The moment the words left her mouth, Saya was already moving.
April saw it—
felt it—
before it even happened.
A pulse ran through her body, her Gear syncing with her instincts.
She sidestepped just as Saya's fist shot forward, the strike missing by inches.
But she wasn't just dodging anymore.
April twisted her body mid-motion, using Saya's momentum against her.
With a sharp pivot, she hooked her foot behind Saya's ankle and shoved.
Saya stumbled, her eyes flashing with surprise.
Kai let out a low whistle. "Damn."
Dante smirked. "She's getting the hang of it."
April barely had a second to breathe before Jax stepped forward. His presence alone sent a wave of pressure through the room.
"Good," he said. "Now keep up."
Then he was gone.
April's senses screamed.
Jax moved faster than the others—too fast.
But her Gear reacted instantly, her body twisting just as his fist brushed past her cheek.
She countered with a strike of her own, but Jax blocked effortlessly, his arm barely shifting from the impact.
He was testing her.
Pushing her to see how far she could go.
April's breath was steady, her heartbeat controlled.
Every movement, every shift in the air, it all felt predictable.
Then Jax vanished again.
No sound. No warning.
April barely had time to spin around before she felt his presence behind her—too close.
Her instincts screamed.
She moved on pure reflex, ducking and twisting just as his arm shot past her neck.
She retaliated instantly, her knee driving toward his ribs.
Jax caught her strike at the last second, his fingers wrapping around her leg with inhuman precision.
His grip was ironclad.
April's mind raced.
She felt the G-force inside her shift again.
Something was about to happen.
Then—
A sudden surge of G-force pulsed from the sigil on the back of her head.
Jax's eyes widened.
A shockwave of G-force erupted from April's body, forcing him to release her as she was thrown backward.
She hit the ground but rolled with the momentum, landing in a crouch.
Her entire body hummed with G-force.
The air around her crackled.
Dante took a cautious step forward. "She's—"
Saya grinned. "She's breaking through."
April looked at her hands. The G-force swirling around them wasn't just a result of her Gear—it was something more.
Something that shouldn't be possible at this stage.
She wasn't just adapting.
She was evolving.
Jax straightened, his usual composed expression unreadable. "That's enough for today."
April blinked. "What?"
"You've reached the first barrier. Any further, and we risk triggering something neither of us understands." His tone was firm.
April clenched her fists. She wanted to push further, to see what was beyond this power that was stirring inside her.
But Jax was right.
If she lost control, there was no telling what would happen.
She exhaled, forcing herself to calm down.
The G-force around her faded, settling beneath her skin once more.
Jax turned to the others. "We'll pick this up tomorrow. For now, we need to regroup and go over everything."
Kai groaned. "More talking?"
Saya elbowed him. "Shut up. You need the lesson just as much as she does."
April smirked but stayed quiet as they all made their way back toward the main room.
She had broken past the first barrier.
But she knew—
This was just the beginning.