Mark and Lyra stepped out of the ring, their sparring match already settled, but as they walked back toward the other side of the Sparring Grounds, they saw Daniel and Raven still going at it.

  The energy barrier flickered, reacting to the clash of wind and electricity inside. Daniel blurred across the arena, moving at speeds impossible for normal eyes to track, while Raven stood firm, barely shifting, her body wrapped in flickering arcs of static discharge.

  She wasn’t chasing him. She was waiting.

  Daniel darted in, twisting mid-air as a gust of wind amplified his momentum, aiming a spinning kick toward her side—

  CRACK.

  A surge of electricity erupted from Raven’s body, an instantaneous pulse of energy. Daniel barely managed to shift the air around him, cushioning his landing as he skidded back.

  He grinned. "That almost hurt."

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  Raven exhaled sharply. "Good. Hold still next time, and I’ll make sure it does."

  Daniel vanished again, circling her, testing her defenses. He was faster—but she was calculating.

  Mark crossed his arms, watching. "They're still at it?"

  Lyra smirked. "Of course they are. Daniel’s too stubborn to admit she’s stronger, and Raven’s too stubborn to let him win."

  Mark shook his head. "They could go all night at this rate."

  Lyra stretched, then suddenly grinned. "Speaking of all night, I say we get dinner. Let them kill each other if they want."

  Mark blinked. "Just like that?"

  Lyra shrugged. "What? I’m hungry. Besides, it’s tradition—post-sparring dinner. Win or lose, we eat."

  She turned toward the sparring ring and called out. "Oi, lovebirds! Wrap it up, we’re getting food."

  Daniel, mid-dash, tripped slightly. "We’re what now?"

  Raven sighed, flicking her wrist—and in that split second of Daniel’s distraction, a static pulse shot toward him, clipping his shoulder.

  His momentum broke. He hit the ground with a controlled roll, but it was clear—Raven won.

  She crossed her arms. "That’s what you get for getting distracted."

  Daniel groaned, rubbing his shoulder as he stood. "You did that on purpose."

  Raven smirked just barely. "I would never."

  Mark shook his head. "Alright, let’s go before Lyra starts whining about starvation."

  Lyra gasped. "Rude."