Strength Forged Through Exhaustion
After instructing Diana what to do, Victor turned away without another glance at the unfolding spar behind him. The clash of steel and the low hum of dark energy had already begun to shape the air, but his focus had shifted.
There were other pieces on the board.
More fragile ones.
He walked toward the two beginner-level mages—Sana and Livia.
The moment his shadow fell over them, both girls stiffened.
It wasn't just fear.
It was something deeper.
A strange mix of awe… tension… and something they didn't dare name.
Normally, they would never react like this. Men—no matter how powerful, how arrogant, how dangerous—were simple creatures in their eyes. A smile, a soft glance, a subtle shift of hips… and they could bend most of them without effort.
That was how the world worked.
But Victor—
Was not part of that world.
Their eyes lingered on him for a second longer than necessary.
Black hair, smooth and sharp.
Golden eyes that didn't wander.
