“This…” he finally said, his voice almost a whisper. “This is… extraordinary.”
He turned to the young Helion who had taught her.
“She has completely surpassed you. What she did here… even I, with decades of experience, would struggle to achieve so quickly.” He looked back at Keira, this time with a mix of fascination and respect. “You are a true talent, Keira. A talent we rarely see, even among our own.”
The young Helion, who had previously seemed nervous, now looked relieved to The following days were dedicated to learning. Keira and Lucas spent hours immersed in the complex equations and formulas that the Helion used to manipulate the universe’s energies. While Lucas struggled to grasp even the most basic concepts, Keira advanced rapidly, as if she were rediscovering something she already knew.
Each new concept the young Helion presented was absorbed by Keira with an alarming ease. Soon, she wasn’t just understanding the equations but improving upon them.
“You’re already done?” Lucas asked incredulously, watching Keira step away from the holographic panel. He was only halfway through the exercise she had completed minutes before.
Keira shrugged, visibly confused as to why it felt so easy for her.
“Yes… it just feels… natural,” she said, slightly unsettled by her own speed.
The Helion guiding them approached, checking Keira’s work. His eyes widened as he examined the equations and calculations she had completed. Every formula was flawless, but not only that—Keira had gone beyond what he had taught.
“This… is beyond the basics,” the Helion said, surprised. “You… you’ve created a new variation of the formula.” He looked at her with an expression mixed with fascination and apprehension. “How did you…?”
Keira, unsure how to explain, simply gave a nervous smile.
“I… just adjusted a few variables. It seemed like I could optimize how the energy flows through the device.”
The Helion took a step back, still processing what he was seeing.
“This…” He took a deep breath, clearly impressed. “What you’ve done… would take years for an ordinary Helion. Even some of our best academics can’t achieve this level of precision so quickly.”
Hearing this, Lucas sighed in frustration, turning back to his panel. He was still struggling with the simplest variables, and the comparison between him and Keira now seemed more obvious than ever. The young Helion, clearly fascinated by Keira, barely glanced at Lucas.
“Keira…” The Helion approached, studying her more intently. “Your progress is… impressive. No, it’s more than that. Rare. Few Helion possess this level of talent.” He paused as if pondering something profound. “In fact, I can count on one hand those who have achieved what you’ve done in such a short time.”
Keira remained silent, unsure how to react. She always knew she was smart, but this was beyond what she had imagined.
“I’m just… learning quickly, I guess,” she replied, trying to stay humble.
The Helion shook his head.
“No. You’re not just learning. You’re mastering something that should be nearly impossible for someone who didn’t grow up with this technology.” He looked her directly in the eyes, his expression more serious now. “You know, even among the Helion, we don’t see this often. Maybe once every generation.”
Lucas, standing nearby, felt the weight of the situation. He glanced at his own panel, where the equations remained incomplete. The Helion didn’t say a word to him. His presence felt irrelevant in the face of the monstrous talent Keira was displaying.
“Lucas… maybe you should… try another method,” the Helion suggested indifferently, not even glancing away from Keira. “Keira, you should keep practicing. I’d like to see how far you can go.”
Lucas tried to hide his frustration, but it was evident. He was being increasingly ignored, as if his contribution was insignificant. He glanced at Keira, who was clearly engrossed in her learning, and forced a smile.
“Sure… I’ll keep trying.”
Keira, on the other hand, continued to impress. In the following days, she mastered all the basic content that the Helion typically taught their own students. Her hands manipulated the energy devices as if they were a natural extension of her body. In a matter of hours, she was already creating her own variations of the equations—optimizations that even the most experienced Helion hadn’t thought of.
The Helion teaching them began to compare her to the greatest talents of their own civilization.
“Keira, what you are doing is… unprecedented for someone from outside our race. Even some of the best among us, the Helion, do not achieve what you’ve done in such a short time.”
Keira, already aware of her rapid progress, still felt uncomfortable with the admiring looks she received.
“I just… want to help,” she said, trying to deflect attention. “We’re here for a reason, and if I can do something to help prevent what we saw in the future, I’ll do my best.”
The Helion smiled, visibly impressed by her determination.
“If you continue like this, you may do more than just help. You might be the key to saving our people. The talent you’ve demonstrated… is something we haven’t seen in centuries.”
Meanwhile, Lucas, increasingly sidelined, continued his struggle to grasp the basics. He remained determined, but the environment around him didn’t make things easy. The look of disappointment from passing Helion was unmistakable, and the young Helion who accompanied them barely spoke to him anymore.
“Perhaps you should focus on something simpler, Lucas,” the Helion suggested, with little real concern. “We don’t need everyone to be extraordinary.”
The words hit him hard, but Lucas stayed resolute.
“I’ll keep trying,” he said, though he knew his attempts went unnoticed.
As the days passed, Keira’s progress not only impressed but also challenged the expectations of all the Helion who were observing. The young Helion who had initially taught her now found himself in an uncomfortable position. He knew that Keira’s talent surpassed his own knowledge. Before long, he could barely keep up with the speed at which she assimilated and mastered advanced concepts.
Keira, on the other hand, continued to demonstrate a surprising level of control over the formulas and energy flow. What took others years of practice, for her, was as simple as breathing. The energy manipulation devices had already become a natural extension of her hands, and the equations flowed through her fingers as if they were simple mathematical operations.
“Keira…” the Helion said, after yet another impressive demonstration of energy control. “I… I can’t teach you anymore. What you’re doing… is beyond what I was trained to teach. I need to call someone.”
Keira stopped, surprised.
“What do you mean?” she asked, slightly thrown off by the sudden statement.
The Helion seemed hesitant, as if pondering how to explain.
“What you’ve learned in days… even the best of us don’t learn in years. I can’t keep pretending that I’m capable of teaching you.” He paused, looking directly at Keira. “I need to call my teacher… he’s the only one who can assess what you’re truly capable of.”
Keira nodded, though surprised by the gravity of the situation.
“Okay… I’m ready.”
The Helion quickly left, visibly disturbed by how fast everything was happening. When he returned, he was accompanied by a tall figure with an imposing presence. The new Helion had penetrating eyes and the posture of someone who was used to being the highest authority in any environment.
“Is this her?” asked the older Helion, his tone direct as he studied Keira with an appraising look.
“Yes, Master,” replied the young Helion, with a mix of admiration and apprehension. “She… she learned everything I knew in just a few days. I… I don’t know what else to teach her.”
The older Helion approached Keira, studying her closely.
“Tell me, Keira,” he said, his voice calm but full of expectation. “Do you really understand what you’re doing? Or are you just repeating what was taught?”
Keira met his gaze, though she felt the weight of his presence.
“I… I don’t know how to explain it,” she said honestly. “But all of this feels… natural to me. As if I already knew it somehow. I just… follow the equations and feel the energy’s flow.”
The older Helion raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued.
“Show me,” he ordered, pointing to the holographic panel. “Show me what you can do.”
Keira took a deep breath and approached the panel. Without hesitation, she began adjusting the variables and manipulating the formulas with a precision that even surprised herself. When she activated the device, the floating object in the center of the room began to spin gently in the air, the gravity around it subtly distorted but noticeable. Then, with an additional movement, she increased the complexity of what she was doing, creating an energy field around the object—something she had only glimpsed in advanced studies.
The older Helion watched silently, his eyes fixed on Keira’s every move. When she finished, he said nothing for a few seconds, simply looking at the floating object, impressed.
“This…” he finally said, his voice almost a whisper. “This is… extraordinary.”
He turned to the young Helion who had taught her.
“She has completely surpassed you. What she did here… even I, with decades of experience, would struggle to achieve so quickly.” He looked back at Keira, this time with a mix of fascination and respect. “You are a true talent, Keira. A talent we rarely see, even among our own.”
The young Helion, who had previously The following days were dedicated to learning. Keira and Lucas spent hours immersed in the complex equations and formulas that the Helion used to manipulate the universe’s energies. While Lucas struggled to grasp even the most basic concepts, Keira advanced rapidly, as if she were rediscovering something she already knew.
Each new concept the young Helion presented was absorbed by Keira with an alarming ease. Soon, she wasn’t just understanding the equations but improving upon them.
“You’re already done?” Lucas asked incredulously, watching Keira step away from the holographic panel. He was still halfway through the exercise she had finished minutes earlier.
Keira shrugged, visibly confused as to why it seemed so easy for her.
“Yes… it just feels… natural,” she said, a little unsettled by her own speed.
The Helion guiding them approached, checking Keira’s work. His eyes widened as he examined the equations and calculations she had completed.