Valenna whispered, low and pleased:
Good. Name yourself through action. Not lineage.
Atrius rubbed his forehead. "Coren… you're not helping my stress."
Mira grabbed Coren's sleeve and shook it. "Please tell me you know what you're walking into."
"I do," Coren said.
Valenna added, cooling his pulse:
You do.
Atrius exhaled. "Fine. Then from now until third bell, we train. Harder than before. Feldren will probe everything—balance, reaction, intent. They specialize in breaking rhythms."
Mira groaned. "Which means we're all dying today."
They reached the eastern hall again.
Atrius opened the door.
"Inside," he said. "We only have hours, and Feldren doesn't wait."
Coren stepped through without hesitation.
Valenna settled around him, cold and calm.
Good. Let the Heir come. Let him look. He will not see what lies beneath.
The door shut behind them.
Training began again.
And this time, it wasn't practice.
It was preparation for war.
The hours bled away.
