The early morning sunlight filtered through the trees, casting dappled patterns across the clearing. Zenith stood at the center of the makeshift training ground, his body aching but his mind clearer than ever. He had spent countless hours preparing for this moment—the moment when he would stop feeling like the weak link in the group and finally start pulling his own weight.
"Okay, no pressure," Zenith muttered to himself, trying to psych himself up. "I just have to unlock my full potential... no big deal."
Erya, standing off to the side, shot him an amused look. "You talk like you're about to summon a dragon, Zenith. Are you sure you're ready for this?"
"Summoning dragons sounds great," Zenith replied dryly, rubbing his sore shoulders. "But I'll settle for not getting my face kicked in this time."
Nyra, leaning against a tree and sharpening her sword, smirked. "Don't worry. If you get your face kicked in, we'll just patch you up. You've survived worse, right?"
Zenith shot her a look, then nodded slowly. "Yeah, true. Last time I got a sword in my ribs, I came out looking like a human pincushion. This should be a breeze in comparison."
Erya gave him a look that said, Don't tempt fate. "Focus, Zenith. This isn't about surviving. It's about fighting back. Show us what you've got."
Zenith took a deep breath, his mind clearing as he centered himself. The truth was, he was scared. The fight he had been through left him physically bruised, emotionally shaken, but now he had no choice but to push past it. No more second-guessing. No more hesitation.
He could feel the magic humming inside him, but it had always been so volatile, so unpredictable. His previous attempts at harnessing it felt like trying to catch a storm in a jar. Today, however, he would focus—really focus.
"Alright, alright," Zenith muttered under his breath. "I can do this. No more screwing around."
"Did you just talk to yourself?" Erya asked, raising an eyebrow.
Zenith waved her off. "Just trying to remind myself that I'm not totally useless."
"Not totally useless? Let's get through this training first before you start with the self-deprecation," she quipped, crossing her arms.
Zenith took another deep breath and let the power rise from within. The magic flickered, sparks of light flashing at his fingertips, like a malfunctioning lantern. It was still chaotic, but now it felt a bit more... cooperative.
"Okay," Zenith said aloud, trying to channel the energy. "Let's see what happens when I actually concentrate."
Without warning, he thrust his hand forward, unleashing a blast of light. The beam shot out of his hand like a rocket, blasting a hole straight through a tree.
"Whoa!" Zenith yelped, stumbling backward. "Uh, I was aiming for the target... I swear."
Erya and Nyra both stared at the splintered tree, blinking in disbelief.
"Nice aim," Nyra commented dryly, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "You missed the target by a couple of yards... and a forest."
Zenith groaned, wiping his forehead. "I swear I'm trying, okay? Maybe my magic's got a mind of its own. It's like... a really aggressive toddler."
Erya chuckled, shaking her head. "Well, if that toddler decides to go rogue, at least we know it's powerful."
Zenith sighed dramatically. "I think it's still trying to kill me, to be honest. One minute I'm focusing, and the next—boom—a tree's gone."
"But hey, at least you're not attacking us," Nyra said, grinning. "That's progress."
Zenith glared playfully at her. "I'll save that for later. The real question is: How do I get this magic to not do whatever it wants?"
Erya stepped forward, giving him an appraising look. "You're getting there. But you need to focus more. Your magic is just like you—fierce and unpredictable, but it needs direction. You're holding back."
"Hold back? Me? Have you met me?" Zenith said, putting his hands on his hips. "I'm all about going all in—no moderation whatsoever."
Nyra raised an eyebrow. "You sure about that? Because last time, all in meant a self-inflicted explosion and us cleaning up the mess."
Zenith grinned sheepishly. "Touché. Okay, okay. Focusing... focusing... Let's try this again, but this time with a little more finesse."
Zenith closed his eyes, letting the magic flow through him. He felt the familiar tingle at the tips of his fingers, but this time, he wasn't trying to control it through sheer willpower alone. He allowed the energy to flow more naturally, guiding it rather than forcing it.
The light around his hands began to grow steady, the flashes now more consistent, more concentrated. He opened his eyes, narrowing his focus. This time, when he released the magic, it was smooth—controlled.
A beam of energy shot forward, not at a tree or anything else that could be considered overkill, but right at the training target set up in the clearing. The energy struck with precision, blasting a clean hole right in the center.
Zenith froze for a moment, staring at the target. "I... I did it."
Erya grinned widely. "That's what I'm talking about."
Nyra chuckled. "You're not half-bad when you're not blowing up the entire forest."
Zenith let out a sigh of relief, his shoulders dropping as he finally relaxed. "I'm... getting there. This magic thing is like learning to ride a bike. You just have to stop trying to control it so much and trust that you won't crash into something... well, too important."
Erya shook her head with a grin. "You're still a disaster. But that's a damn good disaster to have on our side."
Zenith nodded, the fatigue from the previous days' training and the fight finally catching up with him. But the exhilaration from succeeding in this small breakthrough was enough to keep him going. "Next time the enemies show up, I won't be the one running away. I'll be the one sending them flying. And maybe I'll aim a little better this time."
Nyra stepped forward, clapping him on the shoulder. "That's the spirit. We're all in this together, Zenith. And if you get knocked down, we'll be there to help you back up... after we make sure you don't explode in the process."
Zenith grinned. "Deal. But only if you promise not to steal my thunder again. I'm getting really good at this whole blowing things up thing."
Erya raised an eyebrow, smirking. "Only if you promise to aim at the enemies this time, not the trees."
The three of them shared a laugh, and for a brief moment, the tension that had been building over the past few days seemed to melt away. There was still work to be done, still training to endure, but Zenith knew, deep in his bones, that he was no longer the same person who had first stepped into this strange world.
He was becoming the warrior he was meant to be—and he wouldn't stop until those who stood against him knew what it truly meant to face his full power.
"Alright," Zenith said, with a newfound confidence, "Let's get ready for the real fight. And next time, I'll make sure I don't destroy everything in my path."
Erya and Nyra exchanged a glance, then nodded in agreement.
"Just don't blow up the entire world, okay?" Nyra said, half-joking.
Zenith smiled. "No promises."