One month passed like the slow ripple of a deep, silent lake.
And in that time, Rudra and Iris transformed—not just in power, but in how they stood, how they breathed, how they moved through the world.
Their bones no longer ached with weakness. Their muscles no longer trembled under their own weight. The fire and water of their beings, once wild and reckless, now flowed with purpose.
—
Underneath the roaring waterfall outside of the castle, Rudra stood shirtless as the waves of rushing water hammered onto his shoulders.
He had been training nonstop after waking up from the trial. Trying to get used to his strength and his elemental prowess.
Steam rose in faint tendrils where his skin met the icy cascade—his internal fire Ki constantly flowing in his veins, burning softly beneath the surface.
His breath was slow.
Measured.
Every inhale filled his lungs with burning air. Every exhale released the heat in controlled spirals that coiled like snakes around his arms.
