Awakening Domination System: But I'm a Slave?-Chapter 335: I’m Weak

Afternoon light filtered through high windows, casting long shadows across the training room floor.

Dust motes drifted through the beams, disturbed by each impact.

THUNK! THUNK! THUNK!

The sounds echoed through the training room in rapid succession, fists impacting reinforced practice dummies with force that sent vibrations through the floor.

A golden blur moved between targets.

Too fast for normal eyes to track completely. Striking, pivoting, destroying with single-minded intensity that bordered on obsession.

CRACK!

One dummy's head separated from its body and flew across the room and shattered against the far wall.

The golden blur didn't pause. Just moved to the next target.

THUNK! THUNK!

CRACK!

Fists hammered into wood and padding and essence-reinforced materials designed to withstand punishment from trained combatants. Chunks flew. Splinters scattered. The dummy's torso began to cave inward under relentless assault.

Finally... the blur stopped.

Elina stood in the center of devastation, her chest heaving, her fists still raised defensively despite the absence of threats.

Her red hair, usually vibrant, carefully maintained was plastered to her temples and forehead with sweat.

Strands stuck to her face, darkened by moisture, disheveled in ways that suggested she hadn't bothered with grooming in days.

Her training clothes were soaked. Knuckles were bleeding through hastily wrapped bandages.

She'd been here all day. Since before dawn. Training without rest, without pause, without mercy for her own body.

Around her, evidence of that relentless effort. At least a dozen destroyed practice dummies.

"Here!"

The voice came from beside her, gentle but carrying underlying crack. Like something that had broken and been poorly repaired.

Elina turned her head.

Iris stood in the doorway, holding a towel and a canteen of water. Her appearance was... diminished. The warmth that usually radiated from her had dulled to something hollow.

Her maid uniform, usually pristine, was rumpled from the long hours.

And her amber eyes... once bright with kindness, now held only exhausted concern. Red-rimmed. Shadowed. Reflecting the golden glow that was now diminishing around Elina.

Elina took the water without speaking. Dropped to sitting position on the floor. She brought the canteen to her lips and chugged. Desperate, messy drinking that spoke of severe dehydration.

Iris knelt beside her. Her movements were careful and gentle. She took the towel and began wiping sweat from Elina's face, from her neck, tending to her young mistress, who was also her good friend, with practiced care that was more reflex than conscious choice.

Her eyes swept across Elina's battered knuckles. Across the destruction scattered throughout the room.

"You should rest," Iris said quietly. Sadly. "You've been training for—"

"No."

The word came out flat. Brooking no argument.

Elina stood abruptly, pulling away from Iris's gentle ministrations. Water sloshed from the canteen she still held. Her eyes blazed.

Iris flinched from the harsh tone. From the rejection of care offered.

But she recovered quickly. Forced herself to try again.

"Elina, please." Her voice was stronger now. More insistent. "You don't need to push yourself so hard. You're going to—"

"Why not?" Elina's voice rose slightly. Not quite shouting, but carrying edge that cut. "Why shouldn't I push myself? Why shouldn't I train until I can't move?"

Her hands clenched into fists at her sides. The canteen dropped, forgotten. Water spilled across the floor.

"How can I not do this?" Her voice cracked slightly despite her attempts at control. "How can I just... what, rest? Relax? Pretend everything's fine?"

Her golden essence began flickering around her fists again. Unconscious manifestation of emotions she couldn't contain.

"All this happened because I was weak!" The words came out raw. Torn from somewhere deep. "I was so weak that I couldn't do anything! I was there... right there... and I couldn't—"

Her voice broke completely. Tears burned in her eyes but she refused to let them fall.

Iris stood quickly, moving to her. "No. Elina. You're not weak."

She took Elina's clenched fist in both her hands. Held it gently.

"It wasn't your fault," Iris said firmly. Meeting Elina's anguished gaze directly. "What happened none of that was because you were weak. You did everything you could. That's—"

"It was my fault!" Elina jerked her hand away, stumbling backward. "If I'd been stronger, if I'd trained harder, been better, been more... maybe I could have stopped her! Maybe I could have saved him instead of just watching while she dragged him and I did nothing!"

Golden essence exploded around her. Coating her entire body. Making her glow like miniature sun in the training room's dimness.

Her breathing was ragged. Her fists were clenched so tight her nails drew blood even through the bandages.

"I won't let it happen," she said, her voice dropping to something harder. More determined. "Not again."

She turned away from Iris. Faced the remaining practice dummies, the few that hadn't been completely destroyed yet.

"Next time someone I care about is in danger, I'll be strong enough to protect them. I won't be the weak little girl who can only watch while they're taken."

Her fists raised. Essence crackling. Ready to resume the relentless, punishing training that had consumed every waking hour since the funeral.

Since they'd declared Alaric dead.

Since she'd failed to save her annoying stepbrother.

THUNK! THUNK!

CRACK!

Behind her...

Iris's hand trembled as she retrieved the fallen canteen. The water had spread across the floor, mixing with dust and splinters from shattered dummies.

She'd seen Elina push herself before. During competitions. During important training sessions when instructors watched.

This was different. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

This was desperation wearing the mask of discipline.

The room smelled of sweat and wood pulp.

Iris straightened slowly. Her back ached. She'd been standing here for hours, watching. Waiting for Elina to stop long enough to accept water or food or anything she could provide.

She wanted to say something. Anything that might break through the wall Elina had built around her pain.

But what words existed for this?

She just turned, and her silver hair caught the light as she looked down at the canteen in her hands.