章節 43: Make me use my magic
The adrenaline from my success was still coursing through my veins as I stood in the circle of flickering candles. My chest heaved, each breath heavy but triumphant. For the first time in days, I allowed myself a moment of pride.
"I did it," I whispered, the words barely audible over the crackling flames. "I actually did it."
Valeria strolled into the glowing circle, her sharp, wolfish grin intact. Her presence alone made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. Carlos trailed behind her, hands in his pockets and a mildly amused look on his face.
"Well," Valeria drawled, clapping her hands once. "Color me impressed. Little ember finally figured out how not to be a complete disaster."
I grinned back at her, too tired and too exhilarated to care about her sarcastic tone. "Does this mean I get a break?"
Valeria tilted her head, the smirk never leaving her face. "Oh, absolutely."
And then she punched me.
The world tilted as the force of her fist slammed into my gut. I doubled over, gasping for air, the taste of copper on my tongue. My knees hit the ground hard, and the flames around me flickered like they were mocking my pain.
"What the—" I managed to choke out, but Valeria wasn't finished. She grabbed me by the collar of my shirt, hauling me up with a strength that was completely unfair.
"Now," she said, her voice calm and terrifying. "You'll make me use my magic against you."
I blinked at her, my brain struggling to catch up. "What? What does that even mean?"
Carlos snorted from the sidelines. "Oh, you'll find out soon enough. Good luck, kid."
I shot him a glare, but Valeria's grip tightened, dragging my focus back to her. She leaned in close, her purple eyes glowing faintly in the dim light.
"It means, little ember, that starting now, you're fighting me. Every day. Until you're strong enough to force me to use magic to beat you."
"Wait, what?" I sputtered, my voice an octave higher than usual. "That's insane! You're—"
Before I could finish, Valeria tossed me backward like I weighed nothing. I landed hard, the impact jarring every bone in my body.
"Get up," she commanded, her tone as sharp as a whip.
I scrambled to my feet, my legs shaking. "This isn't fair! You're... you!"
Valeria rolled her shoulders, the movement casual and deliberate. "Life isn't fair, Ren. Now, let's see if you've got what it takes to make me even break a sweat."
Without warning, she charged.
I barely had time to dodge as her fist shot toward my face. I stumbled to the side, her blow grazing my shoulder and sending me spinning.
The sheer speed of her movements was overwhelming. She wasn't using magic, but she didn't need to. Her physical strength alone was enough to make my head spin.
"Focus!" she barked, landing a swift kick to my side that sent me sprawling.
I groaned, clutching my ribs. "Focus on what? You're faster than a freaking hurricane!"
"That's the point!" Valeria loomed over me, her silhouette framed by the dying glow of the candles. "If you can't keep up with me now, how are you going to survive out there?"
I gritted my teeth, forcing myself back to my feet. My body protested with every movement, but I wasn't about to give up. Not after everything I'd been through.
"Fine," I muttered, summoning the last reserves of my strength. "Let's do this."
She smirked, clearly amused by my defiance. "That's the spirit."
The next few minutes or hours; time had no meaning in the chaos were a blur of pain and frustration.
Valeria moved like lightning, her punches and kicks landing with brutal precision. I tried to block, dodge, counter anything to keep from getting completely demolished but she was relentless.
"Come on, Ren!" she shouted, her voice cutting through the haze of my exhaustion. "Is this all you've got? Where's that fire I saw earlier?"
I lashed out with a wild swing, but she sidestepped it easily, delivering a swift jab to my stomach. I hit the ground again, gasping for breath.
"You're predictable," she said, crouching down to look me in the eye. "And slow. If you want to survive, you'll need to do better than this."
I glared at her, wiping the sweat and dirt from my face. "You're impossible."
She laughed, the sound rich and unapologetic. "And you're stubborn. Good. Stubbornness might actually keep you alive."
The fight continued, though calling it a fight felt generous. It was more like a very one-sided beatdown.
Valeria didn't let up for a second, her attacks coming faster and harder. My limbs felt like lead, my vision blurring as exhaustion threatened to overwhelm me.
Carlos's voice floated in from the sidelines. "You might want to try thinking instead of flailing, Ren. Just a thought."
"Thanks for the advice!" I snapped, narrowly avoiding another punch.
Valeria chuckled, the sound low and dangerous. "Don't mind him. He's just bitter because I'm better at everything."
"Not everything," Carlos muttered, but he wisely stayed out of her reach.
By the time the fight finally ended, I was lying flat on my back, every inch of my body screaming in protest. Valeria stood over me, her hands on her hips and a satisfied grin on her face.
"That was bad," she said bluntly, nudging me with her boot. "But it's a start."
I groaned, too tired to argue. "A start? You nearly killed me."
"Don't be so dramatic," she replied, rolling her eyes. "You've got more than a month to get better. Plenty of time."
More than a month.
The words echoed in my mind as I lay there, staring up at the sky. One month of this madness. One month of fighting a woman who was stronger, faster, and more ruthless than anyone I'd ever met.
I didn't know if I could do it.
But as I closed my eyes, the flicker of red fire inside me burned brighter, refusing to be snuffed out.
One month.
I'd survive. Somehow.
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