The sky above the training camp burned a dull copper hue, clouds swirling as if reflecting the tension simmering below. Early morning drills echoed across the field metallic footsteps, shouts, the hum of energy fields and kinetic boots striking the turf.
Blaze was supposed to be focusing. He wasn't.
His teammates sprinted past in perfect formation, bodies glowing faintly with synchronized aura flow, but his mind was far from the drills. His strikes were sharp but hollow movements executed by memory, not instinct.
Each time his boots hit the ground, his chest ached. The sound of the wind reminded him of the gentle tremor in his mother's voice the last time he called her. "Don't worry, sweetheart. I'll be fine."
But he had seen the fatigue in her eyes. The faint blue tinge beneath her nails. The way she coughed and tried to smile through it.
Jason's voice cut through the haze."Blaze! You're hesitating again."
