Dawn had barely broken over the hidden valley
when Aria was already on the training field. Mist
hung low over the ground, curling around the tall pine trees that surrounded the clearing. The air
smelled of earth, sweat, and steel. Aria stood
barefoot on the cold ground, her breathing steady, her body already sore from the previous
day's training. Across from her stood Draven.
His arms were crossed over his chest as he studied her carefully. "You hesitate," he said
calmly. Aria wiped the sweat from her brow. "I'm not hesitating." "You are thinking too much,"
Draven replied. "A warrior does not think when death is coming. A warrior reacts." Selene
stirred inside her mind. He's right. Aria inhaled slowly and clenched her fists. Since arriving in the hidden valley, Draven had
