As the day's training came to a close, I found myself surrounded by a throng of my friends, their smiling faces a welcome sight after the intensity of the morning's battle.
"That was amazing!" Liam exclaimed, a gleeful grin on his face. "We thought the fire cage would consume you but you came out unscathed and you should have seen the look on his face, he was absolutely terrified".
The rest of the group nodded and laughed, their excitement palpable as they eagerly shared in the victory.
"I didn't know you had it in you like that". Aaron said with a smile. "Xin Mao is almost as powerful as me and you beat him. I guess I should watch my back around you."
I rolled my eyes in exasperation. As much as I understood their enthusiasm at me beating a higher level mage and I wanted to share the enthusiasm, I couldn't.
The truth of the situation was a bitter pill to swallow, my friends' enthusiasm a stark contrast to the reality of the battle.
