The moment I stepped onto the mat with him, I knew this had been a mistake.
Not because I was afraid... at least, that was what I told myself... but because there was something about the way Fannar carried himself that made the entire space feel smaller, tighter, as though the air itself had shifted to accommodate him.
He didn’t rush. Didn’t circle me like the others usually did before striking. He simply stood there, watching me with that same steady, unreadable gaze. His posture relaxed in a way that made it obvious he didn’t see me as a real threat. And that alone was enough to irritate the hell out of me.
I adjusted my stance, careful of my arm but determined not to let it show, forcing myself to focus on everything I had observed over the past couple of days, every movement, ever
