Who Has the Upper Hand?

The platform trembled beneath their feet, fractures spiderwebbing through the stone as Kael's relentless air magic clashed against Alexander's luminous defenses. The once-pristine dueling chamber was now a battlefield, marked by streaks of scorched light and jagged wind-cut lines.

Kael landed lightly on the balls of his feet, adjusting to the shifting ground. His breath came quicker now, his chest rising and falling in a measured rhythm. He had kept pace with Alexander so far, countering his attacks, redirecting his momentum, and evading his strikes by the barest margins. But there was an unshakable certainty settling in his mind—

**Alexander was getting faster.**