The training yard was eerily quiet as the sun dropped and the moon rose. Howling winds sent a chill through the air, but Abell remained upright, sensing the pressure of this fight.

  This wasn’t just a fight.

  This was everything—his future was on the line.

  The sight of his mother made his heart pump.

  “She looks so serious and intimidating,” he thought.

  For a moment, he saw the woman she used to be. The fierce luminary he heard from stories.

  But tonight, she wasn’t just his mother.

  She was his oppo.

  “You better face me with all you’ve got,” she said.

  Her voice cut through the eerie silence. Her tone was steady and stern.

  Abell kept his gaze on her. He rolled his shoulders, f a smile.

  “Bring it, old woman. I hope you haven’t lost your step.”

  A stark voice broke through the tension as he entered his battle stanbsp;

  “Abell—wait!”

  Astrid.

  Abell gnced over to his side.

  “We came to watch. I’m still mad, but I still want to support you,” she said.

  Torin scoffed when he looked in his dire. “You better show me something amazing; you are my student now.”

  Hugo ughed.

  “Ms. Keeko, are you going to fight him at full strength?” she said in disbelief.

  Keeko crossed her arms.

  “This is family business, so please do not get involved.”

  Hugo smirked, “Rex, girl, she won’t kill him.”

  “That’s not funny,” Astrid said.

  Abell exhaled, feeling a bit better. He turned back to Keeko, ready to fight.

  He summoned his goldehe light engulfing the yard in a golden glow, and then he charged.

  But Keeko was already moving.

  Her footwork was fwless, each step precise and meaningful.

  “You’re still not using your head,” Keeko said; her voice was calm but slightly irritated.

  Abell swung.

  Stepped effortlessly.

  Arike—she parried it with her forearm.

  He gritted his teeth. “No way.”

  “She’s only tering why,” Astrid asked.

  Torin scoffed. “She’s showing him the differen skill level between them.”

  “Correct, kid,” Hugo said. “That’s harsh, Keeko, attempting to demoralize him.”

  Abell began to swing faster, sharper, and with more force. But she tered with fluid grace. Defleg every attack without breaking a sweat.

  Frustration began to boil in his chest.

  “She’s barely trying!”

  Abell adjusted his stahis time aiming lower; his bde swept toward her sides, but at the st sed.

  She shifted her weight then—

  A devastating punch straight to his ribs.

  The force sent him flying back; his body hit the ground with a loud thud.

  “Abell!” Astrid yelled.

  He felt pain all over his body even though she punched his side. His vision was slightly blurred.

  “You ’t rely just on Lux even though it’s strong,” Keeko said. “Strategy, body trol, and thinking are just as important.”

  Abell coughed, f himself up.

  The gap between them was far more signifit than he ever imagined.

  But he refused to stay down.

  “Got to get up.”

  Keeko didn’t relent; she tinued.

  She rushed forward, doubling her speed.

  Abell barely had time to react before she nded another punch to his side. Knog the wind from his lungs.

  Then another blow hit his other side.

  Then, one more to his chest.

  Each hit felt like a hammer against his bones. Her punches looked fluid but were devastating. His sword’s parry was a sed too slow every siime.

  Astrid looked away as she was used to this much violenbsp;

  Torin's patience was growing thin.

  “Abell, what are you doing!?” he yelled. “You're looking like a fish out of water.”

  Hugo remained silent.

  “I ’t keep taking hits like this.”

  Then Hugo’s words repyed in his mind.

  “Be creative.”

  Abell gritted his teeth, himself to focus.

  “What was he saying? Something with my Lux.”

  Then it hit him—He adjusted his body.

  Keeko tinued her barrage of blows. However, he stopped moving.

  “Why did he stop moving? Does he want to take more hits?”

  Keeko scoffed. “Giving up already?”

  She unched arike right to his side. However, he stood firm and then unched a terattabsp;

  “Again, with the same tactic.” she sighed.

  She dodged—but

  “Extend.”

  His goldeended just enough to reach Keeko’s forearm, catg her wholly off-guard and f her babsp;

  “It worked!” Abell thought.

  Hugo smirked. “Took him long enough.”

  Astrid closed her eyes. “He just hit her. His mother,” Astrid said.

  Torin smirked.

  Abell’s breath was heavy, but he felt triumphant for the first time in this fight.

  Keeko examined her cut and exhaled.

  “Not bad. I wasn’t expeg you to get a hit, to be ho,” she said.

  She looked at Hugo briefly before averting her gaze back to Abell. “Now I won’t feel bad about going all out.”

  Abell smirked. “Whatever, bring it.”

  He lu her, feeling fident as ever.

  He swung his sword with full forbsp;

  Keeko dodged, but his unorthodox sword length was utterly uable.

  The length of his bde shifted mid-swing just enough to graze her.

  First, against her sleeve. Then one across her shoulder.

  Keeko began to bee irritated.

  “Is this all yoing to resort to? Little attacks.” She sighed. “I thought I taught you to be aggressive. Uing.”

  She stopped moving.

  “Perhaps you're not meant to be a luminary.”

  Abell’s eyebrows twitched with anger.

  “I will surpass her and you!”

  Keeko scoffed. “Is that so? You say that, but this is your best.”

  “I believe I was right. It’s time I end this.”

  “Why is she being so mean to him?” Astrid asked.

  Torin jumped out of his seat. “Hey, don’t talk about my disciple like that.”

  “She’s serious about using it.” Hugo wondered.

  Then, A blinding white glow erupted around Keeko’s body.

  Abell squihe sheer brightness forced him to shield his eyes.

  “Her Lux, Prismatic Veil,” Hugo said.

  The air near her body intensified and shattered the grouh her. The force of her Lux intimidated him.

  “So, this is her Lux,” Abell said.

  Before he could reabsp;Keeko infiltrated his guard.

  Boom! Her first blow hit him.

  Her strikes came faster and heavier than before. Each strike rattled his bones.

  Tears began to flow through her eyes. “I ’t watch this,” Astrid said

  How is Keeko moving like that? Torin asked. "It's like she's a new person, and that glow..."

  "And her speed—Abell’s struggling to keep up,” Astrid noted.

  Hugo chuckled. “It’s her Lux, Prismatic Veil. It enhances her muscles and makes her faster and strohat’s why she hits like that.”

  “So she’s just overp him?” Torin said.

  “For now. But it takes a toll. The longer she keeps this up, the more strain it puts on her body.

  Torin tio look in shock. But his gaze was much more focused. Hugo noticed the young boy's enthusiasm and smiled.

  Abell’s sword flickered as if it was going to disappear. Pain surged through him, but he attempted to stand up.

  “I ’t stop her.”

  He attempted to swing his sword, but she dodged it and ended behind him.

  “Is this your best?” she asked. Then—A crushing blow sent him to the ground.

  “I ’t move; I ’t feel my body,” he panted heavily.

  Keeko stood over him.

  “Don’t ever mention yourself o Genevieve if this is your best.”

  The words hit harder than any of her blows.

  Abell’s breath caught, his entire body trembling.

  “Don’t pare me to her!” he roared with rage and grief.

  His sword’s energy erupted out of trol.

  His sword shifted—evolving, the light twisting into something more substantial.

  Keeko stepped back, watg the event unfold.

  Abell gripped his on tighter.

  “I will surpass her. I’ll surpass the whole damn world!”