The academy's underground training bay was silent—the kind of silence that meant something was about to break.
Kairo stood in the center of the circular arena, every inch of his body coiled with tension. He couldn't afford to lose control this time.
The cold metal beneath his feet hummed, subtle vibrations from the generators below signaling the activation of the Dread Class Combat Simulation—a level far above what any cadet should be facing. The walls around him were dark obsidian, reinforced with layers of kinetic-dampening alloys.
Just in case.
Arthur Blackwood stood outside the field's perimeter, arms crossed. His expression unreadable. He wasn't here to train Kairo. He was here to see if Kairo was still human.
"Last time, your mech moved before you did," Arthur had told him. "Let's see if you can do it on command."
A chime echoed.
A holographic countdown flickered to life above the arena.
3…
Six combat drones powered up in unison. Their sleek, humanoid frames gleamed under the artificial light, their heads pivoting toward Kairo with machine-like precision.
They were unarmed. They didn't need weapons.
2…
Kairo exhaled. He rolled his shoulders, his muscles tight. This time, I control it.
1…
The drones attacked.
The first strike came fast—too fast. A blur of silver lashed out from his left. Kairo twisted, sidestepping by inches, his mind already anticipating the second attack. Too slow.
A shockwave of heat pulsed inside his veins. His instincts screamed to let go, to unleash, to burn.
Not yet.
He forced himself to react his way—duck, weave, plant his foot, counter. He was faster than a normal human, but the drones weren't human. Their calculations adjusted instantly, closing the gap—
A hit connected.
Kairo's ribs compressed under the impact. He staggered, gasping, the burning inside him swelling like a tidal wave.
No. Not yet. Not yet.
A second drone lunged. He barely managed to dodge, his balance off. The moment stretched.
And then—
Something inside him snapped.
---
3 Seconds Later
The world exploded in heat.
By the time Kairo realized what had happened, the drones were gone.
Not disabled. Not neutralized. Gone.
Shattered debris rained across the bay. The walls were cratered with fist-sized impact holes, where metal fragments had embedded like shrapnel.
The floor beneath him was scorched black—but not randomly.
The burn marks spread outward in the unmistakable shape of a Phoenix's wingspan.
The training room was dead silent.
Kairo's breath came in ragged gasps. The fire inside him was already fading, but something deeper had just stretched awake.
He looked down at his hands. They weren't burned. But the air around him shimmered like heat rising off a desert road.
Arthur stepped forward slowly. Like he was approaching something unstable.
"That," he said, voice steady, "was not control."
Kairo wanted to argue. He wanted to say it wasn't his fault. That he tried.
But he couldn't.
Because the truth was—it wasn't an accident.
The Phoenix Gene didn't take over.
It answered.
His fingers curled into fists. "I—I didn't mean to."
Arthur didn't soften. Didn't offer comfort.
"I know."
And that was the problem