A month passed in a blur of sweat, bruises, and arguments.
Ren's days had turned into a predictable nightmare — mornings filled with running until his legs gave out, afternoons spent dodging explosive spells, and evenings collapsing face-first into bed.
Yet somehow… he'd gotten used to it.
Now, the training courtyard echoed with Vaspera's voice.
"Faster, brat! You call that a dodge?"
"I am dodging!" Ren yelled, barely rolling away as a ball of crimson fire exploded behind him. "You're just trying to kill me!"
Vaspera smirked, her long pink hair swaying as she twirled another fireball on her fingertip. "If I wanted you dead, you'd be ash by now."
Ren grumbled under his breath. " That's Comforting…"
Sometimes she made him spar with dummies that hit back. Other times she made him lift boulders "for balance." Once, she even made him chase a chicken for two hours straight.
But little by little, his body began to change.
---
One month later.
The morning sun poured through the training yard, painting the marble walls gold. Ren wiped the sweat from his forehead, chest heaving. His shirt clung to his back — his arms, once frail and thin, now held a faint trace of muscle. He wasn't strong, not yet, but he no longer looked like a breeze could knock him over.
Vaspera stepped closer, examining him with a calm, unreadable gaze. "Not bad. Your body finally looks less like wet paper."
Ren forced a weak smile. "Glad to hear I've graduated from paper to… maybe cardboard?"
She didn't answer, though the corner of her lip twitched — almost a smile. "Good. Now that your body's caught up, we can start the real training."
Ren froze. "Wait, that really wasn't real training?! What have we been doing all month."
Vaspera ignored his protest and walked toward the carriage waiting outside the gates of her mansion. "We can't do the next phase here. Follow me."
The ride took them just beyond the capital's borders — to the edge of Veloria's Eastern Forest, a vast stretch of ancient trees and quiet mist that swallowed the horizon. The air here was thick with mana, pulsing faintly like a heartbeat.
The carriage departed as soon as they arrived, leaving them alone in the middle of the forest.
Ren followed vaspera.
If this is where the real training begins, I'm definitely going to die.
When they reached a clearing, Vaspera stopped and turned to face him. The air shifted. Crimson light began to swirl around her, dancing like fireflies.
Ren blinked, mesmerized.
Her body glowed with a soft, fiery aura — elegant, dangerous, and impossibly beautiful. She lifted one hand gracefully, and a small flame bloomed above her palm. The light reflected in her eyes, making them gleam like molten rubies.
Ren stood frozen, completely lost in the sight.
She looks… incredible, he thought, his heart skipping.
"Hey," Vaspera's voice snapped him out of it. "Hey! Brat! Are you watching this?"
Ren jerked upright, face instantly red. "Wh–what? No! I mean, yes! I mean— I didn't see anything, I swear!"
Her brow arched. "So, you're saying you weren't paying attention and you didn't see the spell I just showed you?"
Ren fumbled. "No, I mean— I saw it! I totally saw it! The… glowy… fiery… thingy!"
Vaspera sighed, pressing her fingers to her temple. "You have a long way to go."
She lifted her hand again, forming another fireball — its warmth washing over him like sunlight. This time, Ren forced himself to focus, pushing the flustered thoughts away.
"You see," she said, her voice calm but firm, "as my personal healer, you'll face magic like this often. People who can burn you to ash before you even blink."
Ren swallowed hard. "That's… good to hear."
"That's reality," she corrected, her crimson eyes sharp. "And that's why I'll teach you how to counter it."
He blinked. "Counter? With… healing? How is that even possible?"
Vaspera's lips curved into a knowing smirk, the firelight dancing across her face.
"You'll find out soon enough."
The flame flickered once, reflecting in Ren's wide eyes — part fear, part curiosity.
Healing magic… as a weapon? he thought, shivering slightly.
Whatever was coming next, it wasn't going to be easy.
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