Verena's breathing was heavy, but steady. Her knuckles ached from impact, and the faint burn of celestial energy crawled along her arms where her mimicry strained to keep up with the demands of the fight. But despite the exhaustion, a crooked, defiant grin curled across her lips.
"C'mon then," she muttered under her breath, eyes locked onto her shadow-self as it reformed again, smoke-like strands knitting together with eerie precision. "You're not half as terrifying as my GPA."
The shadow lunged, an identical replica of Verena's fighting stance — sharp, calculated, predatory. But this time, Verena didn't meet the assault head-on. Instead, she sidestepped with fluid grace, Saphira's scaled form coiling up her arm in a shimmer of astral energy.
"Blend your rhythm with mine," Saphira's voice echoed within her, steady and grounding. "You've been mimicking constellations. Now mimic yourself."
