The first rays of dawn struggled to pierce the dense canopy above the training grounds. The forest around the Blackclaw estate remained unusually quiet, as if even the wildlife understood that today was different. Today was not about strength alone. Today, it was about control.
Selara stood at the center of the ring once more, sand shifting beneath her boots. Every muscle in her body still ached from yesterday's trial, every breath reminded her of the power she had wielded and the restraint she had practiced. The first trial had tested her endurance, her ability to remain standing against brute force but this second trial would test the mind, the precision, the discipline.
Lyanna's presence approached from the side of the ring. She was calm, poised, every movement deliberate. The playful confidence Selara had glimpsed before was gone. This was no longer a test of fists or instinct it was a game of control, of anticipation, of mental fortitude.
