"Start."

Torren didn’t hesitate this time.

"Thank you, Commander."

Then he moved straight into the training area.

The moment he stepped in... the first attack came.

Fast.

A projectile shot from the side.

He reacted late.

It clipped one of the dummies.

"...Tch."

He adjusted immediately.

Next one..

He blocked it.

Not clean. But enough.

From outside, Ryn watched closely.

"He’s slow on the first read."

Arthur finally spoke,

"He’ll adjust."

Torren moved again.

The boulder swung.

He stepped in front of a dummy and braced.

Impact.

Heavy.

His feet dragged slightly across the ground.

"...Okay. That’s heavy."

But he held.

Barely.

Then arrows came.

Multiple.. And at different angles.

He shifted.

Blocked one.

Missed another.

A dummy behind him took the hit.

"...Not good."

He repositioned quickly.

His movements weren’t smooth yet.

But they were faster than before.

Each attack forced him to think.

To move.

To react.

Not just stand.

Lyra watched in silence.

Measuring.

After a while, she turned away.

Her attention shifted.

Ryn stood where he always did.

Calm and composed.

She didn’t start with praise.

Not this time.

"I’ve already acknowledged your potential."

Ryn nodded slightly. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

"I know."

"You brought them back safely."

"Someone had to."

Arthur, mid yawn interrupted,

"Yeah, yeah, we get it!"

But Ryn ignored him.

Lyra’s gaze didn’t soften.

"Good."

A brief pause.

Then...

Her presence changed.

It was subtle at first.

But they all felt it.

Arthur straightened slightly.

"...There it is."

Ryn didn’t move.

But he felt it too.

That familiar pressure.

The one from before.

When she had pushed him past his limits.

Lyra’s voice came out colder this time.

"You seem to have ditched your mana training."

The words didn’t hang.

They pressed.

Ryn stood still, but he didn’t look away.

He already understood what this was.

Lyra wasn’t guessing.

She knew.

And that made it worse.

Still, he answered.

"I didn’t stop."

His voice was calm, but there was a slight edge to it.

"I’m still working on it... I’ve even improved."

For a brief moment, there was silence.

Then..

"That’s not enough."

Lyra didn’t raise her voice.

She didn’t need to.

Ryn’s jaw tightened slightly.

He had expected that.

Still, hearing it directly hit different.

Lyra stepped closer, her gaze steady.

"When it comes to you, ’not stopping’ isn’t the standard."

Ryn exhaled slowly.

"...I figured."

"You’ve seen your growth," she continued. "You know what you’re capable of."

He nodded.

"I do."

"Then act like it."

That landed harder than anything else.

Ryn didn’t respond immediately this time.

Because she wasn’t wrong.

He knew his limits.

And more importantly...

He knew he hadn’t reached them.

Lyra continued,

"From now on, your focus shifts back to mana training."

Ryn looked up slightly.

"Full focus?"

"Yes."

No hesitation.

No room to negotiate.

She wasn’t asking.

She never did when it mattered.

"You’ve already built the basics," she went on. "You understand the foundation. You’ve even touched the next stage."

Ryn’s eyes narrowed slightly.

"...Touched, yeah."

"But you haven’t stabilized it."

He didn’t deny it.

Because again..

She was right.

Lyra crossed her arms.

"You grow fast. Faster than most."

There was no praise in her tone.

Just fact.

"And that’s exactly why your standard is higher."

Ryn gave a small, dry smile.

"Convenient."

Lyra didn’t react.

"You don’t get to slow down just because you’ve done well."

That erased the smile.

Ryn nodded once.

"...Understood."

A brief silence passed between them.

Then Lyra turned slightly and pointed toward a quieter section of the hall.

"You’ll train there."

Ryn followed her gaze.

It was isolated.

Away from the noise of the others.

A place meant for focus.

No distractions.

Lyra spoke again,

"I want visible improvement before the end of today."

Ryn blinked once.

"...Today?"

"Yes."

That was all she said.

No explanation.

Just expectation.

Ryn let out a quiet breath.

Not loud enough for most to hear.

But Arthur caught it.

"...That’s rough."

Ryn rolled his shoulders once, then nodded.

"Alright."

There was a small pause before he added,

"I’ll do it."

Not confident, but not uncertain either.

Just... honest.

Lyra studied him for a second, then gave a short nod.

"Go."

Ryn didn’t waste time.

He turned and started walking.

Arthur watched him go, his eyes narrowing slightly.

He could see it now.

The way Ryn carried himself.

The way Lyra spoke to him.

This wasn’t just instructor and trainee.

There was something more layered in it.

Expectation.

Pressure.

Trust.

Arthur muttered under his breath,

"...She really pushes him."

"Feels like she’s trying to break him."

Ryn didn’t turn back, but he raised a hand slightly as he walked.

"I can still hear you."

Arthur chuckled.

"Good. Then hear this too."

Ryn slowed just a little.

"...What?"

Arthur tilted his head slightly.

"Good luck."

There was a brief pause.

Then Ryn shook his head faintly.

"...I’ll need it."

He didn’t look back again after that.

He just kept walking.

Toward his corner.

Toward whatever Lyra expected him to become by the end of the day.

Arthur watched until he was out of the main space, then exhaled slowly.

"...Yeah. I don’t envy him."

Lyra turned back toward the group.

Her attention shifted.

And this time..

It landed on Arthur.

There was no buildup.

No pause.

"It’s time."

Arthur raised a brow slightly.

"...For?"

Lyra’s gaze shifted to his shoulder.

Mel sat there quietly, her small body still, her eyes alert.

"She’s been watching long enough."

Arthur glanced at Mel.

"...Your turn."

Mel didn’t move immediately, but he felt the shift through their connection.

Attention.

Curiosity.

And something else.. Interest.

Lyra continued,

"I’ve prepared a basic routine."

Arthur nodded slowly.

"Starting simple."

"Yes."

She paused briefly before adding,

"I’m not expecting developed skills yet."

Arthur gave a small shrug.

"She’s still young."

"Exactly," Lyra said. "So we build the foundation first."

Arthur looked back at Mel.

"...Hear that?"

A small response came through the bond.

Clear.

Focused.

Lyra continued,

"It’s a wolf. Its strongest trait is agility."

Arthur nodded.

"Speed. Movement."

"That’s where we begin."