TWO DAYS LATER
Anana stirred from her slumber hours before dawn. Her eyes blinked open slowly, meeting the pale silver glow of the moon that still lingered in the sky. She stretched, a soft yawn escaping her lips, and sat at the edge of the bed. Her gaze drifted down to her ankle, the one that had once been swollen, twisted, and red. Now it was fully healed and ready.
She flexed it carefully, her chest rising with relief.
“The healer… she truly saved me,” she whispered, her voice soft in the silence.
There was no time to waste. Today was the final day of the tournament… The day that would define her fate.
She dropped to the ground and began her warmups. Push-ups, stretches, controlled breaths, each movement awakening her muscles and sharpening her focus. Minutes passed until beads of
