The manifestation of solar power changed everything.
Kael was now treated with more respect — or distrust — by some within the base. His energy was too intense, hard to ignore. The previously silent corridors now filled with whispers as he passed. It was as if everyone expected him to explode at any moment.
And he felt it too.
Something inside him burned all the time. The energy of the sun pulsed, alive, restless. Even in moments of rest, it was as if every cell in his body vibrated with raw power. But this power came with a price.
During training that day, Lyon, the gravitational energy manipulator, crossed Kael's path.
"Are you going to train alone again?" he asked, leaning against the wall.
Kael stopped. He knew Lyon wasn't exactly a fan.
"I need to learn how to deal with this without putting anyone at risk."
Lyon laughed dryly.
— Or maybe you're just afraid of losing control in front of everyone. You're not the only one with energy, Kael. You're just Aria's darling because you shine so brightly.
Kael narrowed his eyes.
— I'm not here to compete with you.
— Good. — Lyon pushed himself off the wall. — Because you'd lose.
The tension between the two escalated into a direct confrontation later, during a group exercise. Lyon "accidentally" increased the gravity in Kael's area, trapping his movements, while everyone else ran normally. When Kael tried to react, his solar energy exploded in an unstable way, almost hitting Aria.
The training was immediately interrupted.
"Both of you, out of the arena. Now!" Aria shouted.
Hours later, sitting in the base's meeting room, the silence between the members was almost suffocating.
Aria stood up, her gaze hard.
"You're not rivals. You're a team." And if you keep sabotaging yourselves, you'll end up dead. HelionTech is reorganizing. They know you're alive. And they're getting ready to come at you with everything.
She looked directly at Kael.
"The power you carry, Kael, is too great to be guided by ego. And you, Lyon... if you want to challenge someone, challenge your own limits first."
Then Aria left, slamming the door.
Kael was silent for several seconds before saying:
"I didn't want to hurt anyone. But I'm... scared. Afraid that I won't be able to hold this inside."
Lyon looked at him seriously for the first time.
"Then control yourself. Because if you lose control again, there won't be Aria or Sol to save us."
That night, Kael didn't sleep. He spent hours in the meditation area of the base, trying to listen to his own energy. Feel, accept, understand.
The challenges weren't just outside the base. The biggest battle was still with himself. And if he didn't win... the world would lose along with him.