Chapter 19 – Walking in the Sky
I've been thinking a lot since the infiltration.
My emblem is gone now—shattered into pieces on the academy floor. The thing that kept my aura locked away, the little seal that made me feel like I was at least a little "normal"… all gone.
I scared everyone. I know that. Students fainted, teachers crumbled, and even sages were left groveling in the dirt. That was just 2% of my power. Only 2%.
Ciel and Livia haven't treated me any differently since then. They're still by my side, still nagging me about studying and dragging me into all kinds of trouble. But I can feel it—sometimes, when they look at me, there's a flicker of memory in their eyes. That day. The sky darkening. The air turning to knives.
I don't want them to remember me like that.
So today, I decided to do something else. Something fun. Something normal.
Teach them a skill.
"Sky Walk," I announced proudly, standing in the middle of the training grounds with my hands on my hips. "A wind-based technique that lets you step on the air itself. Jump, run, and even fly short distances without wings."
Ciel blinked. "You're… teaching us how to walk on air."
"Yes."
"Like… actually walk. On nothing."
"Yes."
He crossed his arms. "Fay, you're insane."
Livia ignored him, her eyes lighting up. "Is that even possible? That's—wait, Fay, is this something you just made up again?"
I grinned. "Nope. Old technique. Lost to most people, but I invented it ages ago. Simple if you know the trick."
Ciel groaned. "Of course you invented it. Is there anything you didn't invent?"
"Hmm," I tapped my chin. "Bread, maybe?"
He threw his hands in the air. "You're impossible."
Livia giggled, covering her mouth. "I want to try. Show us how."
"Gladly."
I took a deep breath, let my aura flow lightly, and stepped upward. The wind gathered beneath my foot, solidifying like an invisible platform. Then I lifted my other foot, climbing higher, until I was casually standing three meters above them, as if there were invisible stairs leading into the sky.
Ciel's jaw dropped. "That's… that's so unfair."
"See?" I called down. "Simple." I jogged in place, each step sending a ripple of wind bursting under my feet. "You just compress the air with your will, shape it into a platform, then keep it stable with constant flow. Easy."
Livia squinted. "That doesn't sound easy at all."
"It's not," Ciel muttered. "It's madness."
"Come on," I encouraged. "Try it."
---
The first attempt was… disastrous.
Ciel, brimming with stubborn pride, went first. He concentrated, muttered a few words, then leapt upward. For a single glorious moment, it worked—his foot caught on a swirl of wind, his body lifted into the air
Then it vanished.
He crashed face-first into the dirt with a grunt, his staff clattering beside him.
Livia gasped. "Ciel!"
"I'm fine," he groaned, spitting out grass. "This is stupid. Your magic is stupid."
I tried not to laugh. "You almost had it. Keep your flow steady."
"Easy for you to say," he snapped, rubbing his forehead. "You're a monster."
"Compliment accepted!" I beamed.
Next was Livia. She was calmer, more focused. She spread her arms, whispered a chant, and stepped upward. A soft gust of wind swirled beneath her foot. It wobbled, but held. She climbed one step, two, three—
Then slipped.
"Ah—!"
I darted forward, catching her before she hit the ground. She clung to me, her cheeks red. "S-sorry."
"You're fine," I said gently, setting her down. "Better than Ciel, at least."
"Hey!" Ciel shouted indignantly.
Livia smiled faintly. "It feels… strange. Like trying to balance on water."
"Exactly. You're shaping the air into waves, but you need it solid, like stone. Don't treat it like something that will break. Command it. Make it obey."
She nodded seriously. "I'll try again."
And she did. Over and over. Falling, stumbling, nearly tumbling into Ciel once (to his loud complaints), but each time she got a little further. By the fifth attempt, she was already climbing higher, her movements steadier.
Ciel, on the other hand, flailed like a bird with broken wings.
"Why isn't it working!?" he cried, leaping and landing flat on his back again.
"Because you're panicking," I called from above, where I was now jogging casually in the sky. "Control your breathing, let the air know you're in charge."
"I am in charge!" he yelled, kicking the dirt. "This stupid wind doesn't listen to me!"
"Then make it listen."
"I hate you."
"Love you too."
Livia laughed so hard she nearly lost her footing again.
---
Other students gathered to watch. At first, they whispered and pointed, impressed by the strange display. But as Ciel and Livia kept practicing, some of the whispers grew uneasy.
"That's impossible…"
"Walking on air? Isn't that a lost technique?"
"How is he teaching them that casually?"
A few teachers stood at the edge, watching silently. Their faces were pale. They'd seen what Fay had done when the emblem shattered. Now he was handing out skills that hadn't been seen in centuries as if it were a hobby.
Fay ignored them.
---
By the end of the afternoon, Livia had managed to run a full circle in the air, leaping and spinning with delight before returning gracefully to the ground. Her face shone with pride, her blue eyes sparkling.
"I did it!" she cheered.
Ciel scowled, sitting in the dirt. "Great. Wonderful. I'm so glad one of us succeeded."
I floated down beside him, patting his shoulder. "Don't worry. Some people take longer. You'll get it eventually."
He gave me a flat look. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"
"Absolutely."
Livia giggled again.
---
Later, as the sun dipped low, we sat together on the training steps, tired but happy. Students drifted away, teachers left, leaving just the three of us in the golden light.
Ciel leaned back, sighing. "You're crazy, Fay. Teaching us this kind of thing. You know people are going to start asking questions."
Livia's smile faded a little. "He's right. Fay… what happened that day, when the sages attacked… it still scares me."
I froze, the memory flashing behind my eyes—the shattered emblem, the sky turning black, their faces pale in the storm of my aura.
"I didn't mean to scare you," I said softly.
"We know," Livia whispered. "You were protecting us. But… that power… it was like the world itself wanted to end."
Ciel sat forward, serious for once. "If that was really only 2% like you said… what happens if you lose control again?"
Silence hung between us.
Finally, I smiled faintly, though it felt heavy. "Then I'll make sure I don't. That's why I want you two to learn things like Sky Walk. To grow stronger. So I'm not the only one standing when the world decides to test us."
They exchanged glances, then nodded.
Livia reached out, squeezing my hand. "We'll stay by your side, Fay. No matter what."
Ciel groaned. "Yeah, yeah. Don't make it sound dramatic. But… she's right. You're stuck with us."
I laughed, though my chest ached. "Guess I can live with that."
The three of us sat together as the sun disappeared, the first stars appearing above us. For a while, it was quiet. Peaceful. Almost normal.
I closed my eyes, listening to their breathing beside me.
Normal or not, this was the life I wanted.
And I would burn the world before I let anyone take it away again.
End of Chapter 20