Kaelen sat on the edge of the cliff, legs dangling over the jagged rocks. The wind whipped around him, carrying the scent of salt and the faint tang of copper that lingered from the rogue mage's failed ritual. He ran his fingers along the hilt of his sword, feeling the residual pulse of Aura thrumming softly in response to his touch.
Tier-2. That was all he had, and it was still raw. Every swing, every step, every minor pulse of Aura demanded focus. Too much effort, and he would exhaust himself; too little, and even a minor enemy could overwhelm him.
He closed his eyes and began the familiar exercises Master Vorlag had drilled into him. Footwork, stance, slicing motions, subtle Aura surges. He repeated them until his muscles ached, until the rope of concentration stretched taut in his mind. The sword became almost an extension of himself, but it was still a crude instrument. He was still learning to blend the magic and the steel seamlessly, a feat only the most skilled Tier-2s could attempt without faltering.
A faint sound reached him from below—the creak of driftwood, the shuffle of boots on tar-stained planks. His eyes snapped open. Nothing seemed out of place, yet he couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched. A shimmer of movement caught the corner of his vision: a figure crouched behind the remains of a broken pier.
The girl. He only saw the faint glimmer of her aura as she melted back into the shadows. He didn't move toward her. Not yet. She wasn't a threat, but revealing himself now might disrupt whatever careful balance kept her hidden.
Kaelen turned his attention back to training, forcing his mind to focus. A sudden ripple of energy flowed up from the water below, unconnected to the rogue mage's residual magic. He could feel it in his bones—a subtle resistance in the world's Aura that pulsed against his sword and his Aura. It was unfamiliar, structured, yet faint, just enough to make him pause.
He adjusted his grip and sent a short pulse of Aura through his sword, testing the anomaly. The ripple wavered but did not break. Kaelen frowned. Whatever it was, it wasn't hostile… not yet. But it was older, stronger, and more deliberate than anything he had faced as an early Tier-2.
The cliff's edge rattled as a piece of stone fell, a reminder that he was still mortal. His body ached from the repetitive training, and even the simplest Aura surges taxed him. Every strike had to count; every movement had to be precise.
Hours passed like minutes, and when the first hints of dawn colored the sky, Kaelen finally sheathed his sword. He felt stronger, more aware of his limits, yet still painfully aware of how much further he had to go.
A soft shimmer flickered once more below the cliff. He didn't acknowledge it. He couldn't. The girl's presence, like the faint anomalies he had felt, was something for another time. For now, survival, learning, and the slow mastery of his Tier-2 abilities were enough.
Kaelen stood, inhaling the salt-laden air, and whispered to himself, "One day… I'll be ready."