The warehouse was silent except for the distant hum of the city beyond its walls. Dust motes floated in the weak light filtering through cracked windows, and the air smelled faintly of iron and old wood.
I followed Kade to the center of the wide, empty space. My chest still pulsed with the memory of the sentinel, the hunters, the shadows I had faced. The energy inside me throbbed, alive, restless.
"This is your training ground," Kade said, eyes scanning the room. "Here, you will learn to control the power that has been dormant inside you. Control comes first. Strength comes second. Speed and precision follow."
I swallowed hard, nodding. "And… how do I start?"
He stepped back and gestured for me to extend my hands. "Focus. Let the energy respond to your thoughts. Don't just react. Command it. Make it an extension of yourself. Control your fear. Control your pulse. Control your intent."
I closed my eyes, inhaling slowly. The energy surged in my veins, alive and sharp, coiling like a snake. I felt it responding to my heartbeat, my intention. Slowly, carefully, I extended my hands, palms outward.
A faint glow appeared, shimmering just above my skin. I gasped, surprised. It wasn't wild this time. It obeyed me, hesitant, but obedient.
"Good," Kade murmured. "Now, move it. Shape it. Push it forward, retract it, circle it around yourself. Make it obey without thinking. Command it with intention, not emotion."
I did as he instructed, trembling, energy lashing, swirling, obeying my subtle commands. Each pulse sharpened, growing brighter, more precise. My chest burned, but I could feel control settling over the raw surge.
"Now, combat simulation," Kade said. "Shadows will attack. You respond. Not panic. Not instinct. Control."
I froze for a heartbeat. "Shadows? Again?"
"Controlled ones," he said, lips tight. "They won't hurt you unless you let fear make mistakes. Treat this as practice."
The shadows appeared, faint at first, then solidifying, stalking toward me with calculated menace. Limbs twisting, faces obscured. Not human. Not entirely.
I focused, energy coiling, responding to my intent. I thrust my hands forward, a wave of controlled force knocking one shadow backward. Another lunged from the side. I twisted, channeling the energy precisely. It staggered but did not vanish.
"Good," Kade said. "Control and precision. Not brute force. Force without control will exhaust you."
I nodded, chest heaving. The energy hummed under my skin, obedient yet alive. I felt its pulse, its rhythm, its responsiveness. Each shadow tested me differently, and each time I responded, shaping the energy with focus.
After several minutes, sweat beading on my forehead, Kade clapped softly. "Enough for now. You've done well. Your control is improving faster than I anticipated."
I sank to the floor, trembling, chest heaving. "It… it's exhausting," I whispered, still catching my breath. "And… scary. But…" I hesitated, voice trembling with awe. "I can feel it. The power… it's responding to me."
"Exactly," Kade said. "And tomorrow, we push harder. Combat training, energy manipulation, focus under stress. And then… we begin unlocking more of your bloodline. Secrets, abilities, heritage you've never known."
I swallowed, fear and excitement colliding. "Heritage?"
"Yes," Kade said, voice low. "You are more than you realize. The awakening is only the beginning. Your bloodline holds more than energy. Strength, perception, instincts… and abilities you'll need to master to survive the factions hunting you, and to confront the Shadowborne."
I looked at him, chest tight, energy thrumming still, alive and eager. "And… you'll teach me?"
"I'll guide you," Kade said. "But the control, the mastery, it comes from within. You can't borrow it, you can't fake it. You must awaken it. Own it. Become it."
I exhaled slowly, letting the words sink in. Fear still lingered, but determination burned brighter. I had survived the first tests. Fought shadows. Faced a sentinel. Begun to control the energy awakening inside me.
And I was ready for more.
I was no longer just Elara Rhys.
I was rising.
The warehouse had grown darker with the evening, shadows stretching along the walls. Dust motes sparkled faintly in the dim light, but I barely noticed. My focus was on the humming energy coursing through my veins, alive and impatient.
Kade stood across from me, eyes sharp, gaze unwavering. "Today, we combine combat with control. Energy is only as powerful as your precision. Strength without awareness will get you killed."
I nodded, gripping my hands instinctively. The pulse in my chest responded, thrumming faster as anticipation mixed with fear and determination.
"First exercise," he said, raising his hand. "Movement. Shadows will advance in waves. You will dodge, strike, control, and push them back using the energy. Every action is intentional. Every reaction precise."
I took a deep breath, letting the energy respond to my intent. The first shadow lunged, twisting unnaturally, claws aimed for my side. I sidestepped, thrusting my hands forward. A controlled wave of energy flung it backward, sliding along the dusty floor.
"Good," Kade said, voice tight. "Faster. More complex. Your instincts are sharp, but you need timing."
Another shadow emerged, faster, smarter, circling, attacking from a different angle. I ducked, energy spiraling around me like a protective cocoon. My pulse synced with the energy's rhythm, and instinct guided my movements. I struck, energy lashing with precision, sending it stumbling into the wall.
Kade nodded. "Better. Now combine movement with force. Don't just defend, control the battlefield. Predict, respond, dominate."
I inhaled sharply, feeling the pulse in my chest surge. I advanced, weaving through shadows, energy rippling from my fingertips, a living force reacting to my thoughts. Each wave knocked back another adversary. My body burned, exhaustion battling adrenaline, but the thrill of control was intoxicating.
Suddenly, Kade's voice cut sharply. "Stop."
I froze, energy still thrumming. Shadows paused mid-motion.
"Good," he said slowly. "You're learning control faster than I imagined. But there's more. There's always more. Your power isn't just energy. It's legacy. Blood. History. And there's something, someone, watching from beyond the factions. An ancient adversary connected to your bloodline."
I swallowed, chest tightening. "Ancient adversary? Who?"
Kade's eyes darkened, gaze distant. "I can't reveal their identity yet. Not fully. But know this, they've existed long before the factions, long before your parents. They hunt for a purpose that spans centuries. And they'll come for you, Elara. When you're strongest… or when you're weakest."
My pulse quickened. The energy in my veins surged in response, almost sentient, reacting to the warning. Fear threatened to claw its way forward, but I forced it down. Determination rose. Survival. Power. Control.
Kade stepped closer. "Tomorrow, you'll learn to sense their presence. To anticipate. To defend against more than just shadows. To face threats you can't yet see. And one day soon… you will confront them."
I swallowed, energy coiling, pulsing, alive. "And I'll be ready?"
"Yes," he said quietly. "If you keep training. If you keep mastering the pulse. If you keep trusting the power inside you."
I exhaled slowly, feeling the energy settling, but never fully resting. The warehouse felt smaller now, charged, alive with the pulse of the unseen. My body ached, but exhilaration coursed through me.
I had fought shadows. Controlled energy. Begun to command the pulse. And now, I knew, the real challenge was approaching. The unseen adversary, the one older than factions, older than my parents' time… they were coming.
And I would meet them.
Not as a victim. Not as prey.
As Elara Rhys, rising, awakened, and untamed.