The morning light stretched across the camp as Gideon prepared breakfast, his hands moving with practiced ease. He turned to Jera and Draven, his voice steady as he laid out their task for the day. "Today, you'll focus on summoning your affinity into your hands," he instructed. "You'll need to pull a single strand of magic from your reserve, control it, and bring it into the external world—but keep it contained. It will feel different for each of you, and it will manifest in unique ways. I recommend you return to the same spots you practiced in yesterday and concentrate on manipulating the magic within before letting it surface." As Gideon spoke, his gaze drifted toward the large tree at the edge of camp. Kael still lay sprawled out on a thick branch, unmoving, lost in thought. A flicker of memory passed through Gideon's mind—he had known another space user once, long ago. Are they all like that? he wondered. With a sigh, he rose to his feet, carrying a plate of breakfast as he approached the tree. "Kael," he called, but the boy didn't respond. Gideon hesitated, considering whether to shake him awake, but something about Kael's stillness told him he was deep in thought. Instead, he set the plate down at the base of the tree and walked away, leaving him undisturbed. Back at the camp, he resumed processing herbs, keeping an eye on all three of them. Jera sat near the water, focused and steady, her concentration unwavering. But it was Draven who caught his attention. The boy's breath had grown heavy, his body slick with sweat. Gideon watched as he fought to steady himself, struggling with something unseen. His hands trembled. Then—flames erupted from his palms. A rush of heat flooded the clearing as fire engulfed his hands. Draven gasped, his body immediately relieved by the release, but his eyes glazed over, lost in the flickering blaze. His balance wavered. The fire wouldn't go out. Gideon moved in an instant, appearing beside him just as Draven's knees buckled. He reached forward, smothering the flames with his bare hands, absorbing the heat with practiced ease. The fire vanished, leaving behind only the heavy scent of smoke. Even as Draven steadied himself, Gideon noted something troubling. The flames had been hotter than they were when Draven first awakened. Much hotter. This boy's fire was going to be dangerous—not just to others, but to himself. Meanwhile, Kael stirred from his trance high in the tree. His mind had been lost in the currents of his own magic, tracing its flow, examining its nature. But despite his efforts, he hadn't accumulated any more energy since last night. Something wasn't clicking. Frustrated, he climbed down, landing lightly on the ground. He spotted the cold breakfast at the base of the tree and ate quickly, hunger outweighing his impatience. Looking around, he saw Jera near the pond, focused, and Draven talking to Gideon, still looking a little shaken. Kael walked over, raising a hand in greeting. "How's it going?" Draven sighed, running a hand through his damp hair. "I set my hands on fire again and almost passed out," he admitted with a short laugh. "But hey, at least I'm still standing this time." Kael frowned, crossing his arms. "I can control the magic inside me fine—it does exactly what I expect. But I can't accumulate any more. It's like I've hit a wall." Draven made a face. "At least you can do something with yours. I can barely control mine. The fire just—" He hesitated, glancing away. "It doesn't listen." Before he could say more, another burst of flames ignited in his hands, uncontrolled and wild. Draven clenched his fists, but the fire refused to obey. His expression darkened. He knew exactly what was holding him back, but he didn't know how to say it—especially to Kael. Jera, having finished her own practice, walked over with a smirk. "Well, I actually managed to accumulate quite a bit of magic," she announced, arms crossed. "Feels like a little frozen pool in my stomach. I can stir it around if I focus, but that's about it." She glanced at Kael and Draven, her grin widening. "Oh, and thanks for the interruption. You put on quite the light show." Draven let out a nervous laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah… working on it." Kael just scoffed, brushing off the comment. "Don't accidently freeze yourself," he muttered. He told Draven "I'm heading back up the tree to think some more." Draven exhaled slowly and sat by the fire, staring into the flickering embers. He could still feel the lingering heat in his body, the fire in his core restless and unstable. Kael is figuring things out. Jera is adapting quickly. And me? He clenched his fists. Am I falling behind? Determined, he shut his eyes and began drawing in natural energy from the campfire, letting the warmth filter into his core. Each breath brought more magic, more control. His focus sharpened, but his thoughts spiraled. What if I can't control this? What if I hurt someone? What if— His magic surged. Before anyone could react, flames exploded from his body, engulfing him in a blazing inferno. A pillar of fire erupted skyward, burning bright against the darkening sky as the sun began to set. Gideon rushed over to Draven's side, feeling the immense heat Draven was producing. He began to yell at Draven to control his breathing. "You've got to get control of it, or you'll burn out!" Draven's mind raced—he was worried about what his brother would think of him, about whether he was the cause of thatfire. As his thoughts lingered on the past, another pulse of fire magic shot out of him, scorching the ground around his feet. Kael watched nervously, unsure of what to do. He wanted to help Draven but didn't know how. He had no idea what would happen if he tried to use his magic, but he had to try something. As he began to pull on the wisp of energy inside him, he noticed Gideon reaching into the pillar of flames. The fire burned Gideon's hands and forearms, but he pushed through, grasping Draven's shoulders firmly. He shook him hard until Draven's eyes shot open to see Gideon standing before him, his arms scorched by Draven's flames. The moment Draven saw this, the fire stopped. Gideon sighed in relief. If that flame had burned any longer, it might have actually harmed me. He studied Draven, recognizing the raw natural talent. If this boy can learn control, he'll be incredible. Kael watched from a distance, feeling useless yet again. If he had tried to step into those flames, he would have been reduced to ash. But as he stood there, something clicked. In his attempt to help Draven, he had managed to split the star in his core into two smaller ones, rotating around each other. His control was improving. As night fell, Kael climbed back into his tree, circulating his twin stars over and over until they glowed a little brighter. His magic was growing. By dawn, he returned to camp, arriving just as the others stirred awake. He grinned at Draven and Gideon. "Morning!" he said with a hearty smile. Jera groaned from her bedroll. "Could you not be so loud? Some of us enjoy sleep." Gideon nudged her. "Time to get up anyway. Breakfast is coming."
Kael's stomach growled. "Good, I'm starving." Draven nodded in agreement, still feeling sluggish from the day before. As they sat and ate, Gideon watched them fondly, realizing just how much had changed in only a week.