Kael stepped into the training chamber in silence.
The stone floor was cold beneath his feet, but inside, a fire was building.
Today was the day.
The day he would reach the second stage.
His heart pulsed with anticipation, beating a rhythm of raw excitement, but he forced himself to breathe, to still it. Haste had no place in what was coming.
He began slowly, methodically, his warm-up wasn't mere routine.
With a breath, he shifted his weight and flipped upside down, balancing perfectly on his hands as he performed slow, deliberate push-ups. Muscles strained, controlled, as veins throbbed along his arms.
He had activated the stolen strength bloodline, allowing it to flood his limbs with temporary might.
Truth be told, he didn't need it. Not anymore.
His body had already undergone a remarkable transformation in recent days.
But this wasn't about what he could or couldn't do, it was about rooting the power deeper into his being, forging a permanent bond with what he'd stolen.
