CHAPTER 61 – BALANCE
When Seryn arrived at the training grounds, the area was almost empty.
At this hour, most students either chose to rest or preferred to train alongside others.
Seryn didn't want that.
He unfastened his sword from his belt and set it on the ground. He didn't remove his jacket. He wasn't wearing armor. Today, he wasn't testing power; he was probing limits.
He stepped one foot back. Regulated his breathing.
The first move was simple.
He shifted his body weight forward, bent his knees, then slid sharply to the right with a sudden change in direction. It didn't continue. He stopped himself. Measured his muscles' response, the loss of balance, the delay.
One more step.
This time the movement completed. But it didn't accelerate. It didn't harden. It simply flowed and ended.
The grey flow was silent.
That wasn't a sign of good or bad. It was just data.
He picked up his sword. He didn't feel its sharpness—he felt its weight. He swung it with one hand. The air split, but no sound followed. On the second swing, he changed his wrist angle. On the third, he stopped.
He sensed someone's presence without turning around.
"Training this slowly is strange," said a familiar voice.
Seryn lowered the sword. He didn't turn.
"Ardan."
Ardan stood a few steps away, wearing his usual simple clothes.
"After the Fourth Knot, most people speed up," Ardan said. "You're slowing down."
"Necessary," Seryn replied.
Ardan shrugged. "As always."
There was no tension between them. No rivalry either. They were like two people who had been in the same arenas, passed the same trials, and knew what the other was capable of.
Ardan moved to the edge of the field. He didn't sit. He leaned against the wall.
"Leon will be here soon," he said. "Elira too."
Seryn raised his sword again. "Planned?"
"No," Ardan said. "We were just walking to the same place."
That was enough.
This time, Seryn completed the motion. The turn wasn't sharp. He didn't stop at the finish; he linked the flow into another step. His foot planted more firmly on the ground.
"I watched you during the Fourth Knot," Ardan said.
"I know."
"You did nothing."
"Wrong," Seryn said. "I chose not to do something."
Ardan didn't respond. He stayed silent for a while.
"That choice," he said eventually, "will either carry you very far—or leave you somewhere no one wants to touch."
"Either is fine."
Ardan gave a short smile. "Only you could say that."
Footsteps approached.
Leon arrived first. As always, he walked with heavy steps. He didn't look around. His shoulders were broad, his posture relaxed. Most people at the Academy didn't notice him—but those who did were cautious.
"I'm not late," he said. "You arrived early."
"Elira?" Ardan asked.
"Behind me," Leon said. "Talking."
Seryn lowered his sword.
When Elira entered the field, no one spoke. She wore simple clothing. No royal insignia, no eye-catching details. But her walk, her gaze, her posture were familiar.
This was the woman Seryn had once been willing to cooperate with demons for.
Even someone who didn't know she was a princess would understand she wasn't ordinary.
Elira looked at Seryn.
"Hello, Seryn," she said.
"Hello."
"There's nothing making your hand tremble," Elira said. "But your weight has changed."
"I'm aware."
"Does it bother you?"
Seryn thought for a moment. "No. But I'm not used to it."
Elira nodded. "After the Fourth Knot, most people either relax or break. You did neither."
"Is that praise?"
"An observation."
Seryn accepted that.
Elira walked to the center of the field. She tested the ground with the tip of her shoe. "This is a good place to train," she said. "Low mana flow."
"I came on purpose."
Elira looked at him again. "Do you have a plan for the future?"
"I do," Seryn said. "But it isn't clear."
"Things outside your control?"
"Some of them."
"And some," Elira said, "are in your hands—but you don't want to hold them yet."
That was true.
Leon cleared his throat. "I'm going to start training," he said, and moved away.
Ardan drew his sword as well. "Same."
The field grew quiet again.
Elira stepped back. "I won't stay long today," she said. "But I wanted you to know this."
"I'm listening."
"The Academy is trying to figure you out," Elira said. "But it isn't rushing. That's rare."
"Is that good?"
This time, Elira gave a short, measured smile. "Not yet."
Seryn didn't react. But in that brief moment, he noticed his face warm slightly.
Elira turned away. "Don't open yourself too much," she said. "But don't close yourself completely either."
"A difficult balance."
"Yes," Elira said. "But you're already there."
She left.
The field slowly began to fill. Seryn wasn't training anymore. He put his sword back in place. He stood for a while longer, then left.
On his way to his room, he thought of Elira. Her smile. The way his heart had quickened in that brief moment.
When he returned to his room, there was an envelope on the desk.
He recognized the seal.
The Daskal house.
He didn't open it.
First, he closed the door. Then he sat on the edge of the bed. For a moment, he weighed the envelope in his hand.
Then he opened it.
The text was short.
Formal.
Clear.
He was being summoned to the family lands
during the end-of-term break.
No reason was given.
There didn't need to be one.
Seryn closed the envelope.
"Good," he said to himself. "Let's see what you want this time."