The night was different. Inside the void, Light-Henry didn't cower. He fought back. While Joseph engaged Dark-Henry, keeping him occupied, Light-Henry focused. He remembered his success in the arena, the feeling of his light responding to a purpose. He began to create.
One after another, he formed small, stable balls of pure light, not to throw, but to simply be. He filled the dark void with them, dozens of miniature stars that pulsed with a gentle, persistent energy.
Dark-Henry, locked in combat with Joseph, began to feel a strange lethargy. His movements became a fraction slower, his power feeling sluggish. At first, he dismissed it as the lingering exhaustion from the previous day's battles. But it was more than that. The void, his natural domain, was now saturated with light. It was a subtle, pervasive weakening, like an illness. He looked over at his luminous counterpart, surrounded by his tiny suns, and a slow, cold smile of understanding spread across his face. The weakling had found a new way to fight back. A way to poison his very atmosphere.
"Thank you, Henry," Joseph's voice echoed in the light-filled void. "This... this gives me time to rest. I can even use this light to help me hold the line."
The battle for the day was won not by force, but by attrition. As dawn approached, Henry felt the energy in the sunstone pendant finally sputter and die. It was a cold, empty weight on his chest now. He would need Helia's help again.
The new day brought a new class: "Advanced Mana Manipulation." A new professor stood at the front of the room, a stern-looking man with sharp eyes named Master Valerius.
"Your previous demonstrations have shown that this class possesses a baseline of competence," Valerius announced, his voice devoid of warmth. "Therefore, we will dispense with the basics. Today, we will learn to weave mana into complex constructs."
As he taught, Valerius seemed to take a special interest in Henry. When Henry, relying on Helia's borrowed spark from the morning's training, struggled to form more than a simple orb, the professor would stop the entire class.
"Mr. Henry," he'd say, his voice sharp. "Is there a reason you are failing to grasp this simple concept? Perhaps the rumors of your power are greatly exaggerated."
The public criticism was mortifying. When the class finally ended, Henry stepped out into the hallway, feeling the sting of failure. He was immediately confronted by Ganriki, who, to his surprise, bowed his head awkwardly.
"Hey. Uh, sorry about... you know. The dome," he mumbled. "That was a low blow. You're... you're strong."
Before Henry could respond, Lyra appeared. "He doesn't need your apologies, rock boy," she snapped, and the two immediately launched into a verbal sparring match, their insults flying fast and furious before they both abruptly stopped and stormed off in opposite directions.
Helia sighed beside him. "Children these days..."
Henry managed a small smile, but inside, he knew he couldn't afford to be distracted by their drama. One more broken lock, and everything could be lost.
At lunch, Helia went to a table with the other professors, though her gaze remained fixed on Henry from across the hall. He got his food and sat with Kaelen, who was eager to hear about the new class. They were soon joined by Terra.
"Hey Henry, are you okay?" she asked, sitting very close to him. "Master Valerius was being a real jerk." She took his hand, swirling her finger on his palm, and rested her head on his shoulder. "Lyra is always talking about you, you know. Most of it is mean things, but I'm not like her."
"Ahem." Kaelen coughed, his eyes wide as he looked behind Terra.
Lyra stood there, her eyes practically shooting sparks of electricity. "What do you think you're doing at the dweeb's table?" she hissed, grabbing Terra by the arm and dragging her away, scolding her the entire time.
"Oh my, Henry~ You're breaking some hearts," a familiar, musical voice purred.
Tsukuyomi materialized on the bench beside him, looking utterly delighted. Kaelen stared, his jaw dropping. "Who... who is she?"
Henry's face went beet red. "Uh, Kaelen, this is... she's my katana. And also the moon goddess, Tsukuyomi."
She smirked, looking Kaelen up and down. "Oh, he's weak just like you. How cute."
"How... how can I see her?" Kaelen stammered, looking from the radiant goddess to Henry.
Henry sighed, deciding there was no point in hiding it from his only friend. He showed Kaelen his arm. "Two locks from this seal are open. If it gets fully open, my other side will have his full power. I think... maybe that's why you can see her. The barrier is weaker."
Tsukuyomi's smile widened. "Oh, getting intelligent now? You're even more delicious now."
"S-stop saying these things in public!" Henry whispered, mortified.
She stuck her tongue out playfully. "Oh, so I can say them when we're alone? Got it." With a final wink, she vanished.
Kaelen stared at Henry, a look of awe and deep concern on his face. "And I was thinking you just spent all day alone training with Master Helia," he said quietly.
Henry gave a small, tired smile, offering no further explanation. His friend had no idea of the half of it.