Atlas collapsed, his body slamming hard against the ground as a scream tore from his throat. The pain was blinding, white-hot, and so intense it threatened to pull him into unconsciousness. His mind reeled, every nerve in his leg screaming as the molten heat surged up through his foot.
The training grounds Kurogasa had selected were harsh, chosen with purpose. Sparse streams of lava wound between wide patches of cracked, solid ground.
It was a place meant to test resilience, both physical and mental. The lava channels weren't wide, no broader than a man's foot. But wide enough to burn.
And Atlas had stepped right into one.
The molten stream hissed beneath him, eating through his boot like wax under a flame.
"My Lord… let me heal you!" Lyrassa said, rushing to his side.
Atlas barely heard her over the pounding in his ears. But when her hands began to glow with the first waves of healing energy, he moved on instinct. His hand clamped around her wrist, stopping her.
