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The living room was spacious, yet strangely silent. Sunlight streamed through the large windows, illuminating the carpets and polished wooden walls, and yet, within that soft light, the atmosphere felt heavy, filled with anticipation. The four students arrived one by one to join Raythem. Each step they took on the wooden floor sounded as if they feared making too much noise—or causing too much damage.
Raythem stood at the center of the room, calm and upright, like an immovable mountain. He observed them for a few seconds before speaking.
— I hope you rested well during this time… and that you got to know each other a little better. The key to your success lies in a strong bond of trust within the group. Without it, no progress will be possible.
The four exchanged glances. Scarlet stood straight, confident, her chin raised. Evelynn and Ryota seemed more hesitant, watching the others carefully. Yuta, meanwhile, clenched his fists slightly, determined, though a shadow of anger flickered behind his eyes.
— Here is the program, Raythem continued:You will first learn to work on your feelings and emotions, to turn them into strength. Then, you will explore your powers, both in theory and in practice. Next, you will discover your own style and fighting technique. Finally, a small surprise will conclude your training—but we will talk about that later.
A thrill of excitement ran through some of them, while others held their breath. The long-awaited moment had finally arrived: training was beginning.
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Yuta stood in the center of an isolated room, his eyes fixed on the ground. His first exercise was to breathe while counting to one hundred, slowly, without letting his mind wander. A simple task on paper… but impossible for him.
One. Two. Three…
By the seventeenth breath, a noise behind him shook his concentration: Scarlet and Evelynn were warming up in the next room. He couldn't hear them clearly, but it was enough to disturb the rhythm of his breathing. The mana within him swirled, hot and restless.
No… I have to stay calm…
He took a deep breath, but the memory of his parents suddenly struck him like lightning. His heart began to race. His chest tightened, and his hands trembled.
— I will carry you. But you will not guide me… he murmured, his voice low, barely a whisper.
He closed his eyes and tried to continue. The second exercise awaited him: to accept his hatred, acknowledge it, let it exist without exploding. He had to look his anger straight in the eye, feel it, and not let it take control.
He visualized the scene. He breathed. And for the first time, the rage within him felt… different. Still there, but contained. Like an animal being observed, rather than an enemy to fight.
The final exercise pushed him to his limits: reliving the scene of his parents over and over again, without moving, without shouting, without letting himself be overwhelmed. His body heavy, his breath short, Yuta remained still, and despite the exhaustion, he felt a part of himself being freed.
In another room, Ryota stood before a small stele representing his sister. His dragon aura trembled with every negative thought, unstable and threatening. Raythem watched him closely, ready to test his concentration by intervening or creating small distractions.
— Start by calming your aura, Raythem said simply. Feel the frustration, but let it fade away.
Ryota closed his eyes and inhaled, trying to stabilize his mana. Every positive memory of his sister became an anchor. Every negative thought made him falter. He fell often, got back up, and tried again. The air around him vibrated slightly with each fluctuation of his aura.
— You will not act under emotion… Raythem murmured, more to himself than to Ryota.
Finally, the third exercise began. Ryota had to make a promise to himself: his sister was no longer a painful absence, but a direction. He spoke the words with determination:
— I will not save her by crying for her. I will save her by becoming strong enough to welcome her when she returns…
For the first time, he felt his aura stabilize completely. The weight of the pain had not disappeared, but he could finally stand tall, determined, with a clear goal.
Evelynn had never really known what to do to improve her relationships. But she knew how to listen. And today, she would guide Scarlet.
Scarlet, on the other hand, had to master her anger and her lack of social ease. Her first exercise was to guess Evelynn's emotion without asking any questions. Scarlet's eyes studied her intensely, searching for the slightest change. Evelynn remained silent, patient, waiting for an answer.
— …Evelynn, you're way too expressive, Scarlet finally muttered.
Evelynn simply smiled and let it pass. The second exercise was to feel the weight of silence and accept the presence of others without fear or suspicion. They walked side by side, breathing at the same rhythm, learning to synchronize without saying a word. Silence was no longer an obstacle, but a form of communication.
Finally, the last exercise required Scarlet to express discomfort or a simple request without showing anger. Evelynn acted as a kind support, calmly rephrasing every word. The difficulty was great, but little by little, Scarlet managed to set her boundaries clearly, without aggression.
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Raythem observed from the shadows, attentive to every detail. The sounds, the hesitations, the failures, and the small victories already gave him all the information he needed. He smiled inwardly. Each separate room allowed for more focused training, and soon, he would be able to combine these exercises to test their mental and emotional strength in a group setting.
For now, each of them had completed their first step: facing themselves, and learning to turn pain, anger, or shyness into strength.