Kiyoshi slowly stirred to consciousness, his head pounding as if he had been thrown down a never-ending staircase. As he opened his eyes, he immediately noticed the stark absence of an exit in the small enclosure he found himself trapped in. He tried to remember how he got here, but all he could recall was a deep slumber and a sense of unease. It was then that it dawned on him - Ms. Stoneheart must have somehow captured him while he slept. Desperate to escape, Kiyoshi pressed his palm against the icy bars surrounding him and pushed with all his might, but they refused to budge. Frustrated, he muttered to himself about the futility of his efforts. Suddenly, a plump woman emerged from the shadows, her laughter echoing through the air as she watched Kiyoshi's failed attempts at freedom. Anger ignited within Kiyoshi as more children appeared and began hurling cruel insults at him, calling him a devil child. He retorted back defiantly, daring them to imagine how they would feel if they were in his place. His words struck fear into their hearts and they quickly dispersed, leaving him alone with his thoughts. "Predictable," Kiyoshi scoffed, his narrowed eyes resembling those of a tiger preparing to pounce. He retreated to the center of the cage, determined to find a way out. But every attempt proved futile - striking the metal bars with his fists only resulted in burning pain shooting through his hand. Ms. Stoneheart watched from her comfortable rocking chair as Kiyoshi struggled, finding great amusement in his predicament. The other children questioned if he would ever escape, but Ms. Stoneheart confidently declared that he never would. Days turned into weeks and still, Kiyoshi remained imprisoned. The bars continued to radiate heat that not even the harshest rain could extinguish. Until one day, Kiyoshi noticed a purple glow emanating from his right fist. With a powerful strike, he shattered the bars and broke through the tinted glass box surrounding him. Overjoyed with his newfound freedom, Kiyoshi somersaulted across the yard before sprinting towards the house, only to find it abandoned. Even the dojo across the street had vanished. Confusion and frustration consumed him as he searched for any sign of life, but found none. Suddenly, he remembered a room in the basement where he had stashed some of his belongings last summer. Among them was a note mentioning something about Zogohr Academy's boat leaving at the end of the week. "I'm glad I came back," Kiyoshi murmured to himself as he gathered his things and bid farewell to the orphanage that had been both a sanctuary and a torture chamber under Ms. Stoneheart's reign. As he made his way to the dock, Kiyoshi focused on his palm and summoned a black-purple flame. He launched it at the orphanage before disappearing into the night without looking back. Three days later, he arrived at the dock and registered himself for departure on Zogohr Academy's vessel. "Welcome back, Kiyoshi. How was your summer break?" asked the check-in guy. "It was...okay," Kiyoshi lied, not wanting to get into the details of his imprisonment. As he boarded the boat, he couldn't believe his eyes when he saw three familiar faces - people who had been his friends before he was taken by Ms. Stoneheart. "Guys?" Kiyoshi exclaimed in disbelief. They all turned to look at him and smiled. The feeling of being reunited with old friends washed over Kiyoshi, filling him with hope for what lay ahead at Zogohr Academy.

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