Vampire Envoys

Pyris steadied himself, summoning another weapon to continue, but before he could move, his teacher raised her hand, palm outward—a simple gesture, yet absolute in its authority.

"Enough," she said, her voice calm but still carrying that sharp edge of superiority.

A small, satisfied smile tugged at her lips. "You've already shown me what I wanted to see... though I must admit, wiping the floor with you was more fun than I expected."

Pyris exhaled through his nose, a low growl escaping him—not from anger, but from the undeniable sting of truth behind her words. He had lost. As much as he'd improved, as much as his new forging knowledge surged within him, he wasn't there yet.

Not even close. He couldn't stand against his teacher using only his forging skills.

Not yet.

And that wasn't even her full strength. If she'd tapped into her raw power—her energy—he would've been overwhelmed completely.