The girls entered the luxurious suite and their eyes went wide with wonder. The place was extravagantly furnished with a mixture of futuristic and vintage elements, creating a chic and stylish atmosphere. A bar with a wide range of drinks was set up on one side, with a fully equipped kitchen space adjacent to it. A long table in the center of the suite was surrounded by armchairs and sofas, forming a cozy and inviting seating area. The bedroom and bathroom areas were tucked away in separate rooms, and a glass door led to a balcony with a stunning view of the arena.

  The girls were impressed, taking in the luxurious setting.

  Nika whistled, looking around the suite. "Damn, this place is swanky.”

  Zalgo was awestruck. "They weren't kidding when they said it was a nice suite.”

  Rachel walked further into the suite, examining the surroundings. "This is way nicer than my place.”

  As the girls marveled at the suite, Celeste poured herself a drink at the bar.

  Celeste said, with a hint of amusement in her voice, "Sit down, everyone. Get comfortable.”

  Nika wasted no time in flopping into one of the armchairs. "Don't mind if I do.”

  Blair, always animated, flopped onto one of the sofas. "This place is seriously killer!”

  Nika glanced around the suite, then turned her attention back to Celeste. "This place is something else. You've got style, Celeste.”

  Celeste chuckled softly, "Thank you. I appreciate a comfortable space to relax and work.”

  Zalgo, still admiring the suite's aesthetics, asked, "How did you snag this place?”

  Celeste replied as she sipped her drink, “Let's just say I have connections.”

  Rachel, taking a seat next to Nika, couldn't help but be impressed. “Your connections must be really good.”

  Celeste smirked, with a hint of mystery. “Oh, they are.”

  As the girls settles in their seats, Celeste leaned on the bar.

  "Now, let's have some drinks and chat.”

  Nika, always ready for a drink, leaned back in her chair, "Sounds good to me.”

  Blair, always up for a good time, chimed in, "What d'ya suggest, Celeste?”

  Celeste glanced at the array of drinks at the bar. “I've got a wide variety of drinks to choose from – beer, wine, whiskey, cocktails, you name it.”

  Zalgo contemplated the options, "Hmm, a cocktail sounds good.”

  Rachel thought for a moment, then gave her order. "A nice red wine for me, please.”

  Celeste nodded, ready to mix drinks. "Coming right up.”

  Nika chimed in with her order, "I'll take a gin and tonic, if you don’t mind.”

  Blair's enthusiasm was evident in her order. "A margarita for me, please!”

  Celeste started mixing the drinks, skillfully pouring and shaking the ingredients.

  As she mixed the drinks, she kept the conversation going. "So, Alice, Rachel, Zalgo... Do tell, how have you three been since we last trained together?”

  The girls responded to Celeste's question.

  Alice answered first, "I've been training hard and focusing on my Void Magic skills.”

  Rachel picked up, "I've been practicing and experimenting with my abilities as well.”

  Zalgo added with a smile, "I've been training intensely and working on refining my Void Magic techniques.”

  Celeste mixed the drinks with expertise, listening to their responses.

  She inquired with a bit of concern, "And your Void Magic? Have you been able to utilize all those advanced techniques I taught you?”

  Alice responded first, confidently, "Yes, I've been able to master and use all the advanced techniques you taught us.”

  Rachel followed, "I've also mastered them and been able to apply the lessons you gave us.”

  Zalgo added with a note of pride, "Same here. I've incorporated those techniques into my abilities and have been utilizing them effectively as well.”

  Celeste nodded with impressed, mixing more drinks.

  She commented, "I see. Good. You've been consistent in your practice.”

  Nika leaned back in her chair, intrigued. "I’m impressed. You guys are dedicated.”

  Blair, always animated, chimed in, "I bet you've grown stronger. So how much more about Void Magic do yoh guys know? You three left before Celeste got into Aura Shields and Protective Shells and all that stuff, it was very interesting!”

  The three girls blinked at hearing about Aura Shields and Protective Shells, with Alice asking, "Huh? I haven't heard of either of those.”

  A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  Celeste continued with the drinks, as explained. "Aura Shields and Protective Shells are new techniques that I've recently taught Blair and Sharline. They're quite useful to know, and I'm rather surprised none of you know what they are by now.”

  Nika listened with interest, taking a sip of her gin and tonic. "New techniques, huh? Sounds intriguin’.”

  Zalgo, curious, asked, "Mind sharing what they're about and what they do?”

  Celeste, still mixing drinks, offered an explanation. "Very well, dear. First, about Aura Shields. To put it simply, an Aura Shield is a defensive layer powered by a Void Mage's soul that covers your body at all times until it is shattered after absorbing too much external punishment, or using too much of your aura at once. Upon receiving damage, the Shield will distribute the damage evenly across the entirety of the Shield in order to remain stable. However, once your Shield is broken, your body will be completely defenseless and becomes more vulnerable to pure aura-based attacks until it recovers over time, with some Shields recovering quicker than others. The higher one's aura capacity is, the longer it takes their Shield to return.”

  The girls listened intently, trying to digest the information.

  Alice was the first to speak up, "So, it's like wearing a shield that deflects damage, but if it breaks, then you're completely defenseless?”

  Celeste finished up the drinks, replying, "Yes, that's right. It's essentially a defensive barrier that absorbs the impact of attacks, but if the barrier is shattered, you become vulnerable.”

  Rachel was intrigued, “And it takes longer to recover the higher your aura capacity?”

  Celeste handed out the drinks to the girls, nodding at Rachel's question." Exactly. The higher a Void Mage's aura capacity is, the longer their recovery period would be."

  Rachel nodded, replying, "Oh that's neat, so it's like a way to nerf super powerful users of Void Magic from being super OP, huh?”

  Celeste smirked at Rachel's observation, "Indeed. It's a way to balance the power if you choose to look at it that way."

  Zalgo chimed this time, "But how do you know when the Shield is broken?”

  Celeste poured herself a drink, responding, "That would be the Shield shattering upon the final impact that caused it to break. Like so—"

  Celeste fired a ball of pure aura at Zalgo. It did no damage to her, but her Shield shattered. Tiny, translucent, intangible fragments shot out in all directions, showing that her Aura Shield was broken.

  The girls watched Celeste demonstrate her shield being broken, taking in the sight.

  Rachel was the first to respond, "Woah...it shattered, and there are...pieces everywhere...?”

  Celeste nodded, responding, "Precisely. When your Aura Shield shatters, intangible fragments of it are scattered across the surrounding area in a way that resembles glass shattering.“

  Zalgo thought for a moment, “How long does it take to recover?”

  Celeste sipped her own drink, replying, "The recovery time depends on the level of your aura capacity, and that, I do not know as it's been too long since I've trained you.”

  Alice asked with curiosity, “Can you give us estimates, though?”

  Celeste thought for a moment, then responded, "For the average beginner Void Mage, it typically takes a minimum of 8 to 10 seconds. For advanced Void Mages, it can vary greatly, ranging from 40 seconds, a minute, or even several minutes for extremely powerful Void Mages.”

  The girls were taken aback by the wait time, surprised by the duration.

  Zalgo asked, “Well that's good to know... What about Protective Shells, Celeste?”

  Celeste finished the last of her second drink, setting the glass down. “Oh yes, right. About Protective Shells. Protective Shells, or 'Shells' for short, are a similar concept, though they have some differences compared to Aura Shields.”

  The girls, still taking in the concept of Aura Shields, listened intently to the explanation of Protective Shells.

  Blair, ever-energetic, asked, “What sort of differences?”

  Celeste sipped her third drink, explaining further, “Well, for starters... Remember the Aura Shields? Well, beyond the Shield is your Protective Shell. Just like an Aura Shield, a Protective Shell is made of your aura and envelops the body at all times, acting as a barrier that evenly distributes any punishment it receives. But, while the Shield can regenerate after being shattered, the Shell underneath cannot! Any damage done to the Shell will be permanent and will affect you for the rest of your life."

  The girls listened intently to the in-depth explanation as Celeste continued:

  "Now, Protective Shells are quite resilient and very durable—even the ones of non-users of Void Magic—and it can also be strengthened through proper training. But once your Shell is cracked or broken, there is nothing that can be done to reverse the damage. With a damaged shell, you will become drastically more susceptible to others' auras, spiritual forces, Void Magic, Void Curses—I'll get into that another time—you will also have less durable Aura Shields, and have a crippled aura capacity that cannot be increased any further by any means. The biggest factor separating Protective Shells from Aura Shields is that once the former is shattered...you will die. Yes, the Shell acts as the physical representation of the soul in the form of an exoskeleton, so any damage done to the Shell is damage to the soul. Therefore, once the Shell is done for, so are you.”

  The girls, including Nika, were now quite stunned as the gravity of the information sunk in.

  Alice, her voice tinged with a bit of uneasiness, asked, "So...if your Shell is shattered, it's game over?”

  Celeste responded with a solemn nod, "Precisely, dear. Your Shell serves as the backbone of your spiritual existence and the manifestation of your very soul, and any damage to it will prove catastrophic. So, it is of utmost importance to keep it well protected.”

  As the weight of the information settled in, Rachel took a moment to process. "Wow... The Protective Shell seems like a big deal, then.”

  Celeste nodded, emphasizing, "Indeed. They're a big deal. A person's life lies in their Protective Shell, which makes it imperative that you choose your battles wisely.”

  Zalgo pondered, a bit taken aback, "Hmm...I see. This is a lot to take in.”

  Celeste took a final sip of her drink, offering some final advice, "Remember, the Protective Shell is not just a physical structure. It is part of who you are, and it must be cherished and respected. Your life depends on it. You've got that, right?”

  The girls nodded, accepting the importance of the information.

  Rachel reassured, "Yeah, got it. We'll be careful from now on.”

  Zalgo chimed in, "Definitely won't take this too lightly from now on.”

  As the conversation concluded, Rachel leaned back, taking it all in.

  "Yikes, that's serious... This Protective Shell stuff is no joke. Gotta watch out for that.”

  Rachel's words seemed to hit home, as the girls glanced at one another, realizing the gravity of the situation.

  Blair, ever the one to lighten the mood, tried to break the seriousness with a slight smirk. "Well, that's definitely something to keep in mind, huh?"

  Alice chuckled bitterly, feeling the weight of the information. "Indeed, no kidding…”

  Nika, still sipping her drink, couldn't help but comment with a slight grin. "Hah, talk about keepin' things real, eh?"

  Rachel joined in, a hint of humor in her voice. "No kidding. This Protective Shell thing is a real game-changer.”

  Zalgo tried to lighten the mood a bit, a slight smile on his face. "Guess we'll be more cautious about everything from now on, huh?”

  Blair chimed in with a smile, trying to lighten the mood as well. "No kidding. Life's gonna be a bit more...careful now.”

  The girls chuckled nervously, still trying to process the seriousness of it all.

  Rachel let out a small laugh, still a bit unsettled. "You could say that again... We’re gonna have to watch our backs even more now. But for now, let's enjoy ourselves while we wait for the next match.”

  The others nodded in agreement, appreciating the chance to lighten the mood.

  Zalgo, still processing the information, replied with a hint of relief. "Yeah, no kidding. We'll be more cautious from now on. But for now, let's relax while we wait for the next fight. I gotta admit, I'm both excited and anxious.”