"What's wrong?" Adrian asked, his voice still groggy with sleep.

Medea maintained a steady gaze. "It's time to train," she said bluntly. "If you're going to face the Shadow Court and become a force to be reckoned with, then you need to start learning."

Adrian blinked, still groggy, as he probed himself up a bit, rubbing his eyes. The morning light filtered through the trees, casting long shadows across their campsite.

He glanced down at Lilith, who was still curled up against him, her ass pushed towards his groin area. Her breathing was slow and steady, the peaceful rhythm of someone deeply asleep.

Medea, on the other hand, stood over them, arms crossed and stern eyes fixed on Adrian. The look in her eyes made it clear she wasn't in the mood to wait any longer.

"It's time to train," she repeated firmly, though not in an unkind manner. "We can't afford to waste any more time."

Adrian sighed and carefully extricated himself from Lilith, trying not to wake her. As he stood, he noticed Medea's sharp eyes following his every move, her posture rigid with focus. He couldn't tell if she was annoyed at him or just as intense as usual.

"Alright, alright," he said, rolling his shoulders to shake off the last remnants of sleep. "What's the plan, then?"

Medea stepped back, her eyes narrowing slightly as she assessed him. "You've proven your strength, but you need more than brute force to stand against what's coming. You'll need precision and control. You've seen what the Shadow Court can do—they'll strike from the shadows, manipulate your mind, and twist your own power against you."

Adrian frowned but nodded in agreement. He had experienced firsthand how treacherous their enemies could be. "So, what's the first step?"

"Discipline," Medea answered without hesitation. "You've got the power, but it's raw. You lack control and discipline, and if you lose control for even a moment, they'll exploit that weakness."

Adrian ran a hand through his hair, glancing back at Lilith, who was still fast asleep, blissfully unaware of the intense training session about to take place. He couldn't help but smile at the contrast between the two goddesses—Lilith, carefree and unpredictable, and Medea, all focus and intense.

Medea didn't miss his glance and raised an eyebrow. "You can leave her to sleep for now," she said. "This training is for you. Lilith... has her own strengths." There was the faintest hint of amusement in her tone, though it quickly vanished.

Adrian stepped away from the campfire, stretching his limbs as he followed Medea to a small clearing just beyond their campsite.

The air was cool, and there was a strong pine scent in the early morning. The ground beneath his feet was soft with dew, and the faint sound of a distant stream added to the serene atmosphere.

"Alright, what's first?" Adrian asked, standing at attention as he watched Medea's every move.

Medea didn't answer immediately.

Instead, she took her sword out of its sheath. As she held it out in front of her, the dark, shiny blade caught the light. "Defense," she said simply. "You're strong enough to attack, but how well can you protect yourself?"

Before Adrian could respond, Medea moved. Fast.

In the blink of an eye, she was upon him, her sword slicing through the air toward his chest.

Adrian barely had time to react, instinctively summoning his fiery chains to form a barrier between them. The chains erupted from his back, glowing with heat as they met her blade with a sharp clash.

But Medea didn't stop.

She kept moving forward and hitting him with precise, constant blows that were meant to find any weak spot in his defense. Adrian gritted his teeth, his chains whipping through the air to block each strike, but it was clear that Medea was testing him, pushing him to his limits.

"You're hesitating," she said, her voice as sharp as her blade. "You're reacting to me instead of anticipating. You need to think faster; anticipate my strikes before I make them."

Adrian cursed under his breath, focusing harder on her movements. He could see the fluidity in her strikes, the way she shifted her weight, and the subtle cues in her posture that indicated her next move.

But then, Medea attacked like a wildcard; one moment it's as if he was understanding her; the next moment, she was making an unpredictable move.

Slowly, he began to adjust, moving not just to block but to counter her attacks.

He lashed out with his chains, trying to force her back, but Medea danced around them with ease, her eyes never leaving his. "Better," she said, a hint of approval in her voice. "But not enough."

With a swift movement, she broke through his defenses, her blade stopping just inches from his throat. Adrian froze, his breath caught in his chest.

"Too slow," she said calmly, lowering her sword. "Again."

They went at it again, over and over. Each time, Adrian improved slightly, his movements becoming sharper and his focus more intense. Medea's critiques were harsh, but he knew she was right.

He couldn't afford to be reckless. Not with the enemies they were facing.

"Faster!" she barked, her sword crashing against his chains. "If you can't anticipate your opponent, you're as good as dead."

Adrian clenched his jaw, his eyes tracking her movements with growing intensity. He could see the slight shifts in her posture, the tiny hints that betrayed her next attack. Her hips would tilt ever so slightly before a strike, her shoulders tensing before she shifted direction.

Slowly but surely, he began to adjust.

Medea slashed at him again, her blade cutting through the air with lethal speed, but this time Adrian was ready. His chains snapped forward, wrapping around her sword to stop it in its tracks.

For the first time in their sparring session, he managed to disarm her, sending her sword clattering to the ground.

A grin spread across his face as he stood tall, panting but triumphant. "Got you," he said, a hint of satisfaction in his voice.

But Medea's eyes flashed dangerously, and before he could fully savor his victory, a blast of dark energy shot from her hand, slamming into his chest and sending him flying backward.

The impact knocked the wind out of him, and he hit the ground hard, skidding across the dew-soaked grass.

Adrian gasped for breath, his vision swimming as he struggled to sit up. "What the hell was that for?" he coughed, glaring at Medea, who was already walking toward him, her expression as calm and unreadable as ever.

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