Chapter 28 Learning Control
The second day of training was worse than the first.
Lilith woke with every muscle screaming. Her body felt like she’d been trampled. Even breathing hurt.
“That’s normal,” Lucian said when she stumbled into the courtyard looking half dead. “You used power your body isn’t conditioned for yet. It’s like running a marathon when you’ve never exercised.”
“Comforting,” Lilith muttered.
Sera handed her water and something that looked like dried fruit but tasted medicinal. “Eat this. Lucian says it helps with recovery.”
“Where did he even get this?”
“I have resources.” Lucian was already in the center of the courtyard, arranging something. Mirrors. Small ones. He placed them in a circle around the space. “Today we work on precision. Yesterday you accessed the power. Good. Today you learn to control where it goes.”
“I’m barely standing.”
“You’ll be fine once the adrenaline kicks in.” He gestured to the mirrors. “See these? I want you to hit each one. In order. Without destroying them. Just enough force to crack the surface.”
Lilith stared at the twelve mirrors arranged in a perfect circle. “You want me to crack them without breaking them?
“Exactly. Control. Not just raw power.” He moved to stand beside Sera at the edge. “Begin when you’re ready.”
Lilith took a breath. Moved to the center of the circle. Closed her eyes.
The golden warmth was still there. Still massive. But today it felt different. Less wild. More responsive. Like it was learning her.
She opened her eyes. Focused on the first mirror.
Push. Just a little. Just enough to crack.
Golden light shot from her hand.
The mirror exploded into a thousand pieces.
“Too much!” Lucian called.
“I noticed!” Lilith bit back frustration. Focused on the second mirror. Less power this time. Gentler.
The light touched the mirror. Left a small crack. Perfect.
“Better! Keep going!”
Third mirror too much power. Shattered.
Fourth mirror perfect crack.
Fifth shattered.
Sixth cracked.
By the time she finished all twelve, six were destroyed and six were cracked. Her body was shaking again. Sweat poured down her face.
“Not bad,” Lucian said. “Fifty percent success rate on your second day.”
“I destroyed half of them!”
“And you controlled the other half. That’s progress.” He waved his hand. The shattered mirrors reassembled themselves, pieces flying back together until all twelve were whole again. “Now do it again.”
“What?”
“Again. This time aim for eight successful cracks.”
“I can barely stand!”
“Then sit down and rest for five minutes. But then we go again.” His mirror eyes were serious. “Whatever is coming will not wait for you to be ready. You need to be ready now.”
The words hit hard. True and terrifying.
Lilith sat. Drank more water. Ate more of the medicinal fruit. Her body screamed protest.
“You don’t have to do this,” Sera said quietly. “You could rest. Train tomorrow.”
“No. He’s right. I need this.” Lilith stood on shaky legs. “Again.”
Second round seven successful cracks.
Third round nine.
Fourth round all twelve.
By the time Lucian called for a break, Lilith could barely see straight. But she had done it. Twelve perfect cracks. Controlled power. Precise strikes.
“Excellent.” Lucian handed her water. “Now we escalate.”
“Escalate how?”
He gestured. The twelve mirrors lifted into the air. Started moving. Circling around her in a complex pattern, fast and unpredictable.
“Hit them while they’re moving. Same rules. Crack, don’t shatter.”
“You’re insane.”
“I’m thorough. Begin.”
Moving targets were infinitely harder.
Lilith had to track them. Predict where they’d be. Time her strikes. The first few attempts were disasters, missed shots, shattered mirrors, complete failures.
But gradually, painfully, she started to get it.
Track. Predict. Strike.
Golden light lancing out with precision. Catching mirrors mid flight. Cracking them without destroying them.
By the tenth attempt she hit eight out of twelve.
“Good! Again!”
Eleventh attempt ten out of twelve.
Twelfth attempt all twelve.
Lilith dropped to her knees. Vision blurring. Body giving out completely
“That’s enough for today,” Lucian said. His voice sounded distant. “You did well.”
Strong arms caught her before she hit the ground. Sera. “I’ve got you. Come on.”
They helped her back to her chambers. Fed her. Made her drink something that tasted awful but made the exhaustion less crushing.
“You’re pushing too hard,” Sera said.
“I have to.”
“You’re going to hurt yourself.”
“Better hurt in training than dead when they attack.” Lilith closed her eyes. “I’m fine. Just tired.”
She slept for four hours. Dreamless. Deep. When she woke, evening light filtered through the windows.
A tray of food waited. And a note.
Well done today. Tomorrow we work on shields.
L
Lilith ate mechanically. Her body felt better, still sore but functional. The medicinal fruit was working.
A knock at the door.
“Come in.”
Lucian entered. He had changed clothes. Looked less formal. Almost casual.
“How are you feeling?” he asked.
“Like I got trampled. But better than this morning.”
“Good.” He moved to the window. Looked out at the courtyard. “I wanted to show you something.”
“What?”
He held out his hand. In his palm sat a small mirror, pocket sized with an ornate frame.
“This is a communication mirror. Linked to ones I gave my brothers.” He offered it to her. “If you channel power into it, you can reach them. See them. Talk to them.”
Lilith took the mirror carefully. “Why are you giving me this?”
“Because you miss them. Because Cain left without saying goodbye. Because” He paused. “Because isolation is a weapon too. And I don’t want you to feel isolated.”
The gesture was unexpectedly kind.
“Thank you,” Lilith said softly.
“Don’t thank me yet. There is a catch.” His smile was wry. “They will all see when you use it. All seven mirrors light up when one is activated. So if you call Cain, the others will know.”
“Oh.”
“Privacy is complicated when dealing with Envy.” He moved toward the door. “But it is yours. Use it when you need it.”
He left before she could respond.
Lilith stared at the mirror. Its surface was dark. Inactive. But holding it made her chest feel less tight.
She could talk to Cain. See her face. Hear her
voice.
But all the brothers would know.
Was that worth it?
She set the mirror on her nightstand. Decision for later.
For now she had food to eat and rest to get and training to prepare for.
Tomorrow shields.
Whatever that meant.