The safehouse stank of sweat, smoke, and stubborn willpower.
Kofi's voice cracked like thunder as he barked commands. "Again!"
Nyasha staggered to her feet, Emberheart flickering weakly at her chest. Her palms were blistered from channeling flame too long, too recklessly. The training circle—drawn in chalk and ash—was scorched black, walls seared with half-aimed blasts.
"I don't need another torch," Kofi growled. "I need a weapon. You think the Covenant fears your sparks? They'll laugh while they cut you down."
Nyasha clenched her jaw. Sweat ran down her brow, but she steadied her breath. Again. She summoned the Emberheart's fire, but this time, instead of forcing it outward, she held it close, letting it flow steady, controlled. Her skin glowed faintly, ember-red veins dancing across her arms.
Kofi's expression shifted—approval hidden beneath his scowl.
Zara, perched on a beam above, smirked. "Finally. Took you long enough to stop trying to burn down the city."
Nyasha exhaled slowly, the fire dimming without snuffing out. Her voice was low, resolute. "I don't want to just burn. I want to endure."
Kofi crossed his arms. "Good. Because endurance is the only thing that will keep you alive. Power without discipline is suicide."
Hours bled into the night. Kofi taught her how to shield flame against oncoming strikes, how to weave fire into feints and bursts, how to fight with the Emberheart instead of letting it devour her. Zara tested her reflexes with knives, each one closer than the last, until Nyasha could summon flame fast enough to turn steel into molten sparks.
When exhaustion finally dragged her to her knees, Kofi crouched in front of her. His eyes were storm-dark, but softer now. "Your mother never fought for herself. She fought for those who couldn't. If you want to be more than vengeance, find something worth burning for."
Nyasha lifted her head. "I already have."
Kofi studied her for a long moment, then gave the smallest of nods.
The air between them hummed. Not just student and teacher—commander and ally. A spark catching fire.