THALIA’S POV
Being separated from Caleb felt wrong the moment it happened.
It wasn’t something I showed. I kept my expression neutral as I moved toward my assigned group, blending in with the others as if nothing had changed.
But underneath that, something sat uneasily in my chest, like a thread had been pulled too tight between us.
I ignored it. I had more important things to think about.
The group gathered quickly, voices overlapping as they debated what kind of drills to run. Some suggested weapons training, others argued for strategy-based exercises, but eventually, the decision settled on something simpler.
Hand-to-hand combat. No weapons. No magic. Just raw skill. That alone was enough to make something in me tighten.
Because skill was the one thing I didn’t have.
I lowered
