The sky of Lipriyan always burned with an unrelenting intensity, the eternal fire that dominated the horizon, but on that afternoon, the heat felt even more unbearable. Kaelion, arms crossed, watched the clearing where she, the human, struggled to follow Lorien's teachings. The image of her, sweating under the blazing sun, trying to control the sword with a precarious balance, bothered him in a way he couldn't explain.

A human. Fragile. Mortal. Weak. It was all he could think about as he watched her try and fail, stumbling over her own limitations. How dare she? How could someone so small and insignificant think they could survive in a place like Lipriyan? In a land where strength was not just a virtue, but a requirement every second, she seemed like a flame ready to be snuffed out by the first gust of wind.

The thought that she might be different, that there might be something more to her, seemed increasingly distant. But there was something in the way she got up. The persistence. The glimmer in her eyes, which, no matter how hard he tried to ignore it, never disappeared. She would fail, fall, but get back up again, ready to try once more. And that pissed him off.

Why do you try so hard?

He had never known how to deal with stubbornness. It was a trait he despised in others, just as he saw it reflected in himself at times. But her... she had nothing to cling to. Nothing but an invisible strength, something Kaelion couldn't understand. Something that was beginning to fascinate him, in a way he didn't want to admit. Something that defied logic, reason, and his own sense of superiority.

She didn't seem to understand how small and powerless she was. She didn't seem to understand that in Lipriyan, the weak weren't just ignored, but destroyed. And still, there she was, fighting against something bigger than herself, stronger, unbeatable. She wouldn't let herself be crushed. Wouldn't let herself be lost. Kaelion was beginning to realize she wasn't going anywhere so easily, wouldn't be defeated by the harshness of his world. And that bothered him deeply.

With a heavy sigh, Kaelion approached, his steps rhythmic, the echoes of his boots crushing dry leaves beneath his feet, a reminder of what he represented: strength, inevitability, relentlessness. When she noticed him, her gaze met his. Exhaustion in her eyes, a constant struggle against a world that would never accept her. But also, deep down, there was something more. Determination? Desperation? Or just stubbornness? Kaelion didn't know, and that made him want to understand.

"You're going to give up so quickly?" he asked, his voice dripping with disguised contempt, but tinged with curiosity.

He allowed himself a mocking smile, the corner of his mouth curling, an expression that had almost become natural on his face. That human had no idea what she was up against. He knew she didn't. She didn't know what it was like to be consumed by Emberfall's flame, what it was like to live with the weight of a power that could destroy everything around her. And still, she continued. Trying. Defying. As if that was enough to make her survive.

"You know you don't belong here, right? This isn't a place for the weak." he said harshly, a tone only immortals like him could understand.

He watched with an intensity that almost made her feel the weight of his gaze. Not just a look of disdain, but one that wanted more. He wanted to see how far she would go, wanted to see the moment when she would give up, when she would finally realize that Lipriyan had no space for beings like her. But at the same time, something inside him also wanted to see how far she could go. Wanted to see how far that determination could take her.

He took a step forward, observing her even more closely. "Impress me," he murmured, almost as a challenge. "Show me you're not as useless as you seem. Because if you keep going like this, you'll end up lost. And I won't care one bit, my sweet nemesis."

Humans... so fragile, so vulnerable... How could she think she had anything to offer in a world dominated by immortals? Yet, there was something about her, a timid flame, that was starting to challenge his own belief that weakness was the only constant among mortals. It made him uneasy. He wondered: How long could she keep resisting? But at the same time, part of him wanted her to resist just a little longer. Wanted to see how far she would go.

She's an enigma. And enigmas are... intriguing.

Kaelion turned away, his heavy footsteps echoing as he walked off, but not without casting one last glance at her. There she was, standing firm, still trying. And maybe, that was exactly what kept him from just leaving her behind. She was, in some way, stronger than he wanted to believe. And that challenged him.