The training grounds of Serenith were vast and ominous, their borders marked by towering stone pillars etched with ancient scripture. The air held a curious stillness, a weight that felt like it was watching and waiting for something extraordinary to unfold.
The dew on the grass clung stubbornly to George's boots as he trudged forward, his nerves tying knots in his stomach. He glanced at the others, hoping someone would crack a joke, but the expressions around him were grimly focused like they were walking into a battlefield rather than a training session.
Phoenix was already standing in the middle of the grounds, her posture stiff and commanding. She seemed to blend with the shadows cast by the looming pillars, her presence an unsettling combination of silence and tension. George tried to meet her eyes but quickly looked away when her crimson gaze swept past him, cold and unreadable.