CLANG!
The sound of steel meeting metal echoed through the sterile chamber, each reverberation a sharp reminder of her failures. The room stood as an unyielding white cube, devoid of warmth or character, its only features the thin panel lines that spidered across the walls, those sound-dampening designs that turned the space into a hollow shell, mirroring the isolation she felt within.
"Ngh! I must… Get stronger!" The hoarse cry tore from Velza's throat, her breath ragged with desperation. She lunged forward, her sword arcing brilliantly through the air, each strike against the projected metal shapes fueled by an almost primal rage. With every swing, she could still see them, the flickering images of her last confrontation, the twisted smile of her opponent, the memory of her own crumpling defeat.
It wasn't even a full-strength fight. And still… I lost.
