Suspension (3)

"Sora, it's time," Reagan said, his voice cutting through the sound of cereal crunching in my ears. I looked up at him, curious. "Time for what?"

"To learn a new technique that will benefit you," he replied, his tone serious. "It's called incantation-less spell chanting."

I frowned, racking my brain for any recollection of the term. "You told me about this earlier, right?"

Reagan sighed, exasperated. "Yes, I did. But it seems like you weren't paying attention." He fixed me with a stern gaze that made me feel like a kid who had been caught misbehaving. "This is important, Sora. Pay attention."

I swallowed hard, feeling a knot form in my stomach. I hated disappointing Reagan. "Okay, I'm sorry. Let's get started."

We walked out to the open fields, where the sun was high in the sky and the grass tickled our ankles. Reagan began to explain how to use spells without speaking, his voice low and measured.

"When you chant a spell, your mana gates open up in order to release mana for you to use. To cast spells without speaking, you need to imagine your gates opening subconsciously and be able to let the mana flow to your hand for you to use the spell."

I listened carefully, trying to picture what he was saying. It sounded difficult, but I was determined to master it.

"Alright," I said, feeling a sense of excitement building within me. "I think I understand what I need to do."

I closed my eyes and focused on visualizing my mana gates opening without any sound. I felt a rush of energy coursing through my body, and I knew that I was getting closer to achieving my goal. Taking a deep breath, I concentrated all my energy into my hand and cast the spell that produced a luminous sphere of light, much like the one I used for Light Flash.

As I opened my eyes, I saw the sphere floating in front of me, glowing brightly. I couldn't help but grin in triumph. I had done it. I had cast a spell without uttering a single word.

Reagan looked at me in amazement. "You did it," he said, his voice filled with admiration. "You mastered it in just one try."

I felt a surge of pride, but also a sense of nervousness as Reagan issued his challenge. "I want you to spar me again, this time without saying a word."

I looked down at my hand, feeling the power thrumming within me. "Alright," I said, meeting Reagan's gaze with confidence. "Let's do this."

I stepped onto the field with a surge of excitement.

As Reagan took his stance, I couldn't help but notice the confidence in his eyes. Undeterred, I launched into my attack, summoning wires of light out of my fingers hoping to catch Reagan off guard. But to my surprise, he dodged it effortlessly and countered with a swift punch, knocking me off balance.

I tried to regain my footing, but before I knew it, Reagan had launched a projectile at me that looked like luminous tide... It was like a wave, and it was too quick for me to dodge. The impact sent me flying, and I landed hard on the ground.

As I tried to recover, I attempted to use Alluring Whiplash. But it was no use, Reagan was too experienced for such a basic technique, and he easily dodged my attack. In an attempt to defend myself, I summoned Light Roots, creating roots of light that went towards Reagan. But it was a futile effort - the roots only made me look like more of a bore, and he retaliated with a counterattack.

As I tried to regain my balance I realized the pain I was in. The agony from the backlash of Light Roots was too much to bear, and I felt completely paralyzed with pain. Desperately, I tried to use Light Flash, a condensed sphere of light that fueled my speed. But the pain was too much, and I couldn't concentrate. Reagan took advantage of my vulnerability, landing blow after blow on me.

"That was an impressive display of power, Sora," Reagan said as he helped me back to my feet. I could feel my heart beating rapidly with excitement. Finally, after months of training, I was able to use all of my attacks without uttering a single word. The thrill of it still coursed through my veins.

Reagan's curiosity suddenly piqued, "I never noticed this, but do the light roots have some sort of backlash?"

I furrowed my brow in confusion, "I never noticed it either, Reagan. But now that you mention it, something strange did happen when I summoned too many roots."

The memory of my body becoming paralyzed with pain resurfaced. The agony of being helpless and watching myself lose was a feeling I never wanted to experience again. But at least this time, I managed to hold on for longer.

Suddenly, Reagan's proposition lifted my spirits. "Sora, how about we visit the school during your suspension?"

My eyes widened in surprise. "We can do that?"

"Of course we can, Sora. As long as I'm with you, you won't be seen as a threat and can enter the school," Reagan explained.

"I'm in!" I exclaimed eagerly, already imagining myself wandering the halls of the academy once more.

But as I walked back to my room to change, a strange feeling began to stir in my chest. My heartbeat felt irregular, and my body ached all over. I brushed it off, thinking it was just the aftereffects of the light roots backlash. But as the pain intensified and I stumbled around my room, I knew something was wrong.

Reagan's sudden entrance startled me. "SORA!"

"Reagan... What the hell is this...?" I groaned in agony, clutching my chest.

Reagan's eyes widened with concern as he noticed my eyes pulsating in a strange violet color. Without wasting any time, he scooped me up and rushed me to the nurses' office, fear coursing through his veins.