The rhythmic clash of metal rang through the empty training grounds.
Evolis exhaled, his muscles burning with exertion as he pivoted on his heel, his blade slicing through the air with lethal precision.
His feet skidded slightly against the worn stone floor, dust swirling in the afternoon light. He adjusted immediately, rolling his shoulder and shifting into the next motion. Slash. Step. Guard. Pivot. Lunge.
His golden eyes sharpened, following the path of his sword as he executed the next strike, the air humming with tension as if the world itself was watching.
Too slow.
Too sloppy.
He felt it—the imperfections, the slight hesitations, the minuscule gaps in his stance that an experienced fighter could exploit.
His grip tightened.
Again.
He lunged forward, twisting his blade into a downward cut, feeling the resistance as the training dummy cracked beneath the force of his strike. Not enough to split it in two, but enough to leave a deep, jagged groove along its surface.
His breath was steady, but sweat dripped from his forehead, trailing down his bare arms. How long had he been at this? An hour? Two? More?
It didn't matter.
Not yet.
Because no matter how much he trained, it never felt like enough.
There was something in him—something waiting.
A power, a presence, a feeling just out of reach, like a word at the tip of his tongue that he could never quite grasp.
Every time he fought, he felt it stir.
Every time he pushed himself beyond his limits, he could almost feel the echo of something ancient brushing against the edges of his mind.
And yet—
He still hadn't awakened.
Still hadn't reached the level where his Etherion would ignite and transform him from a mere mortal into something greater.
And that frustrated him.
He exhaled sharply, shaking off the tension as he moved into the next stance.
Then—
"You're ridiculous, you know that?"
A voice rang through the courtyard, warm yet exasperated.
Evolis paused, glancing over his shoulder just in time to see Lyris Altheon stepping onto the training grounds.
Her silver hair shimmered in the sunlight, loosely tied back in a way that still allowed a few strands to frame her face. Her amethyst eyes gleamed with amusement, but beneath that, there was something else—concern.
"I mean, seriously," she continued, resting a hand on her hip. "You do realize normal people don't train until they look like they just crawled out of a river, right?"
Evolis wiped the sweat from his brow, smirking. "Normal people don't get stronger."
Lyris rolled her eyes. "Normal people also don't end up dead because they pushed themselves past exhaustion."
Evolis grinned, twirling his sword once before stabbing it lightly into the dirt. "Is that your way of saying you're worried about me?"
Her cheeks reddened slightly, but she covered it well, huffing dramatically. "Oh, please. If you drop dead, who's going to annoy me every day?"
"Ah, so you admit you'd miss me?"
"Not in the slightest."
Evolis chuckled, shaking his head as he stretched out his arms. He'd known Lyris for years—they'd grown up together, trained together, argued together. She was sharp, ambitious, and had a stubborn streak that could rival a dragon's. But more than that, she had a way of seeing through people.
Through him.
And he wasn't sure if he liked that.
"So?" he asked, giving her a knowing look. "What brings you here? Don't tell me you finally came to admit that I'm the better swordsman."
Lyris snorted. "In your dreams. Actually, I came to remind you that you have a match today."
Evolis raised an eyebrow. "Match?"
"With Karam."
The name made Evolis sigh. Of course.
Karam was one of those guys. The type that thought strength was measured by how hard you could hit something. A pompous arrogant brat born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Loud, arrogant and always looking for a fight.
He and Evolis had never gotten along.
Lyris crossed her arms. "You didn't forget, did you?"
Evolis smirked. "Nah, I just figured it wasn't worth remembering."
Lyris groaned, dragging a hand down her face. "You're impossible."
"Yep." He cracked his neck. "Might as well get this over with." He said as he made his way to the place Lyris told him the duel was gonna take place.
The training courtyard had drawn a crowd.
Students gathered near the old stone coliseum, where matches were regularly held. The air buzzed with anticipation, whispers spreading as Evolis and Karam took their positions.
Evolis stood at the centre, casually rolling his shoulders as Karam stepped forward, a confident sneer stretched across his face.
"You're finally here," Karam taunted, twirling his spear. "I thought you'd run off."
Evolis yawned. "Oh, sorry, were you saying something important? I must've tuned it out."
Karam's eye twitched.
The instructor raised a hand. "Begin!"
Karam moved first.
A blur of motion, his spear lashing out like a viper—fast, precise, and aiming for Evolis' ribs.
Evolis dodged—barely.
The spear grazed his side, the air buzzing with the force of the strike.
Fast. Faster than before.
Evolis exhaled. "Huh. You've improved."
Karam smirked. "I train with real warriors, not dummies."
Evolis grinned. "Could've fooled me."
Karam lunged again.
This time, Evolis didn't dodge.
Instead, he stepped into the attack.
The moment Karam thrust forward, Evolis tilted his sword at an angle—just enough to redirect the spear's momentum, letting it glide harmlessly past him.
Karam stumbled slightly.
Evolis struck.
A quick, clean slash—fast enough to nick Karam's shoulder, but not deep enough to wound.
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
Karam's smirk vanished.
With a growl, he spun his spear, whipping it toward Evolis' legs.
Evolis jumped, twisting mid-air to avoid the sweep. The moment his feet touched the ground, he countered with a rapid strike—his sword flashing in a blur.
Karam barely blocked it in time, the impact sending vibrations up both their arms.
They broke apart, circling each other.
For the first time, Karam looked uncertain.
Evolis rolled his wrist. "Getting tired already?"
Karam snarled. "Shut up."
He charged—this time, feinting left before aiming for Evolis' thigh.
Evolis read it.
Saw it coming.
He sidestepped, his sword meeting Karam's spear at just the right angle.
Karam's grip weakened—
And in a single, fluid motion—
Evolis disarmed him.
The spear clattered to the ground.
Silence.
The crowd stared.
Karam stared at his empty hands, his face pale with disbelief.
Evolis exhaled, flicking his blade to the side. "Well, that was fun."
The instructor raised a hand. "Match over. Winner—Evolis."
The audience murmured in awe.
Lyris, watching from the sidelines, shook her head. "Show-off."
Karam's expression darkened. His fists clenched, but he said nothing.
Without another word, he turned and walked away.
Not in defeat.
But in fury.
Evolis smirked. "Think he'll be back for a rematch?"
Lyris sighed. "No, but I'm sure he's plotting your murder now."
Evolis stretched, rolling his shoulders. "He'll have to get in line."
Lyris studied him. "You're quieter than usual."
Evolis hesitated.
Because for a moment, during the fight…
He had felt it again.
That presence.
That power.
Lurking beneath the surface, waiting.
But he wasn't ready to talk about that yet.
So instead, he just smirked. "Nothing important."