Shyla blinked, tilting her head. "Why are you both staring like that?"
Hatku snapped out of it, shaking his head like he'd just been dragged from a dream. "Sorry. Here—you dropped this." He held the journal out.
She walked up to him, closer now than before. The scent of something wild—like scorched berries and fresh rain—lingered in the air around her. She took the journal gently, her fingers brushing his. "Thanks," she said with a soft smile, clutching it close to her chest.
Tashina gave her brother a suspicious side glance. Hatku ignored it—barely.
Shyla looked around the empty, battle-scarred realm, her gaze scanning the deep cracks and broken pillars with a kind of familiarity. "Did you guys also come here to train?" she asked, brushing red-black strands of hair from her face. "It's been a while since I saw someone else here."
Hatku nodded instinctively. "Yeah. We came to train."
Shyla tilted her head, grinning. "Oh? As a couple?"
Tashina nearly exploded. "What? Nooo! That's my brother!"
Shyla blinked, then immediately covered her mouth, eyes wide. "Oh! I didn't mean it like—sorry, I just—wow, I really put my foot in it, huh?" She laughed awkwardly, stepping back. "Now that you say it, I totally see it. You two have the same eyes. Twins?"
"Yeah," Hatku replied, a bit more relaxed now. "Born seconds apart."
Shyla gave an approving nod. "That's rare. And kind of beautiful."
Hatku barely heard the last part—his attention kept drifting. She was stunning. Not just in looks, but in the way she stood. Confident, unbothered, like the ground itself listened when she moved. Her long red hair shimmered with black streaks that caught the strange light of the realm like ink igniting into flame. Her lashes were naturally thick and curled, framing sharp eyes that practically buzzed with power. Her curves were bold, yet she moved with an ease only someone deeply in tune with their body could have.
And then it happened.
His chest burned. A hot pulse. Oh no—
The green flames sparked to life at his fingertips, then burst up in a chaotic spiral around him.
"Whoa!" Shyla shouted, instinctively raising an orb of energy around herself. "Watch it! You trying to roast me alive?"
Hatku scrambled backward, slapping his palms together to snuff it out. "No! No, I didn't— It just— It wasn't—"
"It's okay, relax." Shyla waved her hand to cancel her shield, shaking off dust. "Been there. I used to light my hair on fire anytime I got embarrassed. Power surges happen, especially when you haven't learned to—" she paused, giving him a look "—breathe."
Hatku wiped a line of sweat off his brow, staring at the charred edge of a stone.
Tashina was quiet behind them, trying not to laugh. She failed.
Shyla walked closer again, her tone softening. "It's not about suppressing it. It's about understanding what triggers the flame—what it's reacting to. Emotions, thoughts, instincts… they all play a role. Once you learn to control yourself, the power follows."
Hatku looked at her, heart still pounding for a reason that had nothing to do with battle. "You trained yourself to that level?"
"Over time. You think this orb happened overnight?" she smirked, forming a sphere of that strange pulsing energy around her arm and then dismissing it like it was nothing. "It takes patience. Discipline. Failure after failure."
Hatku hesitated. "Could you teach me?"
Shyla's grin was crooked but warm. "Sure. You seem… interesting."
He stepped forward. "When can we start?"
She tilted her head up, eyes scanning the sky like she was checking for a storm that would never come. Then she looked at him again, a subtle gleam in her eye. "How about now?"
Tashina groaned audibly. "Of course."
Shyla giggled, a sound so light and unexpected it broke the tension in the air. She reached down, adjusted the edge of her long boots, and took a stance.
"Alright, green flame boy," she said, voice playful but focused. "Let's see what you're working with."
Hatku looked at Tashina, who raised her brows and stepped back, folding her arms.
He stepped forward.
Flames flickered at his hands, this time, steady.