The stadium lights dimmed, leaving only the soft hum of the evening wind over the training pitch. Blaze sat on the turf, one knee propped against his chest, the other leg extended with the tight sting of fatigue radiating from his right leg. His aura, a swirling crimson flame, danced violently around him, reacting to the echoes of his own heartbeat. Every breath felt thick, like inhaling molten iron, yet he didn't dare move too quickly. The last match had left him bruised, exhausted, and on the brink of burning through his abilities.
Diego knelt beside him, wiping sweat from his brow with a towel and shooting him a lopsided grin. "You're pushing too hard again. Cosmic Telepathy doesn't need to fry your brain, and Elemental Speed doesn't need to turn your legs into pistons of fire every time you sprint."
Blaze let out a low laugh, one that was more frustration than humor. "I can't afford to hold back. Not now… not with the side tournament looming."
