The amber light of late afternoon filtered through the ancient oaks surrounding Millbrook, casting long shadows across the training grounds where I had spent countless hours over the past two years. Two years since I had last set foot in Erestia's grand capital, two years since I had made the decision of training with Isadora.
The village had become my sanctuary, though perhaps prison was a more accurate word. I hadn't ventured beyond its borders once in all that time, confining myself to the familiar cobblestone streets and the rolling meadows that stretched toward the Green Woods. Every dawn brought the same routine: physical conditioning at sunrise, magical theory until noon, practical spellwork until my reserves ran dry, and combat training that left me sprawled in the dirt more often than I cared to admit.
