The arena had mostly emptied, students drifting back to their dorms, buzzing with talk of Aeron's interruption.
I stayed behind. Crowds never suited me, and I liked the silence that came after chaos.
I was halfway across the arena floor when a sharp voice cut through the quiet.
"You lacked form."
I turned.
She stood at the edge of the warded circle, violet hair catching the lamplight, her uniform jacket unbuttoned just enough to reveal the duelist's sash across her chest. In one hand, she held a slender blade that gleamed with faint enchantments.
Lyra. I'd heard her name in whispers already. The Pride of Discipline. The undefeated.
"What?" I asked flatly.
"In your duel with Casian," she said, stepping forward, her blade balanced casually at her side. "You let him dictate the pace. Your counter was clean, but defensive. You could have turned it on him."
"I wasn't trying to win."
Her eyes narrowed. Sharp, measuring. "Then you don't belong here."
I said nothing.
She studied me for a long moment, then flicked her blade up in a duelist's salute. "Spar with me."
"I just finished a duel."
"That wasn't a duel," she snapped. "That was you hiding."
Her words stung more than I expected.
Before I could answer, her blade crackled with faint firelight, the wards flaring awake around us. She didn't wait for permission. Lyra lunged.
Steel hissed past as I slipped back. Her strikes were fast, disciplined, every motion trained and perfect. She wasn't reckless like Casian—she was testing me, probing for weakness.
I parried with a flicker of silver energy, shaping it into a thin arc to deflect her blade. She pressed harder, her eyes blazing.
Finally, I let the silver glow flare just enough to push her back. Not much—just a flash of the storm beneath my skin.
She skidded to a halt, blade steady, eyes wide. For a moment, her composure cracked. Then she lowered her weapon, a sharp smile tugging at her lips.
"…Interesting."
She sheathed her blade in one smooth motion and turned away. "Don't disappoint me, transfer. If you're going to hide your strength, at least hide it better."
The wards dimmed as she left the arena, boots clicking against the stone.
I stood alone in the silence, pulse still racing.
Lyra. The Pride of Discipline.And she'd just decided I was worth watching.