Deep within the ravine, the metallic sound of clashing spears spread like muffled thunder. Sparks streaked the air. Bruno and Serapynhe were engulfed in a wild trance, a strange ecstasy that had lasted for days. Each strike reverberated against the stone walls, as if the entire world were reduced to this duel.
Four days…
Four days without Bruno returning home. Today should have been my turn to train with him. Irritation burned in my throat.
— Flávia, are they still fighting? — asked Valessia, her voice filled with curiosity, as if she wanted to uncover a forbidden secret.
— Yes, aunt… and there's no sign of them stopping — I replied, puffing my cheeks, trying to contain my annoyance.
— Don't get so upset, little Flávia. Soon they will stop — said my aunt, as if it were easy to ignore the frustration consuming me.
— Humf… — I huffed, looking away. — When they finish, Bruno and I are going to have a talk… — I murmured, turning and leaving, but the promise burned in my chest.
---
POV: Bruno
A shiver ran down my spine like a frozen blade, breaking the ecstasy and snapping me back to reality.
Serapynhe was before me, her eyes flashing, the smile almost unhinged. She seemed more predator than master.
What the hell is happening? — I thought, feeling the weight of pain spreading through my body.
Each spear impact echoed like war bells in the ravine. It was a brutal symphony — metal, sweat, and bones on the verge of collapse. Spears broken on the ground formed a sharp cemetery.
— Serapynhe! — I shouted, trying to pull her out of that state. But she advanced, fast and ruthless, as if she intended to hunt me to my last breath.
My body was already exhausted, but something pulsed inside me. I could feel the mastery of the spear rising, as if I had reached the maximum limit of a VI.
And yet… no second VI.
It was a wall. An abyss. An impenetrable bottleneck that crushed any hope of advancing.
And in that moment, I realized: perhaps, to break this barrier… I needed to be broken first.
Shit… this woman is completely out of control?! — the thought blazed like an alarm. Her glazed eyes burned like embers, her breathing fierce as a beast about to tear its prey apart.
No… how could someone like her lose control?
She wasn't just strong; her strength was monstrous, almost sacred. Anything that could touch her mind must be a forbidden artifact, something even kings would not dare use.
But something was wrong. Her movements had lost their deadly precision and turned into brutal, hungry strikes. It was like fighting a storm.
She… is in ecstasy? — I asked myself. Perhaps she was trapped in the same state: where technique dies and combat turns into pure instinct.
And in this state, she wouldn't stop.
My body screamed. Muscles burning, blood throbbing in my temples, breath tearing through my lungs. I needed to find a way out.
---
POV: Flávia
The sound of the spears echoed faster, louder. I moved restlessly, feeling a strange tightness in my chest.
— They… are still fighting… — I murmured, more to myself than to Valessia.
— Yes… and something has changed in the rhythm — my aunt replied, her tone serious.
It wasn't just a fight.
Something there was about to break.
---
POV: Bruno
How the hell am I going to snap her out of this trance? — my mind hammered.
I tried calling, shouting, counter-attacking, but if she was controlling her power, one wrong move could release something even worse.
Then the idea struck like lightning: lose on purpose.
If she was fighting at my level, if I fell… maybe she would stop. Maybe.
But how to do it without provoking her wrath?
The answer was in my hand. The spear.
I stepped back. Felt the shaft vibrate. Then, with a sharp motion, I snapped it in half.
The crack echoed like a verdict.
Her attack came immediately.
---
POV: Flávia
The sound that followed wasn't metal against metal.
It was heavy. Brutal.
An impact that made the ground tremble beneath my feet.
— That… wasn't normal — I murmured, eyes wide.
Valessia frowned. — No… it wasn't.
---
POV: Bruno
BOOM!
I was thrown against the stone wall. The shock coursed through my bones, ripping the air from my lungs.
The echo of the impact spread through the ravine like a hollow thunder, passing among the broken spears that lay like a silent cemetery.
The metallic taste of blood filled my mouth.
My vision wavered.
Now all that remained was to see… if she would come back to herself before tearing me apart completely.
---
POV: Flávia
My eyes widened, horrified, as Bruno was thrown against the wall.
My mother's attack had left a deep gash in his chest, stealing his breath and tinting his eyes with an unsettling cold.
I shot forward like lightning, cutting through the dust that rose like an endless mist beneath the ravine. Within moments, I reached Bruno.
On the ground, thrown down, he looked at the mist with a faint, satisfied smile. It almost irritated me. With those wounds… how could he smile? Why is he always like this? — I thought, frustrated and restless.
I approached quickly, my heart in pieces. Irritating as he was, probably not serious, it hurt to see him like this.
— Bruno… are you okay? — I asked, worried.
He just stared at me for a moment, once again placing those gentle, serene, impossible-to-read eyes on his face. I had no idea what he would say.
— Flávia… you're even more beautiful than the last time I saw you — he said firmly, and I felt my face flush.
He wrapped me in a gentle embrace, trying to hold back my teary eyes.
Lately, he only feels pain… infernal training, beasts, wars… his few moments of calmness are only when he faints.
I… want to change that.
---
Haha.
A laugh I knew very well echoed through the mist. It was Serapynhe, cheerful, vibrant, ready to speak exactly what she thought — as always!
— Very well, brat! — she said, approaching enthusiastically. — I am truly satisfied! You must have a gift… for wielding the spear!
Suddenly, she turned to me, her tone shifting.
— Flávia… what are you doing here? Didn't I say he would train with me for the next three days? And, by the way… why are you crying over a little scratch?
It was her motherly, lioness-like way, but different. She did not accept opposition, did not tolerate questioning.
As soon as I heard her words, a bitter taste ran down my throat, and my body stiffened under that gaze that accepted no excuses.
She advanced again, slow and calculated steps. Each step seemed to make the ravine shake; it was impossible not to feel the suppressive force radiating from her.
But not this time.
This time, I released Bruno's embrace voluntarily, facing Serapynhe without backing down.
— Four days have passed. It should be my turn. And whether I cry or not over a scratch, what does that have to do with you? — My voice came out firmer than ever.
— He is still my husband. So it's not up to you to decide.
Fear still tightened my heart, but this time I did not bow my head. I did not retreat.