The master, his face hardened with fury, locked his gray eyes onto Eleonora.

  His staff glowed with an amber shimmer, reflecting the dim light of the lamp illuminating the Kluir on the table. The wood creaked under his grip, a vein bulging on his forehead as his lips curled into a sneer of contempt.

  “What did you say, girl?” he growled, irritation dripping from his voice.

  His eyes narrowed, and for a moment, it seemed like the ground quivered beneath his boots.

  “Trash, you call me? You, a mere healer?”

  Eleonora, still inhabiting Camila’s body, stared back at him unflinchingly.

  The priestess robes she wore—once pristine white with gold accents, emblazoned with a phoenix insignia on the chest—were now in tatters, shredded by combat and constant scraping against snow and branches.

  Charred edges hung like open wounds, and the long, elegant sleeves had been reduced to scraps, exposing cuts and burns on her arms. Yet her stance remained steady, and a mocking smile played on her lips, fanning the master’s rage even further.

  “Just a healer?” Eleonora echoed, tilting her head with a theatrical flourish, as if savoring the phrase.

  Her red eyes—unnatural in Camila’s face—gleamed with amusement.

  “Nah, old man. I’m just calling it like I see it. And what I see is a weakling hiding behind a fancy glowing stick.”

  Valentina, off to the side, opened her mouth to jump in but snapped it shut, her hands trembling slightly as they gripped the edge of her cloak.

  What is this lunatic doing? she thought, her gaze darting between Eleonora and the master.

  Alexia, meanwhile, took a cautious step back, her feline ears twitching as she watched the scene unfold.

  This is about to blow up… and I’m not sure I want to be around when it does, she mused, biting her lower lip.

  The master let out a harsh, barking laugh and slammed the butt of his staff into the ground.

  The runes etched into it flared brighter, casting jagged shadows across the tent’s walls.

  “Guards!” he bellowed, his voice echoing beyond the canvas.

  The two students from earlier—bearing lion insignias—rushed in, hands already on their sword hilts.

  “Be ready to catch the Kluir when it drops.”

  “What…?” the blond guard started to ask, but before he could finish, the master jerked his staff upward. An invisible force yanked at the Kluir in Eleonora’s hands.

  The artifact began to levitate, rising with a low hum that vibrated through the air. Eleonora’s brow furrowed, her fingers tightening around the device as its concentric rings spun slowly, emitting faint yellow pulses.

  “Wanna play?” the master said, his laugh deepening into something cruel.

  His eyes glinted with satisfaction as he cocked his head to one side.

  “Let’s see how much you can handle, healer.”

  Eleonora felt the pressure spike. The Kluir pulled upward with a force that made her wrists creak, but she gripped it with both hands, her pale fingers straining until the veins stood out beneath Camila’s burned, grimy skin.

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  Her tattered robes fluttered faintly from the energy radiating off the artifact, and a sweaty strand of hair fell across her face. Yet, far from showing strain, Eleonora let out a short, almost childish giggle that clashed with the tension.

  “This all you’ve got?” she taunted, raising an eyebrow. “I thought you were serious about this thing being delicate. Or maybe it’s you who can’t handle it?”

  Valentina lurched forward, her face pale and her eyes wide.

  “Camila, stop!” she cried, but her voice cracked into an anxious whisper.

  Why does she have to egg him on? This isn’t a game! she thought, clenching her fists helplessly.

  Alexia, beside her, stayed silent, her ears pinned back as her tail flicked nervously.

  This woman… she’s got no limits, Alexia reflected, her gaze bouncing between Eleonora and the master.

  The master clicked his tongue, his expression darkening.

  Eleonora’s jab had hit a nerve, and his free hand balled into a fist as his staff blazed brighter.

  “If you’re so worried about it, let go then, brat,” he snarled, his voice low but menacing.

  In his mind, though, a darker plan took shape: If she doesn’t obey, I’ll blast her sky-high and let whatever breaks, break.

  The Kluir’s pull surged violently, yanking Eleonora off the ground. Her feet left the earth, and for a moment, she hung suspended in midair.

  She’s heavy! the master thought instantly, realizing she wouldn’t go flying as easily as he’d hoped.

  A sharp, defiant laugh burst from Eleonora’s lips, ringing through the tent as she clung to the artifact with near-superhuman resolve.

  “You thought this would scare me?” she said, her grin widening as her red eyes flared with mocking fire. “You’re gonna have to do better than that, geezer.”

  The master gritted his teeth, his face flushing with rage.

  How dare this little snot? he fumed, his hand trembling as he poured more energy into the spell.

  The student guards, swords still drawn, gaped in shock, their faces pale as Eleonora floated higher while the Kluir’s glow began to dim.

  But then, a distant sound shattered the moment: a far-off rumble, muffled shouts, and a roar they couldn’t place.

  The camp, somewhere beyond, was under attack—likely from the earthquake still echoing through the mountain.

  The master let out an exasperated huff, his gaze flicking toward the tent’s entrance.

  “I don’t have time for your games,” he growled, frustration tightening his shoulders.

  Just as the force on the Kluir peaked—threatening to rip Eleonora’s fingers off while hoisting her even higher—something shifted.

  A small but firm hand clamped around Camila’s ankle, halting her ascent dead in its tracks.

  The summon, her white hair fluttering faintly in the energy’s currents, held Eleonora from below with an ease that defied logic.

  Her golden eyes glowed with an icy calm, not a single muscle betraying effort.

  The master, already half-turned to storm out and check the camp, froze.

  He turned his head slowly, his eyes widening as he saw the girl anchoring Eleonora like his spell was nothing.

  Who… who is she? he thought, his mind reeling.

  His staff quivered in his grip as he cranked the spell’s power higher, making the Kluir thrash side to side in a desperate bid to break free of Eleonora’s hold.

  It didn’t work.

  The summon, with strength belying her fragile frame, kept Eleonora rooted in place, her fingers an unshakable anchor, while Eleonora refused to let the Kluir slip.

  Valentina gasped, clapping a hand over her mouth as her eyes bulged in awe.

  How… how can that kid be so strong? she thought, her heart racing.

  Alexia narrowed her eyes, her ears twitching as she studied the summon with a mix of respect and wariness.

  That power… could it outmatch a high-ranking knight? she wondered, her tail going still.

  The student guards, poised to catch the Kluir, stumbled back a step, their faces ashen and their hands shaking on their sword hilts.

  “What’s happening…?” the blond whispered, barely audible, glancing at his partner—who just shook his head, speechless.

  The master clicked his tongue again, his patience fraying to threads.

  “Enough of this,” he snarled, raising his staff one last time. “I’ll teach you a lesson when we’re back.”

  With a sharp gesture, he killed the spell, and the force tugging the Kluir vanished instantly.

  Eleonora, still airborne, began to drop—but before she hit the ground, the summon caught her with an almost ethereal grace, cradling her like a rescued princess.

  “You okay?” the summon asked, a hint of concern in her voice as her golden eyes scanned Eleonora’s face.

  Eleonora scowled, clearly irked at needing her creation’s help.

  “Yeah,” she snapped grudgingly, her tone clipped as she straightened in the summon’s arms.

  Her fingers, still clutching the Kluir, trembled faintly, and she noticed her knuckles were red and bruised from the spell’s strain.

  That damn old man wanted to snap my candidate’s fingers… she thought, annoyance flaring.

  But then her focus shifted to the Kluir in her hands.

  The artifact flared back to life, glowing a vivid yellow—brighter than ever—with a faint hum emanating from it.

  It even… seemed to pulse, like a heartbeat.

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