Asylum

The Swap

Sarah Lewinski

I woke up before everyone else. The sky was still dark, but in the distance there are birds, so it must be morning. Leo snores next to me, and on the other side of the cave, there's Elektra laying on her back, an arm draped over her eyes. On the other side of Leo and Kya, there's Ren, whose hand is awkwardly splayed open as if he was in mid-bending. Kya is next to him, his jacket over her shoulders. She's awake. I remember her trying to sleep last night, but even when she's dangerously low on energy and she needs sleep like she needs air, she still can't manage it. Her insomnia is restless.

We have a long day of travel ahead of us, and while I'm feeling much better aside from the knot on the back of my head, Kya will slow us down. And speaking of the knot on my head, I haven't said anything to him, but I'm kind of upset that Leo didn't hit me. I know it's weird to say, but I trusted him enough to do something like that to me. I have no idea who Ren is other than kind of a jerk, and for someone I know so little to assault me like that makes me feel more than uncomfortable.

Sighing, I shift my weight gradually so I can stand without waking anyone up. We're going to need all the energy we can get.

I throw a few twigs in the dying fire to give it a bit of life. Wait a second...give the fire life...

Fire is more than destruction, but a heartbeat – another life form. It gives humans life, as well as rejuvenation if used properly, and in the right hands of the conductor.

I read a book about energy levels about a year ago, when I was trying to improve on exerting less energy using my power. There was a chapter on fire. Ren's power can't heal people like Kya's should be able to, but could he restore her energy?

No, that's not the question I should be asking. If Ren could, would he even help her?

...maybe. We all need to get to Japan before Asylum gets to us. Having to not carry extra weight will help us move faster, which means Ren won't have to deal with carrying her. Perhaps he would help, after all. But for any healing to work – be it from Kya or Ren – both the healer and injured must be willing to accept the swap. The swap is a simple term for any giving of energy via power: the willing acceptance and giving of chi.

I'll go ahead and ask Kya how she feels about it. Tiptoeing back into the cave, I bend down by her. I whisper, "I think we can fix you."

Kya nods as a response. Slowly, she tries to stand. I offer her help and she takes it. One thing I always admired about Kya is that she always acknowledges when she can't accomplish a task on her own. She isn't too prideful to reject an aiding hand. People like Elektra and Leo, and probably Ren: take note.

We hobble out of the cave to talk so our voices don't disturb the others. "So I read that fire was like a heartbeat – it brings new life. The book was about energy balancing, and I think there's a way that Ren can restore your energy."

Kya raises an eyebrow in doubt. The sun begins to peek out from the clouds, highlighting her silver hair strands...huh, that's odd. It almost looks like there's more silver than there was before we left Asylum. "Good joke," she manages, voice raspy and weak.

"Look, he might be willing to help. It'll bring you up to half-levels and him down to half-levels, but we'll make up so much more land. If it helps himself, he might do it," I explain.

Considerably, she nods. "Might work."

"What might work?" an oily voice asks behind us.

Turning around, I see Ren leaning against the cave, arms crossed and a grim expression on his face, as if he's saying "no" to the world.

"I think you could help Kya," I inform. "Give up part of your energy to give it to her. We'll be able to move faster that way."

"Hmm," Ren hums, squatting next to me and looking at Kya as if she was a science experiment. "What's the catch?"

"You'll both be at half-energy, but your bodies will repair themselves. Also, there'll be an energy swap: some of Kya goes into you and some of you goes into Kya," I explain.

Ren's face morphs into disgust. "Oh, ew. No way."

"Ew? There's nothing 'ew' about it. It's beautiful," I argue.

"I don't know what Kya's energy will do to me. I use my power by channeling aggression and ambition. Kya channels...I don't know...butterflies or something. She'll be a wet towel in my literal fire. I can't afford that," he protests.

Rolling my eyes, I sigh. "Ren, come on."

In the distance, there's howling: hungry dogs. Ren hears it too. Grunting, he heaves a massive sigh and crouches by Kya. "What do I do?"

"Use the life in your fire to give it to Kya. Pull up her energy and bind it with yours."

Ren opens his mouth to say something when I cut him off. "And don't act like you have no idea what that is because we all know you grew up with Energy Sages."

Ren sparks a thin, dull layer of orange fire that hovers over his gloved hands. His hands linger over her body in up-and-down motions, trying to stir up her chi. I expect something big to happen: some magical, glowing essence; an influx of visible energy. But there's nothing besides a pressured, angry expression on Ren's face, as if he is also expecting something to happen.

"Do you feel anything?" I whisper, scrutinizing his movements.

"Nothing," he sighs. Biting his lip, he stops the healing and looks at his hands. "But I think I know why." Slowly, he undoes his gloves and shoves them into his jean pockets. I don't understand why he wears gloves all the time. His fingers are long and slender and tan like the rest of him. But then I understand when he flips his hands over.

The skin that's usually pale on the palms and undersides of fingers are bright red, as if he's run them under volcanic-temp water for the entirety of his life. "What happened?" I ask.

"It's just what happens, I guess. The heat kind of made my hands like this permanently." There's a long look in his eyes, as if he's reminiscing on something. He notices me noticing, and for a second his face softens. "Nasty, isn't it?"

"It looks painful."

Ren shakes his head. "It's only painful to look at. Now let's get this over with." He does what he did before, the thin layer of liquid-y fire over his hands. Almost as if he's giving the air just above her a massage, he moves his hands up and down. After a while, he starts to lift his wrists up and down – making wave motions. Bright orange swirls emanate from Ren's burnt hands as blue swirls emanate from Kya's body: visible chi.

The two bond and pass through each other, a dull glow between Ren's hands and Kya's body. Kya's skin has color returning to it finally and her eyes are opening wider with life. On the other hand, Ren's bronze skin lightens and his hands waver.

At last, there's a final flash, as if a star exploded right before my eyes, and the chi is gone. "That was amazing," I manage to say. Uneasily, Kya sits up. She ties back her muddy hair. Surveys herself. "How do you feel?"

"I feel..." she stands up and I follow, in case she needs me to balance. "Great. I feel a lot better. Good idea, Sarah."

Queasily, Ren takes a deep breath. I ask him, "Ren, are you okay?"

He stuffs his hands in his pockets, still squatting on the ground. "I'm fine."

Kya offers him a hand up. "Thanks, Ren. Like, a lot. I owe you."

He shrugs. "Consider us even for that dome earlier."

Still, Kya leaves her hand extended. "I'm not moving this hand until you do something with it."

Grunting, Ren removes a hand from his pocket, the skin on his palm bright red. Tentatively, he goes for Kya's hand, but he hesitates, seeing his skin. But Kya closes the space between them and helps him up, not even bothering to ask him questions about what happened to his hands.

"Was that so hard?" Kya inquires.

"Extremely," he answers, putting his gloves on. "But doable. We need to find food and get moving."

I nod. "Let's do it."