I was only able to scramble halfway to my feet before the first strike landed. Sora was fast—faster than I ever thought a person could move—and before I could even bring my arms up to shield my face, her boot connected with my ribs.
The force of it sent me spinning back into the dirt, the air leaving my lungs in a sharp, wheezing gasp. I felt the grit of the training ground in my mouth and eyes, the taste of copper and dust filling my throat. Pain shot through my side like a hot iron, and for a second, the world went grey.
Ignoring the scream of my muscles, I tried to push myself up again, but like a shadow, Sora was already there.
She swung the weighted staff, the wood slamming into my shoulder with a sickening thud.
At that moment, I could have sworn I’d gone blind from the agony. I
