Days turned into weeks, and the bitter bite of winter finally gave way to the pale sunlight of early spring. The Wellington Academy grounds shimmered with the first hints of green, and though the air was still cool, it carried the scent of renewal. Students were restless, laughter spilling into the corridors, boots pounding against the training fields.
Scarlett, however, felt an undercurrent of unease she couldn’t name. Something in her had shifted since that night in the training hall. She could still feel the echo of Ethan’s voice, that fierce mix of anger and protectiveness, the shadow in his eyes when he’d told her to survive.
She trained harder than ever, but the harder she worked, the more she realised how intertwined her emotions had become with his presence. Whenever he corrected
