Theo's POV
The field didn't feel the same anymore.
Not after yesterday.
Not after they saw it.
Speed.
Real speed.
Not just movement—
Impact.
Commitment.
Control under pressure.
Now—
They were waiting.
Not just to watch.
But to understand.
"…Again?" Dax asked, stretching his arms.
"…Please don't say we're getting kicked at that speed," he added.
"You might," Kairo said casually.
"…That's not funny."
"It is."
Lyra rolled her eyes.
"…Focus."
Mira stood quietly.
Ronan beside her.
Selene slightly behind.
Bran—
Closer than before.
Watching.
Carefully.
Good.
That meant—
He was ready.
I stepped forward.
"…Today is different," I said.
That got their attention.
"…Different how?" Mira asked softly.
"…You're not just watching."
Dax frowned.
"…Don't like where this is going."
"…You're part of it."
Silence.
Then—
Kairo grinned.
"…Oh."
"…Now this is interesting."
I ignored him.
For now.
Water gathered in my hand.
Then spread outward—
Not behind me—
But behind Kairo.
Five circles formed instantly.
Thin.
Wide.
Floating.
All at once.
Stable.
Compressed.
Waiting.
The reaction was immediate.
"…Wait," Dax said.
"…Those aren't for you."
"No," I said.
"They're not."
Kairo glanced back slightly.
Then forward again.
"…You're serious?" he asked.
"…Yes."
"…You're boosting me?"
"…Yes."
He laughed.
Not surprised.
Not hesitant.
Excited.
"…Yeah," Kairo said.
"…We're doing this."
Lightning sparked around him.
Sharper than usual.
Focused.
Contained.
Not a single stray arc.
Good.
That meant—
He was treating this seriously.
"…Tell me when," Kairo said.
"…Don't rush," I replied.
"…Timing matters."
"…Got it."
He adjusted his stance.
Lower.
More balanced.
Ready to move.
Ready to launch.
The others stepped further back.
Instinctively.
They felt it.
The difference.
Selene's eyes narrowed.
"…He's not controlling the direction," she said quietly.
"…Theo is controlling the acceleration."
Lyra nodded.
"…So if the timing is off—"
"…The whole attack fails," Ronan finished.
"…Exactly."
Mira looked between us.
"…That's dangerous."
"…Yes."
Kairo cracked his neck slightly.
"…Then don't mess up," he said.
"…I won't."
Silence.
Then—
"…Now."
Kairo moved instantly.
CRACK—
Lightning burst beneath his feet.
He dashed forward—
Fast—
Then jumped.
Perfect height.
Perfect angle.
Perfect timing.
Right into position.
That was all I needed.
I activated it.
All five circles—
Compressed—
At once.
BOOM—
The air shattered.
No delay.
No buildup.
Just—
Release.
Kairo—
Vanished.
Not fast—
Gone.
The ground cracked where he launched.
Air split from the pressure.
Lightning exploded forward—
Amplified.
Enhanced.
Combined with water pressure.
Water formed around his legs—
Boots.
Reinforced.
Stabilized.
Built for impact.
"…What—" Dax started—
Too late.
Kairo had already reached the target. IMPACT
The dummy didn't break.
It disappeared.
Completely destroyed.
Fragments scattered across the field—
Some embedded into the ground.
Some thrown into the air.
Silence followed.
Heavy.
Real.
Because no one—
Expected that level of force.
Kairo landed.
Boots shattered instantly.
Water dispersed.
Lightning faded.
He stood there—
Still.
Then—
He exhaled.
"…Again," he said.
Dax blinked.
"…That's it?"
"…That's your reaction?"
Kairo turned slightly.
"…That was clean," he said.
"…Too clean."
"…We're doing that again."
I stepped forward.
"…You felt it," I said.
"…Yeah," Kairo replied.
"…No delay."
"…No hesitation."
"…Just launch."
"…Exactly."
Lyra stepped forward slightly.
"…That wasn't just speed," she said.
"…That was forced acceleration."
Selene nodded.
"…External control."
"…You're not just boosting him," she added.
"…You're deciding when the speed happens."
"…Correct."
Mira looked impressed.
"…So he doesn't have to think about it?"
"…No," I said.
"He just commits."
"…That's insane," Dax muttered.
"…It's efficient," I replied.
Bran stepped forward.
Closer now.
Eyes locked on the destroyed dummy.
Then on me.
"…Use it on me," he said.
Silence.
Immediate.
Dax frowned.
"…You sure about that?"
"…Yeah."
"…You couldn't control your fire yesterday."
"…I can now," Bran snapped.
But—
Not angry.
Focused.
Different.
I watched him.
Carefully.
Then nodded.
"…Get ready."
He stepped forward.
Fire ignited in his hand—
Small.
Controlled.
Contained.
No flare.
No surge.
Good.
That was already progress.
I formed the circles again.
Behind him.
Stable.
Ready.
"…Wait for it," I said.
"…I will."
Bran lowered his stance.
Prepared.
Focused.
Waiting.
"…Now."
He moved.
Jumped—
Right into position.
Perfect.
I activated it.
BOOM—
Bran launched forward.
Faster than before—
But not like Kairo.
Different.
His body tensed—
Fire reacting instinctively—
Trying to surge.
Trying to expand.
Trying to take over.
"…Control it," I said.
"…I am," he replied.
His voice tight.
Focused.
Fighting it.
Holding it.
Not letting it explode.
Not letting it spread.
Just—
Containing it.
Then—
IMPACT
The dummy exploded.
Fire burst outward—
But stopped.
Contained.
Held within a small radius.
No wild spread.
No loss of control.
Just—
Power.
Directed.
Focused.
Bran landed.
Boots shattered.
Fire faded.
Silence.
Then—
"…I did it," he said quietly.
Not loud.
Not proud.
Just—
Real.
Mira smiled slightly.
"…You did."
Dax nodded.
"…Yeah… that didn't explode everywhere."
"…Improvement," Lyra added.
Selene watched him.
"…Control under pressure," she said.
"…That's what matters."
Kairo walked back over.
"…Not bad," he said.
"…You didn't mess it up."
"…Shut up," Bran muttered.
But—
There was no anger in it.
Just—
Relief.
I stepped back.
Looking at all of them.
Because now—
They understood something new.
Not just their own strength—
But how it could connect.
How it could combine.
"…This isn't just my ability," I said.
Silence.
"…It's ours."
That changed everything.
"…Team acceleration," Selene said quietly.
"…Coordinated attacks," Lyra added.
"…We can hit faster than anyone," Dax said.
"…If we time it right," Ronan added.
Mira nodded.
"…We just need to trust each other."
That—
Was the hardest part.
Kairo grinned.
"…Trust is easy," he said.
"…Timing is hard."
"…We'll train both," I replied.
He laughed.
"…Yeah," he said.
"…This is going to be fun."
I looked at them again.
All of them.
Different strengths.
Different weaknesses.
But now—
A shared direction.
Because this—
Was no longer individual growth.
This was something else.
Something bigger.
A system.
A team.
And for the first time—
Class D wasn't just surviving.
They were evolving.