Sid POV

  “Is that the only way you’ve used the skill so far?” Sid asked, his voice calm as he examined the faint threads clinging to the nearby bark, marking the outer edge of the blast.

  Rohan hesitated for a beat, then scratched the back of his head. “Yeah, I mean… It’s just how the spider did it. I haven’t thought of other ways.” He avoided eye contact, his shoulders tightening.

  “Varun used Dash to leap onto the moth.” Sid tilted his head, breath fogging in the chill as grit skittered under his boots. “That’s not how a boar would move, is it?”

  “Exactly.” Varun leaned forward, a hint of pride in his eyes. “That jump got me a couple of levels too.”

  “Alright.” Rohan glanced between them, mouth tugging to one side before he nodded. “What should I do?”

  “Start with what you already do,” Sid said, sitting down on a stack of firewood. “Be specific. What goes through your head when you use the skill?”

  Rohan inhaled and tried to steady his thoughts. “I tilt my head back a little and close my eyes. I make everything go black—just silence, no thoughts, nothing. It feels like… like floating alone in space.” His voice dropped as he spoke, and for a moment, he glanced at Aditi and Varun before looking away again.

  Sid gave a slight nod, his attention fixed. “Keep going.”

  “Then I imagine my status showing up in that void,” Rohan said, his smile faltering. “I focus on the Mana Web skill, and this ball of light forms just above my face. When I bring my head back down, it fires in whatever direction I’m looking.”

  So he’s using primitive visualization to manipulate the interface. Not efficient, but still impressive without formal training, Sid thought.

  “I’ve done something similar when testing out my skill,” Sid offered, keeping his tone neutral and gaze pointedly away from Varun.

  “That’s funny,” Varun interrupted, his grin creeping wider. “Didn’t seem to help you dodge anything. You want to try again?” he said, flicking a pebble at Sid for emphasis.

  Sid sighed and brushed the pebble aside. “My skill doesn’t work like that. I think it’s passive—more of an early warning system than anything else.”

  “We’re wasting time,” Aditi interjected, eyes narrowing as she checked her watch. “We should head back.”

  Sid turned toward her, measuring his response. “I get it, but this matters. It’s better to understand how our skills work now than try figuring them out mid-combat.”

  Aditi’s lips pressed into a thin line. She gave a single nod, but the tension didn’t ease.

  Sid turned back to Rohan, pinching his chin with thumb and index finger. “Have you tried forming that orb anywhere else—say, in your hand instead of above your face?”

  “Let me try,” Rohan said, rising to his feet, arm outstretched, and eyes shut. He stood still for several seconds, brow furrowed in concentration, but when he opened them again, his palm remained empty.

  Sid stepped up and stood behind Rohan, his voice steady and low. “You’re close. Just not there yet.”

  Rohan let out a breath and lowered his arms, shaking his head. “I don’t think it’s working.”

  Sid glanced at Varun. “Did you manage it on your first try?”

  Varun tilted his head, eyes narrowing in thought. “Second try, I think.”

  Damn, thought Sid. He knew Varun was good, but didn’t realize he was this brilliant. He could give those snobby adepts at the Institute a run for their money.

  “See, you can’t stop just because it didn’t work once,” Sid said, laying a steady hand on Rohan’s back. “Close your eyes. Let everything else fade; focus on the void.”

  Varun, still lounging nearby, grumbled under his breath, “Hard to focus on nothing when someone keeps talking.”

  Sid didn’t respond to the jab. “Picture the void as a blank canvas. Then let your status page appear inside it—don’t force it. Just watch it surface naturally.”

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  He walked slowly around Rohan, observing from the front, careful not to break the flow of his instructions. “Now, place all your attention on the Mana Web skill. Just that. Imagine its light gathering at your fingertips.”

  Rohan clenched his jaw, his focus narrowing visibly. His muscles twitched, tension building as he tried to guide the skill manually.

  “You’re clenching like you’re on a toilet,” Varun quipped, unable to help himself.

  “Shut up,” Sid said, not even looking at him. “You’re not helping. Go focus on your own training.”

  Varun mimed zipping his lips shut and leaned back, folding his arms. He uttered not another word, yet amusement lingered within his gaze.

  “It’s not working, Sid,” Rohan said, his sigh louder than his words, frustration pushing at the edges of his voice.

  Sid’s tone stayed gentle. “Let’s give it another thirty minutes. We’ll head back right after.”

  Rohan didn’t argue, but over that half hour, he asked Sid to stop three times. The fourth attempt nearly broke him.

  Sid turned to the others, keeping his voice low. “Aditi, Varun—can you two pack the bags? We’ll be there soon.”

  Varun gave a brief shrug and moved to gather his things. Aditi hesitated, watching Rohan for a second longer before turning away.

  Turning back to Rohan, Sid said, “Relax. You’ve got this. Once it works, we’ll even start calling you Spider-Man.” The joke landed softly, an awkward attempt to shake loose the weight pressing down.

  Rohan gave a half-smile, tight and forced. He reset his stance, hands out, eyes closed.

  “Don’t think about me,” Sid said softly. “Focus only on the skill. The rest doesn’t matter.”

  Rohan stood still for a long moment, trying to summon the clarity he needed. Then, without warning, Sid lied, “Wow, I see sparks.”

  Rohan’s eyes snapped open. His whole body shifted with the motion. “What are you doing?” he asked, voice low but biting.

  Sid raised his hands slightly, tilting his head. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have interrupted. I’ll be more careful.”

  “No, you’re lying,” Rohan snapped, his nostrils flaring, the flush in his cheeks deepening.

  Sid’s smile slipped. He scratched his temple, looking faintly confused. “Why are you getting so angry? You almost did it.”

  Rohan inhaled sharply, held it, then let it out slowly, visibly suppressing the urge to yell.

  Sid eased back a step. “You’ve already done it once. Just try again. I’ll stay back and watch for trouble. Forget I’m here.”

  Rohan gave a curt nod and stepped back into position, his movements practiced and familiar, if still tinged with doubt.

  Sid had tested his new skill on Rohan during their watch the previous night. Veil of the Mind’s Eye was one of the most intriguing skills he had ever come across. It let the user slip past every sense the target possessed. He was still testing its effects and limitations, but it was perfect for Rohan’s current situation.

  He targeted Rohan with the Veil of the Mind’s Eye, and his presence thinned and vanished for Rohan alone, as if a curtain had been pulled over his sight, sound, and even the weight of the nearby body.

  Rohan’s eyebrows softened and his shoulders eased while a small ball of light gathered beside his outstretched palm.

  “Whoa,” said Varun, his voice cutting in at the edge of their focus as he stepped closer, and the sound tugged at Rohan’s attention just enough to test his control.

  Rohan opened his eyes as the light faltered and fizzled, then he caught himself and let out a breath that was half laugh and half disbelief. “I did it,” he said, a wide grin forming on his face.

  “Now do you trust me?” asked Sid, letting the veil slip away as he met Rohan’s eyes with a small smirk of his own.

  “Sorry, Sid, for earlier,” Rohan said, eyes dipping aside with a quick, embarrassed laugh.

  Sid clicked his tongue, head canted, a quick grin flashing. “It’s fine.” He looked back at Varun.

  “Where is Aditi?”

  “Still packing.” Varun eased the backpack and spear to the ground before crouching beside Sid on the rough pile of firewood.

  “You keep a lookout while Rohan tries his skill a few more times,” Sid said, already moving toward the cave entrance.

  Sid entered the cave and found Aditi packing her things into a borrowed bag. He let Veil of the Mind’s Eye settle over her like a quiet fold in the air and watched her shoulders remain taut with concentration.

  “Hey, are you done with packing?” asked Sid, walking behind her.

  Aditi did not respond. She closed her bag and turned, lifting it by the strap. Sid stood in front of her, yet she moved toward the exit as if he were not there. He tapped her shoulder, but she still did not react.

  He slung his own backpack over one shoulder, released the veil, and called, “Aditi!”

  She flinched as a sharp breath caught. “When did you get here?” Her brow tightened; the cool air needled her lungs, keeping her breaths quick and shallow.

  “A minute or two ago. You really did not notice?” asked Sid, his mouth hanging open a moment longer. “You should be more alert, Aditi. What if it were a monster instead of me who found you?”

  Aditi’s chin dipped; she looked down and gave a small nod, fingers tightening around the strap.

  “Let’s pack this one as well. We will leave as soon as Rohan finishes his training,” Sid said, pointing at Rohan’s bag while keeping his tone even.

  Sid felt bad for gaslighting her, but he needed her on edge and alert for what was coming, if his memory was right. They had run into a goblin ambush on their return trek.

  Goblins were considered vermin in Kaliga, the bottom of the barrel even in this dungeon, yet three goblins had destroyed their party of four. Aditi had been taken out first in the ambush, and Rohan had sacrificed himself to save Sid and Varun.

  He had done everything he could to strengthen the team in the short time available. Now he just hoped his plan against the goblins worked without a hitch.