Second fight.

They waited for about an hour before Instructor Leticia finally arrived. The moment she stepped into the yard, the murmurs and scattered conversations died down. The children who had been talking earlier quickly made their way to the center of the yard, standing in disciplined formation.

Leticia wasn't one for waiting, and everyone knew it. Her presence alone was a command—when she arrived, they had to be ready.

Cassian noticed that Leticia's sharp eyes had settled on him. Before he could react, she tossed a bag his way. He barely managed to catch it before peering inside. A uniform, the same as what everyone else was wearing.

It was simple. A black long-sleeved shirt, matching black pants, white socks, and sturdy black boots.

"Go and put on those clothes, and hurry," Leticia ordered, her tone firm. "Or else you'll be punished."

Cassian wasted no time, hurrying toward one of the barracks. He stripped out of the borrowed clothes he had been wearing all week and put on the uniform.

It was too big for him. Even the socks were loose. The only thing that fit properly was the boots.

When Cassian stepped out, all eyes turned to him. His black clothing made his pale features and white hair stand out even more. The other kids chuckled at the sight, amusement flickering across their faces. Even Cele smirked at his appearance—the baggy pants, the long sleeves that covered his hands.

"We made sure to give you a size two above yours," Leticia said, arms crossed. "You'll grow quickly, so don't worry about it."

With that, she addressed the group. "Now that everything is ready, start running until I give the order to stop."

Her words were absolute. Without hesitation, every kid started running, circling around the yard in a continuous loop.

Some started falling behind, their endurance faltering. But stopping wasn't an option. The moment someone slowed down, Leticia handed them a wooden sword and directed them to the training dummies. No rest was given—those who couldn't keep running were made to swing their weapons instead.

Cassian pushed himself forward, but his lungs burned. Eventually, he stopped, gasping for breath. Before he could recover, Leticia thrust a wooden sword into his hands.

Not letting him catch his breath, she ordered, "Do the same as the rest."

Cassian gritted his teeth and obeyed, lifting the wooden sword and striking the training dummy before him. His arms ached, but he didn't stop.

Through the exhaustion, he noticed something.

The only person who was still running, long after the others had stopped, was Cele.

Her face was slick with sweat, but her eyes shone with determination. She refused to stop.

Leticia let them continue for a little longer before finally raising a hand. "Good job. Especially you, Celeste. You kept running for about forty minutes before stopping. As such, you're free to spar with whoever you want."

Cele nodded, barely breathing heavily. She stood next to Cassian and pointed at him without hesitation.

"I choose him."

Leticia expected as much.

"As for the rest of you, get to your partners, but don't get too comfortable. Next month, I will change your partner and choose depending on how you've been performing for the past four months. Everyone must grow stronger and make Lord Roberto proud."

Well, except for two, Leticia thought internally. Those two will probably train together until they're ready for battle.

The kids moved to choose their weapons—most picked spears, a few took swords, and even fewer paired them with shields. There were no bows. Cassian already knew why. Cele had told him before—while they still trained with bows, they weren't considered primary weapons. Only a select few trained separately for archery.

While the others armed themselves, Cassian and Cele stood apart.

They both had already decided—this sparring session would be fought with their abilities alone. No weapons.

They walked to the corner of the yard, distancing themselves from the others.

Cassian focused on Cele as she raised her hands. Flames flickered to life, burning brighter as she concentrated. Then, with a sudden burst of motion, she sent a vortex of fire surging toward him.

Cassian had activated his water ability beforehand, summoning a sphere of water between his palms. The moment the fire roared toward him, he shot the water forward, colliding the two elements in midair. Just in case the fire won out, he also raised a stone wall before him.

Steam erupted as fire and water clashed, filling the air with thick mist.

Cele couldn't see through it, but she could feel something moving beneath her.

Spikes of stone shot up from the ground, attempting to trap her. In a swift move, she dashed backward, barely avoiding them.

But she still couldn't see Cassian.

Fire flared in her hands once more, and this time, she sent a barrage of small fireballs into the mist, trying to hit anything that moved.

Cassian stayed behind his stone wall, watching the attacks fly past him. The few that struck the stone barely left scorch marks.

With a sharp motion, he created another water sphere, surrounding it with a powerful wind. He fired it toward Cele.

Cele barely saw it through the steam. I know what to do.

Instead of dodging, she dashed toward the stone spikes Cassian had made earlier. The water attack struck the stone instead of her, the impact sending a shockwave that threw her back a few meters.

Quickly regaining her footing, Cele responded with another vortex of fire. It crashed against Cassian's stone wall, flames spreading in every direction. The heat was intense. The stone glowed orange from the fire's strength.

Cassian was relieved for the wall. If he hadn't created it, he might have been seriously burned. But as he glanced at Cele, he noticed something—her hands were blackened, burned from her own power.

She was pushing herself to the limit.

Not holding back.

Not worried about burning him.

Cassian wasn't entirely sure how he felt about that. But he had agreed to this, and he would see it through.

As he prepared another attack, he felt the temperature rise even more. Something was wrong. Then he saw it—two things, almost at the same time.

Cele's determined smile.

And the small flames around him suddenly growing into a raging inferno.

A trap.

Cassian tensed, ready to counter—

"That's enough!"

Leticia's voice rang out, cutting through the heat like a blade.

The fire lost its vitality, dying instantly.

Cassian exhaled, lowering his stance. Leticia approached Cele, taking her hands. A dark mist covered her burned fingers, healing them slightly. They weren't fully restored, but they looked much better than before.

"Good fight," Leticia praised. "An amazing display of power from you two. If you continue like this, only greatness awaits. But, Celeste, try to be more mindful of your own state."

Cele nodded, proud of the recognition.

Cassian stepped closer. "How did you do that?"

"Do what?" Cele asked.

"The fire around me—it suddenly became stronger."

Cele hesitated. She knew how she had done it, but explaining it was another matter.

Leticia answered for her. "It's simple, Cassian. It works similarly to your stone ability. Fire, like water, is difficult to create from nothing. Instead of making new flames, Cele focused on strengthening the ones already there."

Cele's face lit up. "That's exactly right!"

Cassian nodded in understanding. "Thank you, Instructor."

"That's why I'm here," Leticia said, a rare smile on her face. "Unlike the other kids, using abilities is more exhausting than sword fighting. Rest for now—you've done more than enough today. But tomorrow, only normal sparring. Understood?"

"Yes, sir," both answered.

After saying goodbye to Cassian, Cele headed off to help her mother, taking advantage of her early dismissal.

Cassian decided to leave as well. Ailyn had mentioned she'd be home all day, and with the water stack full, there was no need for her to go to the creek.

So, he made his way to his new home.