The locker room buzzed with a strange mix of triumph and tension.
The victory over Flash FC had shaken the entire Martian dome, but now that the match was over, the real weight of it settled across Titan's Reach like an unseen fog.
Blaze sat on the bench with his elbows on his knees, a towel draped around his shoulders. His breathing was steady, but every inhale made the flame under his skin flicker painfully. The Aura remained quiet, yet extremely present, like a wild animal watching everything with half-lidded eyes.
Jason crouched in front of him, tapping through readings on his tablet. "Your pulse line is unstable," he said quietly. "And your core temperature is still higher than it should be."
Blaze offered a tired smile. "Better than last time."
"Barely."
The coach's voice was calm, but the crease between his brows told another story.
