"Your control is slipping!" Calder barked.

  An hour had passed. The fire in my chest hadn't faded, it had grown worse.

  At first, feeling the energy swirl inside me had been thrilling. Like discovering a new muscle I'd never known existed.

  Now it fought me.

  I clenched my fists and tried to pull it inward. The sensation thickened, pressing against invisible walls, resisting every attempt to compress it. A sharp pain flared down my arm. I gasped, teeth grinding as something inside screamed in protest.

  I didn't know if it was tendon, bone, or vein.

  I just knew it hurt.

  The impact of fists echoed across the room. Masayori and Shen Wei sparred on the matted arena, their movements clean and fluid, every strike snapping through the air with practiced precision. Each footfall vibrated through the floor. Each impact dragged at my attention like a hook.

  I tried to activate Discerning Eye.

  The energy slipped.

  My vision tilted. The world lurched sideways, and my balance vanished.

  "Focus!"

  Calder's hand struck my temple.

  Light exploded behind my eyes. My knees buckled, and I barely caught myself before hitting the floor.

  That hurt.

  That really hurt.

  "Was that really necessary?" I snapped, my voice tighter than I meant it to be.

  Calder flexed his fingers, rubbing his left hand as if he were the one injured. "You were no longer training," he said calmly. "You were spectating."

  "Yelling would've worked just fine."

  He studied me for a moment, eyes narrowing slightly. Then he nodded once.

  "Noted."

  The word settled heavy in my gut. It was not an apology. It was more akin to a warning.

  Button had been quiet. Too quiet.

  Normally she'd be buzzing around, poking at things, asking questions, actively ruining my concentration. The silence made my chest tighten.

  "Hey… have you seen—"

  "Button is elsewhere," Calder interrupted. His tone left no room for follow-up. "She is capable of reinforcement. You are not."

  The words landed cleanly. No anger or insult evident in his voice.

  Just the cold, hard, truth.

  I flinched anyway.

  "As long as she remains within Genesis territory, she will be unharmed," he continued. "You, however, need to focus. In real combat, enemies will not pause while you struggle. The imp you faced was generous. Servants of Pride rarely are."

  …I know.

  Frustration burned hotter than the energy in my chest. My arm throbbed. My head pounded. I sat there, breathing through clenched teeth, wondering what I was missing.

  At some point, I stopped forcing it.

  What was the point?

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  My thoughts drifted, unbidden.

  Mom's probably worried sick.

  The idea twisted something inside me, guilt, or maybe fear. I shoved it down.

  Pain detonated in my arm.

  White-hot. Molten. Like my limb was being dissolved from the inside out.

  I cried out, collapsing forward as the energy surged out of control again.

  Ten minutes passed before the pain finally receded.

  Shen Wei stepped away from Masayori mid-spar, earning a sharp glare from her as he approached me. He knelt, placing a steady hand on my shoulder.

  "You're thinking too hard," he said gently. "Stop trying to command it. Let it move."

  I swallowed and nodded.

  Deep breath in.

  Deep breath out.

  I loosened my shoulders. Relaxed my grip. Let the tension drain.

  The warmth returned, not burning this time. Soft. Supportive. Like a hand bracing my arm from the inside.

  "Oh."

  Shen Wei smiled. "There it is."

  Energy settled into my arm, reinforcing it, stabilizing it.

  "Congratulations," he said. "You've successfully reinforced a limb."

  I shouted before I could stop myself.

  "Yes!"

  The sound echoed off the walls. I laughed, chest light, exhilaration flooding through me. I hadn't felt this accomplished since barely scraping through Pre-Calc.

  "Impressive," Calder said. "Given your current state."

  Just let me have this.

  "Now," Calder continued, merciless as ever, "you will learn to reinforce your entire body simultaneously."

  I wasn't sure if he was a teacher…

  …or a demon.

  The city pulsed with neon light. Streets glowed like veins, smoke curling lazily from alley mouths. High above it all, a fortress loomed atop a small mountain, its silhouette sharp against the sky.

  Always watching.

  Four winged daemons huddled in a narrow alley, eyes fixed on a lone figure moving toward the hill.

  "Ay, boss," one whispered. "Easy pickings."

  "Yeah," another snickered. "Guy's walking alone."

  The larger daemon — bat-headed, broad-shouldered, leaned forward to get a better look.

  Then he froze.

  "You idiots," he hissed, yanking the smaller three back by their collars. "Do you have any idea who that is?"

  "…No?"

  "That's Pride."

  Color drained from their faces. Their wings trembled.

  A presence pressed down on the alley.

  "You have good insight," a calm voice said from behind them. "For a mere greater daemon."

  Six wings unfurled in a blur.

  The daemons spun, hearts pounding, to find the figure standing where none had been a heartbeat ago.

  "You have intrigued me," Lucifer said mildly. "How would you like a gift?"

  The smaller daemons nodded frantically, words failing them.

  Lucifer stepped closer. His footsteps made no sound, yet the shadows bent around him. "You must perform a task first," he said. "I am occupied with vermin. You will deal with them."

  He paced slowly, circling them.

  "My agents have acquired information. My enemies possess an artifact — a ring. Retrieve it, and you will surely be respected, and feared."

  The larger daemon swallowed hard.

  "Your names will not be spoken lightly again. You will be the ones others kneel to."

  Lucifer snapped his fingers.

  A scroll appeared midair, drifting toward them as if alive.

  "Well?"

  The four daemons shivered as they looked to one another for solace.

  "I am investing in your potential."

  His gaze sharpened.

  "Fail... and I will divest."

  The parchment reeked of sulfur. The ink writhed like living veins.

  The three smaller daemons looked toward their leader.

  Lucifer tilted his head slightly.

  "Your talents are wasted here"

  They signed.

  The moment the last name was written, the alley grew colder.

  "Excellent."

  "Yes!"

  Energy surged through my body — warm, exhilarating, intoxicating.

  I'd done it.

  Every limb reinforced. Every movement lighter, sharper, stronger. My thoughts felt clear in a way they never had before.

  Laughing, I threw a punch.

  Air screamed.

  Something popped.

  "—Argh!"

  My arm twisted at an unnatural angle with a wet pop, pain detonating up to my shoulder.

  I collapsed, clutching it for dear life.

  Why.

  Calder sighed.

  "You celebrated prematurely," he said flatly. "Your reinforcement collapsed."

  …I see.

  Masayori laughed, unabashed. Shen Wei smiled sympathetically.

  "I remember when you first—"

  "Shut it."

  I laughed despite myself.

  "Since training is concluded," Calder said, "you two will escort our recruit to the medical ward."

  "Yes, sir."

  As we left, Calder turned away.

  "I will report to Master Mastema," he said.

  I didn't believe him for a second.

  He stepped into the shadow of the hall, but when I looked, he simply wasn't there anymore.

  We hadn't been gone long when—

  "HEY!"

  Button zipped toward us, grinning.

  "This place is amazing—"

  A thunderous crash echoed through the compound.

  "…We have company," Masayori said.

  Her tone made my blood run cold.

  Shen Wei's smile vanished. "Everyone prepare for combat."

  Masayori flicked a talisman forward. It folded once, twice, then twisted violently before bursting into the form of a paper cat.

  We sprinted toward the balcony.

  Below, three winged monsters stood amid the shattered entrance, wings twitching erratically, eyes glowing brightly. Unnaturally so.

  "Lookit that," one sneered. "Kids."

  "Think they'll stop us?"

  "Nah. Not with the power we got."

  Elsewhere in the compound, Calder faced a bat-headed daemon.

  "Who are you," Calder asked calmly, "and how did you breach Genesis territory?"

  "I'd worry less about that," the daemon grinned, "and more about yourself."

  Calder glanced toward Squad Four's sector.

  The daemon lunged.

  Calder stepped aside, the claws missing him by inches.

  "I suppose," Calder sighed, "I can spare some time to entertain our guests."