The day after my brief excursion with Ethan in the bath for a little extra motivation, we returned to the training ground as if nothing had happened. Today, however, something had changed—while Ethan may not have noticed yet, I certainly had. The floundering swordswoman Lilith Blackwood Rosewood of yesterday was gone. Today, I stood as a warrior, focused solely on victory.

With each swing of my twin blades, I felt an unusual clarity, a heightened sense of purpose. The paths of Ethan’s sword moves were almost visible, as if guiding my own attacks.

*Clang! Clang! Clang!*

“L-Lilith?!”

“…”

Ethan, taken …