Chapter 3: Demo

Qilin’s eyes continued to scan the room, moving slowly over the faces of the other students. And then, they landed on Phoenix.

Time seemed to stop. Phoenix held her breath, her gaze locked with theirs. For a moment, she thought she saw a flicker of something in their eyes—recognition, surprise, maybe even anger. But it was gone as quickly as it had come, replaced by the same cold, detached expression they’d worn from the start.

“Let’s begin,” Qilin said, their voice devoid of emotion, flat and even. They took a step forward, their movements fluid and graceful, like a predator preparing to strike. “Today, I’ll be demonstrating three advanced combat techniques: the Shadow Strike, the Aura Barrier, and the Lightning Kick. Pay attention—you won’t get a second chance to see them up close.”

The class fell silent, every eye fixed on Qilin. Phoenix could feel the tension in the room, a mix of awe and fear. She knew she should be paying attention, that this was a rare opportunity to learn from the best. But all she could think about was the mark on Qilin’s neck, hidden beneath the collar of their uniform. All she could think about was what would happen when Qilin finally confronted her.

Qilin moved first, their body blurring into motion. They lunged forward, their fist extended, and for a split second, Phoenix thought she saw a shadow detach itself from their body, moving faster than the eye could follow. The shadow hit the dummy in front of them with a loud thud, and the dummy flew across the room, crashing into the wall with a crash.

“Shadow Strike,” Qilin said, their voice still flat. “It uses your aura to create a decoy, allowing you to strike your opponent from an unexpected angle. It requires precise control of your aura—too much, and the decoy will be too obvious; too little, and it won’t be strong enough to distract your opponent.”

They turned back to the class, their eyes scanning the room again. Phoenix looked away, her heart racing. She didn’t want them to see the fear in her eyes, the guilt.

Next, Qilin demonstrated the Aura Barrier. They held out their hand, and a shimmering, transparent shield appeared in front of them, glowing with a faint silver light. One of the teachers, who had been standing at the side of the room, stepped forward and threw a punch at the barrier. The punch hit the shield with a loud thud, but the barrier didn’t break. It just rippled slightly, like a stone dropped into a pond.

“Aura Barrier,” Qilin said. “It’s a defensive technique that uses your aura to create a shield. It can block physical attacks, as well as some elemental attacks. The strength of the barrier depends on the amount of aura you put into it—but be careful, because using too much aura can leave you vulnerable.”

Finally, Qilin demonstrated the Lightning Kick. They jumped into the air, their leg extended, and a bolt of silver lightning appeared around their foot. They kicked the dummy in front of them, and the dummy was sent flying across the room, its body smoking from the impact.

“Lightning Kick,” Qilin said. “It’s an offensive technique that infuses your kick with lightning aura. It’s fast, powerful, and can cause serious damage to your opponent. But it’s also very draining—you can only use it a few times before you run out of aura.”

They landed on the ground, their breathing even, as if they hadn’t just performed three advanced techniques that most students would spend years trying to master. The class erupted into applause, but Qilin didn’t react. They just stood there, their eyes cold and unyielding.

“Any questions?” they asked.

A few students raised their hands, but Qilin just shook their head. “Save your questions for your teacher. I’m done here.”

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