Mornings at Taliba Academy had a routine—Sym being obnoxiously loud, Rue silently tolerating him, and me wondering why I was stuck with these two.

"Wake up!" Sym yelled, banging on my door. "We had an agreement, Sue! You’re not allowed to be lazy!"

I groaned, shoving my face into my pillow. "Sym, step away from my door unless you want to become a story."

From the common area, Rue sighed. "If she’s not getting up, let’s just leave her."

"Hey! I can hear you!" I shouted, reluctantly kicking off my blanket. "Give me a second!"

Sym smirked as I finally emerged from my room. "See? It’s all in the mindset. Mind over fatigue."

I gave him a blank stare. "Mind over punching you."

Training was supposed to be 'simple.

“Duo sparring,” Instructor Navarro announced, arms crossed. “Pairs have been assigned randomly. No switching. The goal is synergy, not just raw strength.”

Sym groaned. “If you’re not my partner, Sue, I might cry.”

I checked the list. “Well… tough luck. You’re not my partner.”

He leaned in dramatically. “No… who is it?”

I pointed at the board. “Selena.”

“NOOOOOO!” Sym clutched his chest like he had been fatally wounded. “Why didn’t they just stab me with a spoon instead?!”

I snorted. “Drama king.”

“Who’s your partner?” Rue asked.

I glanced at the list. “Ah. You.”

Rue blinked. “...That’s fine.”

Sym threw his hands up. “Lucky you! Me? I have to suffer with her!”

Selena, passing by, smirked. “Don’t worry, Sym. I’ll make sure your training is… fun.”

Sym paled. “...Help.”

“Alright,” I said, stretching my arms. “How do we do this, Rue?”

“Defense and strategy first,” he replied. “You don’t have full control over your ability yet. If we get into trouble, I’ll handle it.”

“So basically, you’re covering for my screw-ups.”

“Basically.”

Before I could argue, our opponents—a fourth-year with enhanced speed and another with earth manipulation—launched their attack.

“Sue! Move left!” Rue ordered.

I obeyed, barely dodging as a rock pillar shot up from the ground. The speedster blurred toward me, aiming a punch at my ribs. Rue flicked his fingers subtly, and the opponent froze—just for a split second, but enough for me to twist out of the way and strike. My elbow connected with his side, sending him stumbling.

“Whoa, okay!” I breathed, surprised. “That actually worked!”

Rue nodded, scanning the battlefield. “Focus.”

The ground beneath me shifted.

Shit.

“Jump!” Rue yelled.

Too late. The earth user stomped, and the ground erupted beneath me, knocking me off balance. My breath left me as I hit the dirt hard.

“Sue—!”

The speedster capitalized on my fall, appearing above me with a sharp kick aimed at my chest. Time slowed. My ability flickered—

A vision.

Me, rolling right just before impact. The kick missing by mere inches.

I reacted instantly, following the vision’s path. The moment my body shifted right, the kick slammed into the ground where I had been a second ago.

“Gotcha,” I muttered, sweeping my leg out. The speedster crashed down.

“Good,” Rue said, his voice oddly approving. “But don’t rely on your ability too much.”

I barely had time to process his words before a boulder came flying toward us.

Rue yanked me back just in time, but the force of the impact sent dust and debris flying. My ears rang. When my vision cleared, Rue had already retaliated—his ability snapping into place, controlling the earth user’s movements long enough to throw him off balance.

“Finish it,” Rue ordered.

I didn’t hesitate. Sprinting forward, I twisted mid-air and drove my knee into our opponent’s back, sending him sprawling.

On the other side of the field, Sym was—

“Holy shit, Selena! This isn’t sparring, this is assassination!” Sym barely dodged a brutal strike, rolling across the dirt.

Selena smirked, her movements sharp and precise. “I thought this was supposed to be fun?”

“Not this kind of fun!”

I snorted mid-dodge. Rue sighed. “Focus, Sue.”

But I couldn’t help but glance again. Sym wasn’t just dodging anymore—he was redirecting. Every strike Selena threw, he absorbed and countered with minimal effort.

He’s holding back.

By the time training ended, Sym looked like he had fought for his life.

I, surprisingly, wasn’t dead.

“Next time,” Sym wheezed, lying flat on the ground, “I swear I’ll fight for you, Sue. Just don’t ever swap me for Selena again.”

Selena walked by, smug. “See you next time, partner.”

Sym groaned. “I’m done.”

I grinned. “Best. Training. Ever.”

That night, Rue, Sym, and I sat on the dorm rooftop, watching the Academy lights glow beneath the stars.

“You had a point earlier,” I admitted, glancing at Rue. “It’s easier if I have a strategy before I use my ability.”

Rue hummed in agreement. “You just need balance. Not just instinct, not just logic.”

Sym stretched beside us. “Exactly. And most importantly—don’t forget that sometimes, you have to enjoy the fight.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Enjoy?”

He grinned. “Yeah. ‘Cause while we’re still alive, might as well have fun. Right, Rue?”

Rue sighed. “Weirdo.”

We laughed, the sound echoing into the night.

For the first time in a long while, things felt… normal.

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“Magiging Kwento” -  A popular humor in Philippines which the person who is using the phrase is threatening another person to stop doing a certain thing or else this person will not exist anymore and will just become a character in a rumor. Basically, when you die the others will just hear your name in the story but your presence isn’t around anymore.