A Spark in the Night

Chapter: 12

The next morning unfolded with the same predictability as every other day. The sun had barely risen when Abeni and I made our way toward the fields, but there was one small change: the horse-drawn carriage parked outside Edward's house. Several maids and butlers were bustling about, packing up the family's belongings. Alex was finally leaving for the academy.

Abeni glanced at the carriage, her tone indifferent. "So he's finally leaving?"

"Yep," I replied.

She eyed the scene before us. "Why are his parents going with him?"

"Well, Alex and his brother can't exactly go by themselves."

"Why?"

"I'll explain later," I said, though I had no intention of actually following through.

As we walked toward the fields, I spotted my mother in the distance, working hard as usual. I stopped, telling Abeni to go on ahead while I spoke to her.

I approached my mother, watching as she skillfully handled the sugarcane, her tired face lighting up slightly as she saw me.

"Kael, my boy," she greeted me with a warm smile, wiping her brow with the back of her hand.

"Morning, Mama," I said, picking up some sugarcane beside her.

She eyed me with a mixture of pride and concern. "You've been working harder lately. You take care of yourself, alright? You're not a grown man just yet."

I chuckled lightly, hefting the bundle over my shoulder. "You know I'm stronger than I look, Mama."

"Maybe so," she replied, her eyes softening. "But you've got to remember that strength isn't just about what you can lift. It's about knowing when to hold back, too."

I nodded, appreciating her words, even though she had no idea what kind of strength I was developing. We worked side by side for a while, the weight of the sugarcane feeling lighter as we shared a quiet moment together.

As I prepared to leave, I turned to her and said, "You take it easy, alright?"

She smiled, that same warm, motherly smile that always managed to calm me. "You too, Kael."

With that, I left her to her work and made my way back to Abeni.

I caught up with Abeni, who had a bundle of sugarcane slung over her shoulder.

"So what's the plan?" she asked, getting straight to the point.

"For the next nine years, we train and figure out the best escape route," I said matter-of-factly.

"Sounds like a plan."

The rest of the day was spent in monotonous work, moving produce back and forth from the fields to the storage building. We barely paid any attention to the carriage, except for the moment Alex climbed inside, giving us a discreet wave as he did so. Abeni and I returned the gesture before turning back to our tasks. As night fell, we made our way to our usual training area, ready to test our limits.

"So, what are the rules for this spar?" Abeni asked, her competitive spirit gleaming in her eyes.

"No killing or maiming blows," I said. "Other than that, we can go wild."

She grinned, flames flickering at her fingertips. "But why move from here?"

I pointed west, toward a distant clearing. "It's too close to the plantation. We don't want any stray attacks hitting something—or someone."

"Fine," she said, her grin widening as fire erupted around her body. "Last one there's a rotten egg!" Without waiting, she took off, a trail of flames marking her path.

I sighed, shaking my head as lightning sparked around me. "She always forgets which one of us is faster," I muttered before vanishing in a streak of lightning, racing ahead of her.

We arrived in the clearing, and I was already waiting when she came to a stop before me, slightly out of breath but grinning.

"Alright, ready?" I asked.

"Whenever you are," she replied, her hands already glowing with magic.

I nodded, raising my right hand as a sword made entirely of lightning materialized in my grasp. The blade hummed with electric energy, crackling softly as I settled into my fighting stance—one foot forward, knees bent, the sword angled low but ready to strike.

Abeni conjured a spear made of flames, the intense heat radiating from it as she slipped into her own stance, her body poised for attack. Her form was light on her feet, with one hand gripping the spear and the other free, ready to manipulate wind or fire as needed.

For a moment, we stood still, tension crackling in the air. Then, without warning, we vanished.

The clearing erupted in a storm of energy. I moved like lightning, darting toward Abeni with a flash of electric speed, my sword slicing through the air toward her side. But she was quick—wind swirled around her, amplifying her movements as she twirled out of the way, her flame spear sweeping upward in a blazing arc aimed at my chest.

I barely blocked it, the heat singing the edges of my clothes as I parried her spear with my lightning blade. Sparks flew as our weapons clashed, the elements surging against each other. Abeni pressed forward, her spear a blur of fire as she unleashed a flurry of rapid thrusts. I deflected each one, my body moving on instinct as the adrenaline surged through me.

The ground beneath us cracked and splintered with the force of our movements. I ducked under one of her strikes, dropping low before sweeping my leg out in an attempt to knock her off balance. But Abeni was faster—she jumped back, sending a gust of wind in my direction to push me away.

I grinned, channeling lightning through my legs as I closed the distance between us in an instant. I appeared before her, my sword raised for a downward strike. She blocked it with her spear, the impact sending a shockwave through the air.

"Not bad," I said, the electricity crackling around me intensifying.

"You haven't seen anything yet," she replied, flames swirling around her body.

With a powerful burst of wind, she forced me back, then thrust her spear forward, sending a jet of fire hurtling toward me. I raised my sword, creating a barrier of lightning that absorbed the flames before countering with a surge of water magic, sending a wave crashing toward her.

Abeni reacted quickly, raising her hand to summon a wall of wind that dispersed the water, but I was already moving, using the distraction to get behind her. I struck with a series of lightning-fast punches, each one charged with electricity, but Abeni twisted out of the way just in time, the edge of my fist grazing her shoulder.

She retaliated with a kick, flames bursting from her leg as it connected with my side, sending me skidding across the ground. I winced but quickly recovered, summoning a barrier to block her follow-up attack.

"Getting tired already?" she taunted, grinning as she twirled her spear.

"Not even close," I shot back, raising my sword for another round.

We clashed again, the clearing lit up by the glow of our magic. Each strike was faster and more intense than the last, the ground beneath us scorched and cracked from the sheer force of our battle. The air was thick with the smell of burning grass and ozone as our elemental energies collided.

Finally, we pulled back, both of us panting, though neither willing to admit exhaustion. Abeni's spear crackled with fire, the flames licking at the edges of the blade, while my sword hummed with lightning, the energy pulsing through the air.

"This is it," I said, steadying myself for the final blow.

"Bring it on," she replied, her eyes gleaming with determination.

We launched ourselves at each other one last time, our weapons crashing together in a brilliant explosion of light and energy. The impact sent a shockwave through the clearing, the world around us blurring as everything faded into white.

Chapter 12: End