Jason stepped into the training center early, long before the others drifted in. The place felt different without Blaze in the lineup. Normally Blaze would already be warming up, tossing jokes around, sparring with weights like they were toys. Now the gym sounded empty. Too empty.
Jason kept replaying last night's call in his mind. The investor had been calm and confident, the kind of tone that sounded like opportunity but smelled like trouble.
"We want Blaze leading the program. Not assisting. Not observing. Leading. If he's not ready physically, we'll hold off launching until he is."
That one sentence hadn't left his head.
Jason rubbed his temple. He hated this already.
Footsteps echoed behind him. Ryker, Maya and Felix walked in, still half-asleep, but their chitchat died the moment they noticed Jason's expression.
"What's with the face?" Felix asked.
Jason took a breath. "We need to talk before Blaze gets here."
