The low hum of machinery resonated through the air, evoking a distant rumble like thunder rolling across the horizon. Seraphina led Voltae deeper into her home, down a worn staircase that creaked beneath their feet. They arrived in a vast hall, its ceiling stretching high above them, giving an illusion of grandeur despite the decay that clung to every corner. Dust motes danced in the shafts of light filtering through grimy, high windows, casting a soft glow on the cracked stone walls. The air was thick with the scent of mildew, and remnants of faded tapestries hung limply, their colors dulled over the years.

The floor, once polished wood, was now a patchwork of splintered boards and uneven stones, bearing the scars of time and neglect. Yet, despite its shabbiness, there was a haunting beauty to the hall, as if it held whispers of the past waiting to be rediscovered, a nostalgia that tugged at the heartstrings of those who dared to listen.

Voltae sat cross-legged on the unforgiving cold floor, feeling the gentle thrum of the Blitz Gem embedded in his sword, pulsing in sync with the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. Seraphina, a few paces away, stood with her arms folded, her gaze attentive and unwavering, exuding the calm and patient focus of one who had guided this journey countless times before, a beacon of reassurance in the storm of uncertainty.

"Focus," she said softly. "The Gem isn't a weapon yet. It's a piece of you. Treat it like something that lives inside you. Feel it."

Voltae exhaled slowly and closed his eyes. The air around him shimmered faintly, filled with the scents of wind and metal that permeated the vast, decaying hall. Faint arcs of energy crackled along his arm, illuminating the intricate green lines that had etched themselves into his skin the night Yosei died. Each spark stung, serving as a reminder of everything he had lost and everything he had become.

"It's... unstable," he muttered, grimacing as his fingers trembled. "It doesn't listen to me."

"That's because you're trying to control it, dude," Seraphina said, stepping closer. "You can't command a storm to obey. You learn to move with it, flow with it, and feel where it wants to go, guiding it there." Her voice was calm yet firm, carrying the weight of her wisdom and experience —a voice that understood what power was and what it cost.

Voltae's mind flickered back to Yosei's training. The relentless drills, the man's cold perfectionism, the way he'd praise and punish Voltae in the same breath. The memories stung sharper than any lightning bolt. He chose me, Voltae thought bitterly. Then he left me in the dark.

He gritted his teeth, a mix of determination and fear coursing through him as he felt the pulse of energy throb harder within his chest. The air crackled with tension, and the floor beneath him trembled faintly, as if responding to an unseen force. Green lightning flickered and crawled across the cracked tiles, illuminating the dim room with an eerie glow that danced ominously against the peeling walls. Each surge sent shivers down his spine, amplifying the raw power that filled the space, urging him to confront whatever lay ahead.

"Stop fighting it!" Seraphina shouted, her voice barely cutting through the roar. "Let it move through you, not against you!"

Voltae inhaled sharply and then exhaled slowly, feeling the charge within him build. Lightning surged from his body, a brilliant cascade of energy that danced and flickered in the dimly lit hall. It created intricate patterns in the air—curving shapes like graceful serpents, sharp arcs resembling jagged mountains, and ornate sigils that seemed to pulse with an ancient power. For a brief moment, the entire hall shimmered with a vivid emerald glow, illuminating the stone walls and casting elongated shadows that flickered like whispers. Then, just as swiftly, the radiant illumination vanished, plunging the room back into darkness and leaving only the sound of Voltae's ragged breathing, heavy with the lingering echoes of his unleashed fury.

He slumped forward, palms smoking against the floorboards. "That... that felt like dying," he muttered.

"Shit," Seraphina chuckled, her voice filled with joy. "This is definitely better than actually dying—it's progress! It seems like the Blitz Gem responds to emotions, and since yours are especially intense right now, I think that's why it's reacting. We need to cultivate those feelings and process them. Let's also see if positive emotions can have the same effect."

Voltae didn't share in her excitement. It was understandable, though; he had just lost someone significant to him. He wasn't ready to confront those feelings, yet now he was forced to do so to control this useless Gem he didn't want.

Seraphina walked over to him, knelt beside him, and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Hey," she said, using her softest voice yet. "Don't worry, Voltae. We'll take it slow. We don't need you to be ready right away. Okay? Just relax."

Voltae appreciated this, preferring Seraphina's attitude over Akko's. The young boy wiped away a small tear from his eye and nodded as Seraphina helped him to stand up. He took a small breath and calmed himself. "So, I have to... feel it all?"

"Exactly," she said, her voice steady, yet laced with excitement. "Let me explain something to you. You are now something called a 'Star'. I know, it sounds a little underwhelming at first." Seraphina leaned in closer, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. "But here's the thing: the Stars have existed for over 8,000 years. Thanks to our ancestors, who were meticulous record keepers, we have documented evidence of their origins and evolution. In fact—"

As she spoke, Seraphina placed her hand on her chest, and an ethereal glow enveloped her. The light intensified, revealing an intricate tattoo that materialized on her right arm, depicting flourishing vines entwined with delicate blossoms. Above her heart, a stunning emerald-pink crystal took shape, reminiscent of a lotus flower unfurling in the morning sun. With a playful wink directed at Voltae, she added, "I'm one of them too. I am the Blooming Star, bonded to one of the first Gems ever forged: the Flora Gem." The air around them shimmered with a palpable energy, as if acknowledging the significance of her revelation.

Voltae stood frozen, his mind swirling with questions as he stared at Seraphina. The unmistakable glow of her Gem caught the light, shimmering with a vibrant intensity that seemed to pulse in time with his own heartbeat. This was how she knew so much about his powers. It was as if they meant to meet, intricately connected in ways he had yet to understand.

Or maybe Akko just knew that Seraphina would be better suited for this job. Voltae had to assume that the man was right.

As he absentmindedly tapped his chin, a thought struck him—a question that bubbled to the surface before he could suppress it. "Why is your Gem embedded in your chest?" The moment the words escaped his lips, he felt a twinge of regret, a rush of embarrassment washing over him. He quickly brought his hand to his mouth, stammering an apology, but Seraphina merely laughed, a melodious sound that echoed gently in the quiet space around them.

“Relax, Voltae. You’re fine," she chirped, her eyes twinkling with amusement. With a delicate gesture, her Gem receded into the center of her chest, its brilliance fading slightly but still leaving a warm glow that seemed to resonate from her very being. “To tell you the truth, we understand many details about the Stars, but not everything. You see,” she continued, her voice taking on a more contemplative tone, “all of my previous Blooming Stars, those who wielded the Flora Gem before me, had it embedded right here.” She gestured to her heart, a hint of nostalgia in her gaze. “I like to think this is because my Gem was among the first to arrive on Eaturn, but…” She shrugged lightly, the motion both casual and filled with the weight of mystery. “Honestly, I have no idea.”

The enigmatic nature of her words lingered in the air between them, weaving a thread of curiosity and intrigue around Voltae’s thoughts as he pondered the depths of her experiences and the history they shared.

"Regardless," Seraphina's voice cut through Voltae's reverie like a clear bell, jolting him back to the present. "My point is that we possess an extensive understanding of nearly every Star in existence." She paused, her eyes gleaming with a mix of determination and warmth. "Unfortunately, only four of us remain: the Ripple Star, embodied by Akko; the Burning Star, who is none other than Orion; the Blooming Star, which is me; and you, Voltae?" With a gentle tap on his forehead, she offered him a radiant smile. "You are the Dragon Star, adorned with the Blitz Gem."

Voltae's gaze flickered down to the gem embedded in his weapon, a mesmerizing swirl of radiant greens that sparkled like the light filtering through forest leaves. The intricate outline of a dragon, its scales finely etched, adorned the surface of his left hand, hinting at the deep bond between him and the ancient Gem. Each facet of the gem seemed to shimmer with an inner light, casting an ethereal glow that danced across his fingers, illuminating the determination in his eyes.

The Nodachi, a masterfully crafted blade gifted to him by his mentor Yosei, cradled this powerful Gem—a beautiful yet haunting reminder of the cost it bore. The weight of the duality pressed down on him, a tumultuous storm of emotions swirling within, as thoughts of his master’s sacrifice tangled with his role in the cosmic order.

"Stars are born from chaos, Voltae," Seraphina continued after a moment of silence, allowing everything to truly sink in. "From what I can understand, the Consortium is after us because they believe we are weapons. They want to tune us, control us, and dissect us. Each Gem carries something ancient—something alive."

She walked over to the far wall, brushing her hand against a faded mural. Although the paint had long since peeled, the faint outlines of celestial symbols still glimmered. "There were once twelve Stars," she murmured. "Now the rest are... gone. Captured, killed, or absorbed by the Consortium's experiments."

Voltae looked up, his eyes narrowing. "Absorbed? What do you mean?"

Seraphina nodded grimly. "The Consortium of Skytowers doesn't just study us; they harvest us. They've built entire reactors powered by stolen Gem cores. Every tower in Yebbao is fed by a Star's energy. Every light, every machine, every hovercar—it's all built on our kind."

He froze, horror settling in. "So they're using us to power their city?"

"Exactly. That's why they'll never stop hunting us. If we had left you out there, as I said, they would have abducted you. Now that you've awakened to your power, they'll never stop pursuing you." She paused, then added, "You awakened your Gem without their interference. You're an anomaly because you awakened to the Blitz Gem naturally. They can't control that, and anomalies scare them."

Voltae's fists tightened. The dragon on his arm flared green, brighter and hotter than ever. "Let them come. I'll show them what a real anomaly looks like."

Seraphina's lips curved faintly, half-amused, half proud. "Good. You'll fit right in."

She walked over to the window, gazing out at the snowy sprawl of Yebbao beyond. The neon skyline pulsed in the distance -- beautiful, but cold, glimmering like a shard of ice. "You're going to have to leave this place soon," she said quietly. "Once the Consortium realizes Akko's little stunt, they'll come searching. And when they do, we'll need to move fast."

Voltae pushed himself to his feet, still trembling but standing firm. "Then teach me. Whatever it takes. I'll learn to control it. To fight."

Seraphina turned to him, her eyes reflecting the faint light of his Gem. "I will. But understand this, Voltae -- control isn't about power. It's about purpose. Every Star burns for something. You'll find out what those things are soon enough." She smiled faintly, allowing his mind to wander.

Voltae's voice was low, but steady. "And will I be able to find purpose too?"

She studied him for a moment, then said, "You fight because you were betrayed. Because you want to prove you were just as amazing as Yosei. You won't be become just as amazing as Yosei, Voltae. You'll become better."

He met her gaze, silent for a long moment, then nodded slowly. "Then let's do it. I'm ready to let my storm rage until I learn how to shape it."

Outside, jagged streaks of lightning illuminated the sprawling cityscape, momentarily casting the streets into stark relief. The neon signs buzzed and flickered erratically, fighting against the encroaching darkness. Somewhere in the distance, deep within the labyrinthine towers of Yebbao, the Consortium's state-of-the-art sensors detected a surge—a pulse of energy from an unregistered Gem signature—a phenomenon not recorded in years.

High above the skyline, nestled within the highest tower, a dozen faceless figures clad in dark, hooded garments turned their attention toward the bleak expanse of the snowy slums below. Their unreadable visages betrayed no emotion, yet a palpable tension hung in the air as they processed the unexpected anomaly, their minds racing with the implications of this long-dormant power reawakening in their domain.

"He's awake."