The rain had finally stopped by the time Ren stumbled back into his apartment. Every muscle in his body screamed for relief as he closed the door behind him and collapsed onto the couch. His hoodie was soaked through, and his legs felt like they were made of lead.
_"I can't keep this up,"_ Ren thought, staring blankly at the ceiling. The power was too much. Every time he used it, it felt like his bones were splintering, his muscles tearing apart from the strain of containing such overwhelming force. He clenched his fists, feeling the faint tremble in his arms that always followed after he pushed himself too far.
And yet, despite the agony, a part of him felt alive—like he was on the edge of something greater than himself. Meeting Yukio tonight had been no coincidence. There was something bigger happening, something that tied him to his father's legacy, and he couldn't ignore it any longer.
Ren's thoughts were interrupted by the soft *ding* of his phone. He winced as he reached into his pocket, pulling out the cracked device. A new message appeared on the screen, lighting up the dim room.
**From: Akari
Time: 1:32 AM
Message: Where the hell are you? You're not answering, and the news is talking about drones being destroyed downtown. Did something happen?**
Ren let out a long breath, his thumb hovering over the keyboard. *Akari Ito* had been his best friend since childhood—sharp, loyal, and annoyingly persistent. She had always been there, even when his life started spiraling out of control after his powers manifested. But tonight… tonight wasn't something he could explain in a text.
He hesitated, then typed back:
**Ren: I'm fine. I'll explain everything tomorrow.**
He tossed the phone aside and dragged himself to his feet, his legs wobbling as he made his way to the bathroom. He needed a hot shower to relax the tension in his muscles, to clear his mind, but most of all, he needed to figure out how to survive Yukio's training tomorrow.
---
*The next evening...*
Ren stood in the alley where he had first encountered Yukio, the weight of anticipation heavy on his shoulders. The air was crisp, the neon lights of the city casting eerie shadows across the walls. He had barely slept, his body still aching from the night before, but he couldn't afford to miss this opportunity. Yukio had answers—answers that Ren desperately needed.
A rustle in the darkness caught his attention. Ren straightened as Yukio appeared at the end of the alley, his coat billowing behind him. There was something imposing about the older man, something that carried the weight of a fallen hero who had seen too much of the world's darkness.
Yukio stopped in front of Ren, his piercing blue eyes scanning him up and down. "You look like hell."
Ren chuckled, despite himself. "You're not wrong."
Yukio's expression didn't change. He folded his arms across his chest, his voice low and serious. "What I'm about to teach you isn't going to be easy. If you're not ready to push yourself beyond your limits, you'll fail."
"I've already been doing that," Ren said, his tone more confident than he felt. "And I'm still here."
Yukio raised an eyebrow but didn't press further. Instead, he gestured for Ren to follow him. They walked through the narrow alleyways of Neo-Tokyo, the noise of the bustling city fading into the background as they ventured deeper into an abandoned part of town. Ren recognized the old buildings from his childhood—places that had once been full of life, now reduced to crumbling ruins.
Yukio led him to an empty warehouse on the outskirts of the city, a place that felt forgotten by time. Inside, the space was vast and empty, the walls scarred with old burn marks and craters from what looked like previous training sessions. Ren swallowed hard, trying to imagine what kind of power had been unleashed in this room before.
Yukio stopped in the center of the warehouse and turned to face Ren. "First thing you need to understand is that power isn't just about strength. It's about control. Right now, you're using brute force without thinking of the consequences. You're tearing yourself apart because you don't understand how to channel what's inside you."
Ren clenched his fists, the familiar ache in his muscles reminding him of exactly that. "Then teach me."
Yukio nodded. "Start by showing me what you've got. Don't hold back."
Ren blinked in surprise. "Wait… just like that?"
"Just like that."
Taking a deep breath, Ren squared his shoulders and focused on the energy that pulsed inside him. He could feel it building up, coiling like a spring ready to snap. His muscles tensed as he forced the power into his legs, and with a sharp exhale, he launched himself forward, his speed creating a gust of wind that echoed through the empty warehouse. He slammed his fist into the reinforced concrete wall at the far end of the room, the impact shattering the surface into a crater.
Pain shot through his arm immediately, and Ren staggered back, clutching his wrist. He could feel the bones inside his hand splintering, the same familiar agony that always followed when he pushed too hard. He gasped for breath, his vision swimming as the pain threatened to overwhelm him.
Yukio's voice cut through the haze. "You're forcing your body to take the hit for your power. You need to focus. Center yourself. Your strength isn't just in your muscles—it's in your mind."
Ren grit his teeth, the pain clouding his thoughts. "That's easy for you to say…"
"It was never easy," Yukio replied, his tone sharp. "But I learned. You can too, if you stop trying to be something you're not."
Ren looked up at him, confused. "What do you mean?"
Yukio stepped closer, his expression serious. "You're not your father. Stop trying to fight like him. Stop thinking you have to match his legacy. You're your own person, Ren. Start acting like it."
The words hit Ren harder than any punch. All his life, he had been compared to his father, a hero who had once saved the city countless times. But Yukio was right—he wasn't his father. He had to stop thinking of his power as something he needed to live up to and start thinking of it as something he had to master for himself.
Ren took a deep breath and closed his eyes, trying to block out the pain in his hand. He focused inward, on the power that churned inside him, and instead of forcing it into his muscles, he let it flow freely through his body, balancing the energy.
When he opened his eyes, he felt calmer, more centered. He looked at Yukio, who was watching him carefully.
"I'm ready," Ren said, his voice steadier now.
Yukio nodded. "Good. Let's begin."