The morning fog clung to Shadowfang territory like smoke from a dying fire. Nyra's chest heaved as she stood in the central training grounds, sweat soaking her hair, her hands still glowing faintly with residual silver energy.
Kael circled her like a predator, eyes sharp and glowing gold. "You've learned the basics," he said, voice low, "but now we push your power under pressure. Control in motion. Control in combat. Control under fear."
Nyra swallowed. Her muscles ached from yesterday's exercises, and the memory of the assassin attack still burned in her mind. But she nodded. She had to be ready.
"First exercise: combat simulations," Kael continued. "I will attack. You will defend, protect, and counter using only your ancestral energy. No physical weapons unless necessary."
Nyra's pulse thudded. The silver light beneath her skin flickered, surging with anticipation. She inhaled deeply, letting her bloodline whispers guide her.
Kael leapt first, claws extended, teeth bared — fully shifted, a blur of black and gold fury. Nyra raised her hands, silver energy forming a protective barrier just in time as he lunged.
"Not too slow!" Kael snapped, retreating only to attack from another angle.
Nyra pivoted, energy flowing like water through her arms and legs, deflecting, shielding, striking. The ancestral projections — ghostly wolves and warriors — moved with her, predicting attacks, blocking blows, and reacting before her mind could process them.
But Kael intensified his strikes, each one testing her reaction, probing her limits. A swipe of his claws nearly grazed her side, and she stumbled, silver light flaring wildly.
"Focus!" Kael barked. "Your fear is feeding the energy — control it, or it will control you!"
Nyra's eyes flashed. She shut out panic and anchored herself, feeling Kael's heartbeat synchronize with her own. Silver light pulsed, wrapping around her like a living shield. She moved faster, strikes sharper, defensive waves precise instead of chaotic.
"You're slowing it down," Kael noted, circling her, claws slashing just past her guard. "Good. Now, speed it back up. Anticipate, predict, overwhelm!"
Nyra's hands glowed brighter, projections multiplying. Ghost wolves leaped from her fingertips, forming a protective circle that struck and deflected Kael's attacks with perfect timing. Her pulse raced, her vision flickering with ancestral images, but she no longer panicked.
She felt the bloodline guiding her — not just visions, but instincts, battle experience from generations past, flowing through her in real-time.
Kael grinned, teeth flashing. "Now we add fear."
Suddenly, shadows shifted at the edges of the clearing. Figures appeared — illusions conjured by Kael to simulate hunters. They moved faster than any ordinary human, their eyes glinting with deadly precision.
Nyra's silver glow pulsed. Her heartbeat synced with Kael's again, steady, strong. She struck out, waves of energy forming barriers, projections, and traps. Every attack the figures made was countered, redirected, or absorbed.
Hours passed like minutes. Exhaustion clawed at her body, but Nyra didn't stop. Sweat, blood, and energy mingled on her skin as she pushed herself beyond what she thought possible.
Finally, Kael stopped, stepping back, breathing heavily. "Enough," he said, voice softening.
Nyra collapsed to her knees, chest heaving, silver light fading from her skin. She looked up at him, trembling but exhilarated.
"You… you did it," Kael said quietly, his golden eyes blazing with pride. "You can now fight, defend, and control your power under pressure. No one — not hunters, not Lucien — will catch you off-guard."
Nyra's lips trembled into a smile, exhaustion and relief mingling. "It… it's still scary. But I… I can do it."
Kael knelt beside her, brushing sweat-soaked hair from her face. "Yes. And next time, when they come… you'll be ready. And I'll be beside you, every step of the way."
Nyra leaned against him, silver light pulsing faintly from her hands as ancestral whispers hummed around her. For the first time, she felt fully alive, fully capable, and truly bonded with her power — and with Kael.
Outside the clearing, the forest seemed to hold its breath. Lucien's presence lingered in the shadows, watching, waiting… calculating.
"So she grows stronger… Excellent," he whispered, a cold smile spreading across his face. "But power alone is never enough."