Kael didn't have time to process any of it.
"Evaluation begins in ten minutes."
The voice came from the front desk, clear and direct.
He looked up. "What?"
The woman behind the counter didn't look at him. "You triggered a reassessment."
"That sounds official."
"It is."
"…Can I say no?"
"No."
Kael exhaled. "That tracks."
The center of the guild began to clear.
It happened quickly and without announcement, as if everyone already understood what was about to take place. Tables shifted, conversations moved aside, and a circular space formed in the middle of the room.
The floor itself looked reinforced, marked with faint lines that suggested it had seen this kind of use many times before.
Kael stepped toward it slowly.
"This feels like a bad idea," he said.
Lyra remained just outside the boundary. "You will be fine."
"That does not sound confident."
"It is not."
"…Great."
A Beastkin stepped into the circle across from him.
He wasn't one of the top-ranked group, but he carried himself with enough confidence to suggest he didn't expect this to be difficult.
"Let's see what the anomaly can do," he said.
Kael rolled his shoulders slightly, trying to shake off the tension building in his chest.
"…Yeah," he muttered. "Let's."
The signal came without ceremony.
The fight started immediately.
The Beastkin moved fast, closing the distance before Kael had time to fully settle his stance.
The first strike came clean.
Kael reacted instinctively, reaching for that familiar moment just before impact.
This time—
He caught it.
The force shifted in his hand, bending just enough to throw the attack off balance.
The Beastkin stumbled slightly, clearly not expecting the adjustment.
Kael stepped forward.
Not out of instinct—
But on purpose.
He redirected the next strike more cleanly, guiding the movement instead of forcing it.
It wasn't perfect, but it was controlled.
The room reacted.
Not loudly, but enough for him to feel it.
The Beastkin adjusted quickly, his movements becoming sharper as he tested Kael's timing.
Kael held his ground, focusing on each moment instead of trying to predict the next.
For the first time—
He wasn't just reacting.
He was learning in real time.
The exchange continued, each movement building on the last.
Kael missed one.
Recovered.
Adjusted.
By the time the match was halted, he was breathing hard but still standing.
"…Okay," he said under his breath. "That went better than expected."
Lyra didn't respond.
She was watching him differently now.