The wooden sword felt heavier than Elena expected.
She adjusted her grip awkwardly, her fingers tightening around the handle while Dante watched with mild amusement.
"Relax your shoulders," he said.
Elena frowned.
"I am relaxed."
"You look like you're preparing to stab a tree out of frustration."
"I might."
Dante chuckled softly.
"Not the tree's fault."
Ray stood nearby, leaning against the wall as he quietly observed the training.
"Again," Dante said.
Elena inhaled slowly and tried to copy the movement he had demonstrated earlier.
Step.
Turn.
Swing.
The sword cut through the air.
Poorly.
Dante sighed.
"That was… something."
Elena glared at him.
"You try learning pressure magic and sword fighting at the same time."
"I don't need to," he replied smoothly.
She swung at him.
Dante stepped aside with effortless ease.
"Too slow."
Elena swung again.
He dodged again.
"Still too slow."
Her frustration built quickly.
She knew she looked ridiculous.
Her body felt stiff.
Slow.
Uncooperative.
But something strange kept happening.
Every time Dante demonstrated a movement, her mind reacted instantly.
Her eyes followed the angle of the blade.
Her brain predicted the next step before it happened.
She knew where the strike would land.
She knew how to counter it.
She knew—
How to fight.
The realization startled her.
Her grip tightened.
Why do I know this?
Her body clearly didn't agree.
When she tried to repeat the movement, her legs moved too late.
Her balance slipped.
Her swing lost its form halfway through.
Dante easily blocked her wooden sword with his own and gently pushed it aside.
"Strength without control is useless," he said.
Elena groaned.
"This is humiliating."
Nearby, Leo watched the training with folded arms.
His eyes followed Dante's movements carefully.
There was something irritating about the way the man fought.
Too smooth.
Too confident.
Too natural.
Leo clicked his tongue quietly.
"You look like you've trained for years."
Dante glanced at him.
"Maybe I have."
"Where?" Leo asked.
Dante shrugged.
"Here and there."
Leo clearly wasn't satisfied with that answer.
Elena wiped sweat from her forehead.
"Alright, my turn to ask questions."
Dante raised an eyebrow.
"Oh?"
She pointed the wooden sword at him.
"Where did you learn to fight like that?"
Dante leaned casually on his sword.
"Experience."
"That's not an answer."
"It's the only one you're getting."
Elena narrowed her eyes.
Suspicion crept back into her mind again.
Those movements…
They still reminded her of the masked man who saved her from Gerald.
The resemblance was too strong to ignore.
But before she could push further—
"Again," Dante said.
Elena sighed and raised the sword.
He demonstrated another movement.
Step forward.
Rotate the wrist.
Angle the blade downward.
Simple.
At least it looked simple.
Elena tried copying him.
Her foot moved forward.
Her wrist turned.
The blade dropped and suddenly, the world shifted.
For a brief second, the training yard vanished.
Elena stood somewhere else.
A battlefield.
The air smelled of iron and smoke.
Her body moved effortlessly.
A real sword. Not wood. It spun in her hand with deadly precision.
Enemies surrounded her.
But there was no hesitation.
Strike.
Turn.
Block.
The movements were flawless.
Perfect.
Like she had done them a thousand times before.
Then the memory shattered.
The forest returned.
The training yard snapped back into place.
Elena stumbled slightly.
Her sword nearly slipped from her grip.
Dante caught her arm before she could fall.
"Hey."
His voice cut through the confusion.
"You alright?"
Elena blinked rapidly.
"…Yeah."
But her heart was racing.
What was that?
She had never seen that place before.
Never fought like that.
Yet the movements felt familiar.
Too familiar.
Dante studied her face for a moment.
"You looked like you spaced out."
"Just tired," she muttered.
He didn't look convinced.
But before he could question her further,
Ray suddenly spoke.
"Enough for now."
Everyone turned toward him.
His expression had grown serious.
"The scouts should have returned by now."
A strange silence followed.
Elena frowned.
"They were only supposed to check the forest trails, right?"
Ray nodded slowly.
"Yes."
Lena stood quietly nearby, her gaze drifting toward the distant trees beyond the village.
The wind picked up slightly.
The leaves rustled softly.
Elena felt a strange sensation in her chest.
Her pressure magic reacted faintly.
Almost like it was sensing something.
Ray noticed her expression.
"What is it?"
Elena looked toward the forest.
"…I don't know."
Leo followed her gaze.
"You sense something?"
"Maybe."
Before anyone could respond, footsteps approached quickly.
Another scout appeared, running toward them with visible urgency.
He stopped in front of Ray, breathing heavily.
Ray straightened.
"What did you find?"
The scout swallowed.
"There are signs of a fight in the forest."
Elena's stomach tightened.
"Amber?"
The scout shook his head.
"We're not sure."
Ray's eyes hardened.
"What else?"
The scout hesitated.
Then he spoke quietly.
"There were bodies."
Silence fell over the yard.
"Bandits," the scout continued. "At least six of them."
Leo frowned.
"Yami's men?"
"Probably."
Elena's voice lowered.
"What killed them?"
The scout looked uneasy.
"They weren't cut down by blades."
Everyone waited.
"They were crushed."
Ray's grip tightened around his staff.
"Crushed?"
The scout nodded slowly.
"Like something slammed them into the ground."
Elena felt her heart beat faster.
Pressure magic…
But hers wasn't strong enough to do that.
Dante's expression darkened slightly.
"And Yami?" he asked.
The scout shook his head.
"We didn't find him."
Elena clenched her fists.
"And Amber?"
The scout shook his head again.
Then he said something that made the air turn cold.
"We found signs of wind magic."
Elena's breath caught.
Ray exhaled slowly.
"That means she's still alive."
But the scout wasn't finished.
"There's something else."
Everyone looked at him.
He swallowed.
"The tracks… they lead deeper into the forest."
Ray frowned.
"That's where the old ruins are."
Elena blinked.
"Ruins?"
Ray nodded.
"An abandoned shrine."
Leo's eyes narrowed.
"Why would they go there?"
No one answered.
The wind suddenly blew stronger across the yard.
The trees swayed.
Elena's chest tightened again.
Her magic reacted.
Stronger this time.
She turned slowly toward the forest.
A strange feeling crawled up her spine.
Like something was watching them.
Dante noticed her reaction.
"What is it now?"
Elena's voice came out quieter than she expected.
"…I think Amber is there."
Ray stared at the forest thoughtfully.
Then he made a decision.
"Prepare yourselves."
Everyone looked at him.
"We move at dawn."
Leo stepped forward immediately.
"I'm coming."
Dante smirked slightly.
"Of course you are."
Leo ignored him.
Ray nodded.
"Then rest while you can."
The group slowly began to disperse.
But Elena remained where she was.
Her eyes stayed fixed on the distant forest.
The wind continued blowing through the trees.
And for a brief moment, she thought she heard something.
A faint echo carried by the wind. Somewhere deep inside the forest.
And she was certain of one thing.
Amber wasn't just waiting.
Something had already begun.