Serena’s POV
The next morning dawned colder than expected, the frost biting at my cheeks as I stood in the training grounds. The air felt heavy, the kind of weight that spoke of impending chaos.
Kael was beside me, his expression unreadable. His focus had shifted lately—not just on me, but on something else, something he hadn’t yet shared. I could feel the tension in his every move.
“Ready for another round?” he asked, his voice calm but his eyes watchful.
I nodded, raising my fists. “Ready.”
Kael lunged at me, his strikes calculated and precise. He wasn’t going easy on me anymore, and I didn’t want him to. Each clash of our movements brought out the fire in me, that surge of power Aldric said was tied to something greater.
But this time, it felt different.
As Kael grabbed my arm, s
