While the rest of the group sharpened their skills in their respective disciplines, Marco spent his days in a isolated, high-ceilinged training hall on the outskirts of the district. His mentor was none other than Daniel Marco—the veteran Cloud Guardian who had defended the Luciano crest for over a decade.
Tall, immovable as a mountain, and wearing an unyielding, stern expression, Daniel carried the quiet intensity of someone who had survived countless underworld conflicts. He was a master of his craft, and he had no intention of taking it easy on his successor.
Their daily sessions were brutal. Hours of grueling physical conditioning were followed by high-intensity sparring matches where Daniel held back nothing. Between trades, Daniel instructed Marco on the subtle mechanics of Cloud energy control—teaching him how to expand his power to absorb heavy impacts and diffuse incoming forces rather than just relying on brute strength.
Though Marco had always been a natural brawler, under Daniel's rigorous tutelage, his wild, aggressive fighting style began to sharpen into something far more dangerous: disciplined, calculated force.
During a rare break between endurance sets, as the two stood breathing heavily in the center of the ring, Daniel handed Marco a water bottle.
"You have the raw talent, Marco," Daniel said, his voice deep and gravelly. "But raw talent means nothing if you don't understand your true function in the family. The Cloud stands independent, yes, but it exists to shield the horizon."
Marco leaned against the ropes, wiping sweat from his face as he listened quietly.
"As the Cloud Guardian, you are the family's primary vanguard," Daniel continued, looking him dead in the eye. "When the siege begins, you are the frontline shield. You absorb the first wave, break their momentum, and ensure the rest of your guardians have the room they need to operate. You do not fall, no matter what comes at you."
The veteran's words sank deep into Marco's chest, giving a clear, weightier purpose to the grueling physical toll of their training.
Nodding, Marco pushed himself off the ropes, hitting his wraps together with a dull thud. "Then let's run it again. I'm not stopping until I can take everything you've got."
A brief, subtle nod was all the approval Daniel gave before raising his guard once more. With the raid on the Diablero compound fast approaching, Marco threw himself into the remaining drills with relentless drive, determined to stand as an unbreakable wall for Alex and the Luciano family.