Eternia's Requiem

The sword came down like lightning.

One moment, Godfrey Ender Sinclair had been standing several meters away, calm and unmoving in the quiet hall of the Palace of Eternal Solace.

The next—

Steel flashed through the air.

Eternia’s instincts screamed.

Her body moved before her mind could fully process what was happening.

Mana surged violently through her magic circuits as she forced it to circulate faster.

Reflex enhancement.

Her vision sharpened.

Her muscles reacted.

She twisted her body sideways just as the blade descended.

SHING.

The sword sliced through the air where her neck had been a fraction of a second earlier.

Eternia stumbled backward, heart pounding violently in her chest.

"What the—?!"

Her voice echoed sharply through the empty hall.

She barely regained her balance before Godfrey moved again.

There was no hesitation.

No explanation.

He stepped forward with terrifying speed, sword already swinging toward her again.

Eternia jumped backward instinctively.

The blade struck the marble floor.

CRACK.

Stone shattered beneath the impact.

Her eyes widened.

"That wasn’t a warning swing."

That had been a killing strike.

"Stop!"

She shouted sharply, raising her hands instinctively.

"Wait!"

"Let’s talk this out!"

But Godfrey said nothing.

His face remained completely unreadable.

Cold.

Focused.

His boots stepped forward again.

Another strike.

Eternia barely managed to twist away in time.

The blade passed dangerously close to her shoulder.

A lock of silver hair drifted slowly to the floor.

Her heart pounded harder. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

"What is wrong with this man?!"

Godfrey continued advancing.

Relentless.

Each step precise.

Each swing perfectly controlled.

He wasn’t swinging wildly.

He was hunting.

Testing.

Eternia retreated quickly across the hall, dodging desperately as his blade chased her movements.

Her mana circulation intensified again.

She forced more energy through her circuits to increase her reflex speed.

Her senses sharpened further.

The world seemed to slow slightly.

But even with that advantage—

She was barely keeping up.

Godfrey was absurdly fast.

Every attack forced her to move at the absolute limit of her reaction time.

The blade flashed again.

She ducked.

Another swing.

She rolled aside.

A third.

She jumped backward.

The marble floor behind her exploded as the sword struck again.

Eternia’s breathing grew heavier.

Her body was still recovering from the ancient magic backlash earlier that day.

Even with controlled mana circulation, fatigue was beginning to build.

Meanwhile—

Godfrey remained completely calm.

His breathing steady.

His movements effortless.

No mana, No Aura just barely using his muscles.

Eternia realized something unsettling.

"He’s not trying to kill me."

If he had truly wanted her dead, she would have already been a corpse.

Every strike had been dangerous—but slightly restrained.

Just enough.

Just enough to force her to move.

To dodge.

To react.

To survive.

But still—

The fear was real.

One mistake would be enough.

Eternia darted toward a pillar as another slash tore through the air beside her.

Her foot slipped slightly as she landed.

Her breathing grew ragged.

Her muscles burned.

"How long is he going to keep this up?!"

Another strike came.

She twisted away again.

Her sleeve tore slightly as the blade grazed the fabric.

Then suddenly—