The Spark Within
The training hall was silent, the air thick with anticipation. Luca stood alone in the center of the expansive room, his muscles tense, his mind focused. The high, vaulted ceilings were adorned with shimmering wards of soft, ambient light that flickered like stars in the distance. No other students were present, and there was no one to witness his progress but his teacher—Arlen.
Her presence was commanding, her posture poised with quiet strength. Dressed in flowing robes of deep indigo, her silver hair was bound neatly at the nape of her neck, though her sharp eyes were all business. She was not the kind to offer praise, not the kind to sugar-coat anything. Today, Luca was going to learn what it meant to truly command magic.
“You have one rule today, Luca,” she said, he
