It was early morning in the training chamber beneath Isabella's estate. An open-air field simulator stretched in all directions—a mix of holographic forests, walls, and floating terrain—perfect for combat drills.
Candace stood at the edge, eyes narrowed in concentration. Her hand hovered above the ground. Next to her, Linda crackled with static, grinning from ear to ear.
Isabella crossed her arms, calmly analyzing them both. "Alright. First rule of training with powers: You are not allowed to blow up the sky unless you really mean it."
Vanessa smirked from the sidelines. "That definitely means you, Linda."
Linda giggled as she stomped a foot—sending a gust of wind that launched her five feet into the air. "Oops!"
Candace rolled her shoulders and nodded. "Let's do this."
Isabella stepped forward, channeling energy into her hand. A soft hum built as an Aether Construct shaped into a floating shield.
"Candace—phase through it."
With a nod, Candace ran forward, her body shimmering faintly. As she passed through the energy shield, her form became ghostlike, and her vision shifted—she saw everyone in blue outlines, their heartbeats echoing like sonar. She grinned. "That is so cool."
But then her step faltered, and she re-materialized mid-dash—crashing into a wall.
"Ow."
Isabella helped her up. "You're close. But you need to pace your shifts. Treat it like breathing, not blinking."