After my blood transfusion, I finally found the time to explain part of my situation to Kaye.
Of course, I did not tell her everything.
Some things were too dangerous or too complicated to share. I focused only on what mattered most:
That my core was blue.
That I had awakened as an Astute Weaver, while leaving out the part about being a Conceptual one.
And that my potential was ranked SS.
She whistled softly, and for a brief moment, pride shone in her eyes."SS, huh?" she said, her tone almost playful.
"My potential is only S minus, and I still cannot break the wall to become an Arch Bishop. Looks like you will be the first Salinin to reach the Grand Bishop rank."She paused, then added with a teasing smirk, "Or maybe even higher."
"Do not get your hopes up," I said, and we both shared a small chuckle.
But I still needed her help.
I looked around the room to make sure no one else was there, and then I noticed the CCTV camera on the ceiling.
Kaye noticed it as well. She snapped her fingers, and a small transparent bluish barrier formed around us, blocking any outside view or sound.
"What is it?" she asked.
I fixed her with a serious look. "Can you keep a secret?"
She tilted her head slightly, sensing the tension in my voice, and nodded.
"I have an Authority," I said carefully.
Kaye's eyes widened. Her mind raced as she tried to understand what that meant.
"You mean like the authority of the royal bloodline? The one managed by Blue?" she asked.
"No," I replied gently but firmly. "It was not Blue. It was given by Green."
"Green?" she whispered, stunned. "But you have a blue core. Why would Green give you her Authority?"
"I do not know," I admitted. "But it is the reason there was so much blood in the room. I accidentally used the Authority all at once and imploded. I need a way to control this power before I die from my own mistakes. That is where you come in. I need private access to a training hall."
I explained the rest of the details to her and she nodded slowly.
"We can work with something like that," she said. "But do not tell anyone else for now. And I cannot promise to always be with you."
I nodded
She then released the barrier around us and said, "But you need to get better first, then we experiment with that obnoxious authority of yours."
____
The next week, Kaye escorted me to their training facility. I was still trying to process how casually she had mentioned that her family owned one.
We were both given tightsuits to wear. The suits hugged the body from the neck all the way to the ankles. They were sleek and flexible, with silver markings that followed the muscles and joints. The fabric felt smooth and cool. They were designed to enhance movement and channel energy with almost no resistance.
Once I finished adjusting the suit, I let out a quiet breath.
"When I said I needed private access to a training hall, I meant renting one. I did not think you actually owned one."
Kaye made a triumphant V sign with her fingers, opening and closing them in a playful gesture.
"We own lots of things," she said, unable to hide her smugness.
I had no words. I simply nodded.
She stepped in front of me, all business now.
"Let us begin. The first thing you must learn is the foundation of every Weaver. Enhancement."
She pointed a finger at my chest.
"Draw out thrum from your core. Imagine it as a line that begins from your core and ends at your hand."
I did exactly as instructed. A faint transparent shimmer formed in my palm, swirling like smoke made of light.
"Good," she said. "Now shift the endpoint to your pinky nail."
I concentrated again and the energy slid down to the tip of my smallest finger, forming a glossy, see-through coat over the nail. It reminded me of perfectly clear nail polish.
"What is this for?" I asked, confused.
"What you currently have there is thrum in its exclusive state. It itself has no use yet other than being an engine. For that engine to work, you need a list of instructions on how to charge it. For now, the instruction is to condense and to protect your nail".
"I attempted to do it, expecting it to coat and condense the nail, but I was unsuccessful."
"No need to get discouraged, for now, let's skip this step and proceed with your authority," she said as she fuzzled my hair.
Kaye then placed her fingers lightly on my hand."Now you use your Authority to flourish that thrum.Only at the endpoint. Do not worry. I will enhance the pinky for you. You do not know how to do that yet."
A flutter of fear tightened in my chest. "Is this going to be safe?"
She smiled sweetly, too sweetly.
"Probably not."
That did not help.
I swallowed and focused my Authority on the tiny glowing spot at my fingertip.
A deafening blast erupted.
BOOOOOM!!!!!
The shockwave thundered through the room like a cannon firing at point-blank range. A wave of air slammed outward, knocking equipment over, rattling windows, and sending papers flying like startled birds.
Kaye reacted instantly. Her own energy surged around me, shielding my body before the force could tear me apart. Every nerve in my arm buzzed with wild power until it finally calmed.
When the echoes faded and the dust settled, she stared at me in utter disbelief.
"That was only your pinky," she said slowly. "Just your pinky. And it created that much force."
Her lips curled into a grin filled with shock and excitement.
"What a terrifying Authority you have."
We continued to experiment. Again and again, I tried to control the energy in the exact way Kaye instructed. And again and again, the result was the same.
Another explosion.
Then another.
And another.
Loud blasts echoed through the training hall like a thunderstorm. Each attempt sent shockwaves that made the lights flicker overhead. The protective barriers shimmered every time a wave of force slammed into them.
Kaye was getting more frantic with each one. She reinforced the barriers repeatedly, planting her feet firmly as if daring the room to fall apart.
Finally, she raised both hands, signaling me to stop for a moment.
"We are approaching this incorrectly," she muttered, thinking hard.
She tapped my chest.
"Try this instead. Draw the thrum from your core and send it to your pinky again. But do not let the entire line stay outside your body. Once the endpoint settles on your finger, pull the line back. Leave only a tiny point of energy inside the nail. Nothing else."
She watched me carefully.
I closed my eyes and shaped the path again. The thrum stretched out from my core, flowed down my arm, and settled on my pinky. Then, slowly and carefully, I reclaimed the rest of the energy back into my core, leaving only a single bright dot behind.
The moment I opened my eyes, the tip of my pinky fizzled with a faint flash.
Pop.
Not an explosion this time. More of a sharp jump.
My body lifted off the ground, just enough for my heels to lose contact. I floated upward by the smallest margin, about three inches, before gently landing back on the floor.
I blinked, stunned.Kaye stared, equally stunned.
Then she burst into laughter."You just flew with your pinky," she said, wiping tears from her eyes. "Three inches high, but it counts."
I stared at my finger in disbelief. It still glowed faintly, like a spark refusing to die.
"I graduated from arsonist to a balloon," I murmured.
Kaye crossed her arms with a satisfied nod.
"It is a start. A very dangerous start. But a good one."
She looked far too excited about the fact that a single fingertip could launch me into the air.
And even though my heart was still racing and my hands were shaking from everything that had exploded earlier, I could not help but feel a thrill of my own.
The excitement lasted only a few seconds.
A sharp, throbbing pain suddenly shot through my hand. I looked down and froze. My pinky was bent at an angle that it definitely should not be bent.
There was a brief moment of silence.
Then I screamed.
"Aaaah. My finger. My finger is broken."
Kaye panicked for half a second, then rushed forward and grabbed my wrist."Hold still. Stop moving. You will only make it worse."
"It is pointing the wrong way," I shouted, voice cracking as my brain finally caught up to what I was seeing.
Kaye inspected the pinky with a serious expression that did not match the chaos around us."It looks dislocated, not shattered," she said calmly. "Just breathe."
"That is easy for you to say." My entire arm felt like it was pulsing with fire.
Kaye placed her thumb against the joint and took a slow breath."On three. One."
She snapped it back into place before she even reached two.
"AAAAAAAAHHHH," I yelled again, louder this time. My voice echoed throughout the already wrecked hall.
Kaye had the nerve to smile."There. Good as new."
I clutched my hand, tears stinging the corners of my eyes."The reassembling hurt more than the dislocation"
"It means your body survived something insane," she said, still grinning with excitement rather than guilt. "Also, you technically flew. That was impressive."