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The morning sun cast a warm glow over the courtyard, its rays dancing off the stone steps where Fowad sat, his gaze fixed on Zoom as it tested its newly evolved abilities.
The Lightning Shadow Striker moved with a grace and speed that far surpassed its previous form. Its body was a blur, streaks of silver and blue energy arcing around the courtyard like a living storm.
Fowad's mind drifted, the image of the glowing figure before him blurring into the shadows of his thoughts.
His enemies, the rival families, lingered at the edges of his mind. They could come looking for me at any moment.
With Zoom's evolution complete, Fowad felt a sense of progress, a flicker of hope that maybe... just maybe, he could stand up to whatever was out there.
Yet, beneath the surface, the gnawing realization that there was still much to do weighed heavily on him.
