"Make sure to survive." The white-bearded old man's words hung in the air, a cryptic command that felt less like encouragement and more like a heavy burden. His stare, deep and unreadable, bore into Mirabella.
Mirabella met his gaze, her blue eyes hardening with resolve. "Ok then... If that's what it will take." Her fingers tightened around the worn leather grip of her metal dagger. She shifted her focus to the ten heavily armored knights arrayed before her. They weren't just threats; they were a test.
She had planned to conserve her strength, to chip away at the obstacle, but the old man's words—and the sheer oppressive aura of the knights—shattered that notion.
"This is the first time I will be fighting seriously," she murmured, a trace of unfamiliar thrill mixed with deep-seated caution in her voice. The moment the last syllable dropped, the world blurred.
WHOOSH!!
