Aether proposed intensive training to help Rebecca develop her newly acquired power. She learned that this was not magic - a redundant term, in Aether's conception - but cosmic manipulation. Far beyond the command of stars, it encompassed a connection to the universe.
The concepts, though extremely abstract, were easy to accept. In the mornings, when she was not studying the language of Teyvat with Paimon, Rebecca meditated in order to unite with the life, the creation, that surrounded her. In the evening, the complicated part began. First, she would practice physical exercises to get her body in shape. Then, Aether would instruct the secrets to controlling cosmic energy. That's when Rebecca discovered she had a talent for disaster.
By accident, she levitated a small stone. She got distracted and the stone fell on her forehead. She tried it with a leaf, the leaf disintegrated. She attemped with an apple and the fruit rotted.
Rebecca felt like she did at school, frustrated at not making progress in the content of her new favourite subject. Her solace was her teacher, Aether, who encouraged her even through her failures. He taught rigorously, always demanding her maximum, but never disrespecting her limits and rewarding her with a pat on the head and a broad smile whenever she did something right.
Funny. Aether's half-authoritarian half-understanding style reminded Rebecca of her father, who was in charge of disciplining rookie cops at the police station. She told Aether about the comparison, amused by his embarrassed reaction.
"You would be surprised. Lumine and I were war generals. We taught inexperienced soldiers how to fight, how to survive, just like how... almost like how we were taught." Aether confessed, hiding the sun behind the blade of his sword. Rebecca swore that for an instant she heard the screams of Aether's enemies, their faces etched into the weapon. "You can tell me if I'm being too strict. Old habits die hard, especially in a situation like ours."
There is no paradise. Conflicts plague not only Earth, but all other known worlds. Aether participated in several of these wars and emerged victorious in each one. At what cost, she did not know. She could not imagine his gentle hands, which touched her with the delicacy of one handling a flower, stained with blood.
She preferred to change the subject.
"How fancy! My private teacher is a general!" She imitated a salute. "Cadet Rebecca reporting for duty, sir!"
Aether laughed.
"Since you're excited, let's go a few more rounds. How about best out of three?"
"That was a joke. Mercy, please."
...
It's today. The day of the final test has arrived.
There is a limit to how much a person can learn within a month. Rebecca was, after all, human. Intelligent, but not a genius like Lisa. Hard working, but far from the minimum level to even be considered an opponent for someone like Amber. Not that both didn't have their own strengths, because they did. But compared to the rest of the Vision users, they lacked power. Rebecca was therefore the mediocre among the mediocre.
And she hated that.
"Are you ready?" Aether asked.
They were hiding behind a rock, watching a lone Hydro Slime standing at the edge of the beach. He stared out to sea, unperturbed by the waves that almost brushed against his body. In other words, the perfect target for Rebecca.
"You can do it, Rebecca! Paimon is rooting for you!"
"Don't worry. If anything happens, I'll help you. But I doubt it will be necessary."
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Hayran Kurgu"In the perpetual meantime of a sheltered eternity, most are content to live, and not to dream. But in the hidden corners where the gods gaze does not fall, there are those who dream of dreaming." The Universe calls Rebecca by name, whispering in...
