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"Isle Wardens are most formidable at sea," Maven continued, pacing a tight circle that left precise boot prints in the frost."Their storm magic draws power from the ocean itself.But make no mistake —" She stopped abruptly, her gaze locking onto a student who had shifted his weight." —they are deadly even far from water."

The student froze mid-movement, then forced himself to stand even straighter.

"Their preferred tactic on land is lightning," Maven said, addressing the entire group again."Quick, precise strikes that pick off enemies one by one before they can mount a defense.Surviving requires agility, focus, and most importantly," she paused, her voice dropping to a dangerous purr, "the ability to recognize patterns in chaos."

Thalia swallowed hard, already dreading whatever exercise Maven had planned.The instructor had made no secret of her dislike for Thalia and never missed an opportunity to push her to her limits.

"You will pair up," Maven declared."Each pair will attempt to cross this plateau while avoiding simulated lightning strikes."

She gestured toward the edge of the training grounds where the plateau met the cliff face.A solitary figure stood atop it, dark against the bright sky, cloak billowing dramatically in the wind.

"Instructor Varik will provide our lightning today," Maven said with a thin smile that held no warmth."His frost bolts will mark you if struck.One hit, and you're dead."

Thalia felt her stomach tighten.Varik was a cryomancy master who could hit targets with pinpoint accuracy at distances where most could barely see.

"Greenspire," Maven barked suddenly, her eye fixing on Thalia."You're with Bright.You'll go first."

Of course, she would be first.Thalia suppressed a sigh and looked for Roran among the students.He caught her eye immediately, offering an encouraging smile as he stepped forward to join her.His dark curls were partially tamed in a knot at the nape of his neck, though several strands had already escaped to dance around his face in the wind.

"Ready for this?"he asked, his voice low as they moved to the starting position.

"Not even slightly," Thalia muttered, eyeing the distance to the opposite end of the plateau.It looked impossibly far.

Roran's smile widened."Just follow my lead.I've got some experience with this kind of thing."

Before she could ask what he meant by that, Maven's voice cracked across the training ground.

"Begin!"

Thalia sprinted forward, Roran keeping pace beside her.The wind tore at her clothing, the cold air burning her lungs with each desperate breath.She kept her eyes on the terrain ahead, watching for any sign of movement from the cliff where Varik stood.

The first frost bolt struck without warning, hitting the ground just inches from her foot.Thalia veered sharply to the left, nearly colliding with Roran, who had somehow anticipated the strike and was already moving in the opposite direction.

"Keep moving!"he shouted over the wind."Don't try to predict — just react!"

Another bolt flashed past her shoulder, close enough that she felt the chill radiating from it.Thalia ducked and changed direction again, her heart hammering against her ribs.They'd covered barely a third of the distance, and already, the attacks were coming faster.

Roran moved with startling grace beside her, his body flowing like water between the frost bolts.There was something mesmerizing about the way he anticipated each strike, shifting his weight and changing directions with such fluidity that it almost looked choreographed.

A sudden flash of blue-white light filled Thalia's peripheral vision.She tried to dodge, but her exhausted muscles responded too slowly.Cold exploded across her left shoulder, spreading rapidly over her leather armor in a crystalline pattern.The frost bit through to her skin beneath, sending a paralyzing chill through her entire side.

She stumbled, dropping to one knee as her arm went numb.The rules were clear — she was out.But Roran hadn't noticed her fall.He continued forward, a dark silhouette weaving through a storm of frost bolts, never faltering, never hesitating.

Thalia could only watch, both impressed and unsettled by his display.His movements weren't like anything taught in their combat classes.They were wild yet precise, unpredictable yet purposeful — almost like a dance that flowed with the rhythm of the attacks rather than fighting against them.

It reminded her of stories she'd heard as a child, tales of Isle Warden raiders moving through Northern defenses like ghosts, impossible to hit, striking without warning.The similarity sent a chill through her that had nothing to do with the frost spreading across her armor.

Roran reached the end of the course, stopping at the designated marker with his chest heaving from exertion.He turned, smiling triumphantly, until he spotted Thalia kneeling in the middle of the plateau.His expression fell immediately.Without hesitation, he jogged back toward her, ignoring the continuing frost bolts that Varik was still firing.

"You okay?"he asked, reaching out a hand to help her up.

Just as their fingers touched, a frost bolt struck him squarely between the shoulder blades.Roran yelped in surprise, then groaned as the cold spread across his back.

"Oh," he said, wincing."I messed up, didn't I?"

Thalia couldn't help the laugh that bubbled up despite her discomfort.There was something so genuine about his dismay, so at odds with the almost supernatural skill he'd displayed moments before.

"The exercise isn't over until I say it is," Maven's voice cut through their moment, sharp as a blade.The instructor had approached unnoticed, her boots leaving precise impressions in the frost."Survival doesn't have a finish line, Mr.Bright."