Blades and Blurred Memories

In the familiar abandoned arena, a girl and a boy clashed with wooden swords. The girl's movements were fluid, followed by a stance that are steady and precise, revealing a mastery of the blade beyond her years. Her eyes were sharp, focused, and calculating every step. In contrast, the boy's movements were erratic, his grip on the sword was uneven as he tried to counter her relentless strikes. Each of his steps was hesitant, followed by his swings which lacked confidence that his opponent displayed effortlessly.

Their wooden swords connected with a series of sharp cracks, which creates echoes that are bouncing off the weathered stone walls of the arena. The boy's brow furrowed in concentration, but every swing he made seemed just a beat too slow or a touch too early. Despite his best efforts, his strikes were easily parried, leaving him constantly on the defensive.

The girl advanced with the grace of a seasoned warrior, with strikes that are calculated and deliberate. She exploited the boy's every misstep, with movements that are so smooth—its like looking at a gentle current in a river. With a swift sidestep, she avoided a clumsy overhead swing, and in one fluid motion, she swept her leg low, knocking the boy off his feet. 

'Shit!'

The boy hit the ground with a thud, and before he could react, the tip of her wooden blade hovered inches from his face. 

For a moment, they locked eyes. The girl's gaze was steady and unyielding, adding a mix of challenge and silent instruction. The boy, panting and sprawled on the cold ground, could only clenched his jaw. Despite his position, there was a flicker of determination in his eyes—a promise that he wouldn't stay down for long.

A week had passed since their first deadly battle in the very same arena, and from then on, they had returned every day as the sun dipped below the horizon. Kaelen and Serephira would meet in the arena's shadowed grounds, both of them ready to sharpen their skills.

For Kaelen, every session was a struggle not just against Serephira's skilled strikes but against his own shortcomings. He was painfully aware of his very own flaw. But with each passing day, he could feel the subtle changes—as his footing grew steadier, and his swings are more controlled. The wooden sword felt less foreign in his hands, as its weight slowly but surely becoming a familiar extension of himself. 

Serephira, though still ruthless in her corrections, had shifted her approach. What once were swift takedowns with a touch of impatience were now lessons in strategy and discipline. She pushed Kaelen to not only wield his sword with better form but also to harness his veil—his unique power that, despite its raw potential, remained untamed and volatile.

"Again!" her voice firm to the boy in front of her

"Focus, Kaelen. You're still fighting against the sword instead of with it."

Kaelen would nod, with sweat dripping from his brow, he adjusted his stance once more. He was determined to meet her expectations.

Together, they transformed the abandoned arena into a crucible for their growth—a place where mistakes were made but also where progress took root. And with each sparring session, Kaelen drew closer not just to mastering the blade, but to becoming something far more: the vanguard Serephira needed by her side.

***

The arena was bathed in the soft glow of moonlight, indicating the night time. Kaelen sat on the ground, gasping for air, his body drenched in sweat and exhaustion weighing heavily on his limbs. Despite all his efforts, his progress was still painfully slow, a constant reminder of the gap between him and the girl standing before him, barely dropping a sweat, as if their intense sparring session was just a warm-up for her.

'Is she some kind of monster or something?'

Kaelen glanced up at her, curiosity flickering in his eyes

"Can you tell me, about how our fight back then ended?"

Serephira tilted her head slightly, she asked, her tone filled with hint of disbelief

"You really don't remember anything?"

Kaelen shook his head, his voiced laced with frustration and confusion

"No, it's all a blur. I remember fighting you, but the end… it's like it's been wiped from my mind."

Serephira took a step closer to him.

"You weren't yourself. It was like something else took over, something ominous. Your movements changed—they were no longer yours, but more precise, more dangerous."

She paused for a moment, before continuing

"You fought like you were possessed, Kaelen, with the ill-intention of killing me"

Kaelen's eyes widened at her words. He looked down, his grip tightening on the wooden sword as a wave of guilt washed over him. Although he couldn't remember, just the thought of him killing a human being—of nearly harming Serephira—gnawed at him.

"I... i'm sorry. I didn't know. I swear, I would never—"

"I know. It's okay"

She interrupted him with a softening expression and a smile on her face

As Serephira spoke, her mind drifted momentarily to a moment she hadn't expected to remember—at the end of his rampage, when Kaelen called her "beautiful," catching her completely off guard. Even now, she felt a faint heat creeping up her cheeks, creating a blush that she quickly tried to suppress.

Kaelen, noticing the subtle change in her expression, furrowed his brow.

"What? Did I say something wrong?"

he asked Serephira, confused by her sudden shift in demeanor

Serephira quickly shook her head, brushing it off with a quick, dismissive wave of her hand.

"It's nothing"

She turned away slightly, hoping to hide the faint redness still lingering on her cheeks. It wasn't like her to be caught off guard, especially by something as trivial as a careless compliment—even if it had come from a boy he just met.

Seeing her reaction, a new worry came into his mind. As he thought back to her words about his attempted attack—how he had fought with an intent to kill. He did nearly murdered the princess of Calaria. He gulped nervously

'am i... am i gonna die for that?'