The morning mist still clung to the mountains of Tashi, curling through the trees like drifting breath. The smell of dew and dust filled the air. Birds had yet to sing. The only sound that broke the silence was the soft thud of bare feet on packed earth the rhythm of training.
Master Vince stood before them, shirtless save for a band of cloth around his missing arm. The scars that crossed his body weren't trophies they were lessons carved by time itself. His eyes, sharp as tempered steel, moved from face to face Khael, Juno, Ceyla, Andromeda, and Matthew.
"Just because you lot have affinity," he said, his voice low, steady, every word carrying the weight of conviction, "doesn't mean you don't need to train your body."
Ceyla crossed her arms, tilting her head with a smirk. "But I'm a girl, so nah."
Khael's eyes widened, his tone cutting through like a blade. "Ceyla!"
She blinked, feigning innocence. "What? It's true. My echo art handles all the heavy lifting."
