“Feel anything?” I called quietly, my eyes locked on the figure in front of me as he crouched low to the cold concrete, hands out in front of him.

“On your left, about… twelve o’clock,” the figure whispered back, freezing in his spot. I turned my body to face the direction he instructed me, raising my katana in preparation to strike.

“More toward one, you’re going to miss it,” he scolded, and I mentally sighed. For someone without sight, he could see more than I could.

Nevertheless I turned slightly more to my right, my head swivelling to look at the frozen figure beside me. His milky eyes were wide open, shifting rapidly as his eyebrows furrowed. “How far up, Madi? You know we only get one shot,” I struggled to keep my voice low.

“About three kicks.” I mentally calculated in my head how far to aim, and positioned myself in a spot where I was certain I would hit my target the first time. I slowly raised my katana, ready to strike when Madi called out again, “Duck and roll back, it sees you!” I cursed under my breath, sheathing my weapon and tucking into my body, rolling backwards. I sprung up off my feet, searching the blank darkness in front of me until I was instructed again, “Right in front of you, up!”

I slid my katana from its sheath once again, pulling it back with both hands and grunted as I slammed up and out in front of me. The air erupted in a spark and loud squelching noise as my blade resisted against the being. I raised my arms once more, driving back down into the same spot forcefully. A final spark was emitted and I dropped to my knees in a sweat, putting my weapon back in its rightful spot on my back.

“Nice one, Tilly,” my brother praised as he made his way over to me with a smile. He stopped in front of me, turned so he was facing away from me and I chuckled.

I grabbed his hand, pulling him so he faced the right way, “I’m right here.”

“Sorry,” he smiled, pulling his hand from mine and resting it on the top of my head.

“C’mon,” I sighed, rising from my position and stretching, my back cracking. “Ulia will be wondering where we are.” Madi nodded and draped his arm around my shoulders. He towered over me, his height overwhelming for just a fourteen year-old, especially given that I was twenty-three. Sometimes I wondered if he was the older sibling between us, but then I looked at his goofy, carefree personality. Madi sure was something else.