"KAEL, COME HERE!" Elara commanded, her voice laced with an iron grip. A month had spun by like a desert mirage, each day etching deeper lines of agony onto Kael's features. The suffering he endured was not merely pain; it was a relentless, gnawing torment that resided within his very being, a constant, oppressive reminder of his predicament. His eyes, once bright and full of life, now reflected a dull, weary resignation, a silent testament to the battles fought and the wounds sustained. The air crackled with unspoken tension, heavy with the weight of their shared history and the uncertainty of their future.Kael came running to his master. "Yes," he mumbled, his gaze fixed on the worn floorboards. Elara's question hung in the air, sharp and accusatory. "You haven't done today's laps, have you?" she pressed, her voice a low murmur that still carried the weight of authority. A palpable tension filled the room, thick enough to cut with a knife. Kael swallowed hard, the unspoken consequences of his disobedience weighing heavily on him. The rhythmic clang of the training grounds echoed in the distance, a constant reminder of the discipline he had failed to uphold.Elara stood, her eyes gleaming with a strange mixture of anticipation and something akin to pity. "Because of your lapse in discipline, Kael," she began, her voice regaining its usual steel, "I've decided to forgo your usual punishment. Instead, we will engage in a mock battle. This will allow me to assess your progress over the past month of training. It will also serve as a suitable commemoration of your initial period of servitude."Kael froze. The crazy woman in front of him wanted a mock battle. He sighed and said a short prayer, hoping anyone would hear it. Over the past month, he had learned that Elara was a crazed battle junky; she was beyond strong, and her training methods were cruel. Kael was lucky his body could regenerate, but he could still feel the pain. He knew this wouldn't be easy, not by a long shot. The thought sent a fresh wave of dread washing over him. He closed his eyes, bracing himself for whatever horrors Elara had in store."When is it going to start?" Kael asked, but instead of a reply, he received a blow to the gut, which sent him flying across the arena. "Never let your guard down, you think your enemies will tell you when they are about to start," she said, and rushed to attack him. The arena fell silent, save for the ragged gasps of Kael as he scrambled to his feet, the sting of the unexpected assault a harsh reminder of the brutal reality he was now immersed in. Elara, a whirlwind of calculated aggression, moved with the predatory grace of a hunter, her eyes fixed on Kael, who knew this was just the beginning of a merciless trial.A flurry of attacks came from every direction. Kael, using his heightened senses and his newfound physical abilities, tried to keep up with Elara, whom he knew was holding back. The young man dodged a swift kick to the head, the impact causing the ground to tremble slightly. He retaliated with a quick jab to Elara's side, a move that caught her off guard, though she recovered instantly, her movements as fluid and deadly as a viper. The mock battle raged on, a chaotic dance of steel and skill, where each parry and strike was a testament to their grueling training. Sweat beaded on Kael's forehead as he desperately tried to anticipate Elara's next move, his heart beating a frantic rhythm against his ribs. He knew that if he faltered, the consequences would be severe, but he refused to give in, fueled by a desperate need for survival and a flicker of defiance against his cruel instructor.He stepped into his shadow and moved with quick precision, appearing behind Elara. With a surge of newfound power, he unleashed an ability he'd discovered in solitude, one he'd kept hidden from his instructor. He called it arc shard manipulation. Concentrating his energy, he conjured small, pulsating orbs of raw power, launching them with deadly accuracy. The attack caught Elara completely off guard; their training had been exclusively focused on physical combat, leaving her unprepared for this unexpected display of arcane skill.He technically won, but he knew if she fought at full strength, his internal organs would be expelled and his skeletal structure would be pulverized.Elara tilted her head, a curious glint in her eyes. "I'm intrigued, Kael. Explain yourself. This unexpected display of power warrants an explanation. Did you learn this somewhere else, or did you discover it on your own?""I discovered it on my own when I was training. I concentrated my internal energy, and eventually, it materialized. It started as a faint glimmer, almost like a spark, and then it grew stronger, taking the form of these orbs. I learned to control them through focused intention and practice. The more I trained, the more I could manipulate them, launching them with precision. It felt...natural, almost as if this ability was always within me, waiting to be unlocked.""Interesting, I've seen such an ability, but they weren't this strong, and it takes time to master."Elara dismissed this, and they got back to trainingUnbeknownst to Kael, Lyra and Juliet had been keeping his parents in the dark about his situation, manipulating them with subtle lies and misleading information to protect him from the harsh realities of their world.They spun a convincing tale, painting Kael's disappearance as a thrilling journey into the unknown. Lyra and Juliet weaved a narrative of daring escapades and exciting discoveries, subtly steering Kael's parents towards the belief that he was embarking on a grand adventure, far away from any danger. The parents, perhaps yearning for a sense of wonder and believing in the best of their son, readily accepted this fabricated reality. With their anxieties calmed and their search for answers momentarily halted, they relinquished their investigation, allowing Kael to remain hidden within the shadows, protected by the carefully constructed illusion.
