Lunel's morning haze rolled across the lake, soft and heavy.
The air smelled faintly metallic — remnants of yesterday's training still clinging to the water.
Rynn's hands ached.
Every pulse of Mirra left a faint warmth under his skin, like his veins were arguing with gravity.
He flexed his fingers and winced.
Eren stood nearby, compass gauntlet gleaming faintly in the light.
"Still hurts?" he asked.
Rynn nodded. "Feels like my bones are tired."
"That means you're finally learning how not to explode. Good progress."
Eren tossed him a small piece of relic scrap. "Fix that, and maybe I'll let you eat breakfast."
---
Searching for Control
Rynn spent the morning helping a local repairman — an old man who collected broken tools from around the docks and rebuilt them for barter.
He wasn't supposed to train today, but fixing things was the only way Rynn could distract himself from the restless hum of energy under his skin.
On a cluttered workbench, between piles of rusted screws and half-dead relic cores, Rynn found it — a folding measuring tape, its metallic strip etched with faint, swirling patterns that pulsed blue in the sunlight.
He picked it up, stretching the tape out. The markings glowed faintly in rhythm with his pulse.
The old man squinted. "That one's been acting strange for weeks. Won't retract right."
Rynn smiled faintly. "Mind if I take it?"
"Take it," the man said. "Maybe it'll listen to you better than me."
---
Discovery
Back at the training platform, Eren raised an eyebrow when he saw it.
"A measuring tape? That's your big find?"
Rynn extended it — the metal strip glimmered, catching the morning light.
"It feels… steady," he said. "Like it already knows how to handle tension."
Eren's expression softened. "Then maybe it's perfect for you."
Rynn focused. He stretched the tape out across the ground, pressing his hand down where it touched the wood.
A Mirra Node formed instantly — stable, calm.
He marked another point several meters away, then another.
The air between the marks shimmered faintly, forming an invisible connection.
Eren's compass needle spun in response.
Rynn whispered, "Chain Marking."
---
Controlled Detonation
He exhaled, focusing on the line between the two Nodes.
The pressure built softly — no sound, no light.
Then, with a single flick of his wrist, the tape retracted.
The connection snapped.
The space between the Nodes imploded silently, pulling air inward before releasing it in a soft shockwave that rippled the water below.
The energy folded perfectly — compact, contained, efficient.
Eren blinked, clearly impressed. "That was… controlled."
Rynn grinned, tape still humming in his hand. "Told you I'm a fast learner."
Eren smirked. "Fast learners explode twice as often. But that—"
He gestured at the still-swaying bridge. "That was clean."
Rynn laughed, stepping forward to mark another chain.
He ran the tape like an artist painting invisible strokes in the air, setting up small Nodes across the platform.
With each snap of the tape, another silent burst rippled outward, perfectly timed.
By the end of the session, the air around him shimmered faintly with residual energy — not unstable, just alive.
---
Evening
They sat by the water again, the sky orange with dusk.
Eren toyed with his compass, spinning the needle lazily.
"Most people build weapons to make up for what they lack," he said.
"You built one that works because it understands you."
Rynn shrugged. "Guess we both needed something to measure the world with."
"Careful," Eren said, smiling faintly. "You're starting to sound like me."
"Don't insult me."
They both laughed — quietly, the easy kind that comes after exhaustion and progress.
---
End of Chapter 19
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