Steam rolled over the quiet waters of the hot springs, curling into the night air in soft tendrils. Moonlight filtered through the canopy above, painting silver lines over the surface.
The only sounds were the occasional shift of water and the heavy breathing of several exhausted trainees.
No one spoke.
On both sides< boys and girls alike. The fatigue from today’s brutal training weighed on them like lead. Most had bruises forming under the surface, muscles aching, minds still reeling.
Zane sat with his arms stretched along the stone ledge behind him, eyes half-lidded. Lysander floated on his back, eyes closed, muttering something about seeing his ancestors. Caleb had one arm slung over his face, trying to melt into the water. Jian was crouched in the shallow part, head bowed, not moving at all.
Even Oliver, freshly back with the group after weeks in the workshop, looked like he’d been hit by a truck. His hair clung to his face, and his glasses were fogged. He wasn’t even trying to clean them.
Then the door slid open.
Carter strolled in, towel wrapped loosely around his waist, a lazy grin on his face.
“Yo.”
No one answered.
He blinked, then looked around. “Damn, what happened here? Y’all look like you walked out of a warzone.”
Zane lifted a single finger. “Akane.”
“Finn,” Caleb muttered, barely above a whisper.
“Oh,” Carter said, realization dawning. “Right. Instructor reshuffling.”
He stepped into the water with a satisfied sigh and took a spot at the edge of the spring.
“Wait—” Lysander cracked an eye open. “You didn’t get assigned to anyone, did you?”
Carter shrugged. “I’ve been at Fort Goliath. Portal duty for Aiden and Elijah.”
“And you got out of instructor training?”
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
“Yep.”
Zane blinked, then slowly pointed a finger at him. “Get him.”
Before Carter could react, Caleb lunged forward and dragged him halfway underwater. Jian grabbed his other arm, and Zane joined from the side. Even Oliver lifted a hand to help, his energy slowly returning.
“Unhand me, you salty bastards—!” Carter cried, laughing between the shouts.
Lysander cracked up, floating toward them. “This is what you get for skipping class, you teleporting punk.”
The boys wrestled, shoved, and splashed water in every direction, the silence finally broken. Laughter echoed through the trees, chased by the bubbling heat of the springs.
But Rei wasn’t part of it.
He sat at the far end of the spring, shoulders underwater, golden-yellow eyes dulled by exhaustion. The warmth barely helped. The laughter didn’t reach him.
After a while, he quietly stood and stepped out, grabbing his towel.
Lysander noticed. “Yo, Rei—”
“I’m good,” Rei muttered, barely audible, and left.
---
Instructor Briefing Room – Late Night
Raphael stood at the head of the room, flipping through a folder as the rest of the instructors gathered once again. Unlike before, the mood was heavier—more serious.
Haruto sat with his arms crossed, watching Raphael.
He waited a beat before asking, “I’ve been meaning to ask this.”
Raphael glanced up.
“Why Rei?”
The others turned their attention.
“You’re personally training him. Could’ve passed him to one of us. Yet you didn’t.”
Raphael paused. Closed the folder. Set it down.
“I could have,” he admitted. “And he would’ve grown. Learned. Maybe even progressed as fast as the others.”
Haruto raised a brow. “Then why didn’t you?”
Raphael leaned forward, fingers interlaced on the table.
“Because he’s not just dealing with external obstacles. Rei’s facing something different. Something harder to teach around.”
Akane tilted her head. “Which is?”
“Imposter syndrome,” Raphael said, voice low and direct. “He doesn’t believe he belongs here. He doesn’t think he’s enough. Every step forward, he second guesses. Every improvement, he wonders if it’s luck. And every failure becomes a sign that he shouldn’t even be standing with the rest of them.”
Haruto looked unconvinced. “You think that’s something training alone can fix?”
“No,” Raphael said simply. “Which is why I’m not just training him.”
He looked them all in the eye.
“I’m breaking him.”
The room went silent.
Lena frowned. “That’s not exactly gentle.”
“It’s not supposed to be,” Raphael said. “But it’s not cruelty either. Rei’s not weak. But he’s trapped by his own mind. I’m going to shatter that wall, then help him rebuild.”
“Break and rebuild,” Kael muttered, nodding. “Classic.”
“I believe in him,” Raphael added quietly. “He just doesn’t believe in himself yet.”
---
Training Room – Midnight
Sweat dripped from Rei’s chin, pooling on the cold training room floor.
His shirt clung to his back, soaked. His wooden sword trembled in his hands.
Across from him, the robotic dummy whirred to life again, its motions smooth and brutal.
Rei lunged. Parried. Countered.
Too slow.
A strike clipped his side, and he staggered. His breathing hitched, ragged and unsteady.
His thoughts were louder than the room.
Zane’s growing stronger. Lysander’s getting sharper. Tessa’s finding her style. Oliver just built a railgun.
Everyone’s moving forward.
What about you?
What have you done?
Rei growled and forced himself forward again, narrowly avoiding another strike.
His grip tightened. His muscles screamed.
He couldn’t stop.
Not now.
The dummy advanced again. He misread the stance. A sharp blow hit his ribs, knocking him off his feet.
He hit the ground hard, the breath knocked from his lungs.
He didn’t get up.
Not immediately.
He stared at the ceiling, sweat burning his eyes.
It won’t happen again.
He pushed himself up, staggering to his feet, blade in hand.
I won’t fail.
The dummy charged.
He blocked. Countered. His stance was off. His knees shook.
He kept fighting.
Over and over again.
Until his body gave out and the room finally fell quiet.
Rei sank to his knees, drenched in sweat, his arms limp at his sides.
His voice was hoarse. Broken. Barely above a whisper.
“It won’t happen again. I won’t fail. Not now. Not again.”
[End of Chapter]
