Kael stood in the clearing, the glowing runes of the stone circle casting an eerie light across the warped forest. Siris watched him from a distance, her expression unreadable. She had been quiet since her resurrection, her gaze often lingering on Kael as if searching for answers he couldn’t yet give.

The Spark of Renewal pulsed faintly in his chest, a warm but restless presence that refused to settle. Its use had brought Siris back to life, but it had also attracted the temporal beast and taken a toll Kael still didn’t fully understand.

“You can’t just stand there,” Siris said, breaking the silence. Her voice was steady but edged with unease. “If you’re going to use this power, you need control. Otherwise...” She trailed off, glancing at the scorched marks left behind from their earlier fight.

Kael sighed, raking a hand through his hair. “I know. But I don’t even know where to start. Every time I try to reach for it, it feels—wrong. Like it’s alive and waiting to take over.”

Siris stepped closer, her arms crossed. “You’re afraid of it.”

Kael turned to her, defensive. “Wouldn’t you be? It’s not just fire—it’s more. It brought you back, Siris. You shouldn’t even be here.”

Her jaw tightened, and for a moment, anger flared in her eyes. “I am here, Kael. And if we’re going to stop the Weaver, we don’t have time for you to second-guess yourself. So figure it out.”

Her words stung, but they were true. Kael nodded reluctantly, stepping back into the center of the circle. He closed his eyes, inhaling deeply as he tried to connect with the Spark.

At first, it was like reaching into a dark void. Then, slowly, he felt the warmth grow, the fire stirring in response to his focus. He clenched his fists, trying to guide it, but it flared wildly, sending a burst of heat outward. The flames licked at the edges of the clearing, uncontrolled and chaotic.

“Kael!” Siris shouted, diving to the ground as a branch above her caught fire.

“I can’t stop it!” Kael yelled, panic rising in his chest. The fire seemed to feed on his emotions, burning brighter the more he tried to suppress it.

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Siris scrambled to her feet and ran to him, grabbing his shoulders. “Then don’t suppress it—redirect it! Focus on something. Anything!”

Her voice cut through the chaos. Kael gritted his teeth and focused on the stone circle beneath him, imagining the fire flowing into the runes. Slowly, the flames began to coil downward, drawn into the ancient symbols. The clearing grew silent again, save for the crackling embers that faded into the runes.

Kael staggered, his breathing ragged. Siris steadied him, her grip firm. “See? You can control it. You just need a focus.”

Kael looked at her, guilt and gratitude warring within him. “I could’ve hurt you again.”

“But you didn’t,” she replied, her tone softer now. “You’ll make mistakes, Kael. But that doesn’t mean you stop trying.”

Siris stood and walked to a nearby tree, retrieving Kael’s dual-blade weapon that she’d kept safe. She turned to him, holding the weapon out. “Your power isn’t the only thing you have to master. If you’re serious about this fight, then start acting like it. We’ll train—together.”

Kael hesitated, taking the blade from her. The weight of it was both familiar and foreign, a reminder of simpler times when he was just a blacksmith’s apprentice, crafting tools instead of wielding them.

The next few hours were grueling. Siris sparred with Kael, her sharp eyes catching every misstep. She moved with precision, her swordplay honed from years of training as a Luminae Knight. Kael, by contrast, was clumsy, his strikes wide and unfocused.

“You’re relying too much on brute force,” Siris said, parrying a blow and sweeping his legs out from under him. “Strength won’t save you if you’re predictable.”

Kael groaned, picking himself up. “You make it look easy.”

“Because I’ve trained for this my entire life,” she replied. “You haven’t. But you have something I don’t—raw potential. That firepower of yours could turn the tide if you learn to control it.”

Kael nodded, gripping his dual blade tighter. He took a deep breath, centering himself before lunging again. This time, he tried to anticipate Siris’s movements, striking where he thought she would dodge. To his surprise, his blade grazed her side.

“Better,” she admitted, stepping back with a small smile. “But don’t get cocky.”

Kael grinned despite himself. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”

As the sun dipped below the horizon, Kael paused to catch his breath. His body ached, and sweat dripped from his brow, but he felt something new—a sense of progress.

Siris handed him a canteen of water, sitting beside him on the scorched ground. “We’ll keep at it. Every day until you’re ready. For now, get some rest.”

Kael glanced at the glowing runes and the charred remains of their training ground. He felt the Spark stir within him again, quieter now but still present. He would learn to wield it, just as he was learning to master his blade.

Because failure wasn’t an option. Not anymore.