POV: Mia (Zero)
The scent of the training hall was different tonight. It clung to my skin, salt, sweat, and steel. The mats were cold beneath my bare feet, and I hadn’t turned on the overhead lights. The only glow came from the sliver of moonlight sneaking through the windows.
I didn’t know why I was back here again.
Maybe it was because I couldn’t sleep. Maybe it was because the last time I swung a weapon in this room, it felt too natural. Like muscle and memory were speaking to each other behind my back.
I stood in the center, breathing slowly, trying to quiet the chaos in my chest. A thick staff lay on the mat beside me. I picked it up.
No commands. No audience. Just me and the weapon.
I took a stance without thinking. My knees bent slightly. Elbows tucked. Fingers wrapped with co
