The air inside the private training room hummed faintly with energy.The boy's wooden blade cut through the stillness in swift, precise arcs — each swing sharper, cleaner than the last. The dull whish of air filled the chamber like a rhythmic heartbeat.
Arin watched him quietly for a while, arms folded, before stepping forward.
"I guess you've got the sword movement basics down," she said, tone even but laced with faint pride.
He stopped mid-swing and turned toward her, brows slightly furrowed.
"But the Lightning Sword Stance," she continued, "isn't complete without motion. You've mastered the blade's rhythm — now you must learn the body's."
She placed her sword upright and gave a small smile.
"It's called Lightning Step."
His confusion showed plainly.
Arin chuckled softly.
"Let me show you."
Narration — Technique: Lightning Step
Lightning Step — A motion technique that mirrors the flow of Ether within the user's body to their physical stride. By taking light steps in rapid succession, the swordsman converts momentum into precision, balance, and speed. When paired with the Lightning Sword Stance, it forms the complete technique — an unbroken chain of strike and motion, blade and body as one.
Arin's stance shifted.Her form blurred.
In the blink of an eye, she was across the room. Then behind him. Then beside him again — as if she'd never moved at all. The only proof of her motion was the faint echo of displaced air and the shimmer of Ether fading from her boots.
She turned lightly, her posture perfectly stable.
"See?" she said. "You relied too much on your Ether during our duel. You have power, but your body lags behind it. Balance first — control later."
The boy looked down at his feet, deep in thought.
Arin sheathed her sword.
"I'll leave you to it. Don't push too hard. If you overexert your Ether again, you'll be banned from training tomorrow."
She glanced toward the window.
"And your mother wouldn't like that… would she?"
A flicker of a smirk touched her lips as she walked toward the door.The boy nodded silently.
When she was gone, the room felt heavier — filled only with the echoes of his breathing.
He took position again.He remembered her steps, her Ether, the flow he'd seen — or felt — when she vanished.His eyes followed the faint scorch lines left by her motion on the rune-lit floor.
"Here…" he murmured softly, standing where she had stood."And here."
He mimicked her motions — clumsy at first. Each attempt left him slightly off balance, sliding instead of gliding, stumbling instead of flowing.
He stopped, exhaled, and closed his eyes.He imagined the rhythm — the Ether moving through her limbs, light yet fast, contained yet alive.
Then, with one breath, he stepped forward.
A faint spark flared beneath his foot.
Scene Shift — The Courtyard at Sunset
Outside, the day was ending. The sun hung low, bathing the courtyard in amber light.Knights trained along the walls, while maids carried linens and lanterns for the evening.
Then, without warning — the light dimmed.
The sun was gone.
The courtyard froze. Shadows fell across the ground as something enormous passed overhead, blocking the sky.
The knights reached for their weapons instinctively.
"Formation!" one shouted."Above! Something's descending!"
The air thickened with tension.
Then — a voice.Calm, commanding, unmistakable.
"Stand down," said Lady Elara, stepping out onto the balcony, her robes swaying in the wind."They are ours."
The knights hesitated, exchanging uncertain glances, but obeyed.
From the clouds, the shadow grew clearer — vast wings of translucent scales shimmering gold in the dying sunlight.A serpent, colossal and ancient, descended gracefully, its body coiling through the air as if swimming through invisible waters.
The soldiers could only stare.
When it landed, the ground trembled softly but did not break. Its body shrank as it settled, reducing in size until it was no larger than a carriage.
Upon its head stood the old lady — serene, eyes closed, her silver hair flowing like threads of light.
Behind her, lightning ravens swooped down, scattering dust as Levan and his knights dismounted.
The courtyard erupted in whispers.
"Is that…?""No, it can't be…""Agaria—the Serpent Witch of Cydonia…"
One knight said the name aloud, barely above a whisper, and another elbowed him hard.
"Shut your mouth, fool!"
Elara stepped forward, posture composed, expression unreadable. She bowed slightly.
"Welcome, my lady."
The old woman tilted her head, her blind eyes soft but knowing.A faint smile played across her lips.
"Oh… so this is your wife."
Her hand brushed lightly along the serpent's scales as it curled around her shoulders like a living cloak.
"She has a lovely voice."
The courtyard went silent. Even the air seemed to hold its breath.
And as the last rays of light fell upon the manor, the Serpent Witch of Cydonia stood before the family of the Empire's lightning heir — the storm finally meeting its mirror.