The moment Kael returned to the shadow realm, the silence hit him like a wall. The void was endless and empty, save for the faint swirl of mist and the black stone platform beneath his feet. The chill bit at his skin, though there was no wind—only the sensation of being watched, judged.
He knew what came next.
Three training dummies formed ahead of him, slowly rising from the shadows like statues built from living smoke. This time, they didn't wait for him.
The first dummy launched forward, fist already cocked. Kael dodged—barely—feeling the rush of air as the strike passed his cheek. The second came in low. He jumped back, but the third caught him in the side, sending him skidding across the platform.
"Nathan, a little help?" Kael groaned, dragging himself up to one knee.
[Analysis: Hesitation. Fear. Inefficient use of energy.]
Nathan's voice echoed around him, emotionless but firm.
Kael spat blood. "Yeah, thanks for the commentary."
[Engage fully. You are not weak. Your power simply requires understanding.]
Kael closed his eyes. He thought back to the lesson. The flicker of flame in his palm. The warmth, the pulse, the echo. Not fire as others knew it—but something deeper. A whisper of power that did not belong to him, yet somehow answered him.
He reached inward—not for energy, but for memory.
The heat.
The pressure.
The feeling.
It bloomed again. Small, but real.
"Come on…" he muttered, forcing the ember to stay in his palm.
[Your version of fire is an echo,] Nathan said, softer now. [It is not yours. It is the Nether's mimic. To control it, you must feel it. Shape it. Become the vessel, not the master.]
Kael gritted his teeth.
The ember grew.
The next dummy charged.
Kael moved—fluid this time. He ducked under its swing, slammed his palm against its chest, and the ember burst outward in a small flame. The dummy recoiled, flickering into smoke.
The second came fast.
Kael stepped forward, used the momentum to launch a flame-enhanced punch—his fist crackled with heat, the contact flaring into a spark that sent the dummy flying.
The third came last. Kael leapt, turning mid-air, landing a burning kick that finished it.
Silence.
Then—
[Sync Update: Fire Affinity – 80%]
Kael stood, panting, hands trembling with residual energy. His knuckles were scorched, his chest sore from earlier blows, but he was still standing.
More than that—
He was learning.
The mist thickened again, resetting the room.
But this time, Kael smiled.
He was far from done.