The morning air was crisp, filled with the sound of footsteps on the training yard and the distant clang of swords from sparring warriors. It had become a routine: Althea showing up early, stretching on the edge of the field before Kaden arrived to push her limits. But today, something felt different.
Althea stepped into the yard with a new energy. She was wearing leggings and a fitted training top that hugged her body comfortably, a stark contrast to the looser clothes she’d worn in the past to hide herself. Now, the material highlighted her lean, toned frame: a reflection of the hours she had poured into her recovery.
The old Althea: the one who used to shrink in the face of insults and hide behind her limp,was gone. She wasn’t completely healed, but she was stronger. The progress wasn
