Amberine stormed down the corridor, her boots clacking sharply against the polished stone floor. Her thoughts were a tangled mess of frustration and self-recrimination. "I could have won," she muttered under her breath, fists clenched at her sides. "Elara just got lucky. That water vortex wasn't even that impressive."
"Elara's shield was textbook perfect," Ignis said from within her robe, his voice a warm, gentle crackle. "You need to accept the result and face forward."
"Shut up, Ignis!" Amberine snapped, her voice echoing in the empty hall. She could feel her cheeks flush with heat, not just from anger, but from the literal warmth emanating from the fire spirit.
"Amberine, you're being unreasonable," Ignis retorted, his tone growing hotter. "You lost, and it happens. Learn from it instead of wallowing in self-pity."
