The Void's System-Chapter 71: Cloud Nine.... and a Half

"Come on, come on!" Sera tugged Zane by the wrist, dragging him across the academy grounds and out to the open sky garden. The sun was shining, the breeze gentle, and Zane's legs... very much unwilling.

"Why are we running again?" he asked, still reeling from earlier events. "Did I die? Is this purgatory? Why do I smell roses?" freewebnoveℓ.com

"You're not dead, drama king." Sera grinned. "You're about to witness greatness."

She let go of his wrist and took a few confident steps forward, brushing her hair back dramatically. Zane blinked. She was definitely setting the stage.

"Alright. Watch this."

She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and suddenly, the wind responded. A swirl of air and mist enveloped her back, and within seconds, clouds formed—gathering and folding into a pair of pristine, shimmering wings that radiated soft light. The wings spread with an elegant whoosh, catching the sun just right.

Zane let out a low whistle. "Okay... that's actually impressive."

"I know." She gave a proud little twirl. "White holy wings, shaped from wind and sky itself. Pretty divine, right?"

"Yeah, yeah," Zane said, pretending to look bored. "But two can play that game."

He stepped forward, cracked his neck, and whispered, "Shadow Armor. Partial manifest."

At once, two jagged wings of obsidian shadow flickered into existence on his back. They pulsed with dark energy, sharp and menacing in contrast to Sera's graceful, feathery glow.

She turned and stared. "Are you serious?"

"What?" Zane shrugged. "You got clouds, I got chaos."

She folded her arms and huffed. "I summon the heavens and you show up with—whatever that is. Darkness with an attitude problem."

Zane smirked. "Let's settle this like responsible, mature magic-wielding teenagers."

He pointed to the sky.

"Race you to the top of that floating tower."

"You're on!"

Both of them bent down slightly, wings tensed, ready to shoot off into the sky.

Sera blasted off with a swirl of wind, zooming upward like a comet.

Zane followed—well, tried to.

He jumped, wings flaring... and immediately faceplanted into the grass with a painful thud.

"OW."

He rolled over, groaning, a message blinking in front of him:

> [ALERT: Flight attempt failed. Void energy output reduced – penalty in effect.]

> Reminder: Ability Power Halved – 47:12 remaining.

From above, Sera hovered and called down, "Zane? You okay?"

He groaned, still flat on the ground. "Yup. Just... checking if the dirt's structurally sound."

Sera landed beside him and tried (and failed) to stifle a laugh.

"I forgot," Zane muttered. "My powers are still on time-out."

Sera reached down to help him up, still giggling. "You looked majestic for about two seconds."

"I live for those two seconds," he said, brushing off grass. "Next time I fall, I'm taking you down with me."

"Oh please," she smirked, "I float like a cloud and sting like... a lightning storm."

Zane narrowed his eyes. "You've been waiting all day to say that, haven't you?"

"Maybe."

They both stood there for a moment—two winged teens, one glowing and one glooming—before Sera asked, "Same time tomorrow?"

"Only if I don't crash into the moon."

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Want to continue with another light moment? Or shift to something more mysterious like an unexpected system notification or a surprise vivisitorvis