My Decision

Draven.

The door clicked shut behind Wanda, and the silence that followed felt heavier than it should have.

I leaned back in my chair, the wood creaking faintly under the shift of my weight.

My gaze drifted over the scattered parchments and a half-emptied crystal glass on the desk, but none of it held my attention now.

Wanda's words still hung in the air like the echo of a blade drawn in challenge.

"Let me train her. Just one session."

I steepled my fingers, pressing them lightly against my lips.

I could already see the truth behind Wanda's smooth, honeyed tone. She didn't want to train Meredith. She wanted to break her—to humble her, humiliate her. Maybe even worse.

And yet… I couldn't dismiss the thought so easily.

Wasn't that, in a way, what Meredith needed too?

I sat in silence, wrestling the conflicting thoughts.