Arcane Dominion: The Rise of Shadows

"Special Training"

Third Person POV-

Lyriana turned toward Nerina, her eyes lingering for a moment as though weighing something unspoken. The flicker of hesitation in her otherwise unwavering demeanor was enough to make Nerina shift under her gaze.

“This dress,” Lyriana began, her voice lower than usual, “is not just for show. It’s a symbol of the power you’re meant to wield—and the strength you must embody.” She stepped closer, the air between them charged with an almost unbearable tension. “But you won’t truly understand its purpose here in the confines of the Obsidian Tower.”

Nerina’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”

Lyriana’s lips curved into a faint smile, but there was something sharp behind it. “I’m taking you away. Five days, away from the distractions and protections of this place. I need to see what you’re truly capable of when faced with the unknown.”

Nerina blinked, her heart skipping a beat. “Away? Where?”

“That, you’ll see soon enough.” Lyriana turned toward the window, her silhouette bathed in the moonlight. “Pack lightly. We leave at first light.”

Nerina's POV-

The first day was grueling.

I barely had time to dress before Lyriana was knocking on my door, her voice firm and impatient. “Nerina. Now.” That was all she said, but it carried enough weight to have me scrambling to get ready. When I opened the door, she was already waiting, her dark cloak flowing around her like liquid shadow. She gave me a brief once-over before turning sharply on her heel.

“Come,” she said, her tone leaving no room for questions.

I grabbed my pack and hurried after her, nearly jogging to keep up with her long strides. We left the Obsidian Tower behind quickly, its looming spires fading into the gray morning mist. The forest that surrounded the tower felt alive—its towering trees whispering in the wind, their roots like gnarled fingers reaching across the path.

I finally worked up the nerve to ask, “Where are we going?”

“To a place where your power will be tested,” Lyriana replied without looking back.

That didn’t exactly make me feel better. Her answers were always like that—deliberately vague, offering just enough information to keep me guessing. I decided not to press her. I’d learned by now that she only revealed what she wanted, and no amount of prodding would change that.

The hours stretched on as we made our way deeper into the wilderness. The terrain grew steeper, and I felt every step in my legs, the strain making them burn. Lyriana, of course, moved with her usual grace, as if she weren’t even human. She didn’t stumble, didn’t hesitate—she was unstoppable, a force of nature in her own right.

We stopped briefly at a stream around midday. Lyriana knelt to fill her flask, her movements as precise and unhurried as ever. I sat on a nearby rock, too exhausted to speak, and pulled out a piece of bread from my pack.

“Eat,” Lyriana said, not even looking up from the water.

Her tone carried such authority that I obeyed without question, nibbling at the bread even though my stomach was tight with a mix of anxiety and exhaustion. When I dared to glance at her, she was looking at me with that piercing gaze of hers, the one that seemed to see right through me.

We moved again after that, climbing higher into the hills. The trees thinned out, replaced by jagged rocks and open skies. The wind was sharper here, colder, cutting through my cloak like a blade. I had to keep pulling it tighter around me, but Lyriana didn’t seem fazed. She walked ahead of me, her dark robes billowing behind her, looking every bit the powerful mage she was.