Chapter 78 – The Art of Sparing

"Stalemate."

The word echoed in the clearing, final and absolute.

Jess' brow furrowed. Celia tilted her head slightly, waiting. Neither spoke.

I let the silence stretch before continuing. "Do you know why?"

A shake of the head. Simultaneous.

I exhaled, gaze shifting between them. "Alright." My focus settled on Jess first.

"You were fast. Almost overwhelming at the start. You tried to corner Celia, force her into a disadvantage before she could adjust. It was a good strategy.. a strong execution, but flawed."

Jess crossed her arms, expression unreadable.

"You focused too much on attack." I took a step closer, my voice even. "You kept pushing, kept pressing, but never once did you take a step back to read her properly. You assumed you'd break through before she could respond."

Her eyes flickered with understanding, but I wasn't done.