Budding Crystal

Ty's gaze was fixed on his hands, a mixture of astonishment and pain flickering in his eyes as he felt the sting from the brief ignition of flames, despite the black stone still binding his arms. The old man, observing this display, couldn't hide his shock but soon regained his composure.

"So you still can use your powers, huh?" the old man remarked, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "Doesn't look like much though, if I say so myself. Maybe that's why they were able to capture you so easily." He let out a soft chuckle, adding a layer of irony to the situation.

As the flames faded and Ty's focus wavered, he turned towards the old man, a defensive edge to his voice. "Well, I was only captured because I was caught off guard with some sleep bomb," he explained.

"That's a slow-moving gas, though," the man responded, his tone laced with confusion. "Even the most mid-level fighters could avoid that."