The sun was setting quietly over training grounds, and the light breeze made the golden leaves of the surrounding trees dance. It was a seemingly ordinary evening at the palace, with the typical sounds of witches and knights practicing magic, swords crossing, and shouts of command echoing through the courtyards.
In the center of one of the combat arenas, Kael stood in position, his chest heaving, his fists clenched, covered in thick steel bracelets that weighed like stones. His ankles, likewise, were bound by reinforced weights—part of Exelia's new training regimen.
She said the goal was simple: "If you can move well with this, without using mana or any magical amplification, you will be able to crush the world when you are free." It sounded like an exaggeration, but for Kael, the weight was unbearable. Each step was a Herculean effort.
