Astrid's POV
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One Week Later
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The morning mist clung to my skin as I knelt on the mossy stone, fingers digging into its cool surface. Sweat dripped down my temples despite the chill.
"Again," Ignis commanded, his voice cutting through the forest's quiet.
I thought physical training was straining, but meditation is worse.
I exhaled sharply, watching the smoke curl from my lips. The ember in my chest pulsed angrily, resisting my attempts to coax it into a controlled flame.
"Focus on the stream," Ignis murmured. "Your fire is not rabid, it has to be calm, like water. Let it flow through you."
I clenched my jaw. We'd been at this for hours already. My knees ached, my head throbbed, and Seth's barely concealed yawns from the sidelines were
