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[Geneva, Switzerland - International Heroes Association Headquarters - 1st Floor: Garden.]

The polished floors of the International Heroes Association gleamed under harsh fluorescent lights.

Young Valencia, barely eight years old, clung tightly to her father\'s leg, peeking out nervously.

It had been weeks since her mother\'s passing, a void she could barely comprehend.

Her gaze fell on a young boy, only a year younger, who gripped his father\'s hand.

Florian Alexandre Etienne Valois, heir to the French throne, even in his youth carried an air of entitlement.

"Gerrard," Florian began, his voice smoothly sympathetic.

"I offer my sincerest condolences for your loss."

Gerrard\'s stoic facade almost slipped, a feeling of pain flashing in his eyes before he steadied himself.

"Thank you, Florian. Her spirit lives on in our daughter."

Valencia, curiosity overcoming her shyness, peeked out at Florian.

He offered a tight smile. "She looks just like her mother, doesn\'t she?"

A pain of discomfort struck Valencia, but her father squeezed her hand reassuringly.

"Indeed."

A shadow crossed Alessandro\'s face, a hint of a smirk playing on his lips.

"Speaking of family," Florian continued, "Valencia, I hear, is taking up the sword?"

Gerrard\'s pride shone through.

"She is. Already showing remarkable aptitude. Picking it up faster than I did at her age."

Florian chuckled, ruffling his son\'s hair.

"Alessandro is still exploring his options. A swordsman? Perhaps a mage? He has a natural talent for so many things."

Alessandro puffed out his chest, an exaggerated gesture even for a child his age.

Valencia felt a twist of unease. Something about his arrogance, his need for approval, rubbed her the wrong way.

Florian looked between the children, a glint of calculation in his eyes.

"Why don\'t you two go play? Get to know each other. We\'ll be here for a while discussing important matters."

Gerrard hesitated, then knelt down and whispered into Valencia\'s ear.

"Would you like that, dear?"

Valencia nodded shyly. Her father\'s support gave her a touch of courage.

"Alessandro here knows the way to the playroom," Florian announced cheerfully.

"Why don\'t you show Valencia, son?"

Gerrard gave his daughter a reassuring nod.

With one last, apprehensive glance, she let go of his leg.

Alessandro stared at her, a strange light in his eyes. "Come," he commanded with a hint of impatience.

Valencia followed Alessandro through a maze of corridors, her small hand clutching the edge of her dress.

His footsteps echoed confidently, his gait hinting at his familiarity with the International Heroes Association.

He finally stopped in front of a sleek, metallic door.

swang!

A sensor buzzed as they approached, and the door slid open silently.

Valencia stared. It wasn\'t a playroom at all, but a spacious training hall.

Shining swords lined the walls, targets hung from the ceiling, and padded mannequins stood ready for combat.

"What... what is this place?" she asked, her voice small in the vast room.

Alessandro grinned, a touch of smugness in his eyes.

"Can\'t you see? It\'s where we train, of course."

Frowning, Valencia crossed her arms. "I thought we were going to play."

"We can play," Alessandro insisted, the glint in his eyes hardening, "by practicing."

Alessandro, with a flourish, tossed a practice sword towards Valencia.

It landed at her feet with a dull thud, jolting her from her hesitation.

He walked onto the raised sparring stage, assuming a loose fighting stance.

"Show me what you\'ve got," Alessandro demanded, a mocking edge to his voice.

Valencia looked at the sword, her hands trembling slightly as she picked it up.

"I... I don\'t want to..." she mumbled.

Alessandro scoffed. "What, afraid of a little sparring?" He paused, his smile twisting into a cruel smirk.

"But… I don\'t think your mother would deny a duel, would she?"

"...!"

Valencia flinched as if struck. The mention of her mother, a still raw wound, cut deep.

Her frown deepened.

Reluctantly, she stepped onto the stage.

The sword felt heavy in her hands, but she wasn\'t going to let him trash her mother\'s name.

Alessandro grinned. "That was more like it."

CLASH!

Within moments of Valencia stepping on the stage, their practice swords clashed, a discordant symphony in the vast training room.

Alessandro darted in a relentless force pushing Valencia backwards.

"Is this all you\'ve got?" he sneered.

"Maybe your dear mother couldn\'t handle a real fight either."

Valencia stumbled, a gasp escaping her lips.

Her sword arm trembled, the weight of his words far heavier than the weapon in her hand.

Images flashed across her mind – her mother\'s gentle smile, the emptiness of their home without her presence.

"That\'s why she died, didn\'t she?" Alessandro\'s voice was a venomous hiss. "Too weak."

sniff...

A sob threatened to escape Valencia\'s throat, but anger ignited, a protective fire against his cruelty.

She roared, launching a desperate counterattack. Swings came fast and furious, devoid of form but full of fury.

Alessandro, caught by surprise, parried her blows with increasing difficulty.

He grunted, a flicker of frustration replacing his earlier arrogance.

"Weak and pathetic," he spat, sidestepping a clumsy lunge.

"Both of you. No wonder she couldn\'t protect herself."

Valencia\'s sword scraped the polished floor, sparks flying with a screech.

Every word was a piercing blow, draining her strength, and blurring her focus.

Alessandro pressed forward, sensing her faltering defence.

He feinted left, then struck right, his eyes gleaming with a twisted triumph.

"Your mother was a disgrace!" he snarled, a final, vicious thrust. "Just like you!"

Valencia stumbled back, his words struck the final blow.

Then something inside her... something inside Valencia snapped.

CRACK!

"...I-"

CRACKLE...

"I can\'t..."

CRACKLE!...CRACKLE!...

"I can\'t let you talk about her like that!"

CRACKLE...CRACKLE...CRACKLE...

A surge of energy, raw and wild, erupted through Valencia.

Her body buzzed, sparking with an electric intensity.

Azure cracks of lightning flashed around her, sizzling through the air like a furious storm.

"Mother told me to only fight against bad people,"

She choked out between sobs, her tear-filled with lightning sparking out her eyes.

"But you\'re... you\'re a monster!"

Valencia\'s grip tightened on the practice sword.

It vibrated in her hands, responding to the power coursing through her veins.

Alessandro stared, open-mouthed, his arrogance dissolving into a mix of shock and fear.

He\'d witnessed skill and ambition before, but this... this was something else entirely.

That day... was when Valencia Freya awoken her elemental attribute.

____________

Authors Notes:

- Gerrard\'s Freya\'s cover-up for when Valencia awakened her elemental attribute was on her birthday.