Ezra gasped, his chest heaving as he coughed up water, his lungs burning as if he'd been submerged forever. His heart raced, the cold, sharp air feeling like a lifeline as he gasped for breath. His hands gripped the ground beneath him, desperately trying to steady himself.
"Ah, you're awake," came the dry voice of his professor, who was next to him, his clothes soaked through.
Ezra turned his head weakly to find the man sitting beside him, soaked from head to toe, wringing water from his long, green hair with a scowl.
"Thought I might have to blow air into your lungs," the professor muttered, shaking out his sleeves. "Would've been a damn shame, too. I'm only into women." He shot Ezra a side glance. "Told you to meditate, not drown yourself."
Ezra blinked, trying to focus his blurry vision as his body trembled, still trying to recover from the ordeal. He looked around and realized they were back near the waterfall, the very place he had been moments before.
His professor was soaked, just like him, as he brushed his wet hair from his face, shivering dramatically . "Hey, warm me up, I'm not a fan of the cold."
Ezra raised an eyebrow, slightly confused. "I thought you said I couldn't use my flames?"
"Well, you can now," the professor said, almost whining. "Hurry up before I freeze to death and turn into a popsicle."
Ezra sighed, knowing he had no choice but to comply. He summoned his flames, the familiar warmth spreading through him as the fire danced to life. With a deep breath, he outstretched his hand toward his professor, enveloping him in his light.
"Don't stop," the professor said, his grin wide as he basked in the warmth. "I want to see how much aether you have." He closed his eyes, a contented sigh escaping him as he relaxed, clearly enjoying the heat.
Ezra paused for a moment, disbelief flashing across his mind. 'Is this bastard really about to sleep?'
Sure enough, the professor closed his eyes, a satisfied smile creeping across his face as he basked in the heat like a lazy cat in the sun.
He stared at the professor, who seemed completely oblivious to the fact that Ezra was working hard to maintain the flames. As the minutes passed, Ezra could feel his energy draining, but the professor only sighed deeper in contentment, his body melting into the warmth.
Ezra scowled and, frustrated, increased the intensity of the heat. But instead of complaining, the professor let out a wide grin, sinking even further into the warmth, looking entirely at peace.