Meanwhile, across Maelstrom City, the recently awakened stirred into commotion, the academy selections were only a day away, pressing heavily on everyone.
Inside a wooden shack, two figures came into view. One, a middle-aged woman with long raven hair cascading down her back, framing a worn yet beautiful face with soft black eyes. She was draped in a coarse white robe, patched with rough stitches and threadbare in places.
The other was a young man with short black hair, clad in a simple green robe. His eyes were locked on a pole planted in the courtyard before him, his fists repeatedly slamming into it as low, ragged breaths escaped his lips.
"That's enough for today, son. You need to rest up for tomorrow's big day," the woman murmured, a warm smile softening her tired face as she watched the youth before her.
