The walk out of the training pits was much quieter than the entrance. The adrenaline was still humming through my veins, and the strange, shimmering energy in my blood had settled back into that familiar, low-frequency buzz, but my muscles were starting to protest the intensity of the morning.
Athena walked beside me, her hands tucked into her pockets, a satisfied bounce in her step. "Well," she started, casting a sideways glance at me. "That was… intense. Even for my brother. But you did amazing, Rachel. I’ve never seen anyone move him like that. You actually knocked him off his center."
I let out a long, shaky breath, wiping a smudge of dirt from my forearm. "Thanks. I think I’m finally getting the hang of it. I mean, I know I’m nowhere near ready for a real battle yet, but I’m just gl
