Theo's POV
The next day—
We trained as a team.
Team Five gathered earlier than expected.
Sera was already there.
Of course.
Dain leaned against the wall, arms crossed.
Bran stood quietly near the front.
Luna hovered slightly behind them.
Watching.
Waiting.
I stepped into the room.
Sera glanced at me.
"You're late."
"…By a minute."
"That's late."
I didn't argue.
"Today," she said,
"we stop training as individuals."
Her eyes moved across all of us.
"And start moving as a team."
No one disagreed.
Because we all understood now.
Inside a gate—
One mistake wasn't personal.
It was fatal.
"Positions," Sera said.
We moved immediately.
Bran at the front.
Dain behind him.
Luna at the back.
Me in the center.
Sera shifting between all of us.
"Simulated engagement," she continued.
"Multiple targets."
"Unpredictable movement."
She looked at me briefly.
"Theo."
"…Yeah."
"Control the field."
I nodded.
"Begin."
Bran moved first.
Heavy steps.
Solid.
Grounded.
Dain followed—
Fast.
Aggressive.
Sharp.
I raised my hand.
Water formed.
More stable than before.
But not enough.
Not yet.
Focus.
Instead of spreading it blindly—
I shaped it.
Thin streams extended across the ground.
Forming a loose pattern.
Not visible to everyone.
But enough to affect movement.
Bran adjusted first.
His footing became smoother.
More controlled.
Dain noticed next.
"…Huh."
His attacks flowed better.
Less resistance.
More speed.
Luna hesitated—
Then moved.
Her positioning improved slightly.
Safer.
More stable.
Sera watched everything.
"…Better," she said.
"Again."
We reset.
"Faster this time."
Bran charged again.
Dain followed immediately.
No delay.
No hesitation.
I formed the water again.
But this time—
I added something.
A pattern.
Not a full circle.
Not yet.
But a structure.
The water didn't spread randomly.
It flowed.
Guided.
Intentional.
The moment it settled—
Everything changed.
Bran's movement became heavier—but more stable.
Like he couldn't be pushed back.
Dain's attacks became sharper.
More precise.
Less wasted motion.
Luna—
For the first time—
Moved without hesitation.
Her support came faster.
Cleaner.
Sera stepped in.
Testing.
Adjusting.
Then—
She stopped.
"…Again," she said quietly.
This time—
We didn't reset fully.
We continued.
Flowing from one motion to the next.
Bran blocked.
Dain struck.
Luna supported.
Sera adapted.
And me—
I held it together.
The water beneath us shifted constantly.
Adjusting.
Correcting.
Stabilizing.
It wasn't perfect.
Far from it.
But—
It worked.
After several rounds—
Sera raised her hand.
"Stop."
Everyone paused.
Breathing slightly heavier.
Dain looked down at the ground again.
At the faint traces of water.
Then at me.
"…That's not normal."
"…I know."
Bran nodded once.
"…Feels easier to move."
Luna spoke quietly.
"…Safer too."
Sera walked toward me.
Her expression serious.
"You changed it."
I didn't answer immediately.
Then—
"…A little."
She narrowed her eyes slightly.
"That's not just control."
"That's structure."
Silence.
"…Maybe," I said.
She stared at me for a moment longer.
Then—
"…Good."
That was it.
No praise.
No surprise.
Just—
Acceptance.
But that was enough.
"Break for now," Sera said.
"We meet again later."
The team slowly dispersed.
Dain left first.
Bran followed.
Luna hesitated slightly—
Then gave me a small nod before leaving.
Sera stayed a moment longer.
"…You're changing faster than expected."
"…I'm trying."
"That's not trying."
She paused.
"That's evolving."
I didn't respond.
She turned to leave.
Then stopped.
"…Keep it up."
Then she was gone.
I stood there alone.
For a moment.
Then raised my hand again.
Water formed.
Smoother.
More stable.
I shaped it slowly.
A faint circular pattern began to form.
Incomplete.
But closer than before.
"…Almost."
The circle flickered.
But didn't collapse immediately.
Progress.
I closed my hand.
Letting it fade.
For the first time—
It felt real.
Not just potential.
Not just theory.
Growth.
And in a few days—
I'd need all of it.
Because inside that gate—
There wouldn't be time to think.
Only time to act.