Theo's POV
The second round didn't start well.
It started—
Wrong.
"…Again," I said.
Groans followed.
Louder than before.
"Do we have to?" Dax muttered.
"Yes."
"Thought so," he grunted.
Kairo stretched nearby.
"Stop complaining," he said. "You'll survive."
"That's not reassuring," Mira said quietly.
"It's not supposed to be."
I ignored them.
"…Same as before," I said.
"Control first."
No one argued this time.
That was already progress.
They stepped forward.
One by one—
Magic formed again.
Ronan's earth rose—
Stable.
Stronger than before.
Lyra's wind gathered—
Tighter.
Sharper.
Mira's light steadied—
Less hesitation.
Dax reinforced—
Still rough—
But slightly improved.
Selene's illusion flickered—
Holding longer.
Then—
Bran.
Fire ignited.
Too fast.
Too strong.
I saw it immediately.
"…Bran," I said.
He didn't respond.
His flames grew.
"…Bran," I repeated.
"…I'm controlling it," Bran snapped.
But he wasn't.
The fire surged.
Unstable.
Spreading.
"…You're forcing it," I said.
"Stop pushing output."
"I said I've got it!" Bran shouted.
The flames flared—
Larger.
Wilder.
Dax stepped back slightly.
"…That doesn't look controlled," he muttered.
"Back up," Lyra said sharply.
Ronan shifted forward instinctively.
Ready.
Just in case.
"…Bran," I said again—
"Stop."
For a moment—
It looked like he would.
The flames flickered—
Then—
They spiked.
Outward.
Exploding.
"Move!" Kairo shouted.
Everyone reacted.
Too late.
The fire burst outward—
A wave—
Uncontrolled—
Violent—
And heading straight for—
Mira.
She froze.
Just for a second.
Enough.
"Ronan!" I shouted.
The ground surged.
A wall of earth rose—
Fast—
Blocking the flames.
But not all of it.
Some slipped through—
Burning past the edge—
Heading straight for her.
"…Damn it—"
I moved.
No thinking.
No planning.
Just—
Action.
Water surged in my hand.
Compressed instantly.
Then—
Released.
A burst—
Not a sphere—
A wave.
It collided with the flames—
Steam exploded outward.
Heat—
Pressure—
Impact.
The force pushed everything back.
Silence followed.
Heavy.
Thick.
The steam slowly cleared.
Revealing—
Everyone.
Standing.
Barely.
Mira stumbled slightly.
"…I'm okay," she said quickly.
But her voice wasn't steady.
Ronan's wall cracked—
But held.
Dax exhaled sharply.
"…That got out of control fast."
"Yeah," Kairo muttered.
Too calm.
Too quiet.
That wasn't like him.
I turned.
Bran stood there.
Frozen.
His flames—
Gone.
"…I had it," he said quietly.
No one responded.
"…I said I had it."
"You didn't," I said.
Direct.
Clear.
He flinched.
Just slightly.
"…You lost control," I continued.
"That's what happens when you force power."
"…I wasn't forcing it," Bran snapped.
"You were," Lyra cut in sharply.
"That was obvious."
"…Stay out of it."
"No," she said coldly.
"You almost burned her."
Silence.
Heavy.
Bran's expression tightened.
"…It didn't hit her."
"Because we stopped it," Dax said.
"That's not the point."
Mira shook her head slightly.
"…It's fine," she said.
But it wasn't.
Everyone knew it.
I stepped forward.
"…This is why control matters," I said.
No anger.
No shouting.
Just—
Truth.
"…Power without control is dangerous."
Bran didn't look at me.
Good.
That meant—
He was listening.
Even if he didn't want to.
"…We're stopping here," I said.
Immediate reactions.
"What?" Dax frowned.
"That's it?"
"Yes."
"…We just started," he added.
"And someone almost got hurt," I replied.
That shut him up.
Kairo pushed off the wall.
"…He's right," he said.
Everyone looked at him.
"…That wasn't training anymore," Kairo continued.
"That was a mistake."
Bran clenched his fists.
"…I said I had it."
Kairo walked toward him.
Slowly.
"…No," he said.
Calm.
Serious.
"You didn't."
That hit harder than anything else.
Because Kairo didn't joke.
Didn't smirk.
Didn't laugh.
He meant it.
Bran looked away.
Frustration clear.
"…Tch."
Silence settled again.
But this time—
It wasn't tension.
It was realization.
I looked at them.
All of them.
This—
Was the reality.
Growth wasn't clean.
Wasn't easy.
And definitely—
Wasn't safe.
"…Tomorrow," I said.
They looked at me again.
"…We start again."
No one complained this time.
Not even Dax.
Because now—
They understood.
This wasn't just training.
It was necessary.
I turned slightly.
Walking away.
"…And Bran," I added.
He didn't respond.
"…You're not using fire tomorrow."
That got his attention.
"…What?" he snapped.
"…You're rebuilding control."
"…That's stupid."
"No," I said—
"It's how you improve."
Silence.
Then—
"…Fine," he muttered.
Reluctant.
Frustrated.
But—
Accepting.
That was enough.
For now.
As I walked away—
Something flickered again.
[Instability Detected: Fire Attribute User]
[Suggestion: Intervention Required]
I didn't react.
But this time—
I didn't ignore it either.
Because now—
It wasn't just about getting stronger.
It was about making sure—
No one broke in the process.