Chapter 65: Steel and Resolve

Third Person's POV

Selene's body still ached, her muscles heavy with the memory of battle. She blinked up at the ceiling, her breath uneven as she tried to piece together what had happened.

The golden chamber. The warrior. The endless battles. The mirror. And then—nothing.

A faint glow from the window signaled the early hours of the morning. The world outside continued as if nothing had changed, as if she hadn't just fought for what felt like an eternity. But she had. Every fiber of her being told her that much.

She sat up slowly, her fingers gripping the sheets. Her mind was still reeling, the images of her own reflection striking at her with ruthless precision burned into her thoughts.

That battle had been different from all the others. It had stripped her bare, exposing not just weaknesses of skill, but something deeper.

She had fought herself.

Her heartbeat steadied, but the unease remained. If she had truly been within the Heart of Eldoria, how had she ended up back here? And why did it feel as though something within her had shifted?

Selene exhaled, pressing her fingers to her temples. Axel. She needed to find him. He had to know something about what had happened.

With effort, she swung her legs over the edge of the bed, her body protesting the movement.

She felt drained, as though she had poured herself into that battle and left something behind.

The sensation was unsettling, yet… there was something else. Beneath the exhaustion, a quiet certainty settled in her bones.

She had changed.

For better or worse, she didn't yet know. But one thing was certain—this was far from over.

Pushing herself up, she steadied her breath and took a step forward. The world outside had not waited for her. And neither would she.

Selene moved through the quiet halls, the lingering weight of exhaustion fading with each step. Her mind was still tangled in the remnants of the trial, but there was no time to dwell. She needed to move forward. She needed to find Axel.

The morning air was crisp as she stepped outside, the first rays of sunlight casting long shadows across the courtyard.

She found Axel there, standing near the center, his back turned to her. His posture was relaxed, yet she knew better. He was always aware, always prepared.

"You're up early," Axel said without turning around.

Selene crossed her arms. "So are you."

Axel turned to face her, his blue eyes scanning her carefully.

"You look like you've been through something."

She let out a breath. "You have no idea."

He studied her for a moment longer before nodding toward the training grounds. "Then let's see what's changed."

Selene tensed slightly, but she didn't protest. She had trained with Axel before, but this time, it felt different.

She had fought something else in that endless trial—now, she needed to see how much of that battle had truly sunk in.

Axel stepped back, and with a flick of his wrist, light shimmered in his palm, coalescing into a weapon.

A broad-bladed sword, glowing with holy energy, materialized in his grasp. Unlike before, he wasn't just wielding an ordinary weapon. This one pulsed with divine power, radiating a protective aura.

Selene exhaled, steadying herself. "You're not going easy on me, are you?"

Axel smirked. "Would you want me to?"

She didn't answer. Instead, she shifted her stance, drawing on the lessons ingrained in her muscles. No reckless energy bursts. No desperate flailing. Precision. Control. That was what she had learned.

Axel moved first, closing the distance between them in a blink. His blade came down in a heavy arc, the air humming with the force behind it.

Selene twisted, barely avoiding the strike, her body reacting on instinct. She felt the heat of the holy energy as it passed mere inches from her shoulder.

She countered, lashing out with her own power—not wild, but shaped. The energy molded in her palm, forming a short, curved blade. She slashed upward, aiming for his side, but before her strike could land, Axel's shield flared to life.

A golden barrier erupted between them, absorbing the impact. The force sent her skidding back, but she regained her footing quickly. She had seen him use that shield before, but never so seamlessly.

"You're holding back," Axel said, lowering his blade slightly. "Don't."

Selene narrowed her eyes. "Fine"

She surged forward, her blade meeting his with a sharp clang. The impact reverberated through her arms, but she didn't let it throw her off. Instead, she adjusted, twisting her weapon to slide along his guard before pivoting into another strike.

Axel deflected it effortlessly, but she was already moving again, keeping the pressure on.

Axel's shield pulsed once more, but this time, Selene didn't attack it head-on. Instead, she shifted her stance, stepping to the side at the last moment.

Her weapon flickered, dispersing for a split second before reforming in a new shape—a spear. She lunged, aiming past the barrier, forcing Axel to dodge instead of block.

His eyes flickered with something close to approval. "Better."

She didn't reply. She just kept going.

Minutes passed in a blur of movement, the courtyard echoing with the clash of power against power.

Selene felt the burn in her muscles, the strain in her limbs, but she refused to falter. She wasn't the same as before. She wouldn't fight like before.

Finally, Axel stepped back, lowering his sword. The glow around his shield dimmed. "That's enough."

Selene exhaled sharply, her weapon dissolving as she straightened. Sweat clung to her skin, but beneath the exhaustion, a different sensation settled within her.

Satisfaction.

Axel watched her carefully. "You're learning."

She met his gaze, her breath still uneven."Not fast enough."

A small smile tugged at his lips. "Faster than you think."

The words lingered between them, unspoken understanding settling in the space they shared.

A slow clap broke the silence.

"Not bad," a familiar voice drawled.

Selene turned her head to see Khael leaning against the wooden railing bordering the courtyard.

His arms were crossed, a smirk playing at his lips as he watched them. Beside him stood Tyra, her broadsword strapped across her back, her gaze sharp and assessing.

Axel sheathed his blade and raised an eyebrow. "How long have you two been watching?"

"Long enough to see that she's improving,"

Tyra said simply. "Though you're still going easy on her."

Selene scoffed, rubbing her sore arms. "Easy? That didn't feel easy."

Khael chuckled. "Trust me, if he wasn't holding back, you'd be flat on your back right now."

Selene shot him a glare, but Axel only shook his head. "She's making progress. That's what matters."

Tyra stepped forward, tilting her head slightly. "Then let's see if she's ready for a real fight."

Selene blinked. "A real fight?"

Tyra smirked. "You've been sparring with Axel, learning how to handle his magic and his style. But if you want to survive in the battles ahead, you need to learn how to adapt to different opponents."

She unsheathed her broadsword, the metal glinting under the morning light. "So you're sparring with me next."

Khael let out a low whistle. "Oh, this is going to be fun."

Selene hesitated for only a moment before nodding. She had fought herself. She had fought Axel. Facing Tyra would be different, but that was exactly the kind of challenge she needed.

Selene squared her shoulders, forcing herself to focus as Tyra planted her feet, her broadsword gleaming under the morning light.

Unlike Axel's divine-infused weapon, Tyra's was solid steel, heavy and unyielding. The weight alone could crush an unprepared opponent.

Selene steadied her breath. Tyra was a seasoned warrior, experienced in battle, and she would not hold back.

The moment Axel gave the command, Tyra moved.

Selene barely had time to react before Tyra lunged. The broadsword cut through the air in a powerful downward arc.

Selene leaped back, narrowly avoiding the strike, the force of it cracking the stone where she had stood moments ago.

No time to think.

Selene summoned her weapon—a thin, elegant sword forming in her grasp, pulsing with the energy she had learned to mold. She adjusted her grip and met Tyra's next attack head-on.

Their blades clashed, the impact vibrating up Selene's arms. Tyra was strong—stronger than Selene had anticipated.

"Don't just block—redirect," Tyra instructed as she pushed forward, forcing Selene back with raw strength.

Selene gritted her teeth and shifted her stance, sidestepping the force of the blow rather than absorbing it directly.

As Tyra's broadsword scraped past her guard, Selene pivoted, slashing at her exposed side.

Tyra twisted her blade in a flash, knocking Selene's strike away with ease.

"Better," she admitted, stepping back for a brief moment.

"But not fast enough."

Before Selene could react, Tyra surged forward again. This time, she didn't aim for a heavy strike but instead used quick, precise movements, forcing Selene to dodge rather than parry.

Tyra's footwork was flawless—each step calculated, each motion designed to corner Selene.

Selene's mind raced. If she kept trying to match Tyra's raw power, she would lose. She needed to adapt.

As Tyra went for another overhead swing, Selene didn't block. Instead, she dispersed her weapon mid-strike, ducking low and rolling past Tyra's guard.

As she spun back to her feet, she reshaped her energy into a longer form—a rapier this time—and drove it forward toward Tyra's back.

Tyra turned at the last second, her broadsword coming up to meet the strike, but Selene had already anticipated the counter.

Instead of resisting the clash, she let the force of it push her backward, gaining space between them.

Tyra smirked, eyes glinting with something close to approval. "That's more like it."

Selene didn't hesitate. She lunged again, her rapier flickering as she altered its angle mid-motion.

Tyra adjusted accordingly, deflecting strike after strike, but Selene was no longer just reacting—she was controlling the rhythm of the fight.

A sharp gust of wind kicked up dust as their weapons clashed in a flurry of motion, neither giving ground.

Khael let out an impressed whistle from the sidelines. "She's getting serious now."

Axel watched in silence, his gaze focused as Selene's movements grew more refined, her strikes more precise.

She was learning. Fast.

Then, in a sudden shift, Tyra stepped inside Selene's guard. With a sharp twist of her wrist, she locked their weapons together before driving her knee toward Selene's stomach.

Selene barely managed to disengage, twisting to avoid a direct hit, but Tyra was relentless. She followed through with a powerful kick, catching Selene's side and sending her stumbling back.

Selene's breath hitched, but she forced herself to stay upright. Pain flared through her ribs, but she gripped her weapon tighter. She wasn't done yet.

Tyra rolled her shoulders, lowering her stance. "Good instincts. But not enough to take me down."

Selene wiped a bead of sweat from her brow.

"Then I'll just have to do better."

Tyra's grin widened. "That's what I like to hear."

Without warning, she charged again.

The battle wasn't over yet.

To be continued.