Kael POV
The clang of steel against steel rang sharply across the empty morning field. The sound made my chest tighten with a mixture of discipline and frustration. I welcomed it. Training was the only thing keeping the whirlwind of thoughts in my mind from spilling over, though even now, it was barely working.
“You look terrible this early,” Darius sneered, blocking my strike with his forearm before spinning away. Sweat trickled down his temple, his movements fluid, confident. He carried the arrogance of someone who had never faced true consequence.
I adjusted my stance and lunged again, the leather of my gloves creaking as I gripped my sword tighter. “Training keeps the mind sharp,” I said coldly, my voice low, even as my muscles screamed from the repeated strikes. “And when my mind i
