he stumbled. She played the role of a coiled spring, pressed down by the weight of his body. They’d made a few bandages with scraps of clothing, and Kalden kept pressure on his shoulder with his free hand. Meanwhile, a makeshift tourniquet stopped the bleeding in his leg.


    Easy. Relia had said the same thing. In her world, even children could advance within the Novice realm.


    Grandmaster-level mana beasts . . . now there was some nightmare fuel. She’d finally reached Silver, and now she was going to feel weaker than ever. But at least she would have allies and resources this time. She wouldn’t have to train in secret, or cross national borders to advance.


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Talek. He wasn’t wrong about that. She’d gotten lucky tonight—especially with Frostblade and the gun. But she’d also been calm and clear during the fights themselves. Despite the whirlwind of emotions in her brain, her body had known exactly what to do. You didn’t get those results without years of training.


    Family. The word left her dizzy. Akari had already suspected she’d been a mana artist before. But this? If Elend was right, then her parents had once been married. They’d loved each other, and they’d loved her. They’d been a real family, and someone had ripped them apart.


    Talek. Emeri had been a mana artist once, too. And then someone had stripped her of her power, sending her to a place where she’d be murdered by thugs.