Unspoken battles

Elara had little time to dwell on her recent encounters. Training had intensified, and her body bore the marks of relentless drills. But exhaustion wasn't her biggest problem. Keshav.

The man was everywhere. Silent as a shadow, eyes always watching. He barely spoke, but when he did, his words were sharp and to the point—much like his sword. Elara had noticed Damien trusted him deeply, though no one seemed to know much about his past.

He was observing her now, arms crossed, unreadable.

"You're too stiff," Keshav finally said, after what felt like forever.

Elara scowled. "I'm not."

A pause. Then, with an exasperated sigh, Keshav stepped forward. "Your stance. You brace too soon."

Elara bristled but adjusted slightly, mimicking his movements. Keshav nodded once. That was all the praise she'd get.

From a distance, Lilian watched the exchange with narrowed eyes.

"Who is that?" she asked Kai, arms folded.

"Keshav," Kai replied. "He's—"

"A stuck-up know-it-all?" Lilian finished.

Kai snorted. "Something like that."

Lilian had already decided she didn't like Keshav. He had made that clear the moment they met. "You talk too much," he had said, dismissing her like she was a buzzing fly.

And Lilian never forgot an insult.

Keshav, as if sensing her glare, turned briefly in her direction before looking away. Lilian scoffed. She wasn't about to be ignored.

Meanwhile, Damien remained distant, his sharp gaze missing nothing. Elara felt his scrutiny every time she moved. It wasn't suspicion, exactly—more like… assessment.

"Again," he ordered when she faltered in a drill.

Elara exhaled sharply but obeyed.

Damien watched her, unreadable. She was improving. He wouldn't say it aloud, but he noticed.

And maybe that annoyed him.

But neither of them acknowledged the tension, the fleeting moments of unspoken understanding, the way their clashes weren't just about training anymore.

Because they weren't ready to.