The afternoon sun cast long shadows across the Ambrose estate as Grim sat in the study. The shadows were begining to expand as night drew closer. His body still ached from yesterday’s exertion, the mana depletion leaving him weaker than he cared to admit. Chen Xing was nearby, making sure he didn’t go overboard.
The study itself was a testant to the Ambrose family legacy. Bookshelves lined the walls, filled with ancient tos on swordsmanship and mana theory. Above the marble fireplace hung a large portrait of Caius Van Ambrose in his pri.A tall, imposing figure with piercing eyes. His hand rested on a silver sword that could only be Luna. Smaller portraits were around the large portrait. Showing Caius in various settings: addressing troops, in formal court attire, and one showing him training a young man who must have been Grim’s grandfather.
"You’re pushing yourself too hard," Chen Xing said without looking up from his work. "Luna draws far more mana than Echo. You need more ti to recover."
Grim scowled. "There is no ti. The semifinals are tomorrow."
"And you’ll be no use if you collapse in the arena," Chen Xing countered, his tone was very stern. "What good is all this training if you burn yourself out before facing Julius’s son?"
Their quiet argunt was interrupted when Sera knocked lightly on the open door.
"My lord," she said with a small bow, "Lady Huangyan is at the gate."
Grim exchanged a glance with Chen Xing, "Looks like she accepted my invitation."
Afte a minute, the sound of footsteps in the hallway announced Sera’s return with their visitor. Grim turned from the window to see his guest.
Huangyan was petite, standing around 5’2", with a figure that balanced strength and grace. Her midnight-black hair fell straight to her shoulders, with a delicate face. Her eyes were her most striking feature. They were amber with flecks of gold. She walked with chestfulls of confidence.
"Lord Van Ambrose," she said with a formal bow, her voice lodic with a hint of an accent Grim couldn’t quite place. "Thank you for receiving ."
"Lady Huangyan," Grim replied, gesturing to a seat across from him. "I don’t believe we’ve been formally introduced, though you seed to recognize at the tournant."
A smile played at the corners of her mouth, revealing dimples that softened her otherwise serious deanor. "I did. Though you wouldn’t know ."
Sera brought in a tray of tea and small pastries, setting it on the table between them before quietly taking a position near the window.
"And why is that?" Grim asked, his tone was neutral.
Huangyan took a sip of tea before answering, savoring both the flavor and the mont. Her eyes never left his as she lowered the cup. "Because we’ve never t, Lord Ambrose. But I know you through your great-grandfather, Caius."
The room went still. Grim’s hand tightened around his cup, the porcelain crackling faintly under the pressure.
"My great-grandfather has been dead for decades," he said flatly. "You’re hardly old enough to have known him."
"I’m older than I look," Huangyan replied with a slight smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. "Much older. I was Caius Van Ambrose’s disciple for twenty-seven years."
Chen Xing straightened, his attention now fully on their visitor. His hand moved subtly closer to his weapon.
Grim set down his cup with deliberate care. "That would make you well over fifty, at minimum. You don’t look a day over twenty-five."
"I’m one hundred and sixteen, actually," she said, her smile widening at his obvious disbelief.
A harsh laugh escaped Grim. "Now I know you’re lying. No human lives that long while maintaining their youth."
"You’re right," Huangyan agreed, setting down her own cup with a finality that sent ripples across the tea’s surface. "No human does."
The implication hung in the air for a mont before Grim’s eyes narrowed. "What exactly are you saying?"
"I’m half-elven," she said simply. "My mother was human, my father an elf. We age differently."
The change in Grim was imdiate and dramatic. He stood abruptly, his chair scraping against the floor like a blade being drawn. His hand moved to Echo’s hilt, though he didn’t draw the blade.
"You dare co to my ho?" he snarled, his voice thick with disgust. "After what your kind did to my family? After what I did to one of your kind yesterday?"
Huangyan remained seated, seemingly unconcerned by his reaction. "I ca precisely because of what you did yesterday," she replied, her voice hardening. "Luna has revealed herself to you. That changes everything."
"Get out," Grim growled, his knuckles white around Echo’s hilt.
"Grim," Chen Xing began, his voice cautious but firm.
"I said get...." Grim stopped mid-sentence, his head turning slightly toward the window. His eyes narrowed, focusing on sothing beyond the estate walls.
"We have uninvited guests," he said quietly, his anger giving way to a cold alertness. "Three... no, four individuals on the periter."
Huangyan stood smoothly, her hand drifting to her own sword. "Julius moves faster than I expected," she murmured.
"You think Luminaris sent them?" Grim asked, montarily setting aside his disgust at her heritage.
"After yesterday’s display? Absolutely." Her eyes t his, a challenge burning in those amber depths. "We can continue our discussion about my lineage after we deal with your visitors. It would be rude not to greet them properly, don’t you think?"
Grim’s lips thinned, caught between his hatred for elves and the imdiate threat. Finally, he gave a curt nod.
"Sera, stay inside and away from the windows," he ordered. Then, to Chen Xing: "Ready?"
"Lady Huangyan..." Grim paused, the title clearly difficult for him to say, "...we’ll see if your claim to be my great-grandfather’s student holds any water."
"With pleasure, Lord Ambrose," she replied, a dangerous smile crossing her face as she drew her blade....
From outside ca the slightest sound, barely perceptible. The scrape of boot on stone. Their visitors were scaling the eastern wall, likely hoping to use the old tree’s branches for cover.
"East side," Grim murmured, receiving confirming nods from both Chen Xing and Huangyan.
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