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The examination hall hummed with nervous energy.Around her, other first-years fidgeted beside their forging stations, their completed weapons displayed with varying degrees of confidence.

"Copper," Maven said, her voice carrying across the silent room.Not a question, but an observation weighted with skepticism."You continued with copper, despite my instruction.”

Thalia swallowed and nodded.Wordlessly, Maven extended her hand, and Thalia carefully transferred the weapon, hilt first.

The short sword wasn't ornate or complicated in design.Instead, its beauty lay in its functionality; the copper gleamed with an almost liquid warmth, the blade balanced perfectly despite the unusual material choice.Along its length ran a thin layer of frost.For Thalia, that simple ice magic had been the most difficult part.

Maven tested the weight first, her calloused hand adjusting its grip on the leather-wrapped handle.She raised an eyebrow, evidently surprised by the balance.With practiced efficiency, she ran a thumb along the edge, nodding slightly at its sharpness.

"Explain your intent," Maven demanded, eyes never leaving the blade.

Thalia straightened her shoulders, her voice clear despite her dry throat."I thought copper would remain more ductile than iron once the rime was applied.”

A murmur rippled through the gathered students.Maven's lips pressed into a thin line."I was going to allow you to demonstrate your sword’s strength by striking a shield.”She nodded toward a circular shield of wood and iron, resting against the wall.“But as you’ve been so bold as to experiment with the materials, I think you ought to face a more significant challenge.”

She held out the blade, and Thalia reached for the hilt.As Maven handed the sword back, their fingers brushed momentarily, and Thalia felt a spike of cold energy — Maven testing her, seeing if she'd flinch.She didn't.

Then Maven’s hand fell to the blade at her hip.She drew it in a sweeping motion, and Thalia drew an unsteady breath.Maven’s broadsword gleamed with the same strange, silvery hue as the golems that patrolled the edge of the Crystalline Training Grounds — and the deadly scrapyards of the Golem Fields in the valley beyond.

This was no ordinary metal.

Maven brandished the sword, her chin raised.“This blade,” she said, “is forged of ice-steel.The creation of ice-metal is a more advanced technique than the one you used today.If your blade shatters when it meets mine, Greenspire, you will have failed this examination.”

Taking three steps back, Thalia centered herself, her fingers tightening around the hilt of her sword.She could feel the weight of every gaze upon her, the unspoken challenge in Maven’s stance.The instructor’s ice-steel blade gleamed with an unnatural sheen, the cold radiating from it in visible wisps.

Thalia swallowed hard.She had no illusions; Maven’s sword was superior in both craftsmanship and material.But she wasn’t just being tested on her forging skills.This was about her resilience, her ability to think under pressure.

She adjusted her stance, grounding her feet in the frost-covered floor.A deep breath steadied her pulse.

Maven wasted no time.She surged forward, striking with a measured but undeniable force, testing Thalia rather than outright overwhelming her.Thalia brought her blade up to meet the blow, copper edge flashing —

The impact rang out like a bell struck in the cold.A jarring vibration rattled up Thalia’s arms, numbing her fingers.She gritted her teeth, feeling the strain in the metal.A hairline crack splintered near the base of her blade, faint but unmistakable.

Maven’s eyes flicked to the flaw.She saw it.

Thalia’s pulse pounded as Maven shifted her grip, preparing to finish it.The instructor stepped in, her broadsword a blur of ice and steel as she swung with precise, unyielding force.Thalia twisted her sword in desperation such that Maven’s ice-steel blade met the sharp edge rather than the flat side.The force sent her staggering, but the blade held.

Slowly, Maven lowered her weapon, grudging approval in her gaze.The crack in Thalia’s blade hadn’t spread.It was damaged, but still intact.

Maven's eye flickered toward where Kaine stood among the second-years, observing from the sidelines.His expression revealed nothing, arms crossed over his broad chest, his pale blue eyes intense but unreadable.

"Well done," Maven said, the words clipped."You've managed to smith a suitable weapon despite your foolishness with the magnesium ore."

Relief flooded through Thalia, her shoulders relaxing a fraction until Maven continued.

"I did notice you speaking with Ember during your examination period," Maven added, her voice pitched to carry."No doubt he offered you some additional advice."

Thalia's mouth opened to protest, but Maven cut her off with a raised hand.

"Your aptitude for metallurgy, regardless of its source, should be developed."She straightened, addressing the entire class now."As a reward for your good work, Greenspire, you will be permitted extra forge time in the mornings.Ember will mentor you."

The pronouncement fell like a stone into still water.Thalia glanced at Kaine, whose expression had shifted from neutral to something darker — not anger, exactly, but a tightness around his eyes that suggested he was as surprised by this arrangement as she was.

"Thank you, Instructor," Thalia managed, though the words tasted strange on her tongue.This wasn't a reward — at least, not entirely.There was punishment woven into it, both for her alleged reliance on Kaine's help and for Kaine himself, being saddled with a first-year student.

Maven nodded curtly."Begin tomorrow, before breakfast.Don't waste this opportunity."

As Maven moved on to the next student, Thalia risked another glance at Kaine.This time, he met her eyes directly.Something passed between them — not quite understanding, but acknowledgment, perhaps.His expression remained severe, but he gave her the slightest nod before turning away.