"Loyalty is proven in fire, not words."

The Academy's main training grounds gleamed under the flickering light of dozens of torches mounted in iron brackets around the arena's perimeter. Fresh sand had been raked smooth across the combat circle, though darker stains beneath the surface spoke of countless battles fought on this hallowed ground. Tonight felt different from the usual evening drills—heavier, more deliberate, as if the very stones were holding their breath.

Ancient banners ...