Kaela's eyes darted to the shimmering aura swelling behind Liam. It wasn't the Kairos Crystal—no, this was different. Raw, unrefined, and yet… beautiful. The energy danced like wisps of flame caught in a storm, tinged in silver and deep blue, pulsing with his heartbeat. Aether, but deeper. Wilder.
Liam stood still, breathing hard, unaware of the phenomenon until he glanced at Kaela's shocked expression.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
Kaela's voice was hushed. "Behind you. That power… it's like it's answering to you."
Liam turned slightly, sensing it now—like a second heartbeat roaring behind his spine. His eyes narrowed, and with a breath, he moved.
He vanished from her view for a split second.
Kaela barely had time to react before he reappeared, elbow dropping down from above. She blocked, gritting her teeth as the floor cracked under her feet. She flipped backward, landing hard, her boots scraping wood.
"That speed—!" she gasped.
Liam didn't wait. His new-found power amplified his movements in sudden bursts, allowing him to move unpredictably and with brutal precision. It wasn't consistent, not yet. But when it activated, it was overwhelming.
He dashed again, a blur, and Kaela met him with her own resolve. Their strikes collided with force enough to rattle the dojo walls.
"You're seriously trying to break me in half?!" Kaela shouted mid-block.
"You asked for this!" Liam replied.
Kaela barely had time to react before Liam was on her again.
He lunged forward—his movements blurring for an instant—as if something inside him had unshackled. His strikes weren't just faster; they felt heavier, more deliberate, like each blow carried something deeper than mere strength.
Kaela blocked one, then two—but the third slammed into her side with a force that knocked the air out of her lungs.
"Guh—!" She staggered.
Liam didn't let up. He closed the distance again and delivered a series of rapid blows—each more ruthless than the last. Kaela tried to counter, but Liam was faster, adapting mid-motion, weaving through her defenses with uncanny precision.
She reeled as a roundhouse kick landed squarely across her shoulder, sending her crashing into the dojo wall.
Dreck's eyes narrowed slightly, but he made no move to interfere.
Kaela groaned and pushed herself up, wincing. Her lip was bleeding, and a dull ache throbbed across her ribs. "Okay… I'll admit that one hurt."
Liam stood in the center of the dojo, chest heaving, the faint shimmer of his aura now clearly visible. But it wasn't bright or showy. It was eerie—subtle waves that rippled through the air like distortions in glass. It was raw and unrefined, driven by something more emotional than technique.
Kaela coughed. "So that's it, huh? That's the part of you that scared the whole school..."
Liam's eyes flickered, and for a moment, something shadowy danced behind them—rage? Sorrow? Resolve?
"I'm not going to lose," he said simply.
Kaela steadied her stance. Her body was hurting. Every instinct told her to slow down, catch her breath. But another feeling rose deeper within—one she hadn't expected.
Frustration.
Not at Liam. At herself. At the gap between them.
Why is he suddenly this strong? How did he leave me behind?
"I'm not going to lose either," she hissed.
Then it happened.
She leapt backward, panting. "Fine then. I won't lose either."
Her frustration burned. Her pride refused to be outdone.
Something inside her snapped—and then bloomed.
A wind burst outward from her body as a golden-orange light erupted from her form, swirling upward like a rising sun. Her limbs trembled, then steadied, wrapped in radiant energy. Her aura wasn't Liam's stormy surge—it was blazing, precise. Noble.
Her pupils tightened as the light settled into her form, cloaking her in a shimmering veil. It roared with promise. The dojo grew warmer.
Liam stepped back instinctively. "What… what is that?"
Kaela grinned through sweat. "I guess you're not the only one. Looks like I've got one too…"
her power, born from sheer will not to lose, surged around her in controlled pulses.
They stood for a moment, both in awe of what had awakened within them.
Then they moved.
The clash was unlike anything before. Aether clashed and sang in the air. Sparks flew with every strike, creating bright streaks through the dojo. Every punch now carried weight. Every dodge was life-saving.
"You're not holding back anymore!" Liam shouted as he ducked a blazing roundhouse kick.
"You started it!" Kaela yelled, her fist igniting as it shot forward.
They talked even as they fought, their breathless banter cutting through the chaos.
"Your power's flashy," Liam teased.
"Yours is unstable," she fired back, sweeping his legs.
He rolled and came back up with a spinning elbow—Kaela blocked, but it sent her skidding.
"You keep getting better," she muttered.
Liam gave a small smile. "You're keeping up."
Their strikes grew wilder, faster, more desperate. They both knew it—this power wasn't permanent. It came in flashes. In moments. It was only 1% of what could be.
But it was enough to push them beyond limits.
The dojo was filled with the roar of their clashing auras, the crack of wood, and the gasps of effort. Dreck watched quietly from the corner, a ghost of a grin on his lips.
Then came the final moment.
Kaela jumped, spinning in the air, her leg surrounded in flame. "Solstice Nova Kick!"
Liam's fists clenched, his aura flaring wildly. "Eclipsing Burst Drive!"
They collided mid-air with everything they had. Light swallowed the dojo for a heartbeat.
Silence followed.
Both of them crashed to the floor—exhausted, panting, unconscious. The glow around them flickered out like dying embers.
Night had fallen.
Dreck stood slowly, walking toward them.
He stared down at the two young warriors who had unknowingly taken their first true steps into a world far deeper than they understood.
His eyes narrowed.
"So… they've both awakened it…
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