The training room still buzzed faintly from the last spell cast. Noel wiped the sweat from his brow, his breathing steady but sharp. Daemar stood nearby, arms crossed as always, though his eyes gleamed with something between approval and calculation.
"You've gotten the basics down," Daemar said. "Time for the next step."
Noel straightened. "What is it this time?"
Daemar raised his hand, gathering mana quickly. A thin bolt of lightning burst outward and struck a nearby dummy—then suddenly arced sideways, splitting into three new flashes that hit additional targets. The air sizzled with static.
"Chain Flash," he said calmly. "You hit one, and the current jumps to others within range. Up to three additional targets if you time the release right."
Noel's eyebrows lifted. "So it's a crowd control spell."
"Exactly. But it requires perfect timing. If you don't release it on contact, the chain dies. And if your mana balance is uneven, the arc won't split correctly."
