Lucen took one step back.
Then stilled.
He stared at the blade resting in his grip. Breath even. Shoulders square.
The tip hovered just above the reinforced tile floor, and there, without a word, without a chant, without even a hand sign, he let the mana shift.
Just once.
Not enough to drain anything. Not enough to trigger cooldowns or trip combat recognition flags.
Just a flicker.
And flame kissed the edge.
Not fireball flame. Not the bright, noisy, show-off kind mages used for crowd control. This was cleaner. Tighter. A line of red-orange heat curling up the edge of the blade like a ribbon of warning.
The system pinged once.
[Custom Elemental Binding Activated: Fire (Type I – Localized Edge Enchant)]
[Duration: Manual Sustain]
[Stamina Drain: Low]
[Heat Output: Moderate]
Lucen stared at it.
The fire didn't roar. It didn't flicker wide. It clung to the steel like it belonged there, thin, focused, controlled.
