And Valeria? She's a rank X

My day replayed in a chaotic whirlwind as I sat cross-legged on the training mat, staring at the dimly flickering light of a single lantern in the corner of the room.

I could still feel the frost of Xyra's magic clinging to my skin, the piercing stares of my classmates after the magic test, and the unnerving glint in Sir Kael's eyes as I faced him earlier.

It was a day of extremes, like someone had cranked the volume of my life to the max and left me scrambling to keep up.

I let out a slow breath, my mind still stuck on one image: Xyra, teetering on her own ice before falling into my arms.

A grin tugged at my lips despite the chaos it had caused. She had looked so utterly human in that moment, flustered, vulnerable, real. It made my heart race for reasons I was unwilling to analyze too deeply.

"You're spacing out again," came Elira's voice, low and sharp.

Before I could fully register the words, a fist connected with my jaw, and stars exploded behind my eyes. My head snapped back, and I barely caught myself from tumbling to the ground.

"Focus," she barked, standing over me with her arms crossed. Elira looked as fierce as ever, her muscles taut beneath her knight's tunic, her golden eyes gleaming in the low light like a predator sizing up its prey.

Her really small braid swung as she moved, a constant reminder of how effortless she made combat look.

"Why do you always greet me with violence?" I groaned, rubbing my sore jaw and getting to my feet.

"It's not violence," she said, shrugging. "It's instruction. Now, again."

She barely gave me a second to steady myself before lunging. Her movements were a blur, and I had just enough time to summon a flicker of my red flame to block her strike. My feet slid across the mat as her force sent a shockwave up my arms.

"Elira! Can I at least warm up before you try to kill me?" I snapped, gritting my teeth as I held my ground.

"Warm-ups are for the weak," she shot back, twisting her wrist to redirect her strike. I stumbled, barely catching my balance as I sidestepped her next attack.

"And you've had plenty of 'warm-ups' today, haven't you? Heard you made quite the impression at school."

I huffed, my flames flaring brighter as I regained my stance. "It wasn't my fault. The teacher practically forced me to fight him. Then before that there was this magic test, and somehow I ended up with a rank A—"

Elira paused mid-strike, her golden eyes narrowing. "Rank A? In middle school? "

"Yeah," I said, dodging her next punch and spinning to land a light kick on her side—not that it made much of an impact. "Apparently, that's unheard of. The principal made me test twice because he didn't believe it."

"Of course, he didn't, but well your my student it's normal" Elira muttered, her lips curving into a faint smirk. She lunged again, this time sweeping low to take out my legs.

I jumped just in time, twisting in midair and landing with a roll. My heart pounded as I scrambled to my feet, throwing a flaming punch in her direction.

She dodged with ease, as always, her movements smooth and calculated. "And what about the students?" she asked, her tone casual despite the fact that she was currently trying to pummel me. "Anyone stand out?"

My mind immediately flashed to Xyra—her piercing blue eyes, her commanding presence, her unyielding arrogance. I hesitated, the flames on my fists faltering for a split second.

Elira didn't miss a beat. She swept in, disarming me with a flick of her wrist and pinning me against the wall. "Distracted?" she asked, her voice a low growl.

I glared at her, my chest heaving. "No. I was just...thinking."

"About what?"

"Nothing important!" I snapped, struggling against her hold. She let me go, stepping back with a smug grin.

"Thought so," she said. "You've got that dreamy look. Someone got under your skin today."

"Absolutely not," I lied, my cheeks heating. "I was just...impressed by someone's magic, that's all."

She raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced, but didn't press further. Instead, she stepped back into her fighting stance, gesturing for me to come at her.

"Fine," I muttered, summoning my flames again. "There's this girl—Xyra. She's...well, she's a princess. Ice magic, super arrogant, thinks she's better than everyone else."

"And you admire her," Elira said flatly.

"No!" I protested, aiming a fiery jab at her shoulder. She blocked it effortlessly. "I just...respect her confidence. And her skills. And maybe her hair. And her general existence."

Elira snorted, ducking under my next attack and twisting to land a kick on my side. I staggered, my flames flickering.

"She sounds like trouble," Elira said, circling me like a wolf stalking its prey. "Be careful around people like that. Confidence is fine, but arrogance can get you killed."

I rolled my eyes, deflecting her next strike with a burst of flames. "She's not that bad. Besides, I'm strong enough to handle myself, right?"

"Strength isn't everything," Elira said, her tone suddenly serious. She lunged again, faster this time, and I barely managed to dodge. Her movements were a blur, each strike calculated and precise.

"You can have all the power in the world, but if you don't know how to use it—"

She feinted left and then struck right, catching me off guard and sweeping my legs out from under me. I hit the mat with a grunt, my flames sputtering out.

"—it means nothing," she finished, standing over me with her arms crossed.

I groaned, staring up at the ceiling. "You could just say these things instead of beating them into me, you know."

"Where's the fun in that?" she said, smirking.

I dragged myself to my feet, wincing as I rolled my shoulder. "Fine. What's your rank, anyway? If I'm an A, you must be...what, an S?"

Elira's smirk widened, and she tilted her head. "SSS."

My jaw dropped. "You're joking."

"Not even a little," she said, her tone smug. "And Valeria? She's a rank X."

My mind reeled. X. The highest rank. The kind of power that could level mountains and change the course of wars.

I had known Valeria was strong she was practically a legend but hearing it stated so plainly made my stomach churn.