Her muscles ached from the day's exertions.
She recalled her grandfather's teachings:
"A warrior without resilience is no warrior at all. Strength alone is nothing without strategy, heart, and foresight."
Elysia tightened her grip on the blade, the faint glow of elemental runes reflecting in her determined eyes. Wealth and status had given her training, access to the finest masters, and opportunities her peers could only dream of—but in the arena, none of that mattered.
"I will have to prove it… ," she whispered, letting the wind carry her resolve.
The roar of the crowd echoed like rolling thunder. The arena floor shimmered under the afternoon sun, the heat blending with the feverish anticipation in the air.
Dust swirled at the fighters' feet, and the scent of sweat and steel hung heavy.
