John's mind drifted, untethered, weightless in an expanse of quiet darkness. Yet in this vast emptiness, one memory surfaced, vivid and unmistakable.Over a week earlier, under the cool, star-studded sky of Stronghold's training grounds, John had stood before Benji, an expression of uncertainty etched across his face. They had been discussing the Evolved State of Bending, a power John had heard about in passing but never understood fully."Benji," John had begun, his voice hesitant, almost reverent. "How... how does one reach the Evolved State?"Benji regarded him for a moment, the weight of his knowledge palpable in the air. "It's not something you can just strive toward, John. The Evolved State isn't a destination; it's a threshold. When the mind, body, and soul are fully aligned and prepared, the power unlocks itself."John had pressed, his brows furrowing with curiosity and determination. "So it's just... instinct?"Benji had shaken his head. "Not quite. It's the culmination of everything you've learned, every struggle you've endured, every moment you've been broken and built again." His gaze softened as he continued, "It only happens when you are ready to face not just your strengths but also your weaknesses. It's a place you reach when you confront the depths of who you are... and what you fear."The memory faded, but John felt the lingering weight of those words in the dark void. He suddenly sensed an overwhelming presence nearby, something ancient and powerful.Slowly, the shadowy darkness shifted, and two piercing red eyes appeared in the void, intense and watchful. They bore down on John, a gaze so fierce it seemed to strip away every barrier he'd built around himself, revealing the raw, unguarded core of his spirit.A voice rumbled through the void, deep, malevolent, and filled with something ancient and primal."Weak... You're nothing but a flickering ember in the shadow of true power."John felt a chill race down his spine as the voice resonated through him, his own doubts echoing back in this voice, amplified to a magnitude that made him feel small, inconsequential."No," he murmured, a flicker of defiance sparking in him. "I... I am stronger than you think."The red eyes narrowed, and the voice mocked him. "You grasp for strength, yet fear the very depths of it. Pathetic."The words struck him like a hammer, his doubts surging up with each one. He felt the weight of every loss, every failure, and every time he had been bested, from Collin's taunts to his unresolved rivalry with Gordon. He could almost feel his spirit buckling under the strain, his will wavering.But then, in the midst of this overwhelming darkness, John remembered his team—his friends who believed in him, who had fought beside him, each pushing their own limits. And Benji's words came back to him: "It only happens when you are ready to face not just your strengths but also your weaknesses."With a deep breath, he summoned every ounce of resolve left within him."I won't let you... define me," he whispered defiantly, his voice gaining strength as he spoke. "I am more than my weaknesses, more than my fears."The eyes flared, and for an instant, the darkness pressed down harder, as if testing him one final time. But then, in a surge of determination, John's spirit broke through, a flame sparking in the void.With a fierce shout, he forced himself forward, the red eyes looming closer until they filled his vision, until he felt them melt away under the sheer force of his will.Back in the ring, the crowd watched, breath held in suspense as John's body trembled, his aura dimming, flickering weakly. Collin took a step back, sensing something shifting, something powerful beginning to surface.Then, in one explosive moment, John's red aura erupted around him, blazing like a scorching flame. The aura, previously steady and contained, now crackled with untamed energy, the light flickering with an intensity that was almost blinding.Every muscle in John's body tensed, his hands clenching into fists as he struggled to contain the surge of power coursing through him. The red energy swirled around him, transforming into roaring flames that wrapped around his form. His brown eyes shifted, darkening to a deep crimson, as if the very essence of his energy had seeped into them, burning with the same fierce light as his aura.From within the fiery aura, faint wisps of shadow-like tendrils curled out, subtle but unmistakable, dark streaks that pulsed within the flames, adding a deeper, more sinister edge to the energy swirling around him.The spectators gasped, their cheers and cries blurring into a cacophony as they watched, enraptured by the transformation unfolding before them."Is this... the Evolved State?" Anne murmured, eyes wide with awe.Benji watched from the sidelines, brow furrowed, his gaze fixed on John. "He's done it... but something's off." His gaze darkened slightly as he caught sight of the faint tendrils of darkness within John's aura, something he had not expected.Collin's smirk faltered as he took in the sight before him, an expression of uncertainty flitting across his face. "Well, well, John... looks like you're full of surprises."But John, now consumed by his evolved form, only stared back, silent, his newly crimson eyes fixed on Collin with an intensity that made even the boldest shiver. The air around him pulsed with raw power, a pressure so intense it made the very ground beneath him tremble.And then, with a surge of energy that sent flames crackling around him, he raised his fist, his entire being radiating with newfound strength and purpose.This fight was far from over—and John was ready to unleash everything.