{Three Months Later}
{Melisa}
Melisa and Raven traded blows.
Melisa's eyes remained narrowed. She tried to stay focused as Raven approached.
Melisa parried and deflected her blows. A few months ago, she wouldn't have even been able to block one strike, now she was blocking multiple at a time.
Over the past three months, she had thrown herself into her training with an intensity that surprised even herself. She tried to push herself, to hone and materialize skills she wouldn't have even imagined herself capable of having back on Earth.
Now, with the day of the tournament just a week away, Melisa felt it had paid off.
While she was still no match for Raven, Melisa could feel the difference in her own movement. The newfound confidence that came with hard-earned experience.
