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Jake handed Adam the cage. Inside, a storm-gray bird with crackling blue feathers beat its wings against the bars, each flutter releasing a static hum. "It's a Tier-D Lightning Sparrow," Jake warned, his voice tight. "Don't kill it, Adam. Promise me."
Adam's smile widened, a predator's grin that made Jake's spine prickle. Without a word, the boy snatched the cage and darted upstairs. Jake watched him go, a sigh heavy in his chest. *Poor creature*, he thought. *It'll be another of his 'secret experiments'*. He turned to his wife, their murmured conversation fading as Adam vanished.
In his cluttered attic workspace, Adam bolted the bird's cage to his workbench, iron clamps biting into the bamboo frame. The Lightning Sparrow hissed, jagged bolts arcing from its beak. Ignoring the shocks stinging his hands, Adam assembled his device. He uncoiled three thin, hollow tubes tipped with needles forged from frost-steel—each longer than his thumb. With cold precision, he threaded the first needle into the bird's primary wing vein, buried the second beside its lightning gland at the throat, and sank the third deep into its breastbone, aiming for the heart. The Sparrow shrieked, thrashing against the restraints. Feathers tore loose, swirling in the air like charred petals. Adam connected the tubes to a glass reservoir of swirling orange liquid. He opened a valve. Thick fluid oozed down the tubes, advancing toward the needles—a glowing venom inching closer to its prey. The bird's cries turned guttural, desperate.
As the liquid reached its veins, blue lightning exploded from the bird's feathers, crackling up the tubes toward the reservoir. Adam slammed a mana-dampening clamp onto the lines. Muscles locked rigid, wings snapping taut against the clamps. One needle tore free, spraying orange fluid across the bench. It sizzled through wood, smoking. The Sparrow's eyes rolled back, revealing milky-white orbs. A low, subsonic whine vibrated from its chest—the sound of a breaking storm. Adam watched, scribbling notes with feverish intensity: *"Cardiac stress observed. Mana-feedback contained. Neural override: imminent."* The convulsions slowed. The bird's breathing shallowed. Its lightning dimmed to weak sparks. Adam disconnected the tubes, leaving needles embedded like cruel trophies. The Sparrow slumped, silent but alive.
Next, the knife. A simple blade, honed to a cruel edge. Adam dipped it into the remnant orange liquid. Mana surged up the steel like liquid fire, coating it in a shimmering green aura. He swung—*Fsssh-TOOM!* A razor-thin wave of condensed mana sliced the air, vibrating with a high-pitched whine. It struck the far wall, punching a clean, smoldering hole through the stone before winking out. Adam's breath caught. *It worked.*
Outside, in the barren training yard, a lone iron boulder stood scarred by decades of combat. Dirt kicked up in choking clouds as Adam charged, the mana-blade blazing in his small hands. First strike: *Ting!* A hairline scratch marred the metal. Second strike: *SCREEE—CLANG!* He leapt, putting his full weight behind the blade. A deeper gouge wept rust. Adam circled, his stance low and balanced. Sweat stung his eyes. He raised the knife, gathering every drop of his mana—a visible green mist swirling around his fist—and hurled his will forward. *KRA-KOOM!* A crescent of emerald energy exploded from the blade, screaming as it struck the boulder. The impact shook the earth, leaving a molten, fist-deep scar. Adam collapsed to his knees, gasping, his muscles trembling with exhaustion.
From the manor window, Jake watched, his knuckles white on the sill. Pride warred with dread. Below, Adam staggered upright, drunk on power, and attacked again. Wild mana-slashes tore trenches in the dirt, missing the boulder entirely in his frenzy.
That night, after Jake carried his sleep-heavy son to bed, Adam dreamed of crackling wings and green fire.
Dawn broke pale and cold. Adam scrubbed sleep from his eyes, bathed, and returned to his room. The cage sat silent. He approached... and froze. The Lightning Sparrow was gone. In its place perched a creature of storm and shadow—wings like folded thunderclouds, eyes like captured lightning.
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