As the academy classes finally started winding down for the day, I realized I needed a moment to clear my head.
There were really only two things bugging me.
First—after Professor Lena told me to "observe" during hand-to-hand combat class—I couldn't stop thinking about it.
Don't get me wrong. I appreciated the break. God knows I needed it. But the way it happened… the timing, the attention, the quiet little mercy she gave me in front of everyone? Yeah, it felt weird.
Especially because that break? It didn't last.
The moment I was back on my feet, Lena smiled at me—that smile—and dragged me right back into the fire.
Drill after drill. Correction after correction. Over and over.
She'd smile like she was teaching a beginner class, but it felt more like I was in some sort of martial arts boot camp.
Honestly, that little "observation time" might've been the one and only mercy I'd ever get from her.
And I wouldn't have minded all the hard work. Not really.
