“I see you’ve met Heather,” she adds, like it’s some twisted rite of passage.
“Yeah, and I’d love toun-meet her,” I mutter, grabbing a set of wraps. “Seriously, what’s her problem? Girls like that ruin the whole girlhood thing. It’s like they skipped the day we were all taught basic decency.”
Nalaka stays quiet for a beat, then gives me a knowing look. “She wasn’t always like that.”
I blink. “How do you know that?”
She shrugs slightly, her voice softening. “We grew up together in Elveron. Used to be best friends.”
I stare at her, disbelief creeping into my tone. “Best friends? You’ve got to be kidding me. Because from where I’m standing, she’s nothing but a bully.”
Nalaka’s gaze hardens, something guarded in her expression. “People change. Sometimes it’s the world that does it to them.”
I don’t reply right away. I’m still trying to process that little piece of information. Heather,best friendswith Nalaka? Doesn’t exactly add up.
“Yeah, well,” I say, wrapping the bandage around my fist a little tighter than necessary, “that’s not an excuse. We all go through shit, but it doesn’t give you a free pass to be a bitch.” Ilook up. “Pain doesn’t justify cruelty. It just means you should know better.”
Nalaka meets my eyes calmly. “Maybe… Or maybe pain just shows us who never learned how to cope with it.”
I go still. Not because I agree, not entirely. But… it hits somewhere I didn’t expect.
Nalaka arches a brow. “Might also have something to do with Kai. You know… the wholething about him being the one who brought you here. And the fact that he can’t stop staring at you. Take your pick.” I groan, my patience running thin.
“Of course it’s Kai. Why wouldn’t it be? Boys are always the source of my problems.” I snap, throwing my hands up in frustration. “I swear, that guy isnotthat interesting to be this much of a headache.” I narrow my eyes, tone turning sharp. “And he’s not even looking at me. He’s probably following that gorgeous, awful girl around. Not that I care.Reallydon’t care.” I drop down to start my warm-up, stretching out muscles still humming with leftover tension. Dynamic stretches, slow and deliberate, I need the movement.
I need control.
And… okay, I don’t hate it.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ll always despise cardio. Running in circles like a glorified hamster? Pass.
Butthis?
The rawness of it. The stillness it demands inside your mind just so you can move with power. It works, always has. There’s something about landing a clean hit, feeling your fist connect, that burn in your muscles, that justwipeseverything else away. It doesn’t fix anything, but it sure as hell cuts through the noise. The next best thing to books, sex, and weed. Well, almost.
Until, of course, one of the drills turns into a five-kilometre run. And at that moment, I absolutely hate my life. I push myself, dragging my feet to keep pace with the others. Grittingmy teeth, trying to prove that I’m not a fraud. I’m gasping, lungs on fire, seriously contemplating passing out, but I can feel Heather’s gaze on me from her drill section. That smirk on her face... It ignites something cold and dangerous inside me. At that moment, all I can think about is erasing that look,permanently. The weight of the blade against my leg grows heavier. Finally, after what feels like a lifetime, everyone finishes the run or rather, everyone is done waiting for me. We switch stations, and then the real fun begins.
Nalaka goes over the basics, but it’s when she moves that I know things are about to get intense. Elegance in every movement; it’s in her blood, her elf DNA. It practically radiates from her when she’s in action. Moving with unnerving grace, fast, unpredictable, a blur as she circles me. My eyes narrow, determination locking my focus in place. I meet her head-on. With every lunge, every thrust, I’m there, anticipating her next move before she even makes it. I parry her attacks with a mix of skill and raw strength, my muscles screaming, but I stay on guard.
There’s no time to dwell on the fact that I’m actually keeping pace with an elf. My body’s on fire, but I push through, ignoring the ache in my muscles, the strain of every movement pulling me deeper into the fight. It’s all instinct now. After what feels like an eternity of sheer willpower, Nalaka suddenly halts, her fluid motions coming to an abrupt stop. She flashes a rare, genuine smile.
“I see why they brought you in. Well done, Avilyna,” she says, her voice carrying that rare warmth I didn’t expect.
I lean forward, hands on my knees, gasping for air. “Thanks… and… you can call me Lyna,” I manage between breaths. “But I… lasted, what, twenty-five minutes? And you’re… barely breaking a sweat. So… not exactly… impressed with myself.”
Nalaka steps closer, her gaze steady. “You need to be kinder to yourself. Most fights against experienced elves last only five to ten minutes.” She pauses, a hint of something almost like pride in her eyes. “The only reason we stopped it is that it took me this long to figure out how to defeat you. But, after learning some new things here, I bet you’ll be able to hold your own against my full capacity.”
“Wait, what? You were holding back?” I ask, my voice sharp as I push myself to stand up, already feeling offended and on the brink of an asthma attack.
“Well, yes. I needed to see what you were made of. And besides, you are a mundane, from all we know,” Nalaka says, stepping off the training mat, her tone calm and almost clinical.
Fuck.
I might actually have to start taking this whole training thing seriously. I’ve got a solid base, sure, but that won’t cut it. Not if I can’t even hold my own against someone who’s been holding back the entire time.
Before I can unload more complaints about being underestimated by, technically, my only friend here, we’re interrupted. A voice cuts through the air, and our teacher announces a 30-minute break before the duels begin. I let out a relieved sigh.
“Great. Just when I was about to have a meltdown. By the way, what’s our teacher’s name?” I ask, trying to steer my brain away from the chaos of my thoughts.
