Erik sat cross-legged on the training hall floor, eyes closed in deep meditation. His mana core pulsed gently within him, recovering from the relentless sparring with Leena. He'd lost track of time—the process was more soothing than usual.
The door creaked open.
Erik's eyes opened, adjusting to the light. A familiar figure stepped inside.
"Hey," said Evalyn, her voice light as she walked toward him.
She sat down beside him, the air between them relaxed but charged with unspoken thoughts.
"It's been a while since I last saw you," Erik said.
"Yeah. I've been buried in meetings lately. What about you? How's training with Kruzen going?"
"Not bad," Erik replied. "I've been sparring with Leena the past two weeks."
"Leena?" Evalyn's eyes widened.
"Yeah. Today, I even managed to land a hit. Well, more like a scratch—but still."
Evalyn looked like something about that bothered her.
"If I'd had the time, you could've trained with me instead," she muttered.
"Well, you don't exactly look free," Erik said with a shrug. "Besides, it's been good. I've learned a lot these past few days."
"Oh yeah?" Evalyn stood up, brushing dust from her armor.
"Then let me teach you something too."
She walked to the center of the training ground and turned to face him.
"Do you have a finishing move, Erik?"
"What?" he blinked.
"A final move," she clarified. "Something that'll be the last thing your enemy ever sees."
"Uh… no."
"Then watch closely."
Evalyn lifted her axe in front of her chest. Mana began to radiate from her body, a low hum filling the room. Erik narrowed his eyes, focusing, reading the flow of her energy.
Blue lightning began to crackle around her—first small arcs, then violent, whipping tendrils. The air around her sizzled with power as she slowly raised her axe overhead. Her eyes glowed, pure electric blue.
"Let me show you the height of magical warfare."
Then she roared.
Not a scream—something primal, ancient. Her mana surged like a tidal wave. Cracks formed beneath her feet, spreading across the stone floor. The lightning coiled, twisted, and exploded outward, forcing Erik to step back.
Thunder followed each strike against the ground. Cracks shattered outward in every direction, the air warping from raw magical pressure.
Then Evalyn brought her axe down.
The strike unleashed a wave of destruction.
The training hall's far wall evaporated in an instant. The roof split open, the ground in front of her reduced to molten rubble. Dust and ash filled the room. Lightning still danced in the air as Erik stood frozen, staring at the aftermath.
As the dust cleared, Evalyn stood tall and proud in the ruins.
"Well?" she asked, smirking. "What do you think?"
"That was…" Erik trailed off, his gaze shifting to something that shocked him even more.
The training ground was repairing itself.
Stone pulled back together. Ash vanished. The roof reconstructed in a sweep of shimmering light.
"I've heard of this," Erik murmured. "But I've never seen it in real life…"
"Oh? So it's your first time seeing this?" Evalyn chuckled. "I guess that's two surprises in a row."
Erik sat back down on the training hall floor. To enjoy the magical circus that's happening in front of him. Evalyn joined him, lowering herself beside him without a word.
In front of them, the training ground came alive.
Glass reformed, steel reshaped, stone repaired. Debris vanished as if rewound through time. Not a single spell was cast—just silent, seamless regeneration.
Erik couldn't take his eyes off the marvel unfolding before him.
"It's amazing, isn't it?" Evalyn said, her voice soft. "Magic."
"Yeah," Erik breathed. "You know… I always wanted to be a mage."
Evalyn turned to him, blinking. "What?"
"I mean it," he said. "Just wanted to sit back, blast the fuck out of anything that tried to hurt me."
"What changed?"
Erik, with a faint smile, rubbing the back of his neck. "Turns out… I sucked at it."
Evalyn chuckled, she looked towards the ceiling, She took a deep breath then asked,
"If you had the chance to become a mage now, would you take it?"
"Can I?"
"I'm just asking."
He paused.
"…No."
Evalyn studied him for a moment. "You're addicted, aren't you? To the rush. The fight. That sensation."
Erik didn't respond.
He didn't need to.
"We all are," she said quietly. "That's the price of taking lives. It puts you in a path where you can't look back."
She looked away, her voice dropping lower.
"If I could… I'd run away. Disappear somewhere I wouldn't have to hurt people to survive."
"Then why don't you?" Erik asked. "There aren't many people who could stop you."
Evalyn placed her hand over the silver badge on her breastplate—the symbol of the White Wolfs.
"Because I wear this badge," she said. "And if I run… someone else has to carry everything I leave behind."
She stood, the morning sun pouring through the reconstructed roof, casting a halo of light behind her.
"I'll never run, Erik. Not until we end this cycle. Not until there's no more need for people like us."
She turned to face him fully.
"And I want you, there beside me—to see it through."
Erik stared at her for a moment, in her eyes, Erik was it, a storm that refuse to break, an unshakable resolve, then smirked.
"…That doesn't sound so bad."