Chapter 144: Newas 10
The new Mistshroud disciples trained beneath morning mist, sweat mixing with dew, breath misting in the cold. Their forms were clumsy, their strikes uneven, but for the first time in years, the sacred chants of a forgotten sect echoed through the ravine again.
Adrian watched from the ridge, arms crossed. Below, Olivia corrected the stance of a boy with burnt sleeves while Jayson argued with an older teen about footwork. Elder Laen hovered like a ghost, occasionally stepping in with a wordless correction, his gaze ever on the horizon.
It was far from perfect. But it was real.
And that was enough—for now.
Bella stepped up beside Adrian. Her spear was slung over her back, and a cloth wrapping bound her wrist. "They’re not warriors."
"Not yet," Adrian agreed.
"Some of them never will be."
"Then they’ll be what they’re meant to be." He gestured toward Olivia and Jayson. "We don’t need just swords. We need scholars, warders, alchemists. Mistshroud fell because it tried to stand tall alone. This time, we root ourselves deep."
Bella looked at him for a long moment, then nodded. "You’ve changed."
"So have you."
She smiled faintly. "Good. Because what’s coming will burn away anything weak."
A shadow fell across them.