The dawn came cruelly again. Bolt's body was broken, yet he stood in the courtyard before the sun crested the horizon. His legs wobbled beneath him, his shoulder still swollen, ribs taped in rough cloth, but his eyes burned. Raizen stood waiting, arms folded, iron skin gleaming faintly in the pale morning light. The other seniors circled like predators, their gazes sharp, ready to strike him down the moment he faltered.
"You came," Raizen said simply.
Bolt's lips twisted into a faint smirk, though blood still clung to his mouth. "Told you I would."
No more words. The training began with violence.
The first blow sent him reeling across the courtyard, sparks scattering from his body as his back hit the dirt. Bolt spat crimson into the ground, rolled, and forced himself upright before the second strike landed. The seniors weren't holding back—they hammered him with crushing kicks, bone-rattling slams, palms coated in aura so heavy it cracked the stone beneath them. Every strike was meant to kill, and every time he fell, they demanded he rise again.
Bolt's body was failing. His muscles trembled, vision blurred, his breath came in ragged bursts. But somewhere in the chaos, in the blur of pain and strikes, something inside him began to shift. Lightning flickered erratically across his body, but instead of vanishing, droplets of condensation began forming along his arms. Thin layers of frost laced his fists as water vapor condensed, drawn to his unstable energy.
The seniors noticed.
"Again," Raizen barked.
Bolt slammed his fists together. Sparks and frost clashed violently, ripping through his veins like fire and knives at once. He screamed, falling to one knee as blood dripped from his nose, but he refused to let go. His arms shook, frost crawling over his knuckles, arcs of lightning leaping between shards of ice. For a fleeting instant, water and lightning merged—the sparks ran fluid, the ice hummed with current. He staggered forward and swung, striking one of the seniors in the chest.
The impact detonated in a flash of crackling frost, shards of ice exploding outward as arcs of lightning danced between them. The man grunted, sliding back half a step, frostburn scarring his iron skin.
The courtyard went silent.
Bolt collapsed, gasping, his body convulsing from the backlash. He couldn't move his left arm, couldn't feel his legs. The frost melted into puddles beneath him, steam rising as the lightning sputtered out. But even broken, his eyes glowed faintly, burning with stubborn fire.
Raizen's gaze hardened. "Not enough. Again."
The seniors dragged him up and struck him down over and over. His body was a canvas of bruises and blood, but his spirit refused to die. And every time, just for a second longer than before, lightning and ice held together.
From the edges of the courtyard, Celestial Tempest watched. Akane's fists were clenched so tightly her nails dug into her palms, blood dripping between her fingers. Valea whispered curses under her breath, every word sharper than a knife. Aether's usually calm face twisted with anger, while Damian's jaw trembled, his voice low. "They'll kill him if this keeps up…"
But no one moved. They knew why. This was Bolt's battle alone. To stop it would dishonor his resolve.
Bolt's body finally collapsed completely. He lay sprawled on the dirt, chest heaving, barely able to lift his head. One of the seniors sneered, turning away. "He's finished."
But Raizen didn't move. His gaze bore down like an iron weight. "Get up."
Bolt coughed violently, blood spraying from his lips, but his hand clawed at the ground. He pushed, shaking, his arms buckling beneath him. His whole body screamed to stay down, to rest, to give up. But his heart roared louder. His voice was a rasp, broken, but defiant.
"I… told you… I'd protect them…"
The seniors froze. His words weren't loud, but they cut deeper than any strike.
Slowly, Bolt rose again. His body swayed, blood dripping freely, but he stood. Lightning sparked faintly around him, weak but alive. Frost crawled across his shoulders, water condensing around his fists. His body was broken, but his will was unshaken.
Raizen's lips curled into the faintest smirk. He stepped forward, his aura flaring, heavier than a storm. "Then prove it."
Bolt roared, charging forward with everything left inside him. Lightning and frost surged wildly, unstable, tearing at his flesh, but he forced them to hold together. His fist crashed into Raizen's iron chest, detonating in a violent burst of sparks and ice. The explosion shattered the ground beneath them, a blinding flash of storm and frost.
Bolt collapsed immediately after, his body finally giving out, lying motionless on the cracked earth. Silence hung heavy in the courtyard.
Raizen looked down at the broken boy, frost clinging faintly to his iron arm. For the first time, his voice softened, just slightly. "Good."
The seniors turned and left, leaving Bolt sprawled on the dirt. Celestial Tempest rushed forward. Akane dropped to her knees, cradling his bloodied face in her hands. "You idiot… you stubborn, stupid idiot…" Her voice broke, but tears refused to fall. She wouldn't let him see her cry.
Bolt's lips curved faintly into a bloody grin. His voice was barely a whisper. "…Didn't… fall…"
"You nearly died!" Valea snapped, her voice trembling with fury and fear. "You're insane, Bolt! This isn't training—it's torture!"
But even through their anger, even through their pain, admiration burned in their eyes. They had seen him broken, beaten, nearly killed, and still stand. He had taken every strike, endured every wound, for them. For the vow he had made.
That night, while Bolt lay bandaged and broken in the infirmary, his team remained at his side. The academy was still half in ruins, their enemies still looming, but something had changed. Celestial Tempest wasn't just a faction anymore. They were bound by something deeper—Bolt's resolve had ignited theirs.
And in the darkness of that night, though his body was too broken to move, Bolt could feel it. The hum of harmony inside him. Lightning and frost no longer fought so violently. Water's flow tempered lightning's fury. Ice's stillness steadied fire's rage. It wasn't perfect, not yet, but it was the first step toward wielding them all.
For the first time, Bolt truly believed.
Not just in his power. But in theirs.