Secretly getting stronger

Haze was fast—lightning fast, as expected. the moment the battle began, he was already lunging forward like a bullet, no hesitation, no pity. his sword sliced through the air in a perfect diagonal arc, aimed straight for aelorin.

but aelorin wasn't rattled. he held his ground, the weight of the blade heavy in his hand, but steady. his mind was sharp, calculating every possible outcome, even as haze's attack bore down on him. with a swift motion, aelorin blocked the blow, steel clashing against steel in a violent ringing sound that echoed through the training yard.

to the spectators—**arianna** and **elowen**, standing at the edge of the arena—aelorin seemed outmatched. haze was taller, stronger, more experienced, his movements confident and aggressive. but to aelorin, this fight was already in the bag.

*to them, i'm outwitted and outclassed,* he thought with a small grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. *but to me? i have everything under control.*

haze wasn't giving him a moment to breathe. he was already upon him again, sword raised high overhead, swinging down toward aelorin's head with brutal force. aelorin blocked again, though the sheer power of the strike sent him staggering back, his boots scraping against the dirt.

"what's wrong, little brother!" haze shouted with a sneer, his voice dripping with condescension. "your stance is weak! you may have some strength with magic, but swordplay isn't for you!"

haze unleashed an endless barrage of attacks, each one met with a desperate block from aelorin. but with every clash, aelorin was forced further and further back, his footing faltering under the force of haze's relentless blows.

but in his mind, aelorin was practically laughing. *yes, yes, no one suspects a thing!* he thought gleefully. *how do you measure strength? how do you know you're far superior to anyone else? it's simple. first comes speed, and second comes options.*

as haze bore down on him, aelorin's eyes gleamed with focus. he wasn't just blocking attacks—he was analyzing every move, every angle, every weakness. *against my brother, i can see at least twenty ways to strike him down, all fatal. against someone stronger? maybe ten, or even three. the more options i have, the stronger i am.*

haze swung again, his blade whistling through the air in a horizontal slash aimed for aelorin's chest. but aelorin was faster, weaving to the left with a movement so quick it was almost imperceptible. he darted forward, his sword flashing toward haze's neck, then his gut, then back again in a series of feints too quick for anyone to track.

but he didn't land a single blow.

*my speed is too fast for their eyes to follow,* aelorin mused, pulling back before haze could retaliate. he could end this fight whenever he wanted, but what was the fun in that? he needed to maintain the illusion—at least for now.

haze, growing increasingly frustrated, let out a growl of annoyance. "this is getting boring!" he shouted, mistaking aelorin's restraint for weakness. he increased his pace, his swings becoming more aggressive, his strikes faster—but to aelorin, it was like watching a child flail with a wooden sword.

*he's so slow,* aelorin thought with a smirk. haze's next blow came toward his face, but aelorin simply jerked his head to the side, evading it with minimal effort. he made sure not to move too quickly, though. no need to give away his secret just yet.

in this world, swordsmanship and magic were everything. the combination of the two allowed warriors to move faster, hit harder, and survive longer. but aelorin had a different advantage—a hidden strength that gave him the upper hand in every encounter. he wasn't just faster than haze. he was faster than almost everyone.

"you know, haze?" aelorin began, his voice losing its usual timid tone. "how can you be so stupid?"

the insult hit its mark. haze's eyes narrowed in anger, his grip on his sword tightening as he unleashed another volley of heavy strikes. each blow came harder than the last, forcing aelorin back once again, his feet digging into the dirt as he struggled to maintain his footing.

*he's wasting so much mana,* aelorin noted. *every attack, every step—he's leaving himself wide open. i could take him down right now if i wanted to, but that wouldn't serve my purpose. not yet. i need to wait until the perfect moment.*

"but you're really good with a sword, i'll give you that," aelorin added, his tone teasing. he could see haze's anger boiling over, his frustration mounting with every failed attempt to land a decisive blow.

suddenly, haze feigned a slash, catching aelorin off guard for the first time. in an instant, he bypassed aelorin's defense, his sword coming down hard on his gut. aelorin had the chance to block it—but instead, he let it hit.

pain exploded in his abdomen, his mouth flying open as blood spewed from his lips. the force of the blow sent him hurtling through the air, his body crashing to the ground in a heap, raising a cloud of dirt and grit.

*damn that hurt! he didn't even hesitate. what a prick.* aelorin gritted his teeth, curling up slightly and grasping his gut in agony. but even through the pain, his mind was racing. he had let this happen on purpose. every part of the plan was still in motion.

"aelorin! oh my—sorry!" haze called out, his voice mockingly sweet. the satisfaction in his tone was unmistakable. he wasn't sorry at all. if anything, he was savoring the moment.

"aelorin!" a much more concerned voice called out, this one belonging to **elowen**, the dark-haired elf who had been watching from the sidelines. her face was pale with worry as she rushed over, kneeling beside aelorin as he lay on the ground. **arianna** followed quickly after, her expression a mixture of concern and anger.

{engaging healing protocols.}

aelorin did his best to remain discreet, his hand brushing against the grass beneath him. slowly, he absorbed the natural energy from the earth, the effect masked by the damage done to the soil from his fall. no one would notice.

"are you alright, aelorin?" elowen asked, her voice soft as she began dusting the dirt and grit from his tunic.

"yes, elowen," aelorin replied, forcing a weak smile. "haze didn't hit me that hard." the words came out smoothly, his voice the perfect blend of pain and bravado. a classic move—playing the victim while covering for the attacker. he had to make it believable.

arianna, however, was less forgiving. she rounded on haze, her voice raised in anger. "how could you hit him so hard, haze?! what's wrong with you?"

while she scolded haze, elowen's hands hovered over aelorin's gut, her palms glowing with a rich green light. "i'll heal you now," she said softly, the warmth of her magic seeping into aelorin's body. "you fought pretty well for someone your age."

*pretty well? are you kidding me?* aelorin thought with an inward groan. *i was whooping his ass out there—i deserve more praise than that!*

but outwardly, he kept up the act. "don't lie to me, elowen," he said with a sheepish smile. "i was weak out there. i couldn't even land a single hit on him. he overwhelmed me completely."

elowen, her large green eyes filled with sympathy, leaned in closer, her face inches from his as she grasped his hands. aelorin felt a strange warmth radiating from her, something that always seemed to cloud his thoughts when she was near. her scent, her magic—it was intoxicating.

"i believe you're amazing," she whispered, her voice gentle but firm. "when haze was your age, he wasn't half as good as you are now. don't make that face—you're cute when you smile." she grinned, her cheerful expression infectious, and despite himself, aelorin felt his mood lift.

*and that's how you impress a girl, haze,* he thought smugly. *you play the victim, make them worry, and before you know it—they're all yours.*