"Obsession, they say.
Stubbornness.
Wasted time.

They all told me the same thing: he will never look your way."

Their words weren’t meant to mock or belittle her.

Her honed instincts, sharpened through years of wielding a sword, allowed her to discern the true nature of such comments.

"They’re just concerned about me," Birdeel thought.

Shiiing—

Birdeel unsheathed her sword, gazing at her reflection in the blade.

The face that stared back at her was youthful, still bearing the freshness of her twenties.

But beneath the long lashes, her empty eyes betrayed no emotion.

Clink.

In an instant, …