Just finished sparring with Captain Valerius. He challenged me to a match without using my elemental abilities—just pure technique. It was exhilarating. For the first time in weeks, my mind wasn't fixated on vengeance; it was simply... present. Every grapple, every counter, felt like a dance we both knew by heart. I even managed to pin him with a modified version of the 'Viper's Embrace' I've been developing. He smiled as he tapped out. A rare sight. Sometimes, I forget that strength isn't only measured in the enemies you break, but in the allies you can match, move for move, without holding back. It's a different kind of trust.