Tomora's father was not a powerful warrior, nor a famous elemental user.
He was, by all standards of the world, weak.
He was classified as a Stage 1 Thunder User, the lowest possible level of elemental awakening. At this stage, lightning is not something the body can properly channel. The heart, nerves, and blood vessels are not strong enough to withstand elemental flow. Using lightning at this level is not dangerous because of enemies — it is dangerous because the body itself cannot survive it.
For Tomora's father, his condition was even worse.
His lightning did not manifest through his limbs or external attacks. It was bound directly to his heart. Any attempt to activate his power would force electrical energy through his cardiac system, disrupting its rhythm instantly. The result would be immediate organ failure.
Because of this, he never used his power once in his life.
Not in battle.
Not in self-defense.
Not even to protect himself.
He knew the cost. One use meant death.
When he ran through the forest carrying Tomora, he was not relying on power, talent, or destiny. He relied only on instinct, fear, and love. He ran knowing he could not fight back. Knowing he could not escape forever. Knowing that, eventually, there would be nowhere left to go.
When the moment came, he made a decision.
He forced lightning out from his heart — not as an attack, but as a final release. A desperate, uncontrolled surge fueled by everything his body had left. It was not skill. It was not mastery. It was sacrifice.
That single use was his first and last time activating his element.
The cost was immediate and absolute.
His heart could not recover.
His body could not stabilize.
There was no aftermath where he survived.
That moment was never meant to be a triumph. It was a last hope — a choice made by someone who understood exactly what it would take from him.
He did not die because he was weak.
He died because he chose to act once, knowing it would end everything.
What would you do…
if using your power even once meant you would never see tomorrow?