Once the last of the breakfast had been cleared and the morning light began to spill across the stone floors in earnest, a different kind of energy took hold. The domestic warmth of the bedroom faded as Demetrius’s playful hum sharpened into a focused, Alpha intensity. It was time to see what my new strength could actually do.
As we descended the steps to the training pits, the vast stone arena felt eerily quiet. I noticed we were the only ones there, other than one person in a far corner setting equipment up. The clink of steel and the heavy slide of stone-weighted sleds echoed off the high walls, magnifying the stillness of the early morning.
Demetrius didn't slow his pace, leading us straight toward the man. As we got closer, the figure stood up straight, wiping his hands on a dark to
