Here's Part 1 expanded to 1200 words, ending at "Now it's getting interesting."
Jelo didn't slow down.
Drex was behind him now.
Another fight.
Another win.
Another 100 essence added.
But the feeling inside him hadn't changed.
Not enough.
The academy grounds had grown quieter the deeper he went, but now, as he crossed into an even more restricted section, something else replaced that silence.
Weight.
Not like Drex's controlled pressure.
This was different.
Heavier.
Wild.
Unstable.
Jelo stopped.
Ahead of him, a large circular training zone lay partially damaged—deep cracks running across its surface, scorch marks scattered unevenly. The damage wasn't old. The edges of the cracks still crumbled slightly where they met. The scorch marks hadn't faded to the dull grey that old burns left behind. These were still dark. Still sharp at the edges.
Someone had been fighting here.
Hard.
Recently.
At the center stood a boy.
Tall.
Still.
