***Cadiz***
Seven days had passed since the war council.
Seven days of relentless training that left my body aching and my mind scraped raw, seven days of pushing my powers further each time, learning to call on them with more precision and less fear. Seven days of watching the Ashforde guards drill in formations, of seeing supplies stockpiled in the courtyards, of feeling the entire fortress transform into something ready for war.
Two days left until the deadline.
I stood in the training room now, a row of magical crystals arranged on the table before me. This had become my daily ritual, draining them one by one until I could do it without thinking, until the process felt as natural as breathing.
I reached for the first crystal and felt my power respond immediately. The energy flowed from the crystal into me smoothly, no resistance, no struggle, the light inside it dimmed and died within seconds.
Next crystal, same result.
