The air still felt thick and heavy even after the weird guy finally left the room. Lita was left standing there with about a million more questions than she started with.
Now it was just her and Belros. She took a slow breath, squared her shoulders, and decided it was time to show everything she'd been grinding for over the past few weeks.
She started with the sword. Clean, sharp cuts, nothing flashy, just precise. Then she layered in the magic. Fire curled around the blade as it belonged there, flicking out in bright streaks with every swing. She moved like water—blade flowing straight into spell, spell melting back into blade. It actually looked kind of beautiful, even to her.
Belros didn't say much at first. Just watched. But she caught the way his eyes narrowed slightly, the tiny shift in his posture. He was impressed. Quietly.
"Very well done," he finally said, voice low and even, but there was real warmth under it. "It's rare to see someone handle both with such skill."
That little bit of praise hit her like caffeine. Okay. She could do more.
She remembered the move Flare had drilled into her head for days—the big spell-sword combo that demanded perfect focus. She planted her feet, felt the familiar buzz of power climb up her arms, and poured it all down into the blade until it hummed.
One hard swing.
For half a second, everything was perfect.
Then it wasn't.
The energy exploded outward, way bigger than she meant. A screaming crescent of light ripped through the air and slammed into the side of the mansion like a truck. Stone cracked. Wood splintered. A whole section of wall just… disappeared in a cloud of dust and flying chunks.
Lita stood there, chest heaving, staring at the hole she'd made. Her ears were ringing. Her hands wouldn't stop shaking.
Flare looked like someone had slapped her. Mouth open, eyes huge.
But Lita's mom? Mom just crossed her arms and tilted her head like she was judging a mildly interesting painting.
"Impressive," she said, completely deadpan. "Though you still have much to learn about control."
Lita couldn't even answer. She was too busy trying not to throw up from the adrenaline crash.
Belros brushed some dust off his sleeve as if nothing had happened. "You are indeed powerful," he said, calm as ever. "But power without restraint is chaos. At Ardent Peak Academy, we will teach you how to harness that strength fully."
Lita didn't know whether to feel proud or horrified. Maybe both at once.
After that, her mom and Belros stepped away to talk in private. Lita stayed outside with Flare, still kind of dazed, replaying the moment the wall exploded in her head on loop. Did she just ruin everything? Or did she actually do enough to prove herself? She couldn't tell anymore.
Inside a quiet side room, Belros and her mother faced each other. The vibe was tense but not hostile—more like two people who both knew exactly how serious this was.
"So, Belros," her mother started, voice steady, "has Lita passed your examination?"
Belros took a second, choosing his words. "She has potential, far beyond what we expected. Her mastery of both magic and swordsmanship is impressive for someone her age. However, her control is still lacking. As we saw, that last demonstration was dangerously overpowered."
"Control comes with time and experience," her mother answered, not even blinking. "She's only just begun to understand her true abilities."
Belros gave a small nod. "True. And that's why I believe she could benefit greatly from Ardent Peak Academy. She needs structure and training under our best instructors. If she continues like this, she could be one of our strongest students—but only if she learns to control her power."
Her mother studied him for a long moment. "Then you believe she's ready?"
"I do," he said. "Lita has passed the examination. She is accepted into Ardent Peak."
The tiniest smile touched her mother's mouth—gone in a second. "Good. Then she will attend. But I trust you will ensure she reaches her full potential, Belros. I don't tolerate failure."
"You have my word," he replied. "We'll mould her into the powerful individual she's destined to be."
And just like that, it was decided.
Lita was going to Ardent Peak.
She still felt like her stomach was full of bees, though. Part of her was buzzing with excitement. The other part kept seeing that hole in the wall and wondering what would happen the next time she lost control.
Her mother glanced out the window at her daughter standing in the yard, eyes fierce and certain.
"Lita will be ready for whatever comes next," she said quietly.
Whether Lita believed it yet or not.