REN READY TO FACE HER FATE

Ahhh! You call these 'little injuries'?" Ren's voice broke into a cry, tears welling up as she saw the evidence of his suffering. "Why?! How did you get like this?"

"Ren, calm down," Shun urged, the warmth of her concern fluttering in his chest. "This is all part of our training. I'm actually better off than Murphy and Quan Ye. You should see them; they're in much worse shape. Your dad took good care of me after it happened, so don't worry too much."

"But how could you get hurt like this? You're not just training like before!" Ren exclaimed, her voice a mixture of disbelief and worry. "Shi Min said you were pushing through some intense drills!"

"Trust me, I'll show you later. Right now, I just need a little bit of rest," Shun said, pulling Ren closer again, wanting nothing more than to bask in her presence while tuning out the world outside.