Chapter 16
The next morning, Sonny meets Ellie in the women’s dorm lobby. He stands with his hands in his pockets, calm as always, like the intercollegiate arena is just another classroom. Ellie, on the other hand, looks like she has been awake for hours.
"Coffee," Ellie says the moment she sees him. "We need coffee."
Sonny goes along with it. "Okay.Let’s go."
They walk to a nearby café, order quickly, and take a corner table. Ellie wraps both hands around her cup like it is the only thing keeping her steady.
"I need help," she says. "With strategy."
Sonny watches her for a beat. "Tell me your opponent."
"She’s a plant user," Ellie says. "Wood and vines. She matches well for me on paper, but she has beaten a bunch of fire users."
Sonny intently looks at her. "How does she beat them?"
"Poison," Ellie replies. "And traps. She floods the field with poisonous flowers. If you inhale enough, you pass out. If you avoid that, she binds you with roots and crushes you or drags you into something worse."
Sonny takes in all of the information. "Then you do not play her game."
Ellie leans forward. "So what do I do?"
Sonny speaks like he is mapping a route through a forest. "First, you deny poison. Second, you force her to commit to roots. Third, you use her roots against her."
Ellie responds with skepticism. "That sounds simple."
"It is simple," Sonny says. "Execution is the hard part. It will require great control of your flames." He taps the table lightly with one finger. "When she spreads spores, you create a flame sphere around your body. Not an attack. A filter. Burn the spores before they reach your lungs."
Ellie nods slowly. "A heat bubble."
"Yes," Sonny says. "Then, when she commits to binding you, you do not just burn the roots off. You use them."
Ellie blinks. "Use them how."
Sonny’s gaze stays steady. "You superheat your body to break free, then you let your fire ride the roots back to her. Fire travels. Roots connect. She thinks the roots are a weapon. You make them a fuse. Again, this will require precision control of your flames"
Ellie’s mouth opens, then closes. "That’s… actually smart." Sonny stares back at her reactionless.
Ellie sits back. "Okay. I give it a shot. It’s better than what I came up with."
Sonny finishes his coffee like it is medicine. "Remember, it all comes down to execution. Don’t hesitate."
Ellie exhales. "Thanks."
The match begins later that day. Ellie steps into the ring and finds her opponent already smiling. The plant user stands relaxed, hands loose at her sides, like she is waiting for Ellie to do something predictable.
"A fire girl," the plant user says. "Beaten many of your kind." Ellie locks eyes with her but remains silent.
The referee signals. "Begin."
The plant user casts first. Flowers burst across the arena floor in a rolling wave. Petals open, and a pale mist rises, thickening the air. Ellie doesn’t panic. She snaps her hands up and forms a tight flame sphere around herself. The heat shimmers, and the spores that drift toward her burn up with tiny pops.
The plant user’s interest is piqued. "Cute." She spreads the field again, denser this time, pushing the mist toward Ellie like a tide. Ellie holds the flame sphere, then releases it outward in a sudden burst. The fire expands in a ring, incinerating flowers and spores alike. The shockwave of heat clips her opponent and forces her to step back. The plant user’s smile fades.
Roots surge from the ground. They snap at Ellie’s ankles, wrap her calves, then climb like snakes toward her waist. Vines whip in from the sides, trying to bind her arms. Ellie lets them catch.
For a heartbeat, she looks trapped. Then she superheats. Fire flares over her skin, controlled and intense. The roots blacken and crack. The vines shrivel. But Ellie does not stop at breaking free. She pushes her fire into the roots still connected to the arena floor. The heat rides the network like a spark racing through dry grass.
The plant user’s eyes widen now realizing what she is doing, but it’s too late. Fire erupts at her feet and crawls up the roots toward her legs. She tries to sever the connection, but Ellie is already moving.
Ellie unleashes a focused heat blast from where she is standing, trapping the plant user between the flames from the roots and the heat blast. Stacking heat on heat, turning the plant user’s defenses into ash. The plant user stumbles and collapses.
"Match over," the referee calls.
Ellie stands there, breathing hard, then lets out a sharp laugh. Sonny’s plan worked. She has won.
Sonny watches from the stands with the same blank expression, but his eyes track Ellie like he is checking off steps in a list.
On Sonny’s way down to meet Ellie, someone stops him. It’s James.
James bows slightly, respectful. "Thank you for yesterday. For the match. And for not letting me bleed out on the floor."
Sonny responds to James. "You fought well."
James hesitates, then asks the question that has been chewing at him. "How do I improve?" He is always looking for ways to improve his craft.
Sonny studies him. "Can you cast two spells at once?" James shakes his head, frustrated. "I’ve tried for two years but just can’t. That’s why I emphasize honing energy."
"Earth user," Sonny says.
"Yes."
Sonny gestures lightly with his hand, like he is drawing a diagram in the air. "Grow small stones into your palm. Not spikes. Smooth stones. Then throw them."
James blinks. "Throw them."
"Yes," Sonny says. "With your energy capabilities, each stone becomes a bullet. Range matters. Pressure matters. You don’t need dual casting to add a projectile layer. You just need to use what you already have."
James stares at him, then breaks into a grin like someone just hands him a missing piece. "That’s… not a bad idea."
Sonny shrugs. "You would have figured it out eventually.”
James bows deeper. "Thank you."
Sonny nods once and walks on. Ellie meets him near the exit, flushed and smiling. Her family is there too, loud and proud.
Ellie’s dad claps Sonny on the shoulder. "Ellie told us you came with her strategy, and it paid off. She looked sharp."
Sonny answers honestly. "Strategy is easy. It all comes down to execution, which she did flawlessly." Ellie rolls her eyes, but she smiles anyway.
Jon stands back, quiet, watching Sonny like he is still trying to understand him.
Ellie’s father checks his phone. "We’re meeting Asher’s family, the Warrens, for dinner. You want to come Sonny?"
Ellie tenses up from her father’s question. She cannot look at Sonny. Sonny looks at Ellie and senses her nerves, then answers for himself. "No. I’m going to watch Bull’s match. Thank you for the offer." Ellie’s family nods and heads out.
Bull’s fight does not go the way he wants. He loses, and when he leaves the ring, his face is tight with frustration.
Later that night, Bull returns to the dorm and finds Sonny packing for training. Bull drops onto his bed. "Could I have won."
Sonny doesn’t look up. "There is always a way to win. Some matches just take longer to find the path."
Bull’s jaw clenches. "Then why won’t you teach me how to use ether like you?"
Sonny finally looks at him. "You are plenty strong; you don’t need ether. I don’t want you to end up like me."
Bull scoffs. "Like you. Strong."
Sonny’s voice stays calm. "Strong, yes. Also broken. The price is not worth it. And the training I did is not even possible."
Bull’s brows knit. "Why?"
Sonny’s gaze goes distant for a moment. Sonny continues to pack his bag in silence. Bull doesn’t understand, but he can tell Sonny is not going to explain.
Bull sighs and changes topics. "I’m leaving tomorrow after I see my family."
Sonny gives a short nod with his sad, blank face. "Okay."
Before he heads out Sonny asks one question. “What does it mean to be jealous?”
Bull laughs. "It means you want what someone else has. Or you feel threatened by them." He teases. "Ellie got a competing crush here."
Sonny’s expression does not change, but his silence lasts a beat longer than usual. "I don’t know," Sonny says finally. "But I feel different."
Bull’s grin widens. "Yeah. That’s jealousy."
Sonny picks up his bag. "Goodbye, Bull."
Bull waves him off. "Good luck. Don’t die."
Sonny leaves the dorm and disappears into the night to train again.
