The metallic sound of blades clashing filled the training ground like repetitive, merciless music. The midday heat made the stone floor almost glow, reflecting the fire dancing on the apprentices' swords. Above, red flags bearing the coat of arms of the Duchy of Blazer waved lazily in the dry wind.
Stella Blazer, only sixteen years old, was flawless.
Her posture was firm, her wrist movements calculated, and magic flowed naturally through her blade: a constant orange glow, intense and steady, like a living extension of her body. Her golden eyes were fixed on the training target—an enchanted dummy with reinforced resistance—and in a single movement, she split the figure's head in two. Fire crackled around the blade for another two seconds before dissipating.
"Perfect, Lady Stella." The instructor nodded, her eyes hard but satisfied. "Absolute control of the ignition. Ten more repetitions with lateral variations."
