Breaking Point

The morning sun filtered through the trees as Nova adjusted her footing, her breath coming in short bursts. Across from her, Kael circled like a predator, his eyes sharp with focus.

"Again," he said, his voice calm but commanding.

Nova's hands clenched into fists as she launched forward, her punch aimed at Kael's midsection. He deflected it effortlessly, his movements fluid and precise. Before she could recover, he hooked her ankle with his foot, sending her sprawling onto the ground, for what felt like the hundredth time.

"Get up," he said, stepping back to give her space.

Her frustration boiled beneath the surface as she pushed herself to her feet. Her muscles ached, her pride even more so. "You could at least pretend to struggle," she muttered, brushing dirt off her palms.

Kael raised an eyebrow. "You want me to go easy on you? That's not going to help when someone else tries to knock you down."

"I get it," she snapped. "I just—"

"Then show me," he interrupted, his voice cutting through her anger. "Prove you can fight back."

Something inside Nova snapped. She lunged at him with more force than before, her punches wild and uncoordinated. Kael blocked each one, but this time, he didn't counter. Instead, he began to speak.

"Is this all you've got?" he taunted, his tone sharper than usual. "This is the girl I found ready to face a lion while half alive? Who claims she wants to learn? Is this the best you can do? You think the world's going to stop and wait for you to figure it out?""

"Shut up," Nova growled, her strikes becoming more desperate.

"Then stop holding back!" Kael barked, his voice rising. "Fight me, Nova! Stop hiding behind your fear!"

Her vision blurred as tears pricked at the corners of her eyes. "I'm not hiding!" she shouted, her voice cracking.

"Yes, you are," Kael said, catching her wrist mid-swing. He held her there, his grip firm but not painful. "You've been hiding since the moment I met you. From me, from yourself, from everything."

Nova yanked her arm free and staggered back, her chest heaving. "What do you want from me?" she cried. "I'm trying, okay? I'm trying to keep up, to be strong, but I don't know how!"

The words spilled out of her, a dam breaking under the pressure. "I killed them, Kael! I killed the only family I've ever known, and I can't—" Her voice broke, and she collapsed to her knees, her head in her hands. "I don't know how to move forward."

Kael stood still, his expression unreadable as he let her words hang in the air. Slowly, he knelt in front of her, his voice softening. "You're stronger than you think," he said. "But strength doesn't mean never breaking. It means rebuilding after you do."

Nova looked up at him, her face streaked with tears. "How do you know?"

Kael hesitated, his gaze distant for a moment. "Because I've been where you are," he said quietly. "And someone helped me find my way back."

For a long moment, they stayed like that, the forest around them silent except for the rustling leaves. Finally, Kael extended a hand. "Now get up. We're not done yet."