Steam coiled into the sky as the hot spring's surface rippled gently under the moonlight. It was a welcome reprieve, nestled deep within the campgrounds, partitioned into separate sections for the boys and girls.

  Rei sat submerged in the spring’s warmth, his arms resting along the smooth stone edge, the heat soaking into his sore limbs. His golden eyes stared at the ripples before him, half-listening to the others talk.

  “Alright,” Lysander declared, lounging nearby with a towel draped across his head. “Steam room competition. Let’s do this properly this time.”

  “No thanks,” Caleb muttered, his eyes closed as he leaned back. “One more challenge today and I’ll turn to mush.”

  “I second that,” Jian added, rolling his neck. “We already got destroyed during training. Can’t feel my legs.”

  “Cowards,” Lysander huffed, splashing water at them. “Come on, Carter. You in?”

  Carter raised a brow. “If I say yes, you’ll probably portal the steam into my face.”

  Lysander’s grin widened. “Tempting.”

  Zane chuckled lowly, sitting near the back, barely reacting to the rising steam. “You guys go ahead. I’ll judge.”

  “Lame,” Lysander groaned. “You’re all so boring.”

  Rei gave a weak chuckle but fell quiet again. The warmth of the spring wasn’t enough to ease the pressure inside his chest. The others kept the energy up—joking, teasing, shaking off the day’s exhaustion like nothing happened. Like their bodies weren’t bruised and their egos weren’t dented.

  But for Rei, the silence within was louder than any joke.

  He remembered Fort Goliath again. That man's voice, smug and cruel, still echoed in the back of his head.

  “Zane? A failed prodigy.”

  He glanced at Zane now—calm and unreadable—but something told Rei that insult had cut deeper than the older boy let on.

  “Andrei? A lazy genius who never lives up to his potential.”

  Andrei wasn’t here tonight.

  “Daisy? A coddled shut-in. Oliver? A cowardly nerd. Elissa? A naive rich girl playing hero.”

  He saw the strain in Elissa’s posture earlier. Akane must’ve hit something sensitive.

  “Casper? A graceless nobody. Tessa? Thinks she’s tough just because she’s got a fancy sword.”

  Tessa masked it well, but Haruto’s words today had shaken her too.

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  Rei gripped the stone edge tighter.

  Then there was the last one.

  “And Aiden? Oh, you don’t know? He’s a murderer.”

  He still didn’t understand what that meant. But just the memory of that smirk—that venomous tone—made Rei’s stomach twist.

  What if there was truth in it?

  ---

  [Meanwhile – Girls’ Spring]

  The women’s side of the spring was calmer, less chaotic. The laughter was softer, the energy subdued.

  Elisa drifted near the edge, chin resting on her folded arms, her usually bright energy dulled. She stared at the reflection of the moon on the water, lips barely moving.

  Stacy noticed but said nothing. She floated nearby, letting vines gently unfurl from her fingers and curl in the water like lazy koi.

  Luna hummed under her breath, her silver hair floating around her as she stretched her arms. “Akane’s kinda terrifying, huh?”

  “Understatement,” Iris said, wringing out her ponytail. “Elisa, you good?”

  Elisa didn’t respond right away. “I’m fine,” she said, though her voice didn’t sound like it. “Just thinking.”

  “She pushed you pretty hard, didn’t she?” Stacy asked gently.

  Elisa nodded once. “I… I thought I was doing well. I’ve trained before. But she saw through me in seconds. Said I fight like I’m trying to prove something. Maybe I am.”

  “You’re still here,” Iris offered. “That means something.”

  “Maybe.”

  The silence settled again. Not heavy. Just… tired.

  Eventually, they all leaned back, the warmth easing their aches, the moonlight painting their skin silver.

  ---

  [Later – Dormitory]

  Most of the trainees returned to their dorms with sluggish steps and drooping shoulders. Rei lay in his bed, eyes open, staring at the ceiling in the dim moonlight.

  He tried to sleep.

  Tried to shut it all out.

  But the words kept coming back. Every insult. Every doubt. Every shadow of inadequacy.

  He wasn’t angry at what was said about him. He was used to that.

  It was what they said about the others that stuck in his chest like thorns.

  They weren’t perfect—but they didn’t deserve that. Not Zane. Not Elissa. Not Aiden.

  He sat up. Quietly. Carefully. He grabbed his jacket, slipping it over his training shirt. The air was cold outside, but he barely felt it.

  His body still ached. But training in secret… it wouldn’t hurt, right?

  Just a little more. Just enough to be ready for whatever came next.

  He headed out, silent as a shadow.

  ---

  [Somewhere Else – Instructor Meeting Room]

  The room was tucked deep beneath the camp. No students were allowed near it—only WEO officers and the instructors themselves.

  At the center, a holographic table glowed faintly. Raphael stood at its head, his arms crossed, silver eyes sweeping over the other five instructors.

  “Status,” he said simply.

  Kael was the first to speak. “Zane’s potential is there, but he’s tentative. Still holding back. Lysander’s inventive but chaotic. Carter shows adaptability, but lacks precision. All fixable.”

  Akane crossed her arms. “Elisa is emotionally unstable—too attached to an ideal. Stacy’s grace control is decent, but her self-confidence fluctuates.”

  Haruto exhaled through his nose. “Tessa’s got skill, but she second-guesses herself. She’s reliant on Gale Force, but not using it properly. It’s like handing a blade to someone too afraid to unsheathe it.”

  Finn nodded next. “Caleb’s reliable. Strong fundamentals. But he’s not used to taking the lead—only following. If we push that, he’ll break past his plateau.”

  Lena tapped her fingers along her data tablet. “Luna’s observational, maybe too passive. Andrei’s lazy, but sharp. If we keep pressure on him, he’ll respond.”

  Raphael listened in silence, then slowly nodded.

  A beat passed before Haruto asked, “Do you really think they’ll be ready? One month isn’t much time. And we’re going after a Syndicate lab.”

  Akane’s gaze sharpened. “The one that made that Cyclop.”

  Finn crossed his arms. “If they’re not ready, we pull them out.”

  “No,” Raphael said calmly. “They will be.”

  The room went quiet.

  Lena raised a brow. “That confident in them?”

  Raphael’s expression didn’t change, but his voice held a quiet edge. “They’re growing faster than expected. In thirty days, they won’t be your average espers anymore. They’ll be elites.”

  Kael leaned back, arms folded. “Let’s hope they believe that too.”

  Raphael’s eyes narrowed slightly. “They will. Or they’ll die.”

  ---

  [Meanwhile – Training Hall, Midnight]

  The hall was cold and dark, the lights dimmed except for the motion sensors that hummed as Rei stepped in.

  He took a deep breath.

  The echo of his footsteps on the polished floor was the only sound.

  He dropped into a stance, steady and sharp. Shadowboxing. Running drills. Pushing through muscle fatigue. Visualizing attacks. Predicting counters. Again and again.

  No bracer this time. No Raphael watching him.

  No one but himself.

  Still…

  Three seconds into the future… Two seconds of cooldown.

  That window of time should’ve made him unstoppable. But it didn’t.

  He’d gotten hit today. A lot.

  Raphael’s voice echoed in his mind.

  "You rely on your grace like a crutch. You’re not using your head. You have a tactical mind, Rei—but it’s unpolished. You think too late. You act too slow."

  Rei’s fists tightened.

  He had to be better. For his squad. For Aiden.

  He threw a punch.

  Another.

  Then another.

  If three seconds wasn’t enough—then he’d learn to fight like he didn’t need them.

  [End of Chapter]