Serafall's palace training field was already a mess before noon.
One of the stone targets was split in half. Two containment pillars bore white burn marks. The floor, which was supposed to regenerate itself after each session, still had not managed to completely erase the black scratches left by Victor's Black Lightning. In some places, plates of Black Ice remained attached to the edges of the arena, cracked, but resistant.
At the center of it all, Victor was doing upside-down push-ups.
With one hand.
His body was held vertically, supported only by his right palm against the floor. His feet were in the air, aligned above his head, and the muscles of his shoulders, back, and abdomen worked in silence. Sweat ran down his chest, his arms, and the line of his neck. He was shirtless, breathing in a controlled manner, his damp hair falling downward because of the position.
He lowered himself slowly, almost touching the floor with his forehead.
Then rose.
One repetition.
