I made my way back to the house with an energy I couldn’t quite explain. It was unlike me to still feel this alive after spending hours around the training grounds, interacting with the girls, and even exchanging pleasant words with Mara. But something about the day, the laughter from the culinary class, the joy of seeing young minds willing to learn, it all lifted a weight I hadn’t realized had become so heavy.
My steps were lighter as I entered through the main door. The warmth of the walls, the comforting scent of spices still lingering from my earlier cooking spree, and the faint flicker of the fireplace all felt oddly soothing.
I stepped into the sitting room and found Aiden there, lounging on the couch, one hand propping up his head as he scrolled through a thick, leather-bound scr
