The second day of training dawned grey, clouds gathering above the valley as though echoing the storm within Kael. The rebels formed a rough circle in the clearing, their faces a mixture of anticipation and unease.
Asha stood across from him, staff in hand, her stance ready. “Yesterday, you learned to listen. Today, you learn to command. If you can’t bend the storm’s will, it will bend yours—and the battlefield won’t forgive hesitation.”
Kael swallowed, nerves pressing hard against his ribs. His palms still bore burns from the day before, raw reminders of failure. But somewhere deeper, a flicker of confidence stirred. He had held the storm once. He could do it again.
He drew a breath, closing his eyes. The rhythm returned: the steady pulse beneath the chaos. Lightning gathered along his
