Victory and Heartbeats ( 189 )

Amethia kept attacking with everything she had, launching spell after spell at Javier. Her flames crackled, wind blades sliced through the air, and bursts of magic erupted around the arena. Yet no matter how fast or powerful her strikes were, Javier dodged them all easily, his grin never fading.

"Ehehe, you're persistent," he teased, sidestepping another fiery attack. "But don't overdo it, beautiful. You'll run out of mana."

Amethia ignored him, her focus solely on trying to land a hit. Her heart raced with determination as she put all her energy into her attacks.

But then it happened—her mana reserves ran dry. Her movements slowed, her knees wobbled, and her vision blurred slightly. "Ugh..." she muttered, swaying on her feet.

"Whoa!" Javier reacted quickly, stepping forward and catching her by the waist before she could fall completely.