At last, the first week of training had ended.
While Hiruzen and his team began advancing into the next phase of their training, our focus shifts to Mrs. Zinc and her group of students.
Inside the second training room, the air shimmered with residual energy from previous drills. Kai and Owen stood across from each other in the center of the arena while Willow and Mrs. Zinc observed from the sidelines.
Kai rolled his shoulders, flames flickering faintly along his forearms.
Kai: C’mon, Owen. Is that all you’ve got?
Owen smirked, sand beginning to swirl around his boots.
Owen: Oh, I’m just getting started.
Without warning, Owen thrust both hands forward. A concentrated stream of sand blasted toward Kai like a compressed river.
Kai twisted sharply to the side, the sand grazing past him. Flames roared to life around his fist, coiling tightly as he launched a massive flaming punch straight at Owen.
Owen: Sand Wall!
He stomped his foot down hard.
A thick wall of compacted sand erupted upward just as the flaming fist collided with it.
BOOM.
Fire met earth.
A violent cloud of dust and steam exploded outward, swallowing the training room in a dense haze.
Kai didn’t hesitate.
He burst through the smoke like a missile, flames trailing behind him, and drove his fist into Owen’s face.
Owen skidded backward across the floor, boots scraping.
But Kai was already moving again.
He boosted forward, vanished in a blur of heat, and appeared behind Owen. A second punch launched Owen upward into the air.
Kai rocketed skyward after him, flames screaming beneath his feet.
He pulled his arm back, ready to spike Owen down—
—but Owen dissolved into a swirling cloud of sand midair.
The cloud expanded, lifting him away.
Kai: Hey! Get back here!
Owen: (laughing) No way! You’re gonna have to catch me!
Kai scowled.
The two darted through the air in tight arcs, clashing again and again—fire flashing against sand, shockwaves rippling through the training chamber.
Then Kai’s flames intensified.
A sudden surge.
A violent burst of speed.
He intercepted Owen mid-flight, grabbed him, and drove him down into the ground.
CRASH.
The floor cracked on impact.
Kai stood over him, breathing heavily but grinning.
Kai: Heh. Got you.
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Mrs. Zinc’s voice cut through the air.
Mrs. Zinc: That’s enough.
The flames died down.
Kai extended a hand.
Kai: You good?
Owen winced but accepted the help.
Owen: Yeah… just didn’t expect to hit the ground that hard.
Mrs. Zinc crossed her arms.
Mrs. Zinc: Kai. Owen. You two head to the obstacle course and run some drills for the rest of the day
Kai and Owen: Yes, Ma’am.
They jogged out of the training room.
Silence settled.
Willow stepped forward, small compared to the scale of the arena, and stood beside Mrs. Zinc.
Mrs. Zinc turned toward her slowly.
Mrs. Zinc: For the past week, I’ve allowed you to observe while your body recovered from your previous injuries. That period of grace is over.
Mrs. Zinc: I’ll ask once. Are you ready?
Willow swallowed.
Willow: Yes, Ma’am.
Mrs. Zinc’s eyes sharpened.
Mrs. Zinc: After reviewing your combat footage, I’ve noticed something. You fight reactively. You wait for direction. You follow others plans. You don’t lead. You don’t assert. You hesitate.
Willow’s fingers curled at her sides.
Willow: But Ma’am, I’m just not good at—
Mrs. Zinc cut her off instantly.
Mrs. Zinc: Not good at what? Thinking? Acting? Deciding? Which is it?
Willow’s gaze dropped to the floor. Her voice trembled.
Willow: I was raised to believe kindness solves everything. My family believes in a sort of higher force—if we spread good, we’ll be protected. I was taught never to use my powers to hurt anyone.
Mrs. Zinc said nothing.
Willow’s breathing grew uneven.
Willow: When I was little… My sister and I were cornered by men in suits. She begged them to let us go. She said hurting us wouldn’t solve anything.
Her hands began shaking.
Willow: They shot her.
Her voice cracked.
Willow: The bullet hit her spine. And now…she can’t walk anymore.
Tears began flowing down her face
Willow: I wanted to do something. I wanted to fight. I wanted to hurt them. But I couldn’t move. I was too scared. And because of that… My sister can’t walk. Fighting just isn’t in my blood.
Mrs. Zinc studied her carefully.
Mrs. Zinc: And yet… I saw you fight Caitlyn. I saw you stand against Franklin. You held your ground.
Willow blinked through tears.
Mrs. Zinc: So tell me. Why did you fight then?
Willow’s voice steadied slightly.
Willow: Because Caitlyn was in danger. I couldn’t go with Hiruzen’s group. My job was to support Reito. If I failed… more people would get hurt.
Her fists clenched.
Willow: I can’t accept that.
Mrs. Zinc stepped forward and gently wiped the tears from Willow’s face.
Mrs. Zinc: There it is.
Willow looked up.
Mrs. Zinc: You may think fighting isn’t in your blood. But protecting people most certainly is. And protecting those you care about requires strength.
She placed a hand over Willow’s heart.
Mrs. Zinc: You are not weak. You are a flower waiting to bloom. When the time comes the sun will shine brighter than it ever did before and you will bloom into the most beautiful flower this world has ever seen
Willow inhaled deeply.
Willow: Mrs. Zinc. I will… I’ll get stronger. Strong enough to protect everyone. I promise I won’t become a burden to everyone. I'll stand on my own two feet and protect them
Mrs. Zinc smiled faintly.
Mrs. Zinc: Good. Then let’s begin.
She tapped her holographic tablet.
The room shifted instantly.
Metal floors dissolved into dense jungle terrain. Humid air replaced sterile atmosphere. Massive trees erupted upward, vines crawling across ancient stone ruins. The entire biome pulsed with organic life.
Mrs. Zinc: Today we train your ability to multitask.
Willow stepped into the jungle environment.
She knelt and placed her palms against the soil.
Roots stirred.
Vines slithered upward.
Her body fused with the ecosystem, senses spreading outward like invisible threads. She felt the humidity. The insects. The vibration of leaves. The tension in bark fibers.
The jungle became her nervous system.
Mrs. Zinc summoned five combat dummies, each appearing at separate coordinates.
Mrs. Zinc: Task A: Bind the first dummy. It will move unpredictably.
Task B: Stabilize the soil. The system will send shockwaves through the ground at random intervals.
Willow nodded.
Willow: Yes, Ma’am.
A vine rose beside her like a coiled serpent awaiting command.
The first dummy erupted into motion—zig-zagging at sonic speed through dense foliage.
Willow lashed the vine forward—
—but her weight shifted slightly.
Willow: What!?
The ground beneath her was destabilizing.
The roots tightened too quickly.
The soil hardened unevenly.
She nearly lost balance.
The vine missed.
Mrs. Zinc’s voice rang out.
Mrs. Zinc: Focus!
Willow inhaled.
She sent dozens of roots downward, spreading wide beneath the jungle floor. They interlocked, distributing pressure evenly.
The ground stabilized.
Her breathing slowed.
This time she didn’t chase the dummy visually.
She listened.
Every footstep it made sent vibrations through the soil. The plants whispered its trajectory to her.
Willow: Wait for it…
The dummy leapt from tree to tree.
Willow’s eyes snapped open.
Willow: NOW.
Ten vines shot through the jungle simultaneously—fluid, precise, synchronized.
They wrapped around the dummy mid-air, coiling tightly and restraining it completely.
The dummy crashed to the ground, immobilized.
Willow stared in disbelief.
Willow: I… I did it.
Mrs. Zinc clapped once.
Mrs. Zinc: Good.
Willow turned, excitement flickering in her eyes.
Mrs. Zinc: That was step one.
The jungle floor began trembling again.
Mrs. Zinc: Now we increase the pressure.
Willow steadied herself.
Willow: I’m ready.
Mrs. Zinc’s eyes sharpened.
Mrs. Zinc: Then let’s continue
End Chapter
