The silence in the underground chamber was suffocating. The entity had vanished, leaving only the weight of its words behind.
"When the time comes, will you rise... or will you break?"
Bolt clenched his fists, still feeling the phantom grip around his throat. His mind raced—who or what was that shadow? And why did it seem to know exactly what he was?
Aether broke the silence first. "We need to get out of here. Now."
Akane, however, kept her eyes locked on Bolt. "That thing… it wasn't just testing you. It was judging you."
Bolt exhaled sharply. "Then I'll make sure next time, I pass."
But deep down, a part of him wondered…
Would there be a next time?
The following day, the entire academy seemed on edge.
Rumors of what had happened in the underground chamber had somehow spread, though none of them got the full truth. Some said Bolt had faced a legendary opponent. Others whispered about an uncontrollable power awakening within him.
Either way, Bolt had officially gained the attention of every faction.
Dante Kain of Obsidian Claw approached him first.
"You've been playing by your own rules for too long, Bolt," he said, his piercing gaze unwavering. "The factions won't let you stay neutral forever."
"I'm not looking to join anyone," Bolt replied coolly.
Dante smirked. "That's the problem. You're either an ally or a threat. You should choose wisely… before someone chooses for you."
With that, he walked away, leaving an unspoken warning hanging in the air.
Aether shook his head. "They're tightening the noose. We need a plan before we end up surrounded."
Akane sighed. "Then we better act fast."
Later that evening, as Bolt sat alone in the Celestial Tempest base, a familiar voice echoed through the room.
"You look troubled."
Bolt turned to see Valeon standing in the shadows, arms crossed.
"You again," Bolt muttered.
Valeon smirked. "I told you—our lessons aren't over yet."
Bolt stood, frustration bubbling to the surface. "Then tell me—what the hell was that thing I fought last night?"
Valeon's expression darkened. "A remnant of an older war. A force tied to the Warborn… and to the conflict that is yet to come."
Bolt narrowed his eyes. "And you knew about it?"
"I suspected," Valeon admitted. "But knowing and confirming are two different things."
Bolt exhaled sharply. "So what now? Am I just supposed to wait for something else to try and kill me?"
Valeon chuckled. "You're not going to wait. You're going to train."
Valeon led Bolt to a hidden training ground—a massive open field surrounded by swirling energy.
"This place is special," Valeon explained. "It's where Warborn train their elemental mastery. Right now, you have raw power—but you lack precision. That's what we'll fix today."
Bolt nodded. "Fine. What do I do?"
Valeon extended a hand, and suddenly—the entire field shifted.
Flames roared to life.
Winds howled through the air.
The earth trembled beneath Bolt's feet.
Valeon's voice echoed through the storm.
"Control them. Or be consumed by them."
Bolt barely had time to react as the first wave struck.
A pillar of fire surged toward him, its heat intense enough to melt stone.
Bolt reached out, instinctively commanding the flames to part.
At first, they resisted.
Then, suddenly—they obeyed.
The fire twisted in mid-air, reshaping into a controlled spiral around him.
Bolt's eyes widened. He could feel it—the connection.
But before he could celebrate, the ground beneath him exploded upward.
Earth.
Bolt reacted faster this time, slamming his foot down.
The rising debris froze in place, solidifying into a shield of stone.
Then came the winds.
Aetherial currents spun around him in a chaotic dance, threatening to throw him into the sky.
But Bolt flowed with them, shaping the winds to his will—redirecting their force into a focused burst.
Valeon watched from a distance, nodding in approval.
"He's learning faster than expected," he muttered to himself.
But then—the shadows came.
And everything changed.
The moment the darkness surged forward, Bolt felt a familiar chill.
It was the same energy that had gripped him in the underground chamber.
The same presence that had spoken to him.
"You are progressing… but not yet ready."
Bolt gritted his teeth. "Screw that."
He reached out, trying to command the shadows like he had the other elements—
But they refused.
Instead, they fought back.
A crushing force wrapped around his body, dragging him into the abyss.
For a moment, he wasn't in the training ground anymore.
He was somewhere else.
A void. A place of endless black.
And in front of him…
The same silhouette with glowing red eyes.
"You still don't understand, do you?" the voice rumbled.
Bolt struggled against the weight pressing down on him. "What the hell do you want from me?!"
The figure stepped closer, its form shifting like a living shadow.
"I do not want—I warn."
Bolt growled. "Warn me about what?"
The figure didn't answer. Instead, it raised a hand.
And suddenly—Bolt saw it.
A vision.
A battlefield engulfed in chaos.
Factions torn apart.
The academy in flames.
And in the center of it all—
Himself.
But… not as he was now.
This version of Bolt was different.
Stronger.
Colder.
And terrifyingly powerful.
A being standing atop a mountain of destruction, his eyes burning with elemental fury.
"If you do not master your power—" the voice whispered.
"—It will master you."
Bolt gasped, stumbling back into reality.
He was back in the training ground, Valeon standing over him.
"You saw something," Valeon said, his tone unreadable.
Bolt's breath was heavy. "I… don't know what I saw."
Valeon's expression was grim. "Then you need to find out. Fast."
Aether and Akane arrived just in time to see Bolt struggling to his feet.
"What happened?" Aether asked.
Bolt hesitated before answering.
But deep down, he already knew the truth.
Whatever that shadow was—
Whatever power was growing inside him—
It wasn't just a gift.
It was a curse.
And if he didn't master it soon…
It would consume him.