The early morning sun filtered through the tall windows of the academy's central training hall, casting long shadows across the polished stone floor. The walls were reinforced with mana-inscribed barriers that shimmered faintly—an ever-present reminder that what happened in this space would not be gentle.
The students stood lined up in neat rows, dressed in their reinforced combat uniforms, each with their weapon of choice either strapped across their back or summoned at their side.
This wasn't a strategy lecture.
This was a combat class.
And now that clubs were gone and the academy was tightening its rules, classes like these had become more intense… and more frequent.
At the center of the room stood Instructor Verren, a tall, broad-shouldered man with grey hair swept back and a voice that could silence a room with a single word. A seasoned warrior with years in the field, Verren had little patience for excuses—and even less for wasted potential.
