Luke sat in tense silence, the hum of the machine filling the sterile room. His shoulders were rigid, every fiber of his being coiled with unease. Beside him, Alira stood with arms crossed, her eyes fixed on the flickering monitors. The images projected weren't merely disjointed memories—they were shards of a legacy he didn't understand. A legacy that felt more like a curse than a gift.
The largest monitor displayed a crimson moon, its ominous glow casting a surreal light over scenes of chaos. Wolves howled as they tore through dense forests, vampires fed in the shadows, and battles raged in moonlit clearings. Luke couldn't look away, even as his stomach churned with an unsettling mix of dread and longing.
"What does it mean?" His voice was barely audible, tinged with fear.
Alira turned to him, her face unreadable. "It means you're more than you think you are."
Luke frowned. "That doesn't help. Am I… dangerous?"
"Dangerous?" Alira echoed, raising an eyebrow. "That depends entirely on you. What you saw—what the others saw—isn't just a fluke. It's a fragment of the power that lies dormant within you."
Luke's hands balled into fists. "But I don't want this. I don't want to be… this."
Alira's gaze softened, though her voice remained firm. "None of us get to choose our blood, Luke. We only get to decide what to do with it."
---
Kara's Thoughts
Across the facility, Kara lay on her bunk, her mind restless. The day's events looped endlessly: the tension in the arena, Luke holding his ground against Jace, and that strange, terrifying glow in his eyes.
She'd seen fear before—recruits buckling under pressure, doubting their abilities. But Luke's fear was different. It wasn't fear of failure; it was fear of himself.
Turning onto her side, Kara stared at the wall, troubled. She barely knew Luke, yet something about him stirred a protectiveness she couldn't explain.
"Still awake?"
She glanced toward the doorway. Alex leaned casually against the frame, his ever-present smirk softened by concern.
"Couldn't sleep," Kara admitted.
Alex stepped in and perched on the edge of her bunk. "Thinking about him?"
"Who?" Kara asked, though she knew the answer.
"Luke," Alex said simply.
Kara sighed, pulling her knees to her chest. "Do you think he's dangerous?"
Alex tilted his head thoughtfully. "Maybe. But dangerous doesn't always mean bad."
---
Awakening
When the machine finally powered down, Luke felt utterly drained. Alira removed the sensors from his skin with practiced efficiency, handing him a glass of water.
"Drink. You'll need it."
His hands trembled as he took the glass, spilling some water over the rim. "What now?"
"Now, you train," Alira said, her tone leaving no room for debate.
"Train for what?"
"For survival." Her gaze was unrelenting. "You've seen what's inside you, Luke. If you don't learn to control it, it will control you—and that won't end well for anyone."
---
The Training Grounds
The next morning, Luke was thrust into the recruits' rigorous routine. The sprawling training grounds were divided into sections: combat drills, strategic exercises, and power honing.
While most recruits displayed impressive feats—fire conjured from thin air, gusts of wind lifting bodies, earth rising at a gesture—Luke stood in the center of the field, painfully aware of his inability to perform.
"Focus!" barked the instructor. "Feel the energy within you and let it out!"
Luke closed his eyes, willing himself to summon… something. Anything. But nothing came.
Snickers rippled through the other recruits.
"He's useless."
"Why is he even here?"
"Must've been a mistake."
Luke clenched his jaw, keeping his head down as their whispers sliced into him.
---
Kara's Intervention
From the sidelines, Kara watched Luke's struggle. Frustration churned in her chest, mingled with sympathy. The others didn't see what she had—a flicker of raw power that had silenced even Jace.
Ignoring the stares, she approached him after the session.
"You okay?" she asked gently.
Luke's gaze was guarded. "Do I look okay?"
Kara smiled faintly. "No, but I thought I'd ask anyway."
He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I don't know what I'm doing here. Everyone else can do these incredible things, and I can't even light a candle."
"Maybe it's not about what you can do now," Kara said thoughtfully. "Maybe it's about what you will do."
---
The First Test
That evening, the recruits gathered in the main hall, buzzing with anticipation.
"This test will push you to your limits," Alira announced, her voice commanding the room. "It will reveal not only your strengths but also your weaknesses. You'll be judged on your abilities and your decisions."
Nervous glances were exchanged as Alira outlined the test: a simulated rescue mission requiring teamwork, strategy, and the effective use of their powers.
Luke's stomach churned. How was he supposed to contribute when he didn't even know what he was capable of?
When the teams were assigned, he found himself paired with Kara and Alex.
"We've got this," Kara said confidently.
Alex smirked. "Yeah, what could possibly go wrong?"
---
Into the Shadows
The simulation plunged them into a dense forest, its towering trees shrouded in fog. Shadows danced at the edge of their vision, and eerie sounds echoed through the gloom. Their objective: locate and rescue a captive before time ran out.
"Stay close," Kara whispered, her sharp gaze scanning the darkness.
Luke's nerves prickled as if unseen eyes were watching them. The oppressive silence was broken only by the crunch of their footsteps.
Then the shadows attacked.
Twisting forms lunged from the darkness, their shapes shifting like living nightmares. The team scattered, fighting to hold their ground.
Luke froze, paralyzed by the chaos around him. A shadow barreled toward him, and instinct took over.
For a brief, blinding moment, the world slowed. Luke's hands burned with an unfamiliar heat, and the shadow disintegrated before it could strike.
He stumbled back, breathless and disoriented. Kara and Alex stared, their expressions a mix of shock and awe.
"Looks like you can light more than candles," Alex quipped.
But Luke wasn't smiling. The fire in his hands had felt alive—wild, dangerous, and hungry.
The shadows weren't the only thing he had to fear.