Zian Hausi did not like changes.
She especially did not like unexpected changes.
And she absolutely did not like teamwork.
Current situation:
Shadow = testing.
Fiang Sheng = involved.
Me = forced into cooperation.
Pause.
This is unacceptable.
She sat on the sofa.
Same place.
Same tea.
Same peaceful-looking disaster.
Plan today:
Gather information.
Avoid emotional conversations.
Avoid Sterling.
From the hallway—
"I HAVE A NEW PLAN."
Zian didn't look.
Plan failed.
"…No," she said.
Sterling walked in anyway.
"…WE TRAIN."
Zian blinked.
…We?
"…No," she repeated.
Sterling pointed at her and Fiang Sheng.
"…YOU TWO."
Zian slowly turned her head.
Fiang Sheng was already looking at her.
Of course.
Pause.
This is becoming predictable.
"…No," Zian said again.
Sterling ignored her.
"…YOU NEED TEAMWORK."
Zian stood up slowly.
"…Incorrect."
Pause.
"…I need results."
Huo Lou walked in, laughing.
"…That sounded cool."
Zian sat back down.
It was factual.
Fiang Sheng spoke calmly.
"…Training isn't a bad idea."
Zian froze internally.
He agreed.
Pause.
Betrayal.
She looked at him.
"…Unnecessary," she said.
"…Preparation," he replied.
Silence.
Zian blinked.
…Also correct.
Sterling gasped.
"…HE MADE TWO POINTS."
Huo Lou whispered,
"…This is serious."
Zian leaned back.
Re-evaluate again.
Shadow said test.
Unknown difficulty.
Unknown rules.
Pause.
Preparation increases survival rate.
She closed her eyes briefly.
…Accept temporarily.
"…Fine," she said.
Sterling jumped.
"…VICTORY."
Zian opened her eyes.
"…Temporary."
Pause.
"…And quiet."
Sterling sat down.
"…Defeated again."
Huo Lou laughed.
Training (unnecessary but happening anyway)
They moved outside.
Zian stood still.
Fiang Sheng stood across from her.
Sterling sat on the ground like a commentator.
"…WELCOME TO CHAOS TRAINING."
Zian ignored him.
Focus.
Fiang Sheng spoke.
"…What can you do?"
Zian blinked.
Everything.
"…Enough," she said.
Pause.
Details unnecessary.
"…Show me," he said.
Zian looked at him.
He is serious.
Pause.
Fine.
She raised her hand slightly.
Air shifted.
Invisible movement.
Leaves lifted from the ground.
Floating.
Spinning slowly.
Sterling stood up.
"…SHE'S TOUCHING AIR AGAIN."
Huo Lou whispered,
"…This is amazing…"
Zian didn't look at them.
Control.
She lowered her hand.
The leaves dropped instantly.
Silence.
Fiang Sheng watched carefully.
Not surprised.
Not shocked.
Observing.
"…You control space," he said.
Zian blinked.
Accurate description.
"…Partially," she replied.
Pause.
He understands quickly.
"…Your turn," she said.
Fiang Sheng stepped forward.
Calm.
Focused.
He moved fast.
Very fast.
In one second—
He was in front of her.
Zian didn't move.
Speed noted.
He stopped.
"…You didn't react," he said.
Zian blinked.
"…You stopped."
Pause.
No threat.
Sterling whispered,
"…THIS IS TOO CALM."
Huo Lou nodded.
"…It's scary calm."
Fiang Sheng stepped back.
"…Again," he said.
Zian nodded.
Repeat for analysis.
This time—
He moved faster.
Zian moved.
Just slightly.
Dodged.
Without effort.
Silence.
Sterling dropped to the ground.
"…I CAN'T EVEN SEE THEM."
Huo Lou whispered,
"…They're not normal…"
Zian straightened.
Speed manageable.
Fiang Sheng looked at her.
"…You predicted it," he said.
Zian nodded.
"…Yes."
Pause.
Pattern recognition.
Silence.
Then—
The air changed again.
Both of them froze.
At the same time.
Zian's eyes sharpened.
Fiang Sheng's expression hardened.
They turned—
At the same time.
Toward the same direction.
Sterling slowly stood up.
"…THIS IS DEFINITELY A TEAM NOW."
Zian ignored him.
Focus.
The shadow appeared again.
But this time—
Different.
Bigger.
Clearer.
More stable.
"…Test… begins…" it said.
Silence.
Zian stepped forward.
Fiang Sheng stepped forward too.
Same time.
Same movement.
Pause.
They both noticed.
Looked at each other.
Then—
Back at the shadow.
Synced.
"…What test," Zian asked.
The shadow flickered.
"…Survive…"
Sterling whispered,
"…I don't like that word…"
Huo Lou grabbed his arm.
"…Me neither…"
Zian's mind sharpened.
Simple objective.
Survive.
"…Against what," Fiang Sheng asked.
The shadow didn't answer.
Instead—
The ground shifted.
The air twisted.
And suddenly—
Multiple shadows appeared.
Surrounding them.
Silence.
Sterling sat down immediately.
"…I'm not part of this."
Zian didn't look at him.
Focus.
Multiple targets.
Unknown abilities.
Pause.
Work together.
She glanced at Fiang Sheng.
He was already looking at her.
Of course.
No words.
No discussion.
Just—
Understanding.
Zian moved first.
He followed.
Perfect timing.
She raised her hand—
The air pushed forward.
Shadows shifted—
He moved through them.
Fast.
Precise.
They didn't speak.
Didn't need to.
Every move—
Matched.
Every step—
Aligned.
Sterling stared.
"…THIS IS NOT TEMPORARY."
Huo Lou whispered,
"…They're perfectly in sync…"
Zian didn't think.
Didn't hesitate.
Move.
React.
Adjust.
And Fiang Sheng—
Did the same.
The shadows attacked—
They responded.
Instantly.
Like they had done this before.
Even though—
They hadn't.
Finally—
Zian raised her hand again.
Stronger this time.
The air exploded outward.
All shadows—
Disappeared.
Gone.
Silence returned.
Heavy.
Still.
Sterling collapsed.
"…I saw my future… it was short…"
Huo Lou sat down.
"…That was insane…"
Zian stood still.
Breathing steady.
Test complete.
She looked at Fiang Sheng.
He was already looking at her.
Of course.
"…Temporary," she said.
Pause.
"…Very effective."
Fiang Sheng nodded.
"…Agreed."
Silence.
But this silence—
Was different.
Because now—
They both knew.
This wasn't just coincidence anymore.
This wasn't just survival.
This was something else.
Something that worked too well.
Zian sat back down.
Picked up her tea again.
Conclusion:
Shadow = testing seriously.
Teamwork = unavoidable.
Fiang Sheng = reliable.
Pause.
…Problem.
Because now—
She couldn't ignore it anymore.
They worked together.
Perfectly.
And that—
Was dangerous.
In more ways than one. 😈🔥