SERAPHINA'S POV
It was an enjoyable morning. The sun streamed through the windows of the training room, and for the first time in months, I felt light. Hopeful.
Every muscle screamed in protest as I moved my body, but the pain had become an old friend—one whose constant presence meant progress.
I had started training with Maya, and if Lucian was a sadistic bastard, then she was the devil herself.
"You've got more in you, Sera!" she'd snarled yesterday, her boot nudging my trembling thighs during yet another impossible drill. "Dig deeper!"
And somehow, I always made it.
The memory of her rare praise still warmed me. Advanced techniques. Real progress. Each bruise was a stepping stone toward becoming someone who could stand unshaken between Daniel and the world's cruelties.
After a fu
