The locker room buzzed with a strange mix of triumph and tension.

The victory over Flash FC had shaken the entire Martian dome, but now that the match was over, the real weight of it settled across Titan's Reach like an unseen fog.

Blaze sat on the bench with his elbows on his knees, a towel draped around his shoulders. His breathing was steady, but every inhale made the flame under his skin flicker painfully. The Aura remained quiet, yet extremely present, like a wild animal watching everything with half-lidded eyes.

Jason crouched in front of him, tapping through readings on his tablet. "Your pulse line is unstable," he said quietly. "And your core temperature is still higher than it should be."

Blaze offered a tired smile. "Better than last time."

"Barely."

The coach's voice was calm, but the crease between his brows told another story.

Scarlett tossed her boot into her locker with a thud. "Coach, the dude just saved all our asses. At least let him breathe before you start scolding him."

Aya leaned her head back against the metal wall. "Scarlett, he's breathing enough fire to cook a full dinner. Jason's worried he'll collapse again."

Lionel sat next to Blaze, nudging him gently. "That last kick was insane, man. I felt the heat from halfway across the field."

"Same," Scarlett agreed. "My eyelashes almost burned off."

Blaze chuckled softly, though the movement made a hot ripple shoot through his ribs. "It's not that bad."

Jason raised an eyebrow. "Really? Because half the stadium almost melted."

Scarlett grinned. "Worth it for that shot, though."

Before Blaze could answer, the locker room door slid open and Anastasia stepped inside, still wearing her medical deck headset around her neck. Her eyes scanned the room, searching for him.

When she found him, relief softened her tense features.

She walked over, not quite running but undeniably faster than usual. "You're still warm," she murmured, placing the back of her hand on his forehead without hesitation.

Scarlett smirked. "Aww, look at that."

Anastasia shot her a glare. "Shut up."

Blaze swallowed. The warmth of her hand mingled with the heat of the Aura in a way that wasn't painful, strangely grounding.

Jason stood. "Alright, everyone. They need Blaze for post-match evaluation in med. Shower first, then follow me."

Scarlett groaned. "More tests? The med unit is obsessed with him."

"Yeah, because he keeps almost dying," Aya muttered.

Blaze stood, towel slipping from his shoulders. "I'm fine. Let's just get it over with."

He wasn't fine. His Aura Flame coiled tightly inside him, restless. He could feel it straining against his ribs, eager for another fight.

But he ignored it… for now.

Med Bay Shadows

Hours later, Blaze lay inside the cylindrical scanner again, eyes closed as pulses of cool blue energy swept over his skin. The device hissed, recorded, computed. Each pass of the scanner made the Aura Flame flash briefly, reacting to the touch of foreign energy.

Anastasia watched from the other side of the glass, arms folded tightly. Every time his flame flickered in pain, her jaw tightened.

Jason spoke with the technician, murmured something about aura compatibility, and nodded.

After what felt like an eternity, the chamber depressurized and opened. Blaze stepped out, steady but clearly drained. Anastasia walked to him, her tone soft but firm.

"You can't keep doing this, Blaze."

"I'm not trying to," he said quietly. "But the fire… it keeps answering the moment the field heats up."

She looked into his eyes, the gold was dimmer but steady. "Then we'll learn to quiet it together. You don't have to figure it out alone."

For a heartbeat, neither looked away.

Jason cleared his throat. "Both of you, come on. We have a team meeting."

Blaze hid a small smile as he followed them out.

Team Bonding — A Night Under the Dome

Titan's Reach rarely gathered for anything outside training, but tonight was different. Jason had ordered every player to meet on the open field beside the stadium, no gear, no drills, just the team.

Scarlett was the first to flop onto the artificial grass. "Finally. A break."

Aya sat cross-legged, scrolling through match replays. "We need to clean up our transition speed. Bolt almost tore our defense open three times."

Lionel lay on his back, staring at the Martian sky. "We won, didn't we? Let's chill for at least ten minutes."

Jason stood at the center of the circle, hands in his pockets. "Relaxation is part of recovery. That match pushed everyone past their limits, not just Blaze."

Scarlett snorted. "Speak for yourself. I'm still gorgeous."

Aya threw her a piece of turf.

Blaze sat down slowly, stretching his right leg. His injury wasn't back, but overexertion left a deep soreness in the bone. Anastasia sat beside him without asking.

Jason looked around at his players, and his voice softened. "You're not the same team you were when this tournament started. You've all grown. Not just in skill… but in trust."

Aya nodded quietly. "We wouldn't have survived Flash FC without each other."

Lionel raised a hand lazily. "We especially wouldn't have survived Blaze nearly nuking half the pitch."

Blaze rolled his eyes. "Thanks."

Scarlett grinned. "Hey, relax. You're our walking flamethrower. A very dramatic one."

Anastasia's voice was calm. "He saved us. That's all."

For a moment, everyone fell silent.

Jason sat down with them. "The finals will push you even harder. The intensity, the pressure, the level of aura usage, it'll be nothing like what you've experienced."

Scarlett leaned back on her elbows. "Who are we facing?"

"They haven't announced it yet," Jason replied. "But both remaining teams are monsters. You'll need each other more than ever."

Aya drew a circle on the turf. "Then we train smarter."

Lionel nodded. "And fight harder."

Scarlett grinned. "And look amazing doing it."

Jason shook his head with amusement. "Tomorrow morning, we begin a new training phase. Fusion drills, pulse-sync passing, aura management and Blaze…"

Blaze looked up.

"…we're starting controlled Flame Compression."

The fire inside Blaze jolted in recognition. He swallowed. "Understood."

Scarlett raised a brow. "Sounds dangerous."

"It is," Jason said simply. "But if Blaze learns to compress the fire without losing control, he'll unlock something we haven't seen before."

Anastasia glanced at Blaze, worry flickering across her face. "Just don't push him too fast."

Jason held her gaze. "I won't."

Training Montage — Fire, Steel, and Rhythm

Morning came fast.

Mars' sun cast an orange glow across Veridion's training grounds as Titan's Reach gathered for drills. Blaze's muscles still throbbed, but the weight in his chest felt lighter.

Jason pointed. "Warm-up lap, all of you. Blaze, pace yourself."

Scarlett sprinted ahead immediately. "Try to keep up!"

Aya rolled her eyes and followed. Lionel jogged with measured steps, conserving energy.

Blaze ran slower, feeling the Aura Flame bounce inside his ribs. It responded to fatigue, to emotion, to pressure. But for once, it didn't flare violently.

Anastasia jogged beside him. "How's the heat?"

"Manageable."

"You're lying."

He smiled. "A little."

She nudged his shoulder gently. "Just remember the breathing technique I showed you."

He did. Inhale slow, picture the flame folding inward, not outward. The Aura steadied.

Later, passing drills began.

Aya fired a sharp pass to Scarlett. Scarlett flicked it behind her back to Lionel. Lionel drove it forward with a controlled burst of Strength Aura.

Blaze stepped in, received the next pass, and instantly felt the fire react, urging him to burst, to accelerate.

Not yet.

He inhaled.

Compressed it.

Controlled it.

And passed with perfect precision.

Jason nodded approvingly.

Minutes turned to hours. Sweat poured. Aura energy lit the field in streaks of blue, green, and orange. Their coordination improved with each drill.

By evening, the team collapsed on the grass again, exhausted but content.

Scarlett groaned. "I can't feel my legs."

Aya lay face-down. "I've lost my soul."

Lionel pointed weakly. "Blaze looks worse."

He didn't, but the tremor in his hands betrayed his fatigue. Anastasia helped him sit up, wiping sweat from his forehead. "You overdid it again."

He laughed softly. "It's progress."

She looked at him for a moment, eyes softening. "Yeah… it is."

Nightfall — Fire and Silence

Later that night, Blaze walked alone across the training field. The red dust floated in the air, illuminated by the soft glow of the dome lights. His body ached, but it was a satisfying ache.

He stopped in the middle, exhaled gently, and closed his eyes.

The Aura Flame rose inside him, steady, warm, almost… calm.

For once, it didn't roar. It didn't rage.

It breathed with him.

Footsteps approached. Anastasia.

"You're not supposed to be out here alone," she said softly.

"I'm not pushing myself. Just… listening."

She stepped beside him, watching the faint orange glow under his skin. "It's quieter now."

"Yeah." Blaze nodded. "I think it's starting to trust me."

"Or you're trusting yourself."

He turned toward her, heart beating harder than it should.

"Thank you," he murmured.

"For what?"

"For staying. Every time."

Her voice softened into a whisper. "I'm not going anywhere, Blaze."

He let the fire settle. Let the quiet linger.

In the silence of the Martian night, with the finals looming on the horizon, Blaze felt something he hadn't felt in a long time:

Balance.

Not complete control.

Not victory.

But balance.

And for the fire inside him… that was enough.

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