The infirmary smelled faintly of water and antiseptic, the air vibrating with residual Ether energy. Every lantern flickered, almost imperceptibly, as if unsure whether to remain lit. The metallic tang of discharged power from the previous surge still lingered, mingling with the crystalline scent of the water healer's aura.
Leximus lay on the cot, eyes closed, chest rising unevenly. Each breath scraped against something raw inside him, something not entirely his own. His hands twitched now and then, fingers curling as if searching for something invisible. The healer's touch—a delicate thread of Water-element energy—ran through him, stabilizing what the surge had disturbed. It did not teach him Fire, Air, or Earth. It merely whispered memory and balance back into his body, "reminding" him of the natural state his flesh and Ether should obey.
Calvin stood near the cot, notebook open. His pen moved constantly, tracing diagrams of Ether flow, resonance patterns, and minute physical responses. Every flicker of Leximus' unstable aura, every tremor in his extremities, every shadow that seemed just slightly out of place was meticulously recorded.
"This… doesn't match any known Path," he murmured, almost to himself. "Not Fire. Not Water. Not Air or Earth."
Rylan hovered nearby, jaw tight, still unsettled from the events of the night before. He had seen the room bend. He had seen shadows twist, recoil, and pulse unnaturally. The surge had been unlike anything a known Avatar could produce. Leximus' energy did not behave according to the patterns of the four basic elements—they had only ever seen it from a distance.
Calvin's eyes flicked toward him. "Rylan… do you see it too?"
Rylan shook his head. "Not… not clearly. Better if I don't. Not yet." His fists clenched, knuckles pale. Even he did not fully understand what he had seen.
Calvin exhaled slowly, letting his mind run through possibilities. They could not teach Leximus to conjure Fire, Air, or Earth. Mimicry would be the only method. If they pushed him to wield another element, it would be suicide—two elemental ideologies in a single vessel would tear his body apart. Instead, they could teach him control, restraint, and flow, using the methods of the known Paths as a framework to stabilize what was already within him.
"Focus on stability," Calvin murmured, crouching closer to the cot. "We will use the techniques of Water. The flow. The guidance. Not the element itself. Mimic the method, not the outcome. Anchor yourself, or you will be lost."
Leximus groaned softly. Fragments of memory flickered behind his eyelids: his parents' murder, the cold eyes of the assassin—but now, a faint silhouette lingered behind the killer, almost imperceptible. He jerked awake, sweat prickling his neck.
Calvin tapped lightly on his notebook. "Breathe. Focus on the water-healer's presence. Let it anchor you. Let it remind your body how to move, how to resist instability."
The healer's hands hovered just above him, spinning spirals of Water-element energy. It was precise, delicate, almost surgical in its effect. Her magic did not teach, it stabilized, binding memory and energy together so Leximus' body could resist the chaos threatening to erupt from within.
Hours passed. Leximus trembled, unable to fully command the surges inside, but the mimicry grounded him. Calvin guided him through the subtle principles of control: the way a Fire Avatar might spiral energy in a controlled motion, the way an Earth Avatar anchors their mind to the body, how Air manipulates intent through flow, how Water restrains and heals. But Leximus did not conjure their elements. He only practiced discipline, flow, and restraint—learning to stabilize the wild Ether that had no classification.
Rylan watched every movement, every pulse of energy, every flinch and tremor. The room itself seemed aware of Leximus' presence. Walls quivered faintly. Shadows pooled unnaturally. Subtle distortions tugged at the edges of perception. Rylan did not speak of what he had seen during the surge—the room bending and reality folding around Leximus—fearing even acknowledging it could trigger another violent response.
"It's unclassified," Rylan whispered to Calvin. "Nothing we know behaves like this."
Calvin's jaw tightened. "I know. That's why we proceed carefully. We teach him the principles, the mimicry, not power. We stabilize him. And if we succeed… maybe we can understand him."
Leximus' eyes flickered, lips pressing together. Each attempt to focus on the flow sent minor pulses through his veins, chaotic sparks of energy that dissipated before manifesting externally. The raw Ether inside him throbbed like a living thing, hungry, untethered. He shivered as the magnitude of his difference sank in.
"Do not rush," Calvin reminded him softly. "The body must accept the flow. The mind must accept the limitation. We do not teach Fire, Air, Earth, or Water. We teach you."
Leximus' breaths came uneven, punctuated by tremors. Each spike of uncontrolled energy left a faint tremor in the cot, the air, even the subtle light of the infirmary.
The healer adjusted her stance, flowing her Water-element energy around him. It did not teach, it stabilized, binding chaotic memory and energy, slowing the surge that threatened to overwhelm him.
Time passed in careful increments. Each hour tested Leximus' endurance, each small improvement noted and logged by Calvin. Every twitch, pulse, and tremor became a data point: evidence of stability, or warning of further chaos.
Rylan adjusted a chair, pretending to check Leximus' pulse, but every muscle in his body remained taut. He had seen too much. The surge had warped the space around Leximus, had bent perception in ways the four elements should not allow. He did not risk pushing Leximus again.
Leximus' body trembled, but he remained alive and grounded, guided by the healer's Water-element energy and Calvin's methodical mimicry. Each attempt, each breath, each mental focus gradually trained his body to tolerate the unclassified Ether surging through him.
Calvin crouched, hand hovering over Leximus' shoulder. "Rest now. Tomorrow, we continue. One step at a time. Do not seek to conjure another element. Seek control. That is enough."
The healer withdrew, spirals of Water-element energy retracting like mist retreating from dawn. Leximus' body remained stable, but his mind churned, restless, aware of the raw power waiting inside.
He closed his eyes, exhausted. Shadows pooled at the edges of perception, and every twitch of Ether pulsed faintly under his skin. His lips parted in shallow breaths.
Hours passed. The infirmary dimmed with the waning lanterns, quiet but alive with residual energy. Calvin and Rylan remained near, silent, cataloging every reaction, every tremor, every flinch.
Leximus slept.