students moved into formation. They fell into line with steady stances, faces forward and bodies ready, waiting in disciplined silence for Kaelen’s next instruction.

***

Sir Kaelen led the students through the remainder of the day’s actual training, guiding them from one drill to the next without granting even a moment of leniency. Just as he had warned, the training proved to be brutally intense. Even with Myst at their disposal, the students were pushed to their limits, muscles screaming and focus fraying by the time dismissal was finally called. When it was time to return to the academy, exhaustion clung to them heavily, weighing down every step.

Back at the academy grounds, many of the students immediately tapped into their Myst to wash away what little fatigue they could manage on their own. Even so, most of them still headed straight for the infirmary, knowing better than to ignore the deeper strain on their bodies. After receiving proper treatment, they cleaned themselves up, washing away sweat, dirt, and lingering soreness. By the time they were finished, the sky had already begun to darken, and dinner time had arrived.

The cafeteria filled at an astonishing pace, quickly flooding with hungry students eager to shove food into their mouths after the long, punishing day. The noise level rose just as fast, conversations overlapping as trays scraped and chairs shifted.

At one of the tables, Liam sat with his friends, eating quietly as the group talked about the day’s events.

"You know," Dylan said between bites, shoveling an entire spoonful of food into his mouth, "I could’ve easily finished in under an hour, just like Charlotte and these two fire-breathing souls, if it wasn’t for that stupid ravine."

"Stop lying to yourself, you clown," Asher replied flatly, casting him a sideways look. "Your stamina is awful. Even without the ravine, you wouldn’t have finished in an hour."

"Okay," Dylan shot back with exaggerated sass, "that was extremely rude. And also not true. I have perfectly decent stamina."

"Uh... not really, my guy," Max said calmly as he chewed on his beef. "Asher’s kinda right. Your speed and agility are insane, but your stamina is your biggest weakness. That, and you have no idea how to pace yourself."

Looks like I wasn’t the only one who noticed that, Liam thought silently as he continued eating, his expression unchanged.

"Oh, let me live," Dylan said dramatically, throwing his hands up as if in protest. "I do what I want, and none of you can do anything about it."

Asher snorted, while Max rolled his eyes in unison.

"You know," Ariana said gently, her usual soft and sweet voice cutting through the noise, "you really should listen to them, Dylan. Who knows, you might even do much better tomorrow if you follow Max’s advice."

The effect was immediate. In less than a second, Dylan straightened his posture and adopted an overly composed demeanor, his earlier theatrics vanishing completely.

"I shall heed your words, Ari," he said solemnly, placing a hand over his chest like a refined noble. "For your wisdom is unmatched, m’lady."

Ariana flinched slightly and blushed. "Uh... okay," she replied, clearly caught off guard.

Across the table, Asher and Max stared at Dylan with visible disgust. Neither of them could believe how quickly he’d gone from throwing a tantrum to behaving like a devoted disciple, all because Ariana had spoken.

"I swear," Asher muttered darkly, "one day I’m gonna throw that bastard through a window."

"I’m with you on that one," Max replied under his breath, both of them glaring at Dylan, who remained blissfully unaware—or simply uncaring—of their murderous stares.

The rest of the night passed quickly as the group continued their banter, laughter, and idle conversations. By the time their plates were cleared and appetites satisfied, the fatigue of the day had finally begun to settle in. Together, they made their way back toward the dorm buildings.

When they reached Block Two, Charlotte, Max, Ariana, and Sheila slowed to a stop. One by one, they turned toward the entrance, offering casual goodnights to the others as they prepared to head inside.

Just before they could all enter, Liam spoke up.

"Hey, Sheila," he said calmly. "Mind if we talk for a bit?"

At the sound of her name, Sheila paused and turned back toward him. Liam stood a short distance away beside Asher and Dylan, his expression as composed as ever.

"Uh... yeah, sure," Sheila replied evenly, stepping back out from the entrance.

"Oh~," Dylan chimed in immediately, his tone dripping with teasing as his eyes flicked between Liam and Sheila. "C’mon, Asher, let’s head out so these two can have their sweet little moment." He didn’t wait for a response, already starting toward Block One.

Asher ignored him completely and followed suit without comment. Charlotte, Ariana, and Max lingered for a brief moment longer, clearly curious, before finally heading inside the building as well.

Once the others had moved away, Sheila stood facing Liam, looking up at him. "Um... you do know they’re still lingering around, right?" she said calmly, her gaze shifting slightly as she sensed familiar presences nearby. Dylan and Charlotte, in particular, weren’t exactly subtle.

"Yeah," Liam replied evenly, unfazed. "But don’t worry. They won’t hear anything." Unbeknownst to her, he had already cast a Silent spell around the two of them.

Sheila studied him for a moment before shrugging lightly. "Well, if you say so. So... what did you want to talk about?"

"How is your attempt at speaking with your brother going?" Liam asked plainly, his eyes fixed on her.

Sheila flinched slightly at the question, then steadied herself before answering. "Honestly... it’s not going very well," she admitted. "Between the day-to-day training and everything else, I haven’t run into Percy at all. I haven’t seen him anywhere in the academy since that night."

Liam considered her words for a moment before responding. "I see. At least you’re making the effort."

"I guess," Sheila said quietly, almost shyly. Then something seemed to occur to her. "Oh—about your duel. He hasn’t approached you for it yet, has he?"

"No," Liam replied calmly. "I think he’s probably busy with the apprenticeship search, just like the other third-years. We haven’t really seen any of them around lately."

"Yeah, you’re right," Sheila said after a brief pause, nodding as she thought it over. "Well, if you don’t mind, could you let me know when he does approach you for the duel? I’d like to be there... so I can talk to him afterward."

Liam watched her for a moment before answering. "Sure. Though I doubt it’ll be something kept quiet. Still, if the need arises, I’ll let you know."

"Thank you very much, Liam," Sheila said sincerely.

"You’re welcome," he replied evenly.

"Well, I should get going now," Sheila said calmly. "Have a good night." With that, she turned and headed back toward the building.

"Likewise," Liam said, watching as she disappeared inside.

Once she was gone, Liam turned and began walking back toward his own dorm building, his pace unhurried.

’Looks like this is going to be easier for me after all,’ he thought calmly as he walked. ’With Sheila genuinely wanting to talk to her brother, getting him to accept my condition shouldn’t be an issue.’