The days after training began felt like walking a tightrope strung above a storm. Every second demanded focus. Every breath threatened to break me. My father didn’t relent. From dawn until dusk, I was tested. My body bruised, my mind battered, my spirit stretched thin.
But no matter how hard I fought, Ronan was always there.
Sometimes it was a whisper when I drank water.
Sometimes it was the brush of his laugh when I trained.
Sometimes it was nothing at all—just a presence heavy as a shadow, waiting.
I told myself I was winning when I ignored him. That resisting even for a heartbeat was proof I could hold on. But deep down, I knew I was only delaying the inevitable.
The inevitable came faster than I imagined.
“Aria.”
Beta Kieran’s voice dragged me from half-sleep. I blinked, startl
