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"Shut up."

He drives me backward. One step. Two. Three. Old Eirea would've hated that. Would've fought harder because backward felt like losing. I let him. Space isn't defeat. Position matters more. He thinks he has me near the boundary. Comes forward. I pivot. Dax passes. My dagger touches his ribs. Light. Not kill. Point. His eyes sharpen. "Interesting."

"Scared?"

"Not remotely."

"Shame."

He comes again. Harder. Good. We fight for nearly four minutes. Longer than most matches. My arms burn. Dax's breathing changes. Barely. Mine too.

He gets one strike against my thigh. I get another across his shoulder. Neither lethal. Both annoying.

Then he knocks one dagger away. It skids across the floor. Dax smiles. "Problem?" I shift the remaining dagger into my left hand. His smile fades slightly. "Corvell."

"Unfortunately."

"He's annoying."

"You have no idea."

Dax attacks my left. Of course. Testing. My grip holds. Barely. He turns. I duck. His sword passes above my head. I drive my shoulder into his ribs. He moves. Not enough. I hook his ankle. He catches himself. Damn. "Left got better." He says.

"By Friday."

"What?"

"Nothing."

The bell sounds. End. Neither of us wins. Vayne looks at his notes. "Acceptable."

Dax stares. "That's it?"

"Would you like worse?"

"No."

"Then leave."

We do. Round Two. Manifestations. Controlled. My stomach changes. Not fear. Awareness. Blood Echo sits beneath my skin. Present. Waiting. Not demanding. Just there.

Dax rolls his neck. Wolf manifestation changes him subtly. Not full shift. Eyes first. Movement. Muscle. Senses. Everything becomes sharper. More predatory. He watches me. I watch him.

The bell sounds. Dax comes fast. Too fast for normal movement. I call Blood Echo. Not fully. Enough. The world changes. Heartbeats. Blood. Movement beneath skin. Dax becomes information. Pulse. Pressure. Direction. He knows. His smile appears.

"There she is." The words hit something old. Last time. Fear. Anger. Power surging. Loss of control. For half a second, Blood Echo responds. Wants more. I feel it. I let myself feel it. That's the difference. I don't shove it down. Don't panic. Don't cage it. I simply decide. No. Not yet. The power settles. Not gone. Waiting. Dax sees that too. His expression changes.

He attacks. I move. This round is harder. Dax uses manifestation speed. I use Blood Echo only enough to read. Not attack. Not manipulate. Read. His pulse tells me before his shoulder does. His blood shifts before weight follows. Tiny warnings. Enough. He tries to crowd me. I let him. Then leave. He tries again. I change direction. He swears. I smile.

"You're annoying now." He says.

"I was always annoying."

"Not like this."

He catches me. Finally. Hand around my wrist. Turns. Pain. My dagger drops. Blood Echo rises. I could use it. Easy. His pulse is right there. His blood beneath my awareness. One command. One disruption. I don't. Instead— knee. Dax grunts. Grip loosens. I twist out. Retrieve nothing. Fight empty-handed. His eyebrows rise. "No blade?"

"Observant."