Nathan hadn't expected the silence to feel so heavy. His cell held that stillness like a predator lying in wait—dense, oppressive, making each breath feel like an intrusion. Shadows clung to the walls, stretching longer as the pale overhead light dimmed, casting a cold glow over the concrete floors. Kael's attack still echoed in his mind, every bruise a reminder of the agent's brutal efficiency and an unwelcome reminder of his vulnerability.
The System had been silent since that night, its voice as absent as hope in this steel trap. But Nathan wasn't willing to surrender. Not yet. He had a spark, however small, a tiny ember that had managed to survive the storm Kael had thrown at him. And that ember, fragile as it was, would be his anchor.
His hands shook as he steadied himself against the wall, lowering to sit on the floor cross-legged. He'd decided to resume his training, but caution was his new companion. He'd have to be smarter about it now, more cautious than ever, with Kael's eyes haunting every shadow.
Control the heat, he thought, focusing on the warmth deep within his core. Just enough to feel it, enough to grow it, but not enough to see it.
With a slow inhale, he visualized that warmth traveling down his arm, into his palm. The sensation was faint, but present, a gentle heat that pulsed beneath his skin. It was progress—a flicker, a testament to his will to survive, even when the odds were steeped against him. The fire gathered in his palm, like a warm heartbeat, strengthening with each breath. The shield barely lasted a few seconds, a soft glimmer on his skin, before fading out.
A small smile crept across his lips.
"Better than nothing," he whispered, voice barely a murmur. He wasn't sure if he was speaking to himself or to the fire, but in the quiet of his cell, both felt like worthy companions.
In that brief moment of peace, a System notification sparked in his mind:
"Embers gather strength in darkness."
The message was cryptic, its words laced with a quiet urgency, yet Nathan felt its encouragement seep through. Strengthen in secret. Endure the shadows. The System, unreliable as it had been lately, seemed to hint at growth beyond Kael's watchful gaze.
As he pondered the System's words, footsteps echoed in the hallway. His heart rate quickened, instinctively snuffing out the heat in his palm. He scrambled back to his bed, feigning sleep as the heavy footfalls grew louder, finally stopping outside his cell.
The narrow slit in the door opened, revealing a pair of cold, assessing eyes. Kael's eyes.
"Nathan." Kael's voice slithered through the gap, as calm as it was menacing. "You're awfully quiet these days. Makes me wonder… are you hiding something?"
Nathan's jaw clenched, but he kept his eyes shut, keeping his breaths slow and even.
"Oh, I know you're awake," Kael continued with a chuckle, dripping with mockery. "It's in your nature, isn't it? That defiance. That little spark of rebellion. But sparks burn out, Nathan. And here… here, I'm the one who holds the matches."
Kael's laughter lingered, like the lingering scent of smoke after a fire, and then the slit shut with a clank, leaving Nathan in darkness once more. He took a shuddering breath, his anger mingling with fear. But Kael's words fueled something else—a defiance deeper than the wounds on his skin.
Let him watch, Nathan thought. Let him sneer. He'll never see it coming.
Each night, Nathan practiced with the heat, summoning it for seconds, each session briefer than the last, carefully hidden. But with every attempt, his control strengthened. His Heat Shield had gone from a fleeting shimmer to a stable, if still weak, glow that he could manage just long enough to feel progress.
Kael, however, didn't make things easy. The agent seemed to have made it his mission to visit Nathan's cell unannounced, often staring at him through the slit in the door, a smile playing on his lips as if daring him to try something.
"Just remember," Kael would say, with a casual wave, "I've broken people with more hope and strength than you. You're nothing special, Nathan. Nothing."
But Nathan said nothing back. He knew Kael's words were designed to sink into his bones, to erode his resolve. Yet every visit only fueled his determination. He let the agent's voice echo in his mind, using the insults as fuel, each taunt stoking the fire within him.
One evening, as he lay in the dim light, his mind drifting into his routine of fire manipulation, he felt something different—a new strength, a slight boost that wasn't there before. It was subtle, like an added layer to the warmth in his palm, yet unmistakably potent. He concentrated, pulling the heat out and letting it linger around his hand.
The fire was stronger. Brighter.
The System.
It pulsed with a new message, as if summoned by his progress: "Survival demands resilience."
Nathan could feel it now—a small surge in his Heat Shield, a boost that strengthened its presence. The warmth lingered longer, its glow lasting a full five seconds before dissipating.
"Five seconds," he muttered to himself, the warmth of the shield lingering like a promise. "One step closer."
And though he was exhausted, each small victory rekindled his spirit. He could sense it growing within him, the potential for something stronger, something that even Kael couldn't suppress. This fire, small as it was, refused to die.
But even as he found hope, he couldn't ignore the fear that crept up with it. Kael's presence in the hallway was relentless. His voice echoed through the concrete like a threat that never left. Every day, Nathan felt the weight of the agent's gaze on him, as if Kael were waiting for the smallest slip, ready to snuff out any sign of progress.
It was during one of these tense nights that Kael's voice crackled over the intercom.
"Tomorrow, you'll have a little… check-up," he said, with a chilling cheeriness. "You know how we care about your well-being, Nathan. And we've noticed you're… unusually resilient."
Nathan clenched his fists, knowing that "check-up" was Kael's euphemism for something far less benign. But he pushed the thought aside, instead clinging to the System's message, to the flicker of progress he'd managed to coax from the depths of his isolation.
He let his gaze fall on his hands, scarred and bruised, yet steady. The words the System had given him repeated in his mind, a mantra against the fear clawing at him: "Embers gather strength in darkness."
That night, as he rested on the cold concrete, a quiet strength began to build within him. He felt the fire more intensely now, an echo from the Primordial Realm urging him onward, reminding him that, despite everything, he still had control—no matter how small.
As the hours slipped into morning, he felt the shift within his fire affinity. A new, stronger warmth spread across his skin, like the dawn of something powerful.
The System's final words lingered in his mind, each syllable heavy with meaning: "Potential skill evolution detected."
And for the first time in days, Nathan allowed himself a small, genuine smile.
Kael could watch all he wanted. The fire had only just begun to grow.