[4/5]
Kaela's chest rose and fell in heavy heaves, each breath drawing from her the last remnants of her stamina. She had taken out two opponents—cleanly, without harming them too much—but it had cost her. Her body screamed in exhaustion, her limbs trembling under the weight of effort.
She needed a moment. Just a second to catch her breath.
But she wasn't going to get it.
Another first-year student had been watching the battle from the sidelines. A girl, lithe and sharp-eyed, who had waited for an opportunity to strike. And now, seeing Kaela falter, she launched forward—eyes fierce, grip tight around a gleaming metal staff.
The staff sliced through the air with deadly precision, aimed directly at Kaela's face.
Normally, Kaela would have dodged. She was fast, sharper than most. But not this time. With exhaustion dulling her reflexes, all she could do was throw her arms up in a weak guard.
