I stood there for a moment, letting the dust settle around my boots as Esteban slowly pushed himself up from the stone floor, grunting as he rubbed the back of his bruised leg. He didn't look angry; if anything, there was a glimmer of grudging respect in the way he adjusted his stance.
Athena didn't wait for him to fully recover before she was vaulting over the stone railing, landing lightly in the pit beside me. She threw an arm around my shoulders, her grin wide and infectious as she pulled me into a side-hug that smelled faintly of pine and leather.
"Look at you!" she laughed, her eyes bright with genuine excitement. "I turn my back for one morning and you’re already out here toppling mountains."
She turned her gaze toward Esteban, who was now standing fully upright, looking slightly
