Just The Beginning.

Victoria steadied her breathing, her muscles burning from exertion. Across from her, Edmund Blackthorn stood tall, his light-infused aura creating a nimbus that made him seem untouchable. Yet she had landed a hit. She had cracked his confidence, if only for a moment. That was enough to press forward.

The heat in the chamber lingered like a physical presence. Scattered embers from her earlier attacks still pulsed on the ruined platform, and the air carried the scent of scorched stone. Students around the edges of the arena leaned forward in hushed anticipation, their eyes darting between the two fighters. They knew this wasn't just about skill. This was about dominance, about who would shape the hierarchy within Arcaneum Academy's hallowed walls.

Victoria moved first.