Morning — Back to Basics
The training grounds were alive again.
Steel platforms. Dust in the air. The sound of impact.
Sebastian stood with his arms crossed as the team lined up.
"Strength. Speed. Endurance. No abilities."
Vincent smirked slightly.
Julia cracked her knuckles.
Asher stood silently.
"Begin."
They moved.
Strength drills — weighted combat strikes against reinforced pillars.
Speed drills — reaction tests against moving targets.
Endurance — continuous sprint cycles under gravity suppression.
Sweat poured. Muscles trembled.
Vincent finished first in strength.
Julia dominated reaction speed.
But endurance—
Asher didn't stop.
Even when his breathing grew heavy.
Even when his legs shook.
Sebastian watched carefully.
"He's pushing himself harder."
Vale, standing nearby with a tablet, answered quietly:
"He's trying to atone."
A Quiet Moment
Later, after training ended, Asher sat alone near the outer platform.
He stared at the sky.
Vale approached quietly.
"You've improved."
Asher didn't look at him.
"I wasn't good enough."
Vale sat beside him.
"That's not what I meant."
Silence.
Vale continued:
"You took responsibility. You trained harder. You faced it."
Asher finally turned toward him.
Vale smiled gently.
"I'm proud of you, Asher."
The words hit differently.
Not like Sebastian's lessons.
Not like Vincent's rivalry.
This was warmth.
Asher blinked slightly.
"…Proud?"
Vale nodded.
"Yes."
For a moment, Asher didn't know what to say.
Then Vale leaned forward and pulled him into a hug.
It wasn't dramatic.
It wasn't intense.
It was simple.
And real.
Asher slowly returned it.
For the first time in a long while—
He didn't feel alone.
Special Session
Night.
The underground training chamber.
Reinforced walls. Sealed exits.
Sebastian stood at the center.
"Asher."
Asher stepped forward.
"This session is different."
The steel doors behind him shut with a heavy sound.
Locks engaged.
Asher turned slightly.
Sebastian's eyes were calm.
"You need control under isolation."
The room activated.
Gravity increased.
Air pressure shifted.
The chamber was designed to contain destructive output.
"Use Pressure Core," Sebastian ordered.
Asher raised his hand.
The air trembled.
He compressed it.
Small.
Dense.
Controlled.
"More."
Sebastian's voice echoed.
Asher increased output.
The vibration intensified.
The gravity system strained.
"Maintain stability."
But something shifted.
A memory.
His mother screaming.
His father collapsing.
Blood.
The pressure wavered.
The Core destabilized.
"Asher," Sebastian warned.
The energy expanded violently.
Walls cracked.
The floor split.
Air imploded then exploded outward.
Asher gasped.
He tried to compress it again—
But emotion flooded in.
Guilt.
Fear.
Rage.
The Core shattered into uncontrolled force.
The chamber shook violently.
Metal screamed.
Sebastian moved instantly.
He stepped forward and released his own suppression field.
The entire room froze under invisible force.
"Asher!"
The energy collapsed.
Silence.
Dust filled the air.
Asher stood there—
Breathing heavily.
Eyes unfocused.
Then—
He collapsed.
Sebastian caught him before he hit the ground.
The chamber was half-destroyed.
Sebastian looked down at him.
"He's not ready."
But in his eyes—
There was concern.
Not disappointment.
Elsewhere
Far from WHU.
Night wind moved through ruined structures.
Freya stood on one knee.
Her blue hair swayed in the cold air.
Before her stood a shadow.
Only a silhouette.
Unclear.
Unmoving.
"My Lord," Freya said quietly.
"I observed him."
Silence.
Then a voice.
Calm.
Deep.
Cold.
"Asher Ashborne…"
Freya lowered her head further.
"He's evolving faster than expected."
A pause.
Then the voice continued:
"Bring me Asher Ashborne."
Freya's eyes flickered.
"And Vale Ashborne."
The air grew heavier.
Freya pressed her hand to her chest.
"Yes… my Lord."
The shadow did not move.
But the atmosphere shifted.
Like something vast had just focused its gaze.
Far away—
Asher lay unconscious.
Unaware.
That he had just been chosen.