Chapter 56
Ella
Morning training was brutal. The chill air bit at my exposed skin, which should be a relief if I didn't have sweat already trickling down my back. My legs burned with every step, a familiar ache that I’d learned to ignore, mostly. The sun was barely peeking over the horizon, painting the sky in hues of bruised purple and fiery orange, but the training yard was already teeming with students. Each one pushed their limits, their grunts and heavy breaths filling the air.
I wasn’t keeping up. Not like I ever did.
Aidan and Nikolai were ahead, their easy strides a testament to their superior fitness. They ran side by side, chatting about something I couldn’t hear, their voices light and carefree. They looked like they were on a casual jog, not enduring the same grueling e
