Castor watched Mira studiously as she let her rage out against a training dummy hung from the ceiling. Its body was already scorched and scarred with black dents and scratches. Castor stepped up to her and held the dummy still with his arm. Mira broke her strike just as it was about to connect with the dummy’s body.

“Say, word did get out, Mira,” Castor proposed.

“What?!” Mira scowled.

“If it did, how would that make you feel?” He dropped the dummy and motioned for her to look towards him. “And I told them.” 

Mira shook her head. Not striking just yet.

“Hit me, Mira,” Castor commanded. “I told them what you did.” 

She launched a strike at his chest. 

He barely had time to deflect it and bounced a few meters back in the air. 

Mira kept her flames alight. “Wh–,” she started as if to argue.

“Keep that anger in your fists,” Castor replied. He flew back up to her. “Show me more.”

*BREAK*

Atlas floated up to the bedroom door. His yellow light flickering behind him. He docked and pulled the door open, noticing the presence of both Stephen and Yue as he did. “Hey guys,” Atlas greeted, entering the room.

“You got a letter,” Stephen replied, holding up an inscription tablet. There was a look of disappointment on Stephen’s face, and he shook his head.

“Wait, what’s it say?” he asked, running up to Stephen. He grabbed it from him, frantically looking up and down the blue holographic screen presented. He read the address. It was a letter from the Helyx directors. His heart dropped.

“Shit, does this say what I think it does?” he questioned, disappointment already strewn on his face. He saw Stephen turn to Yue with a subtle grin on his face.

“Don’t mess with me,” Atlas replied.

“Just read the letter, Atlas,” Yue said. 

Atlas took a deep breath and scrolled down the tablet. “Congratulations… after thorough consideration, you’ve been accepted to the Helyx Core Energy program! Your—” He stopped there. “I'm in! Guys, I'm in!” 

“We’re happy for you,” Yue smiled.

“Yeah, congrats, man,” Stephen said.

“Do you know what this means?” Atlas questioned. “I don’t have to fight,” 

Stephen got up and grabbed him in for a hug, squeezing him tight. “We knew you could do it,” he grinned. 

Atlas’s eyes grew watery. 

*BREAK*

Mira had left the unscheduled practice with Castor. It was late now. The lights had been dimmed in the building and the skylights tinted. 

Admittedly, she felt much better after her clash with Castor, even if he had informed her afterwards that he had not told anyone anything about the incident. 

She floated through the halls, back towards her dorm room, before her eyes fell on the infirmary. She stopped for a moment. The guilt held onto her, and she drifted towards the door. She motioned her hand to open the door, and it happened to be unlocked. Cracking the door open, she slipped herself inside. 

It was dark except for a few dim blue lights in the back of the room. Several curtained rooms were against the walls. 

Mira lit a finger, illuminating the infirmary in a purple glow. Most of the curtains were open, revealing empty hospital beds. She approached one of the few closed ones and lifted the sign that hung from the curtain rod. Sola, the plastic card read. 

Mira wrapped her fingers around the fabric and began to inch it to the side. Peeking in, she could see Sola. She was strapped to the hospital bed so as not to float away, bandages wrapped around her stomach and upper arms.

Mira felt her heart flutter, a pit building in her chest. She did this to her; she hurt her. She clenched her fists and let the flame on her finger die, shrouding the room in darkness again.

“No,” she whispered to herself. "You have to be strong.” After uttering those words, she closed the curtain and left the room.