The phrase clicked. An idea had just sprung up in his head, one he had no idea would work.
But at this point, Atticus was ready to try anything.
With a single thought, the tears streaking down his face evaporated into the air.
He turned toward Avalon again.
"Dad."
At his call, he saw the thin wisp of smoke rising from Avalon's face. He too had evaporated his tears.
Slowly, Avalon turned to look at him.
"I'm sorry," Atticus said calmly. "But I can't let you keep torturing yourself like this.""
Avalon opened his mouth to speak, "Att—"
But Atticus raised a hand, cutting him off. frёeweɓηovel.coɱ
"But you don't have to give up on gaining power."
He stepped forward, closing the distance between them. A small smile appeared across his face.
"In fact," he said with an excited gaze,
"I might have a better way than this... torture."
Avalon frowned, and his eyes narrowed slightly, not understanding what his son was getting at.
But Atticus's grin only grew wider.
Seconds passed.
Avalon now sat cross-legged in the center of the training room, his back straight, his expression composed. And Atticus stood behind him.
The lava landscape had disappeared, replaced by the room's original state, pristine white, untouched, almost serene ground and walls.
Atticus had convinced Avalon to try his idea. What helped his case was the very real reminder that if Avalon didn't comply, Atticus would tell Anastasia everything about. his self-destructive training.
Avalon had grimaced, but ultimately, he agreed.
And truth be told, even without the threat, Avalon was ready to try anything.
He wanted power, needed it, and Atticus had proven himself more than once. There was no reason to doubt him.
"All right," Atticus said from behind. "I want you to relax yourself."
He placed a hand just slightly above Avalon's back, not touching, but close enough to feel the warmth.
"For what I'm about to do to work, you have to be completely focused. Completely relaxed."
Avalon gave a single nod and closed his eyes, steadying his breath.
Atticus continued.
"Let me explain how I was able to advance my elements first."
"I'm sure you know, each element resonates with different emotions."
"What does fire resonate with?"
Avalon's mouth almost twitched.
The fact that his teenage son was lecturing him like some first-year student left him feeling... awkward.
Still, he answered without complaining. "Anger"
"Exactly," Atticus said. "Anger."
He paused for a moment, watching his father's steady breathing.
"To become a Paragon, you have to become the element's molecules. Not control them. Not command them. Become them."
He knew Avalon already understood all this. But he was laying the foundation anyway.
He wanted to center Avalon's mind and make sure everything was fresh, sharp, and aligned for what they were about to do.
Seeing Avalon nod, Atticus said softly,
"All right. We'll be starting now!"
"All you have to do is try to become them. Don't force anything. Just try your best, like you've always been doing."
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