Chapter Title: Days 5 to 7 – Forged in Flame
Day 5 – The Fire Within
The sun rose slowly over the Aravalli hills, casting a golden hue across the training facility. But the peace outside did not reflect what was happening inside the trainees' dorms. A new phase of training was about to begin—and the tension in the air was thick.
Shrey sat on the edge of his bunk, still reflecting on the raw energy he had witnessed between Yash and Kabir days ago. He touched his chest lightly, remembering how he had instinctively flared with K-Energy when Kabir had lost control.
"This is just the beginning," he muttered to himself.
The morning drill bell rang loud and sharp.
As everyone lined up in the courtyard, Captain Jacks stepped forward, dressed in a black sleeveless coat that made his muscular build even more intimidating.
"Today, we train with adversity. Fire, pain, and instinct," he bellowed. "Because none of you will survive what's coming if you don't learn to master chaos."
Behind him, Adi walked up, holding two curved fire-staffs that pulsed with red-hot energy. Her calm demeanor only made her aura more fearsome.
"Each of you will undergo a trial by flame," she said. "In a sealed chamber, one by one. You'll be tested not just physically—but emotionally."
Chibi Moment #1: Mayra whispered to Maya:
"If my eyebrows get singed, I'm blaming you."
Maya smirked.
"Girl, your eyebrows need training too."
The trial chamber was intense. Each trainee was placed alone in a circular room heated to a blazing 50°C. Flames periodically burst from the walls while illusory bee creatures—crafted by Okashun's tech—attacked.
Shrey was third to go. As he stood inside, shirt soaked in sweat, he remembered the night everything changed—the scream of his parents, the buzzing in the sky.
The illusion triggered a panic response, but he dug deep. His K-Energy burst outward like a second skin, golden flames cloaking him.
"Not again," he growled. "I won't be helpless again!"
He slammed his fists forward, blasting through the illusory bees. The flames responded—not with violence, but with control. He'd passed.
Back outside, Kim nodded from a distance, noting Shrey's ability to center himself.
Yash followed, fierce and focused. Kabir, surprisingly, failed—his K-Energy went wild, and Adi had to douse the chamber.
"He's still too angry," Kim observed.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, the trainees gathered for a rare evening meal together. Mayra recorded a quick vlog update on their progress while Adi roasted marshmallows using her finger flames—because why not?
Chibi Moment #2: Zaid roasted his marshmallow too close and set his hair on fire.
"AHHHHHHHHHH!"
Kim sighed and sprayed water from his palm.
"Beginner mistake."
Day 6 – Mental Warfare
The sixth day began not with drills, but silence.
"Mind training," Mr. Okashun announced. "Sit. Breathe. Now listen."
Using advanced SCP neuro-tech, Okashun linked each trainee to a shared mental simulation—forcing them to relive and solve real SCP containment anomalies. Maya found herself in a collapsing containment room. Rohan had to negotiate with an SCP that mimicked human memories. Shrey was trapped in an illusion that mimicked his old home, with his parents calling out.
"Shrey beta… help us…"
But he knew. It was fake.
"You're not real!" he shouted, activating his K-Energy. "I'll save the real world, not this lie!"
The illusion shattered.
Okashun pulled back the simulation link.
"Very good," he said, nodding to Shrey. "You separated memory from manipulation."
Later that afternoon, Captain Jacks introduced K-Energy focus drills. The trainees were to move blindfolded through a field of swinging pendulums using only their energy to sense the path.
Yash, surprisingly, excelled. His control had improved since the fight.
"He's channeling guilt into growth," Kim commented quietly.
Kabir, again, struggled.
After the session, Maya approached Shrey near the edge of the field, both panting from the exhausting drills.
"You kept your cool in that fire chamber. You're changing," she said softly.
"We all are," Shrey replied, glancing back at the others. "One fight at a time."
Chibi Moment #3: Isha tried to sense a pendulum with her K-Energy… and walked straight into it.
> "Oof!"
Rohan called out:
"Maybe K-Energy needs glasses?"
---
Day 7 – The Wall
By the seventh day, fatigue was beginning to show.
That morning, Captain Jacks brought the squad to the facility's Wall of Will—a vertical cliff with no visible holds. The task: reach the top using only K-Energy manipulation.
Kim stood at the summit, arms crossed.
"This wall doesn't just test power. It tests will."
Zaid attempted first, launching himself using repulsion energy—but faltered halfway, crashing into a net.
Maya used focused bursts to leap upward, her eyes glowing faintly violet. She reached 70% before a blast of wind from the summit knocked her down.
Shrey stood at the base, breathing deeply.
"Don't think. Just feel."
He visualized each step, imagining his K-Energy forming beneath his feet like solid platforms. Step by step, pulse by pulse, he rose. Every ten meters, the pressure increased—but so did his resolve.
By the time he reached the top, sweat dripped from his chin, and his muscles screamed—but he made it.
Kim gave a rare smile.
"Good. You climbed without burning out."
Below, Yash stared up, jaw clenched.
Kabir watched too—but for once, said nothing.
That night, the squad dined around a campfire lit by Adi, who finally spoke more openly.
"You all think K-Energy is about fighting. But what we're building here—it's something bigger. It's about standing when no one else can."
Everyone listened in silence.
Chibi Moment #4: Mayra filmed a "K-Energy Glow-Up" slow-motion video of Shrey climbing the wall and added dramatic music.
Maya snatched her phone.
"Delete that before I send bees after you."
End of Chapter: Days 5 to 7 – Forged in Flame