The cold air of dawn settled in the underground training chamber, the torches flickering against the stone walls.
Aiden, Adrian, and Sevan stood in front of Professor Anwar, feeling the weight of exhaustion in their limbs.
The professor studied them with sharp, assessing eyes before letting out a disappointed sigh. "What happened to the three who wanted to join my training?" he asked, his arms crossed. "Compared to last ti, you look like ghosts of yourselves."
None of them answered right away.
Adrian stretched his arms over his head before lazily shrugging. "Long day yesterday, professor..."
Sevan sighed, rolling his shoulders. "Sorry, professor. We've been training since yesterday afternoon. It's just... catching up to us."
Aiden didn't say anything, but he knew they weren't at their best.
Between training with Amihan and Ivara, the duels being announced, and everything with Sevan and Shiloh, their energy had been stretched thin.
"You're all dull today," Professor Anwar said, crossing his arms. "Compared to last ti, this might as well be a different group standing in front of . What's wrong?"
Professor Anwar studied them, then exhaled sharply. "I'll remind you that fatigue is nothing compared to what you'll face in the Solstice Trials. You want to survive? Then push past it. But-" He raised a hand before any of them could protest. "-even the best fighters know when to conserve their energy."
Adrian frowned. "So… what are you saying?" He paused, then added. "Professor."
"You're not at your best today," Anwar said. "Forcing yourselves through a grueling session would be pointless. Instead, we're changing tactics. Today, you focus on refining what you already know rather than exhausting yourselves with brute force. Let's see if you can think strategically even when you're not at full power."
Adrian smirked slightly. "So… a lazy man's training?"
Anwar shot him a sharp look. "No. A smart fighter's training."
Sevan straightened, nodding. "Alright. What's the plan?"
Anwar's lips curled slightly. "You'll find out soon enough. Now, spread out."
Despite their exhaustion, the three of them obeyed, ready for whatever challenge the professor had in store for them.
Professor Anwar walked to the center of the chamber, his hands clasped behind his back. His golden light wove through the air, forming intricate patterns before solidifying into glowing rings that hovered around them at varying heights.
"Today's exercise is simple," he said, gesturing to the floating rings. "You will each have a target. Your goal is to land a hit through the center without missing."
Adrian scoffed, arms crossed. "That's it?"
Anwar raised a brow. "That's it."
Aiden narrowed his eyes.
It sounded too easy. And judging by the smirk tugging at Anwar's lips, there was more to it.
The professor waved his hand, and suddenly, the rings began to shift, moving unpredictably, speeding up, slowing down, vanishing and reappearing in different spots.
"Thought so," Aiden muttered under his breath.
Anwar nodded. "Precision is more than just accuracy. It's knowing when to strike, how to conserve energy, and making every move count. Strength ans nothing if you can't land a hit." He glanced at Adrian. "Lazy man's training, was it? Let's see how lazy you feel when you miss."
Aiden was already moving, summoning a controlled fla in his palm. He focused on his target, watching its erratic movents, waiting for the right mont. He exhaled slowly, then snapped his hand forward. A burst of fire shot toward the ring....
And missed by inches.
The ring flickered away before his attack could land.
Adrian burst into laughter. "And here I thought you were supposed to be the serious one."
Aiden shot him a glare before turning back to the rings.
He was right, though. If he had thrown that just a fraction of a second later, he would've hit it. He needed to watch and not just react.
Sevan had created a small sphere of water, his eyes narrowed as he studied his own moving ring. He tossed the water forward, but his target vanished right before impact.
His lips pressed into a thin line.
Adrian, on the other hand, didn't hesitate.
He lunged forward, letting shadows coil around his arm before he flung a dagger of darkness toward his target. It curved midair, following the ring's erratic movents...
And clipped the edge.
Not a full hit, but closer than the others.
Adrian grinned, turning to the others. "Seems like I'm winning."
Sevan rolled his eyes, but there was amusent there. "It's not a competition."
"For you, maybe."
Professor Anwar watched them with crossed arms. "If you're so confident, then why don't we raise the difficulty?"
Before any of them could protest, the rings split into two. Then four. Then six. Each one shifting faster than before.
Adrian groaned. "I take it back..."
Professor Anwar clapped his hands, and the glowing rings pulsed with light. "Focus," he instructed, his tone firm but not unkind. "These rings are not just floating targets. Think of them as an enemy's weak spot: always shifting, always just out of reach, but never impossible to strike."
Aiden's eyes flickered toward the rings, his stance tightening.
Weak spots. That was sothing he could work with. He imagined them as the vital points of an opponent- places where a well-placed strike would incapacitate them instantly.
Without another word, the three launched into action again.
Aiden narrowed his focus, waiting for the mont the ring slowed- just a flicker of hesitation in its movent. He struck. A controlled burst of fla shot through the center, making the ring shimr before dissolving.
Sevan used water like a whip, forming sharp tendrils that lashed toward the moving rings. This ti, instead of throwing an attack outright, he adjusted mid-movent, redirecting the water to follow the ring's last-second dodge. His attack hit dead center, and the ring shattered into droplets of light.
Adrian, anwhile, grinned as he rged with the shadows, slipping between the moving targets. His dagger of darkness lashed out, hitting a ring before he twisted midair and sent another attack toward a second one. His first hit landed perfectly, the second barely grazing the edge. He clicked his tongue.
"Tch. Almost."
Professor Anwar crossed his arms, watching as Aiden, Adrian, and Sevan caught their breath between rounds. "You three seem distracted," he noted. "Has soone challenged you?"
The three exchanged glances before nodding.
"Yeah," Adrian said first, rolling his shoulders. "Ambrose challenged ."
"Lochan challenged ," Aiden added.
Sevan exhaled sharply. "Shiloh."
Professor Anwar humd, crossing his arms as he regarded them. "So, Shiloh, Lochan, and Ambrose, huh?" he said thoughtfully. "A deck of cards, predictive movents, and regeneration. I know them well."
Aiden, Adrian, and Sevan exchanged glances.
"You do?" Sevan asked, tilting his head.
"Of course. I make it my business to know the abilities of potential challengers and of course, my students, especially those who think they're untouchable."
He turned toward the training rings. "Shiloh fights with trickery- he's flashy, unpredictable, and irritatingly smug. His card techniques are fast, and so of them have effects beyond just impact. Lochan, on the other hand, is a strategist. He doesn't just predict movents; he uses that knowledge to corner opponents before they even realize they're trapped. And Ambrose? Regeneration ans he can afford to be reckless. He'll keep attacking because he knows he can take the hits and heal."
Adrian clicked his tongue. "Great. So basically, we're up against a gambler, a mind-reader, and an immortal."
Anwar chuckled. "If you want to put it that way, sure. But every ability has a weakness. Your job is to find it." He gestured toward the rings hovering in the air. "Start by focusing on those rings as if they were your opponent's weak spot. Attack with precision. If you hesitate, you lose. If you strike carelessly, you lose."
Aiden clenched his fists, rembering how Lochan had stepped forward to challenge him so confidently. He wouldn't lose. He couldn't afford to.
"Again," Anwar ordered. "This ti, fight like your position depends on it."
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