The morning sun filtered into the training hall, streaks of gold spilling over the polished wood floor. Amara wiped the sweat from her brow, her chest rising and falling from the relentless drills Lila had been putting her through.
“Again,” Lila instructed, her voice firm but not unkind. She circled Amara like a predator testing its prey. “Your stance is slipping. If your feet aren’t steady, everything else falls apart. Reset.”
Amara bit back her exhaustion and adjusted her footing. She raised her weapon—wooden today, not real steel—and braced herself.
Lila tilted her head, studying. “Better. Now attack.”
Amara lunged, her movement sharper than the day before, her eyes locked on her target. Lila blocked easily, but her expression betrayed a flicker of surprise. The girl’s form wasn’t p
